Testing The 2010 Kawasaki Concours 14 ABS’s
New Traction Control (KTRC)

Check out Tricia Szulewski’s 2010 Kawasaki Concours 14 ABS new bike review in RoadBike’s Jan/Feb 2010 issue. We thought we’d give our web site readers a bonus sneak peek on Trish’s experience with the all-new KTRC ( Kawasaki traction control) system. It works by sensing differences in wheel spin. The front and rear rotation sensors send data to the ABS system unit, and then to the engine ECU. If there’s a difference detected, the engine ECU sends signals to control the air flow, ignition timing, and fuel delivery. By controlling engine output, rear tire grip is regained. Kawasaki was kind enough to allow users to turn the system off via another bold orange button on the left control switch. An indicator on the dash illuminates when the KTRC is disabled (I call this wheelie mode). When the system is activated, you’ll know by the light flashing and an LCD indicating that it’s working.

View Animation #1 - Double-Click the image above

Kawasaki set up a makeshift skid pad composed of large plastic panels that were continuously sprayed with a hose to maintain a wet surface. Riding the 2010 Concours 14 ABS outrigger, I was told to make the first pass with KTRC turned off, gunning the throttle early on the pad. As you’ll see in this slide show, the rear tire spun out, as I struggled to regain control. This emulates a real-world situation on wet, sandy, gravelly, or icy roads.

View Animation #2 - Double-Click the image above

The second time through the pad, I was instructed to ride the same way, but with the KTRC enabled. This time, as you can see in this slide show, gunning the throttle produced nothing more than the flashing light on the dash and a smooth ride through the soaked skid pad. Impressive, indeed.

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