Kawasaki ZX-10R 'on hold' - Updated

Kawasaki has issued an official statement on the progress of its North American deliveries of the all-new 2011 Ninja ZX-10R, but don't panic - it's not a recall.

Update: Kawasaki Australia issued this statement: "As the 2011 Ninja ZX-10R ABS has not yet been released in Australia, the press release issued from Kawasaki USA has no relevance here. The technical hold mentioned may delay the Australian release by a week or two."

So there it is - a two week delay at worst for Australian deliveries. We'll keep you posted of any further twists in the tale, but hopefully this is as far as it goes in Australia.

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Even though Kawasaki USA has requested the return of all ZX-10R stock, asking riders who have already taken ownership of the bikes to return them to the factory due to unknown reasons (an engine issue is likely) it is not a recall per se, but a 'technical hold' according to the company.

The issue is believed to affect only North American models at this stage, but things may change.

The North American versions of the 2011 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R were rumoured to have been detuned by lowering the engine's rev ceiling in order to adhere to strict EPA noise restrictions in the USA. And now speculation is rife that this 'detune' may have caused the recall.

However Kawasaki is remaining tight-lipped on the subject and though it may be negative publicity and somewhat embarrassing for the company, the fact that Kawasaki is addressing the issue now -- not six month down the track -- is a somewhat positive sign.

At this stage it is not known if the 'technical hold' will affect European or Australian deliveries, which will begin in early 2011, or if supply issues will arise out of the product hold.

At the time of writing we were still awaiting official comment from Kawasaki Australia, and we'll update this page when we get it.

In the meantime, here is the official statement from Kawasaki USA:

IRVINE, Calif. -- Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. is placing a technical hold on the 2011 Ninja® ZX™-10R sportbike. The company is proactively addressing a remedy which reflects Kawasaki’s commitment to excellence and its relationships with its highly valued customers and dealer network.

The following actions are being initiated through the Kawasaki dealer network:

• Unsold units will be returned to KMC warehouses. The units will be redistributed once Kawasaki is 100 percent confident they reflect company standards for this highly technical, race-bred machine.

• Those who have taken delivery of a unit will be instructed to return the unit to the dealership for a full refund and will be among the first to have the option of receiving a new unit once the technical hold has been lifted.

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