Ninja

Kawasaki Ninja: First Hybrid Production Model Motorcycle

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Kawasaki claims the first strong hybrid motorcycle to enter mass production Just after the brand announced its first electric motorcycles they have introduced the first hybrid motorcycle. Unlike the Ninja e-1 and Z e-1, the 2024 Kawasaki Ninja 7 Hybrid aims to be more than an urban commuter or entry-level motorcycle. Kawasaki declares the Ninja 7 Hybrid is the first mass produced motorcycle (excluding scooters) from a major manufacturer with a “strong hybrid” system. This means it can run on gas, electricity, or a combination of the two. Despite the 7 in its model name, the Ninja 7 Hybrid is to be equipped with a liquid-cooled 451cc Parallel-Twin. Kawasaki hasn’t provided more details about it. Kawasaki claims the engine produces 58.3 hp, which is actually more than the Eliminator produces. Supplied photos of the TFT display show an indicated max speed of 11,000 rpm. When using an electric motor it increases output to a possible 68.5 hp of hybrid net power. This puts the Ninja 7 Hybrid slightly ahead of the Ninja 650 and Z650 which claim 67.3 hp at 8,000 rpm. Sport-hybrid, Eco-hybrid, or EV are the three riding modes which will provide different riding characteristics, offering a focus between performance or fuel economy. Fuel economy is expected to be on par with a 250cc class motorcycle. Other unique aspects are its clutch and idling features along with an Automatic Launch Position Finder function. The Kawasaki Ninja 7 would likely be presented in silver and black colors with a lime green lower fairing, and is expected to arrive in European showrooms in January. U.S. availability remains to be determined. Watch the Kawasaki announcement video: * * * * * * * * * * * * Stay updated, stay ahead of the curve…with Bikernet Free Weekly Newsletter– click for […]

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Eight of the Fastest Street-Legal Motorcycles You Can Buy in America

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by Todd Halterman from https://www.autoevolution.com It begins with the story of the legendary Suzuki Hayabusa. When that beast launched back in 1999, it triggered a hurricane of anxiety among various manufacturers – and it all came down to the top speed of the bike – a stunning 194 mph. The Hayabusa represented a quantum leap in speed and made it the fastest motorcycle you could buy and ride on the streets. In fact, it took the title away from the already insanely fast Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird, and it did it by a startling 14 mph. In answer, Kawasaki announced the creation of the Ninja ZX-12R, and it promised a top speed of more than 200 blistering miles per hour. That announcement led regulators to consider tamping down the lust for speed among manufacturers, and it also led to what’s come to be known as The Gentleman’s Agreement among the top motorcycle manufacturers across the globe. As the story goes, the “agreement” called on manufacturers to set the upper limit on motorcycle speed at 200 mph. Since then, that agreement has been violated to varying degrees, and here are some of the motorcycles that flirt with – and exceed – the barrier posited by The Gentlemen’s Agreement. The Yamaha YZF-R1M, which purports to achieve a top end of 185.7 mph, has itself become legendary for its on and off-track precision and power. The R1 line and the street legal R1 models achieve their punch following a power-and-less-bulk formula. Offering lightweight carbon-fiber construction and powered by an explosive 998cc, liquid-cooled “cross-plane” inline-four, the R1 creates 200 hp and offers 89.2 lb-ft torque. When that kind of juice moves through its 6-Speed manual, the R1M does 0-60 mph in a snot-loosening 2.3 seconds. One of these beasts will set you back just

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Stefano Mesa Races to his Second Track Record of 2020 on Pirelli’s Larger DIABLO Superbike Slicks

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NINJA® ZX™ – 10R Equipped with 125/70-17 SC2 and 200/65-17 SCX Slicks Set the Pace for the North Carolinian Facilities First-Ever Race ROME, Ga. (September 18, 2020) – For the second time this season, Stefano Mesa captured a new motorcycle track record using Pirelli’s new, larger World Superbike derived sizing in the DIABLO™ Superbike range. Mesa’s impressive riding set the track record at NCBike in Garysburg, North Carolina, during a round of the Championship Cup Series (CCS), which served as the racetrack’s first-ever race, and marked the sixth absolute motorcycle track record bounty of 2020 for Pirelli. Just two weeks ago Mesa raced to his first track record of the season aboard his Kawasaki NINJA® ZX™ – 10R at Nelson Ledges Road Course as he had nothing but praise for his Pirelli DIABLO™ Superbike tires. The lap record of 1:21.899 was set by Mesa during the Unlimited Superbike race that saw his ZX™ – 10R motorcycle equipped with Pirelli’s DIABLO™ Superbike 125/70-17 SC2 front and 200/65-17 SCX rear slicks. “I was excited to come race here (NCBike) because it’s not too far from my house, so technically my home track,” Mesa said. The team did good work and Metric Devil Moto (Pirelli Trackside vendor) came into the weekend looking to enjoy and go fast. We ended up having a bit of competition, so it made things more interesting. We ended up with all of the wins in my classes and we broke the track record two times. The first was in the GTO race at a 1:22.6. The second was in the final race where my Pirelli Moto crew said ‘you better go faster now’ so I got to work and it paid off! We got it down to a 1:21.899.” “I had a feeling Stefano would end the weekend

