13 Kawasakis That’ll Make You Want to Hit the Road ASAP
Kawasaki arrived at the American market in 1966, and from its humble beginnings, it’s grown into a billion-dollar motorcycle giant.
With the slogan “Let the Good Times Roll,” Kawasaki now sells some of the fastest bikes the world has ever seen.
Today, we’ll check out some of the coolest road-going models made by the legendary Japanese bike manufacturer, from the basic machines of the past to the high-tech wonders of today.
Kawasaki W800
Kawasaki introduced the W800 as a spiritual successor to the iconic W1 from the 1960s. Its retro design makes the W800 look like a proper 1960s machine. While it’s a very basic bike, it still has some modern amenities, like ABS and a slipper clutch.
The W800’s simplicity is precisely what makes it desirable. With minimal technology and fancy gadgetry, it’s the perfect companion for everyday commuting. Producing just 47 horsepower, its 773cc parallel-twin engine isn’t exactly powerful, but it does make it accessible to riders of all experience levels.
Kawasaki KR-1S
In the late 80s and early 90s, two-stroke sportbikes were still very much a thing. In terms of sales, the Kawasaki KR-1S is often considered the least successful Japanese 250 two-stroke race replicas. However, being so lighweight and highly tunable, it was the fastest and best-handling bike in the segment.
Reliability was never the KR-1S’s strong suit, but these days, they’re mainly bought by collectors and won’t be ridden much anyway, so that shouldn’t be a problem.
Kawasaki Z1
Kawasaki’s Z1 was introduced on the American market in 1972, and while it’s arguably not as iconic as the Honda CB750, it did have a lot of things going for it.
The Z1 was the first affordable production motorcycle with a DOHC inline-four engine. Its 82 horsepower and 130 mph top speed are similar to those of today’s middle-weight sportbikes. To top it off, it was one of the most reliable bikes money could buy. Production ended after just three years, but Kawasaki had sold over 85,000 Z1s by then.
Kawasaki GPz750 Turbo
While it has GPz badges on the engine covers, Kawasaki only referred to it as the “750 Turbo,” leaving out the GPz tag. Anyway, it wouldn’t be right to call the GPz750 Turbo a successful model, but in our book, that doesn’t make it any less desirable.
In the early 1980s, a turbo craze swept the car and motorcycle world, and Kawasaki didn’t want to be left out. Turbos and motorcycles are a questionable mix, especially in the hands of inexperienced riders. Still, the Kawasaki 750 Turbo is a piece of motorcycle history we’d love to swing a leg over.
Kawasaki GPz1100
With the GPz1100, Kawasaki created a monster of a naked superbike. The massive air-cooled, 1089cc four-cylinder unit was exposed for everyone to see and produced a whopping 120 horsepower—enough to give it a top speed of 135 mph.
The GPz1100’s brakes and handling can’t be compared to modern bikes, so riding a bike with that kind of power can only be described as scary.
Kawasaki Z1000
Another Kawasaki that’s scary to ride is the early Z1000. Frames, brakes, suspension, and tires were nowhere near as advanced as they are today, yet manufacturers crammed as many horses as they could into the engines.
The original Z1000’s air-cooled 1,015cc engine produced 83 horsepower, and it was capable of a 125 mph top speed. It proved to be so successful that Kawasaki still makes a Z1000 today, albeit with modern components and styling.
Kawasaki ZRX1200R
Kawasaki sold the ZRX1200R in the US between 2001 and 2005, and it’s an evolution of the ZRX1100, a retro-styled tribute to the 1982 KZ1000R Eddie Lawson Replica.
The ZRX1200R may look like an old-school naked bike, but with 122 horsepower, it’s packing modern performance. This muscle bike still rides like an old model, though, as it’s not particularly precise in the corners, and with no rider aids, it’s not for beginners or the faint of heart. However, we think its imperfections are what make it great, and if you don’t like it, there’s a decent aftermarket that lets you modify it to suit your style.
Kawasaki Ninja GPz900R
The Kawasaki Ninja GPz900R became an overnight success after appearing in the 1984 cult classic movie Top Gun as Tom Cruise’s character Maverick’s motorcycle of choice. This was before Suzuki introduced the game-changing GSX-R750, and the Ninja GPz900R was the epitome of high-performance street bikes.
Its 908cc four-cylinder engine was the first 16-valve unit installed in a sportbike, and with 115 horsepower, it became the first road bike to smash through the 150 mph barrier. Unlike many modern sports machines, it was also comfortable enough to use as a daily rider and could even handle some touring.
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-7R
In 1989, Kawasaki introduced the ZX7R (ZX-750R outside the US), and it remained in production until 2003. It did see some upgrades during that time, but while later models are better, the first version was revolutionary.
It marks the first time Kawasaki sold what was primarily designed as a race bike to the general public. Sure, there were some differences between the race bike and the road-going version, but fewer than you may think. That said, we’d still pick a later model for our riding duties.
Kawasaki Ninja 650
The Kawasaki Ninja 650 is an excellent all-rounder and a great choice for both novices and more experienced riders. It may look like a proper sportbike, but under the aggressive fairings beats the heart of a sports tourer.
Unlike the ZX-6R, the Ninja 650 has a very relaxed riding position, with clip-ons above the triple tree. Its 649cc parallel twin may only produce 72 horsepower, but that’s more than enough for the daily commute, and it even allows for some fun on your favorite twisty road.
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R
Moving on from the fun-yet-docile Ninja 650, we have the ZX-6R. In 2003, Kawasaki introduced a 636cc four-cylinder engine for its 600cc sportbike, which some may see as cheating.
Kawasaki’s sportbikes have always had a reputation of being slightly on the silly side, offering zero compromises in order to focus on maximum performance, and that’s also the case with the ZX-6R. Is it a comfortable daily rider? No, definitely not. But it’s hilarious on the track or a deserted mountain road.
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R
If you’re one of those nutters who think the ZX-6R isn’t powerful enough, then the ZX-10R should be sufficient. If not, you may be dead inside. Kawasaki first introduced the Ninja ZX-10R in 2004, and it was an absolute beast compared to its competitors.
In 2011, it became a bit more refined, and it’s undoubtedly a better bike for road use, even if it’s still not particularly comfortable. Kawasaki gave it a major update in 2016, and it now looked more aggressive than ever. If you want a proper superbike, the Ninja ZX-10R is hard to beat, as proven by Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea, who demolished the World Superbike Championship competition.
Kawasaki Ninja H2
The original Kawasaki H2 arrived in the 1970s, and thanks to an overly powerful engine and wobbly frame, it soon earned a reputation as a “widow maker.” Kawasaki has come a long way since then, so modern-day Ninja H2 has a solid trellis frame and top-notch components.
Engine-wise, Kawasaki stuck to its guns and created a bike with more power than anyone will ever realistically need. It’s the first production motorcycle with a supercharger, so the 998cc unit produces 228 horsepower. If that’s not enough, there’s the non-road-legal H2R with 326 wild horses capable of a top speed exceeding 240 mph.