It’s gotta be ugly competing against the ZX™-14 year after year. When it arrived on the big-bore sportbike stage in 2006, the big Ninja® blew everyone’s minds – owners, journalists and competitors – with its incredible thrust, sport-tourer comfort, agile handling and aerodynamic full-coverage bodywork. Continuous refinement has kept the 14 a step ahead of the competition, all while filling enthusiasts’ face shields with wild, ear-to-ear grins.

For more than 40 years, Kawasaki has shocked and awed the motorcycle world with its big-bore streetbikes. From the arm-stretching 500cc H1 of 1969 to the legendary 903cc Z-1 of 1973, all the way to the high-tech Ninja ZX-10s and 11s of the ’80s and the ZX-12s and 14s of the new millennium, Team Green has continuously kicked butt and taken names in the large-displacement sportbike category. Fast forward to 2011 and Kawasaki has another storm brewing with the new Ninja ZX-14. Looking as menacing as ever before in its lime green set-up, the Ninja ZX-14 takes the tradition of its predecessors and antes up to cater to the demands of the new-age riders.

The ZX 14 is designed to be a purists sportsbike with the ergonomics of a more upright touring bike. The seating position is not as low as other supersport bikes, offering a slightly more natural seating position and higher handle-bars.

The seat is not too squashy, offering ample resistance to be consistently comfortable, you can spend a whole day on it without any saddle discomfort. The new riding position (only tipping you slightly forward) has reduced the stress on your wrists, removing the aches and pains of earlier models. In addition they’ve also fitted rubber insets back on the foot pegs for extra foot comfort and deeply sculpted the tank for excellent and knee and leg positioning. The narrow engine, monocoque frame and fuel tank make it easy to keep knees tucked in when riding. This basically translates into a Hypebike that you can put serious daily miles into without needing your own personal chiropractor or physiotherapist.

But Kawasaki’s new-from-the-ground-up 2011 Ninja® ZX™-10R sportbike has no such credibility gap, going several steps beyond newer, faster, lighter and better by offering the most advanced traction-control system in all of production motorcycling.

In terms of sheer top end horsepower, the BMW has blown the opposition into the weeds, its claimed 190bhp (193PS, 142kW) unprecedentedly translating into almost as much at the back wheel. Japanese power claims are made much further up the driveline, and some 25bhp seems to be lost along the way, but now Kawasaki is saying it latest, fastest, highest tech and lightest litre Ninja makes a monster 197bhp (200.1PS, 147.1kW), which should put it in with a fighting chance against the Bavarian blaster.

As always in modern bike design, the ZX-10R engine has been built to work with the chassis as well as making plenty of useable power, which is why the crankshaft has been raised compared with the previous version, to help bring the major masses closer to the centre of gravity and the roll axis. This has meant flipping the gearbox layout upside down so the input shaft now sits above the output shaft. To compensate for raising the mass the fuel tank sits further back and down, lowering the fuel’s mass and bring that closer to the bike’s centre too. Overall the centre of gravity is a little lower (by 4mm, though this will depend on fuel load), while centralising the masses this way is designed to improve agility by reducing the inertial moment.

Fully adjustable Showa 43mm Big Piston Forks are coated with DLC (Diamond Like Coating) for less friction. They are complemented by a fully adjustable horizontally mounted rear shock that improves mass-centralization and makes for smoother damping action. A stronger, lighter, cast aluminum twin spar frame and swingarm are also the stars of the all-new ZX-10R chassis. Kawasaki’s considerable weight reduction efforts throughout the bike have shaved 20 pounds off the previous ZX-10R, and at 436 pounds wet, Kawasaki claims it is now the lightest four-cylinder liter bike in production.

The lack of weight pays off handsomely as the Ninja changes direction effortlessly and quickly. Road Atlanta has a chicane after cresting a blind hill that is so slow it feels as though the bike is almost parked in the middle of it. Being of a smaller physical build, tossing a superbike back and forth tends to be quite the event for me, yet I was surprised by how little effort was required to move the ZX-10R around. Coming off the 6th gear straight, I was almost 20 mph faster into the 1st gear chicane than I had ever managed before; the side-to-side transition and exit were so quick the ZX-10R felt more like a nimble 600 rather than a 1000cc superbike.

