We've all been hearing about how ugly the 10's tail section is...but after time has passed I've started to notice some major issues the other bikes have encountered with their undertail exhaust design...I've also noticed that these problem areas associated with their designs are missing from the zx10..In fact the only complaint about the ZX10's exhaust is the way it looks... I was reading another post about how nicely the R1's exhaust is tucked in tight and close to the undertail...The CBR is also tucked in tightly...And that's precisely why the ZX tail isn't as asethically pleasing..The ZX's exhausts are further apart from each other and are further away from the rear cowling.... So, maybe a few people think it doesn't look good...But...There also happens to be no complaints of exhaust heat under the seat and no complaints of melted plastics or melted/and or discolored tail lights on the ZX.... Turns out that Kawasaki knew how to design exhaust without encountering some of the same issues other bikes are having..May not look as pretty to some...But it works well without the issues other bikes are encountering and is completely functional...

true that

good point....:+1:

True but still looks like a wheelbarrow...

True but still looks like a wheelbarrow... :+1: :crackup:

good point....:+1: :+1:

:+1: :+1: We've all been hearing about how ugly the 10's tail section is...but after time has passed I've started to notice some major issues the other bikes have encountered with their undertail exhaust design...I've also noticed that these problem areas associated with their designs are missing from the zx10..In fact the only complaint about the ZX10's exhaust is the way it looks... I was reading another post about how nicely the R1's exhaust is tucked in tight and close to the undertail...The CBR is also tucked in tightly...And that's precisely why the ZX tail isn't as asethically pleasing..The ZX's exhausts are further apart from each other and are further away from the rear cowling.... So, maybe a few people think it doesn't look good...But...There also happens to be no complaints of exhaust heat under the seat and no complaints of melted plastics or melted/and or discolored tail lights on the ZX.... Turns out that Kawasaki knew how to design exhaust without encountering some of the same issues other bikes are having..May not look as pretty to some...But it works well without the issues other bikes are encountering and is completely functional...

Never had anyone complain about the R1's undertail exhaust damaging the bike. Slightly warmer due to the obvious heat on the erar seat, but nothing more. Besides, if you're goig to ride a sportbike why would you want a passenger? :lol: I know nothing about the CBR so I can't respond to it's exhaust & body design.

I love the tail! But i think they should've did the exhst like the zx-6r. Just 1 pipe i think that would've looked much better.

ok here is a couple things ill add.. the tail lights still discolor regularly along with the blinkers.. i have to clean them constantly.. the other reason why kawi probably didnt go with the undertail single is performance.. you can release more gases with 2 smaller pipes with a straighter design than 1 big pipe that had those horrible 90degree bends the 1000rr has.. a zx-6r can get away with a single cause the small motor but the amount needed to flow the HP the 10 flows they need 2 pipes if they didnt go with the side exit which is inferior to the 06's design.. these pipes are tucked tight to the fairing and have very little wind resistance if any.. it may look like a wheelbarrow but the bike comes wheel barrowing thru on top end like a freight train.. the 06 pulls much harder up top than then the earlier years..

hmm, not sure on that image Zig

I may be one of few, but I actually like the 06 hiney meself. :badteeth: D

I may be one of few, but I actually like the 06 hiney meself. :badteeth: D me too, but i'm also one of the few who find the R1 horrible.

me too, but i'm also one of the few who find the R1 horrible. i agree the r1 is way over engineered if thats the word im looking for.. bike looks like a future model.. yami is #4 on my bike manufacturers list.. doubt ill ever own one..

