#kawasaki

If you came up in motorcycles anywhere from the late 1980s until the 2000s, then you've probably got a memory of the Kawasaki Ninja 250. The Little Engine that Could, this little 250 sportbike likely started the riding careers of many of you reading this, and even if it didn't, you probably at least have a story about one. For this Church feature we take you back to the year 2000, a time when some thought the world was going to end and computers wouldn't know how to handle the millennium change. Luckily those things didn't happen, but even if they did, the little Ninja 250 would have kept on trucking. It was starting to feel dated even back then, but that didn't stop our test team from showing it praise as a kind little bike for newbs to learn the ropes on. Enjoy this look back in time.

Kawasaki’s not done with the Supersport category just yet!

Originally sleuthed by our man DC back in April, Kawasaki has finally pulled the wraps off of its all-new… light-to-middleweight standard? Whatever you want to call it is fine, Kawi calls it the Eliminator. Specially crafted to cater to the demands of the everyday with its rider-friendly approach in mind, this machine features a new 451cc Parallel Twin engine derived from the Ninja, a lightweight chassis with an upright riding position and a 28.9-inch seat height with styling that Kawasaki says harkens back to its power cruisers of the ’80s.

Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A., announced an updated Ninja ZX-10RR model for 2024, giving the superbike a new variable air intake system. The VAI system is new for North America, but it was already previously announced for Europe, and the Kawasaki Racing Team has been racing the updated model for the 2023 World Superbike Championship.

Last week, we posted about how Kawasaki is set to reveal 16 new models on June 6, including a revamped ZX-6R (and probably a ZX-6RR). That's good news for the ailing middleweight sportbike contingent and a sign that 600s aren't dead – at least not yet. So, to appreciate where the ZX-6R is going, we thought it would be appropriate to take a look back to 1998, and our review of the ZX-6R, to see where the bike has been.

Kawasaki Motors Corp. U.S.A. is teasing the launch of 16 new models on June 6, including a number of motorcycles and side-by-sides. For those of you who have been following us here on Motorcycle.com, you'll already have a good idea about what to expect.

Kawasaki's ZX-7R is a perfect example of motorcycle engineering refinement. In 1993 Kawasaki designed the new generation ZX-7R that has, to this day, remained virtually unchanged. For 1997 Kawasaki continued to refine rather than redesign. It's hard to argue against this approach as it is obviously working on the racetrack. Doug Chandler's performance on the Muzzy Superbike is proof enough that this machine is extremely competent.

As its competitors in the 600-ish sportbike class stagnate and slowly die off, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R has remained a constant. With its "cheater" 636cc displacement, the ZX-6R has outlasted the Yamaha R6, and received multiple updates since Suzuki refreshed the GSX-R600. Of the Big Four Japanese brands, only Honda's CBR600RR has been updated in recent years, and even then, only for a select few markets. While new Parallel-Twin competitors have redefined the Supersport class, the ZX-6R continues to fight the good fight for Inline-Four supersports. The Ninja will fight on for the foreseeable future, as Motorcycle.com can confirm a new ZX-6R is coming for 2024.

Hamawaki is the reason Kawasaki USA exists today.

Last month, Kawasaki announced a new Eliminator for Asian markets, a 398cc model that essentially serves as a smaller Vulcan S. Equipped with a version of the Ninja 400's Parallel-Twin engine, the Eliminator looks to be a potential rival to the Honda Rebel 500. While we were waiting to hear whether Kawasaki would import it to the U.S., we've uncovered evidence that the Eliminator will be coming as a 2024 model, and with a larger engine to boot.

The California Air Resources Board has issued an executive order for what we expect to be an updated Kawasaki Z650RS for the 2024 model year. The update is expected to be relatively minor, adding traction control to the Z650RS.

It’s posts like these that helped spawn the idea for these Friday Forum Foraging posts in the first place. This particular one comes from one of our sister sites, NinjaH2.org. We don’t know the seller, nor do we know the life circumstance that has caused them to sell this basically new 2022 Kawasaki H2 Carbon with only four miles on it, but this is definitely out of the ordinary. And that’s what we like around here.

Kawasaki’s answer to the Suzuki Hayabusa, the ZX-14R was all about straight-line speed – up to 186 mph, or 300 kph – the speed all the Japanese manufacturers had a gentleman’s agreement on for a speed cap. Legendary in drag racing thanks to the likes of Ricky Gadson, the ZX-14 carved quite a niche for itself alongside the ‘Busa for being fast. Like the ‘Busa, the ZX-14 was also an underrated sport-touring bike, too. With some luggage on the back, many found the large ride to be comfortable, and even quite good, at chewing up big miles.

We’ve been covering the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R for a while now, and even up until it was revealed this week, there was skepticism about whether the little four-banger would actually come to America.

One of the worst-kept secrets in motorcycling is now a secret no more: Kawasaki has announced the Ninja ZX-4RR KRT will be coming to the US in 2023, (hopefully) ushering in a revival of 400cc four-cylinder sportbikes that were all the rage in the 1990s. But unlike the current parallel-twin Ninja 400, which is essentially a budget bike dressed in sportbike clothes,  this newest model is worthy of the ZX prefix, as it boasts proper suspension, twin radial brakes, a full electronics suite, and chassis geometry inspired by its ZX-6R and ZX-10R siblings – oh, and let’s not forget – a compact four-banger that will rev to over 15,000 rpm! But more on all those things in a minute.