The Ninja 1000 shares an awful lot with its naked sister, the Z1000, but this is not a bad thing. We praised  the Z1000, as did virtually every other journalist. The suspension, brakes and engine on this bike put a Japanese naked on the same playing level as the pricier European exotics mentioned above. Moreover, the Z1000 and the Ninja 1000 were developed simultaneously. The Ninja 1000 is not a Z1000 with bodywork slapped on it as an afterthought. This machine was designed from the beginning to serve two purposes, both naked and clothed.

Powered by the Z1000′s engine, which has been shoe-horned into a fully-faired package designed for consuming long distances with ease, the new model “combines the attitude and excitement of a high-performance supersport with a relaxed riding position and clever features designed for everyday convenience,” according to Kawasaki. There’s been a lot of talk about the new model, a lot of it very positive from readers who tell us this bike would be an ideal everyday motorcycle. But there has also been some confusion over the name of the new model. With the all-new 200hp (147kW) Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R on its way to Australia in early 2011, the arrival of the Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS has caused some to question the naming convention used. One is a hard-charging track-tool, the other is a less aggressive, more comfortable sports bike and both are powered by litre-class engines.

SPECS: Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, four-valve, DOHC, inline four-cylinder
Capacity: 1043cc
Bore x stroke: 77mm x 56mm
Compression ratio: 11.8:1
Fuel system: 38mm Keihin with oval sub throttles
Emissions: Euro 3

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: Wet, multi-disc

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Aluminium twin-tube
Front suspension: 41 mm inverted fork with stepless compression and rebound damping and spring preload adjustability, 120mm travel
Rear suspension: Horizontal Back-link, gas-charged with stepless rebound damping and spring preload adjustability, 135mm travel
Front brakes: Dual semi-floating 300mm petal discs with opposed 4-piston dual radial-mounted callipers (with ABS)
Rear brakes: Single 250mm petal disc with single piston calliper (with ABS)
Wheels: Cast aluminium 17-inch wheels
Tyres: front 120/70 ZR17, rear 190/50 ZR17

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Rake: 24.5 degrees
Trail: 102mm
Claimed dry weight: Not given
Claimed wet weight: 231kg
Seat height: 820mm
Wheelbase: 1445mm
Fuel capacity: 19lt

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 136hp (101kW) at 9600rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 110Nm at 7800rpm

OTHER STUFF
Price: $16,999
Colours: White/orange, silver/black
Bike supplied by: Kawasaki
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres

The nimble Ninja® 650R deftly combines user-friendly power and excellent handling. The 650R offers serious low-end grunt boosted by digital fuel injection, light weight, and a beautiful chassis that will keep riders smiling from ear to ear whether they’re riding in the canyons or commuting on city streets. Its carefully tuned suspension complete with distinctive side-mounted shock, triple petal disc brakes and light weight make this bike a serious presence in the middle of the Ninja line.

The Ninja’s slim structure is due to its compact 8-valve 649cc parallel-twin engine, which permits the use of a narrow, lightweight frame. The fuel injection and ignition settings are tuned to boost the liquid-cooled engine’s bottom-end torque, to smooth the low-to-mid rpm response and allow the engine to rev quicker. Routing the engine coolant internally to the cylinder and head through the engine cases reduces the number of external hoses. The engine also meets stringent emissions regulations thanks to its precise fuel injection and a three-way catalyst system with a 300-cell catalyzer.