Never had anyone complain about the R1's undertail exhaust damaging the bike. Slightly warmer due to the obvious heat on the erar seat, but nothing more. Besides, if you're goig to ride a sportbike why would you want a passenger? :lol: I know nothing about the CBR so I can't respond to it's exhaust & body design. Actually on the R1 the heat complaints come from the riders...I don't know how bad it is but there are lots of complaints...I've also seen complaints of plastics being disfigured on the R1 because of the heat. On the CBR's I've seen a few reports of lower fairings getting discolored and disfigured because of heat from the headers...The taillight gets discolored as well but like deezhul said it can be wiped off...I saw a used 06' CBR at the shop and it looked like it had been cleaned so I'm assuming that particular tail light was permanently discolored...I don't know how common this is on the Honda but I have seen reports of the lowers being warrantied because of heat...Apparantly there's an easy fix by putting exhaust wrap on the headers as it keeps the heat in the exhaust..Unfortunately this also decreases the lifespan of the headers. And just by observation one can see that the design of the ZX makes it easier to keep clean... I'm kind of a nit picker about details and I'm a slow decision maker simply because I like to get all the facts and examine everything exhaustively before I purchase something...My wife would've bought me a bike several months ago but I had to examine everything and research first...It takes me a long time to go grocery shopping too....lol

I'm doing bike sitting for two of my buddies, 04' R1 and a Repsol CBR. The CBR when equipped with a full system eats the bottom plastic with heat (MORIWAKI). The R1 is just horrible during the heat, its awesome during cold nights when you hang out. I guess Yamaha sacrificed comfort for looks.

my buddy has an 06 r1 and on a 90+ degree weather day its like sitting on a stove top your butt will sweat like crazy.

They (KHI) didn't do the 'undertail' exhaust (dual hi-mount, whatever) from an engineering standpoint. They did it because it was fashionable. Aside from the excessive heat on the rider, you have all the additional weight from the larger system and beefier subframe needed to support it. Plus, engines with forward facing cylinders don't see any power gains from that setup, because the collector has to be so long. If they had done it from an engineering standpoint, they would have put a side mount exhaust on it like they had on the 04-05. The undertail exhaust is just a fashion statement, nothing more.

They (KHI) didn't do the 'undertail' exhaust (dual hi-mount, whatever) from an engineering standpoint. They did it because it was fashionable. Aside from the excessive heat on the rider, you have all the additional weight from the larger system and beefier subframe needed to support it. Plus, engines with forward facing cylinders don't see any power gains from that setup, because the collector has to be so long. If they had done it from an engineering standpoint, they would have put a side mount exhaust on it like they had on the 04-05. The undertail exhaust is just a fashion statement, nothing more. :+1: :+1:

Welp, I can't remember where I read it, but one of the early reviews for the 06 10 said that Kawi pulled the exhaut out from under the tail a bit further due to heat issues, such as issues with the tucked design melting the plastics etc. Supposedly, the added shielding needed to reflect the heat and protect the plastics would have added significantly more weight to the bike. D

I got the Scorpion carbon fiber exhaust, NO heat issues here :mrgreen:

I never liked the way the tail end looked, but it grows on you. I will take fuctionality over asthetics anyday. Peace :cool:

take the plastic cover off the exhaust. it looks better.. even better when you shave off the brackets. on of these days when I get my spare set of exhaust. i'll shave and powdercoat.

I have an 05 10r and hated the tail section of the 06 1st time I saw it now that I have seen it in person, don't think it is bad at all, but with the set of akro pipes it looks much much cleaner:occasion1

I never liked the way the tail end looked, but it grows on you.... The pre-release pictures we all saw made it look extreeeeemly uuuuggggly, even fugly. The first time I saw it IRL, I thought "Not as bad as the pictures, but still uuugggly." Now with more time passing, it's down to just not attractive. Kinda like a girlfriend with a beautiful face and thick thighs. :lol: So on this time line, by the time the '08's come out, it might be OK. To me the only thing worse is these short side exhaust (R6 and Suzuki) some manufacturers are putting on. Either a belly exhaust or the old school high mount gets my vote in the looks department.

I have an 05 10r and hated the tail section of the 06 1st time I saw it now that I have seen it in person, don't think it is bad at all, but with the set of akro pipes it looks much much cleaner:occasion1 :+1: Now aftermarket exhausts are a different matter (over stock). The '06 looks a whole lot cleaner with some of these, others don't do much for the back end. But still better than stock!

