The heart of the ZX-9R is its lightweight, all-aluminum cylinder block, with electroplated lining for wear resistance and superior heat dispersion. The cylinder head itself is shaped to provide a high compression ratio, while the cam timing and profile are designed for abundant torque across the rev range. For 2002, Kawasaki paid particular attention to lower-rpm performance. Engineers increased crank mass by 10 percent by adding material to the crank webs, and decreased the size of the flywheel. Additionally, the flywheel cover is now aluminum instead of magnesium so that it can be more easily modified for racing applications.