2011 Kawasaki Ninja 650R | Motorcycle Specs

• Engine: Four-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC, four-valve, parallel twin
• Displacement: 649cc
• Bore x stroke: 83.0 x 60.0mm
• Compression ratio: 11.3:1
• Cooling: Liquid
• Fuel injection: Digital fuel injection with two 38mm Keihin throttle bodies
• Ignition: TCBI with electronic advance
• Transmission: Six-speed
• Final drive: O-ring chain
• Frame: Semi-double cradle, high-tensile steel
• Rake / trail: 25 degrees / 4.2 in.
• Wheelbase: 55.5 in.
• Front suspension / wheel travel: 41mm hydraulic telescopic fork / 4.7 in.
• Rear suspension / wheel travel: Single offset laydown shock with adjustable spring preload / 4.9 in.
• Front tire: 120/70×17
• Rear tire: 160/60×17
• Front brake: Dual 300mm petal discs with two-piston calipers
• Rear brake: Single 220mm petal disc with single piston caliper
• Overall length: 82.7 in.
• Overall width: 29.9 in.
• Overall height: 47.2 in.
• Seat height: 31.1 in.
• Curb weight: 449.8 lbs.
• Fuel capacity: 4.1 gal.
• Colors: Candy Burnt Orange / Flat Super Black,
• Metallic Spark Black / Flat Super Black
• Warranty: 12 months
• MSRP: $7,199

For those beginning their two-wheeled journey, the Ninja® 250R sportbike has always been a great option to start. Its low seat height and peppy engine translate into hours of fun for both novices and veterans. Though its engine may be compact, its eight-valve cylinder head means a rider can wring every bit of enjoyment from each twist of the throttle, from idle to redline. And with sharp styling that matches its supersport siblings, the Ninja 250R looks fast even while standing still. Best of all, the 250R is a great value, with an affordable purchase price and excellent fuel economy.

The 2011 Kawasaki Ninja 250R is the ultimate entry-level motorcycle for sportbike fans, but also a blast for veteran riders. The 250 Ninja motorcycle has all the features that allow beginners to learn with ease, and pure fun for the experienced crowd: a low seat, a wide powerband, powerful brakes and agility. And with these attractive features arrives a style based on its older brothers, the ZX-6R and the ZX-10R. Then there’s the price: who could complain with a MSRP of $3,999 to $4,299 for a new motorcycle? And one more thing: ridiculously good fuel economy at over 60 mpg.

All the power comes from a 249cc, liquid-cooled parallel twin that thrives on high-rpm. The Kawasaki motor is tuned for smooth and predictable power. The 250R also features a six-speed transmission and petal disc brakes, and has a curb weight of around 375 pounds. The 250 motorcycle features a natural riding position for comfortable ergonomics, allowing for much pleasure on the streets. This pleasure also comes from the handling of the Kawasaki, which is transmitted to the road through 17-inch wheels. Stopping the machine are 290mm front rotors and a single 220mm rotor out back gripped by two-piston hydraulic calibers.

2011 Kawasaki Ninja 250R | Motorcycle Specs

• Engine: Four-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC, parallel twin
• Displacement: 249cc
• Bore x stroke: 62.0 x 41.2mm
• Compression ratio: 11.6:1
• Cooling: Liquid
• Carburetion: Keihin CVK30 x 2
• Ignition: TCBI with digital advance
• Transmission: Six-speed
• Final drive: O-ring chain
• Frame: Semi-double cradle, high-tensile steel
• Wheelbase: 55.1 in.
• Rake / trail: 26 degrees / 3.2 in.
• Front suspension / wheel travel: 37mm hydraulic telescopic fork / 4.7 in.
• Rear suspension / wheel travel: Bottom-link Uni-Trak with 5-way adjustable preload / 5.1 in.
• Front tire: 110/70-17
• Rear tire: 130/70-17
• Front brake: Single 290mm hydraulic petal disc with two-piston caliper
• Rear brake: Single 220mm petal disc with two-piston caliper
• Overall length: 82.1 in.
• Overall width: 28.1 in.
• Overall height: 43.7 in.
• Seat height: 30.5 in.
• Curb weight: 374.9 lbs.
• Fuel capacity: 4.8 gal.
• Color choices / special edition: Ebony, Lime Green / Ebony (SE),
• Pearl White / Ebony (SE)
• Warranty: 12 months
• MSRP: $3,999 – $4,299