I like everything about the bike..the tear drop headlights were designed so that the air intake would be larger and they look good...doesn't look like every other bike coming down the street The upswept twin pipes took the place of one big muffler hanging off the side that blocked off the whole view of the right rear of the bike most of the riders on the board (like about 50 %) have been riding one to three years...thats basically the span of their awareness of bikes..integrate this into most people don't like change... so when Kawai changes the 10 from what everyone was used to to the 06 look there are howels of fugly.. Now people are saying why did they "go" to the two pipe on the new gixxer..well when bikes went to the one pipe during the changeover the wail was "sh**t why did "they" go to the one pipe now the bike looks unbalanced.. Me I like the entire look of the o6 10 put off buying a new bike for almost 4 years before one came out that I liked... when I bought this 10 for 11,200 otd another dealer offered me a choice of colors in the 05..pick any one and its yours for 9,000.otd...I opted to pay more for the bike that visually appealled to me... and the two pipe looks perfect to me...I see the cbr or ahem the zx 600 with that one hole sticking out the rear and it reminds me of...somebody who got "pants".....you young guys will have no idea of what that means....

^^ Choices and opinions, that is what makes life interesting! Good for you that you like the '06. :thumbsup:

Yeah, my previous bike was an 05 R1, and the heat from under the seat was horrible; but the bike was a lady killer...it was a nice looking bike. As for perfomance, obviously the 10 is much more of a performer...don't know if this is from the pipes..or what, but other than the tail end...the 10 looks almost as good in black.... In my opinioin:spit:

Underseat pipes are a fad. It's what a lot of buyers like nowadays and that is the reason the bike makers have went to this design. Even at the speeds these bikes reach as all-out superbikes, there is no real aerodynamic advantage from the pipe(s) being under the tail. I don't want to start the whole '04-'05 vs '06 thing again so I won't say what I think about the looks of the new bike. To each his own though, so I'm glad the '06 owners like your bikes.

They (KHI) didn't do the 'undertail' exhaust (dual hi-mount, whatever) from an engineering standpoint. They did it because it was fashionable. Aside from the excessive heat on the rider, you have all the additional weight from the larger system and beefier subframe needed to support it. Plus, engines with forward facing cylinders don't see any power gains from that setup, because the collector has to be so long. If they had done it from an engineering standpoint, they would have put a side mount exhaust on it like they had on the 04-05. The undertail exhaust is just a fashion statement, nothing more. Yeah..But the point is they did right...If you're going undertail the Kawasaki has the least issues...It's a fashion statement that's not as fashionable as the other two bikes in some peoples opinion...But it works.

I never liked the way the tail end looked, but it grows on you. I will take fuctionality over asthetics anyday. Peace :cool: :+1: Now that's my kind of sensible thinking!

LOL. True but still looks like a wheelbarrow...

Hey Wiz, it might look like a wheelbarrow to some - but its the fastest fuckin wheelbarrow there is. It will beat the 14 in a topend roll on. FACT!:helmet:

To true mate , the more you see it the more it starts to grow on ya and as said in past posts each to their own and everyone's happy. See you for a :beer:

I had an 04 R1 before my 06 zx10r, the reason for the emense amount of heat under your butt on the R1 was the catalytic converter. If you got a full system or got rid of the cataylic converter then you weren't as toasty on those hot summer days. I heard it got up to about 350'C or 400 at times, and thats just under your ass with no heat sheilding. As well the R1 just got so much hotter (as wellas all the yamahas ive ever owned) than my current zx10r.

That makes sense martian. Cats have a lot of heat dissipating from them.

my cats don't have heat dissipating from them just hairballs. :spit: BD

my cats don't have heat dissipating from them just hairballs. :spit: BD:headshake :bitchslap

:headshake :bitchslap :+1: BigDally

Fashionable yet functional couldn't ask for more......ok maye some Akra's. I thought that I read somewhere that the whole tail design was supposed to make the 06 undraftable. Was that :bs:

well I still think the 06 has high-rise pipes not under-tail pipes IMO

I love the tail! But i think they should've did the exhst like the zx-6r. Just 1 pipe i think that would've looked much better. I don't like the "butthole" look

