For 64 years, Kawasaki has been, in most motorcycle nerds opinion, the industry standard on how to build sports bikes. And since 1984, the Ninja has been the crème of the game, with Kawasaki churning out over 30 models of these exotic and superfast sports bikes to bike enthusiasts across the world.
But the question is; which of the Kawasaki models have been the best? The temptation is so high to label everyone a winner. But as the game stands, there are 10 that rocked the sportsbike world and gave a new meaning to sheer raw power and reliability – a rare blend Kawasaki managed to achieve. And in this piece, we’ll go through these ten best. So, read on.
10 Kawasaki ZX-10 “Tomcat”
This was the successor of the GPZ1000RX. Nicknamed the “Tomcat”, the Ninja ZX-10 was the successor in a line of fastest production bikes, namely the GPZ900R and the GPZ1000RX. And for this particular model, Kawasaki had a lot of upgrades in store for an even more powerful bike.
The Tomcat managed to hit an impressive top speed of 165mph when it was launched back in 1988. This was thanks to improved aerodynamics, a lighter perimeter style frame, lighter pistons, bigger valves, and new engine internals that gave the sports bike a higher compression ratio.
9 Kawasaki GPZ900R
The “grandfather” of the Tomcat was one of Kawasaki’s most iconic sports bike. Crowned the fastest production bike of its time, the GPZ900R was a manifestation of engineering genius and raw two-wheeled grunt.
Why? Because it was the first Ninja bike in the Kawasaki family.
Kawasaki took this bike so seriously, that it was secretly in production for six years before it was finally released in 1984. And that wait was worth it.
The Ninja 900 packed a four-cylinder in-line, liquid-cooled 16 valve engine, a first in the motorcycle industry at the time. It delivered 115hp of grunt and shot the Kawasaki to a top speed of over 150mph.
8 Kawasaki Ninja 300
The direct descendant of the 250R was not structurally different from its predecessor. But, what made it win over its “father” was the improved powertrain and slightly better aesthetics that gave the 300 a more adult and austere look.
The most important improvement the 300 came with was an improved compression ratio. This translated to a larger displacement and more power from the sports bike’s engine. To top it up, the carburetors were also improved to support electronic injection.
Kawasaki then made the winner decision of making sure the Ninja 300 had an attractive price that made it one of the most popular bikes from the Japanese manufacturer.
7 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R
The ZX series was an exemplary lineup from Kawasaki’s motorcycle plants. And for the 6R, Kawasaki was not set on breaking top speed records but rather, ensuring they still have the most grunt yet resilience, reliability, and ride comfort.
The Kawasaki ZX-6R has managed to retain the crown as one of Kawasaki’s most powerful street sports bikes since 1995 when the first model rolled out of the production line.
Despite Kawasaki offering more than the top speed with this motorcycle, the Ninja ZX-6R was iconic enough to start bike wars against established makers like Yamaha, Honda, and Suzuki.
6 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-9R
The ZX-9R was another zero record attempt from Kawasaki. Synonymous to the 6R, the 9R was made to offer less of top speed, but more of on-track brutality.
That’s because, critics were quick to point out that the Ninja ZX-9R was targeted at the Honda CBR900RR, a claim Kawasaki denied. Nonetheless, the bike’s performance and ergonomics pointed to something built for handling, comfort, and lap times rivaling the, well, Honda.
Kawasaki even went ahead to claim that the vertical riding position and comfortable seat made the ZX-9R more suitable for road trips than chasing land speed records.
5 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R
The menacing look on this one was on point. Rising to one of, if not the most popular Kawasaki bike ever made, the Ninja ZX-10R rolled out in 2004 to acclaims and praises for what pundits, or rather Cycle World, called “The Best Superbike”.
That acclaim was no lie. The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R went ahead to win the international Masterbike competition, causing a huge storm all around the motorcycle industry.
Fitted with a 998cc inline four-cylinder engine, Kawasaki has maintained this engine architecture over the years, with the 2016 update topping up its power to a ridiculous 197hp and 83.7 lb-ft of torque.
4 Kawasaki Ninja Z1000
The Z1000 didn’t feel like a superbike with an overload of horses. That’s because Kawasaki had different sights on this one.
Instead of breaking more records, this model was focused on being the sports bike for the real world. So, when the covers were pulled off in 2011, the Z1000S or Z1000SX, as some like to call it, came with a few toned-down features.
It had lesser fairings than what bikers are accustomed to of a Ninja, including an ABS model that provides a steadier ride.
3 Kawasaki Ninja 650
Updated with better looks, the new Kawasaki Ninja 650 is an attractive piece of machinery. The new frame and design add a lot to this superbike’s looks, albeit the machine itself doesn’t solely stand by the superbike definition.
Kawasaki made the Ninja 650 as an all-rounder. It can pick the kids from school and still be fast enough to (almost) tear a hole through space and time – as is synonymous with any other Kawasaki motorcycle.
Kawasaki also gifted this machine with advanced electronics that make the riding a lot easier.
2 Kawasaki Ninja H2
Truth be told, a sports bike for the real world is boring. You need something outrageous, menacing, and outright illegal tearing down the roads. In comes the H2.
Possibly the most ambitious and daring Kawasaki has ever been with raw horsepower and torque, the H2 is a hyperbike packing 189.8hp, 91.2 lb-ft of torque on your right arm and a quarter-mile time of 9.62 seconds.
And yes, this machine is road legal. It can hit a 183mph top speed, get to 60mph in 2.6 seconds, and still be considered road legal for a trip downtown.
1 Kawasaki Ninja H2R
If you think the H2 was insane, Kawasaki engineers sat down and thought “why not have an R?” A hyperbike so violent, so noisy, that it won’t be legal on the road and on some racetracks. And still, they managed to sell this monstrosity out of their production lines.
Well deserving of the top crown, the Ninja H2R uses a supercharged inline four-cylinder engine that spits out a ridiculous 310hp. The torque output is at a mind-boggling 115 lb-ft, pushing this car to a black hole tearing 255mph.
Yes, this bike is track-only, yes, it’s too loud for some tracks, and yes, please sell your 911 Turbo.
Sources: Cycler World, RevZilla, Motorcycle Specs, Kawasaki, Ultimate Motorcycling