India Kawasaki Motors is one of the hardest hit by the government’s GST reforms, which have placed bikes above 350cc in the 40 percent bracket. Nearly all of Kawasaki’s line-up falls under that category, and in this piece, we’ll focus on how its ZX-10R superbike is affected.
- GST 2.0 has increased ZX-10R price by Rs 1.30 lakh
- 999cc inline-4 engine makes 205hp and 112Nm of torque
- 2026 model is very similar to the 2021 ZX-10R
Kawasaki ZX10R price increased by more than Rs 1 lakh
It comes to India via the CKD route
Just a few weeks prior to the GST 2.0 reforms coming into effect, Kawasaki had launched the 2026 ZX-10R at Rs 19.49 lakh – effectively Rs 99,000 more than the 2025 model for some new colours. Then came the GST 2.0 rollout on September 22, which propelled the price of the 10R to upwards of Rs 20 lakh – to be precise, Rs 20.79 lakh – marking a further increase of Rs 1.30 lakh. This means that within one month, the ZX-10R’s price has risen from Rs 18.50 lakh to Rs 20.79 lakh.
Despite this huge price increase, Kawasaki’s ZX-10R is still the most affordable bona fide 1,000cc superbike in India. This is down to Team Green bringing the 10R to our shores through the CKD (completely knocked down) route, which attracts lower import tariffs, whereas every rival bike comes via the CBU (completely built up) way. The 2026 ZX-10R is essentially the same bike it was in 2021 when it was updated for the Euro 5 emission regulations. Its 999cc 4-cylinder liquid-cooled engine is rated for 205hp and 112Nm of torque, and this makes the 10R the most affordable 200hp bike in India.
All prices are ex-showroom, India.
Ved Janve
Vishal Venugopal