It's one of those design, where you either love it or hate it.:beer:

It's one of those design, where you either love it or hate it.:beer: yep and most the guys who hate are because they are used to staring at it..LOL there are no 2 ways about it. the design is superior for aerodynamics.. from the front the bike looks like it has no exhaust they are tucked so tight yet they dont have the awful bends of the true undertail exhaust..

i rode a cbr 1000rr, and then my bike. my azz didn't get roasted as bad on mine.

there are no 2 ways about it. the design is superior for aerodynamics.. from the front the bike looks like it has no exhaust they are tucked so tight yet they dont have the awful bends of the true undertail exhaust.. I don't know if I buy that, only because from an aerodynamic standpoint anything that is located in the turbulent air behind the rider's legs can't really be engineered out of the design. Like a conventional high mount pipe on the 04-05 10R.... that is located behind your leg and therefore inside the turbulence created by your leg, not actually causing turbulent air on it's own, so it isn't causing a drag. On the undertail / high mount deal that the 06 has going on.... well, your legs are causing turbulent air on that bike in a similar fashion. So I think aerodynamic advantages of either exhaust design are negligible. But the frontal area of the 06 appears to be a LOT more aerodynamic than the 04-05.

I don't know if I buy that, only because from an aerodynamic standpoint anything that is located in the turbulent air behind the rider's legs can't really be engineered out of the design. Like a conventional high mount pipe on the 04-05 10R.... that is located behind your leg and therefore inside the turbulence created by your leg, not actually causing turbulent air on it's own, so it isn't causing a drag. On the undertail / high mount deal that the 06 has going on.... well, your legs are causing turbulent air on that bike in a similar fashion. So I think aerodynamic advantages of either exhaust design are negligible. But the frontal area of the 06 appears to be a LOT more aerodynamic than the 04-05. :+1: ...tests have been done that show exactly that. Undertail or high rise pipes are for looks and nothing else. Whether the canister is on the side of the bike like in the past or under the seat like is so fashionable(:gay:) these days, the rider's legs catch the wind before the exhaust does.

Love it, looks like the Aprilla factory R !

Think it looks nice with acra ex but the orginal is't for me :dontknow: You had a god point enyway... :+1:

I don't know if I buy that, only because from an aerodynamic standpoint anything that is located in the turbulent air behind the rider's legs can't really be engineered out of the design. Like a conventional high mount pipe on the 04-05 10R.... that is located behind your leg and therefore inside the turbulence created by your leg, not actually causing turbulent air on it's own, so it isn't causing a drag. On the undertail / high mount deal that the 06 has going on.... well, your legs are causing turbulent air on that bike in a similar fashion. So I think aerodynamic advantages of either exhaust design are negligible. But the frontal area of the 06 appears to be a LOT more aerodynamic than the 04-05. the beginning of the can down low still hangs out in the wind where your legs are not.. i have taken photos from the front fully tucked and the 06 cans are completely hidden compared to the side mount cans.. that goes for my buddy's 06 gixxer with ti force high mount also.. you can still see the can sticking out.. you may not think its much but in a game of aeros 1mph is alot to lose..

the beginning of the can down low still hangs out in the wind where your legs are not.. i have taken photos from the front fully tucked and the 06 cans are completely hidden compared to the side mount cans.. that goes for my buddy's 06 gixxer with ti force high mount also.. you can still see the can sticking out.. you may not think its much but in a game of aeros 1mph is alot to lose.. You are the expert.... not me. You fast mofo!!

