We’ve seen it, sat on it, and heard it run! Kawasaki has unleashed a potent new literbike weapon in the form of the 2011 ZX-10R.

This is not a warmed-over version of the existing 10R – it’s a ground-up redesign with virtually zero carry-over parts. More power and less weight (22 lbs is the target) are naturally part of the package, but less expected is a new traction-control system that is claimed to be the most sophisticated on the market and comes as standard equipment.

The result is a bike said to be a huge 2 seconds quicker around Autopolis than the 2010 edition in back-to-back testing on identical tires on the same day. This indicates it has the potential to turn better lap times than its literbike competitors.