#Ninja

Kawasaki Europe officially announced full specifications and details about its first electric motorcycles, the Ninja e-1 sportbike and the naked Z e-1. Both models are classified as 125cc-class motorcycles and will be available soon in European markets, but we expect they will be offered in other markets, including Australia, Japan, and America.

In recent years, what it means to be a supersport motorcycle has gone through a dramatic change. It had to – sales of traditional 600cc supersports have tanked since the Great Recession, and most of the old guard have either stopped selling their 600s in the US, or haven’t updated them in years. Why should they? Instead, we have a smattering of motorcycles with sporty intentions – some with fairings and others without. The only common denominator is they all have engines under 1000cc.

Some of us may remember back in the late '80s and early '90s when every major Japanese motorbike manufacturer produced high-quality 400cc sport bikes. They were direct copies of Superbikes of the time. The only problem was, we couldn’t get one here in the States. The closest we could get was Yamaha’s FZR 400, but it wasn't anywhere near the quality of build or styling as its gray market sibling, the FZR400RR SP. Kawasaki had its own mini Superbike in the form of a ZXR400.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The California Air Resources Board has issued an executive order for Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R, clearing the way for the long-rumored sportbike to be sold in the state.

Kawasaki USA and Canada are teasing the launch of two new motorcycles for Feb. 1, and though we don’t 100% know what they are, we can make some educated guesses.

After presenting an electric prototype last month at Intermot, Kawasaki revealed a range of electric, hybrid, and hydrogen-powered prototypes at EICMA.

A new Vehicle Identification Number decoder released by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirms that Kawasaki will be introducing a 399cc Inline-Four Ninja ZX-4R model for 2023. While the VIN decoder does not provide any clue to what the ZX-4R will look like, we expect it will be styled similar to the 249cc Ninja ZX-25R (pictured above) currently offered in Japan and other Asian markets.

The International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) has released provisional regulations for the revamped World Supersport championship, including new motorcycles being added to the series as “Supersport Next Generation” models.

Kawasaki Motors Corp. U.S.A. announced on its official website that it will be revealing six new 2022 vehicles on Oct. 5, with another three motorcycles to be revealed Nov. 23 (which would fall during EICMA).

What Johnny Rea wants, Johnny Rea gets. That’s the kind of pull you have when you become the most dominant rider in World Superbike history and help Kawasaki become the dominant manufacturer from the moment you join the team. It’s also the short history behind the latest incarnation of the Kawasaki ZX-10R for 2021. It’s not a new motorcycle from the ground up, but comes with some significant revisions over the previous model to help Johnny keep one step ahead of the chasing pack.