One thing nobody has mentioned is the effect of the Euro 3 emissions and noise regulations; these force the stock exhaust systems to have a catalyst somewhere and force the muffler to be either more restrictive or bigger volume. The new GSXR1000 has both-sides mufflers to get enough muffler volume to keep it quiet. Apparently you can unbolt the left-hand muffler and block it off very easily in order to lose the extra weight. I hate how the mufflers look on those bikes, no idea why they use such an odd shape. If you want a REALLY huge and REALLY ugly single-side muffler, take a look at the one on the new Yamaha FZ1 ... If you compare the '06 ZX10R and current R1 exhaust systems from the engineering point of view, you can see interesting differences. They both have two mufflers to get enough volume back there without having each one enormously huge. The ZX10R has its catalysts further upstream in the exhaust system, closer to the engine. The R1 has it in the vertical pipe after the collector. Having the catalyst close-coupled to the engine is better for catalyst "light-off" - the catalyst heats up faster after a cold start and starts dealing with the nasty emissions sooner. The other thing, which I do not know if Kawasaki's electronics address but they COULD, is that the Kawasaki arrangement (in Europe) allows separate oxygen sensors for the left and right pair of cylinders, and this allows more accurate fuel injection control (IF they choose to use the capability, I don't know if they do) because you can separately control the air/fuel ratio in the left and right pairs of cylinders. The '06 ZX10R has big openings in the lower fairings to let the catalysts radiate heat down there. Any fairing in those locations would be melted anyway, so you might as well let them reject heat down there, where they don't bother the rider. This also gives the exhaust a chance to cool a bit more after the catalyst before they reach the mufflers, so perhaps there's a bit less heat to radiate at the mufflers. The extra clearance between the mufflers and the bodywork is something already mentioned previously. The R1's catalyst, if I remember right, is practically right beside the rear shock ...

06' ZX10...Ugly rear end or proper design ?...........both!!

I studied the literbikes for quite a while before making my purchase Nov. 10th, 2006. It seems all the complaints about the 2006 Kawi bike were things I liked! And, that includes the exhaust. It is tucked up nicely, which is presently fashionable - obstensibly to reduce wind resistance in these literbikes - but since I'm 200+ pounds that doesn't matter much for me. What does is the bloody HOT SEAT that R1 pilots and some CBR folks complain about. Now, since I live in the Pacific Northwest, some extra heat would be nice most of the year! However, you would want to have it "delivered" in a controlled manner. I very much LIKE the stock exhaust on my Kawasaki! In profile it makes the bike look more substantial than the rest. (Hey, we all like to strut our stuff, don't we?). And, finally, I'll tell you this, after riding mostly Harleys since 1981 with various degrees of ear drum splitting exhausts - I'm leaving my ZX-10R exhaust EXACTLY as delivered!!

I studied the literbikes for quite a while before making my purchase Nov. 10th, 2006. It seems all the complaints about the 2006 Kawi bike were things I liked! And, that includes the exhaust. It is tucked up nicely, which is presently fashionable - obstensibly to reduce wind resistance in these literbikes - but since I'm 200+ pounds that doesn't matter much for me. What does is the bloody HOT SEAT that R1 pilots and some CBR folks complain about. Now, since I live in the Pacific Northwest, some extra heat would be nice most of the year! However, you would want to have it "delivered" in a controlled manner. I very much LIKE the stock exhaust on my Kawasaki! In profile it makes the bike look more substantial than the rest. (Hey, we all like to strut our stuff, don't we?). And, finally, I'll tell you this, after riding mostly Harleys since 1981 with various degrees of ear drum splitting exhausts - I'm leaving my ZX-10R exhaust EXACTLY as delivered!! I'm with you dude!! I feel the same way (at leat for now). since '90 I've had 3 sportsters and 2 Buell Firebolts and the 10 seem like a great bike. Just did my first oil change (the filter was a pain in the butt. WAAAY TOOO TIGHT!) but I got through it. I did figure out too late that you can just remove the left faring lower.

Hey, lionheart, I'm glad you agree with me. So, I'm not the only one after all! How were those Buells? I just may have bought one. However, the Harley dealer nearby does NOT carry them. They only have the more expensive TITAN bikes on their floor. Just so, I suppose, it will make their H-D price gouge seem like "such-a-deal" by comparison. In fact, I was going to get a newer Harley, 2007, but they want like $3,000 more (!) than the MSRP on Harley's web site. So, I just kept my 2000 Wide Glide and added a very kewl literbike. Very happy about that too, I might add. The Firebolt was a consideration for me and I still wonder how it would have done on the interstates. Because I was going to travel up through Canada in the summer and wanted something with some high speed cruising potential. Well, I suppose that whole issue is presently moot . . . because I sure do have HIGH SPEED cruising ability to the max now!!! :mrgreen:

I studied the literbikes for quite a while before making my purchase Nov. 10th, 2006. It seems all the complaints about the 2006 Kawi bike were things I liked! And, that includes the exhaust. It is tucked up nicely, with various degrees of ear drum splitting exhausts - I'm leaving my ZX-10R exhaust EXACTLY as delivered!! AGREED! :ayyy:

I'm with you dude!! I feel the same way (at leat for now). since '90 I've had 3 sportsters and 2 Buell Firebolts and the 10 seem like a great bike. Just did my first oil change (the filter was a pain in the butt. WAAAY TOOO TIGHT!) but I got through it. I did figure out too late that you can just remove the left faring lower. do some search, you don't need to remove any panel to remove oil filter if it's an 06.

you don't need to remove any panel to remove oil filter if it's an 06. I agree. No fairing removal necessary for the oil filter change on the 06. I also agree that the first oil filter change out was a bear! Too frickin tight from the factory.

I like everything about the bike..the tear drop headlights were designed so that the air intake would be larger and they look good...doesn't look like every other bike coming down the street The upswept twin pipes took the place of one big muffler hanging off the side that blocked off the whole view of the right rear of the bike most of the riders on the board (like about 50 %) have been riding one to three years...thats basically the span of their awareness of bikes..integrate this into most people don't like change... so when Kawai changes the 10 from what everyone was used to to the 06 look there are howels of fugly.. Now people are saying why did they "go" to the two pipe on the new gixxer..well when bikes went to the one pipe during the changeover the wail was "sh**t why did "they" go to the one pipe now the bike looks unbalanced.. Me I like the entire look of the o6 10 put off buying a new bike for almost 4 years before one came out that I liked... when I bought this 10 for 11,200 otd another dealer offered me a choice of colors in the 05..pick any one and its yours for 9,000.otd...I opted to pay more for the bike that visually appealled to me... and the two pipe looks perfect to me...I see the cbr or ahem the zx 600 with that one hole sticking out the rear and it reminds me of...somebody who got "pants".....you young guys will have no idea of what that means.... I tottaly agree I love everything about the 06 (got mine for 10,272.00 OTD ):+1:

I agree. No fairing removal necessary for the oil filter change on the 06. I also agree that the first oil filter change out was a bear! Too frickin tight from the factory. I won't have to next time. I saw how that was possible but due to the over torqued then glued on oil filter....:rant: Nothing I had would budge that thing. Finally I found a 3 inch "C" clamp and fed it in between the #2 and #3 headers. Screwed that puppy down 'till I had a good size dent in the filter and was able to put a wrench on the clamp an turn the filter a 1/4 turn. Then I could undo it by hand.

Hey, lionheart, I'm glad you agree with me. So, I'm not the only one after all! How were those Buells? I just may have bought one. However, the Harley dealer nearby does NOT carry them. They only have the more expensive TITAN bikes on their floor. Just so, I suppose, it will make their H-D price gouge seem like "such-a-deal" by comparison. In fact, I was going to get a newer Harley, 2007, but they want like $3,000 more (!) than the MSRP on Harley's web site. So, I just kept my 2000 Wide Glide and added a very kewl literbike. Very happy about that too, I might add. The Firebolt was a consideration for me and I still wonder how it would have done on the interstates. Because I was going to travel up through Canada in the summer and wanted something with some high speed cruising potential. Well, I suppose that whole issue is presently moot . . . because I sure do have HIGH SPEED cruising ability to the max now!!! :mrgreen: The Buells were fun. A good transition from the cruiser to the sportbike. I wouldn't recommend one now though as (at least around here) no one has parts. I had to ORDER brake pads for christ sake! And then last month had to order a clutch cable and wait a week while six 70 to 80 degree days went by and I had to cage it to work.:bs: Other than that its a great bike. has about 95 rwhp with the mods I've done to it. Handles great and has awesome low end and midrange power.