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Production-ready Bimota Tesi H2 revealed: 242 hp in a 207 kg bike!

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from https://www.financialexpress.com The Bimota Tesi H2 is built around the Kawasaki Ninja H2 power plant and features the iconic Bimota hub-center steering design chassis covered with a carbon fiber bodywork. Kawasaki H2 had to be the craziest thing there was in the motorcycle world but if you hand one to Bimota, the result is something on the lines of Looney Toons’ Taz. The Bimota Tesi H2 has been revealed in its production self and will be heading for a limited production run this month. It is the first production-ready motorcycle from the Italian manufacturer since Kawasaki purchased a 49.9% share of the company last year. The Tesi H2 uses Kawasaki’s 228 bhp supercharged 998cc four-cylinder engine from the Ninja H2. The bonkers Tesi H2 was planned earlier but had to be moved to September 2020 due to the pandemic. Things now seem on track in Rimini as Bimota have also announced that the Tesi H2 can be pre-ordered. Not just that, Bimota have also released specifications of the Tesi H2 and here’s why most are calling it bonkers. It gets Kawasaki’s liquid-cooled 998cc supercharged inline-four mounted to an aluminum chassis with the same bore and stroke as the H2 at 76 x 55 mm but a compression ratio of 8.3:1 more like the H2 R than the SX. Power has been bumped up to a healthy 231 hp at 11,500 rpm and 141 Nm of torque at 11,000 rpm, and it is a freaky 242 hp with ram-air boost. All this in a motorcycle that weighs in at 207 kg (dry). The front and rear swingarms are made of aluminum with four inches of travel at the front and 5.11 inches at the back. The 17-inch wheels are armed with two 330mm discs at the front and a single 220mm

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After The Ninja And The Z, Is The Kawasaki Vulcan H2 Next?

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by Sabrina Giacomini from https://www.rideapart.com The God of Fire is getting a boost. In 2015, Kawasaki introduced its first modern-day supercharged motorcycle, the Ninja-based H2. Four years later, the Z H2 hypernaked followed. What will happen next? After all, developing a new engine takes time, R&D, and funds, so when a new block is created, it makes sense for manufacturers to take full advantage of its potential. So, will Kawasaki simply stop there or will find other applications for its forced induction mill? The answer to that could be the latter. Rumors from Japan suggest that Kawasaki could be about to shake things up in the power cruiser segment, supercharger style. According to Japanese site Young Machine, there is apparently a Vulcan H2 in the works at Kawasaki. The model would, of course, use the same 998cc supercharged inline-four as its Ninja and Z siblings. The speculations about a Vulcan H2 are connected to the rumor that Kawasaki is planning to overhaul its Vulcan lineup altogether. Considering the manufacturer would likely have to rethink the chassis to accommodate the supercharged engine, timing the new H2’s development with a lineup upgrade all makes sense. Thai site MotoRival produced a render of what they imagine the Vulcan H2 would look like. Silhouette wise, the design seems inspired by the Vulcan S with the single-rider saddle, tear-drop tank, and elongated handlebar but the headlamp cluster is clearly borrowed from the Z H2 which creates a weird blend of modern and more classic lines. This is only speculation as Kawasaki has neither confirmed or denied the rumor. According to Indian Autos Blog, if the manufacturer really is working on a (super)powercruiser, chances are we won’t see it for another couple of years. Whether you like powercruisers or not, the notion of a supercharged model

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Naked Kawasaki Ninja Turns Into Bronco Racer with Smoked Metal Body

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Back in 2014, a German motorcycle racing team known back then as Kodewa introduced the Lotus C-01 concept, a “menacingly retro-futuristic” two-wheeler with 200 hp coming from the engine of a KTM Superbike. Some time later, the concept inspired a custom build in the most unlikely of places. Penned by Daniel Simon, the man behind vehicular designs in movies like Tron: Legacy, Oblivion or Captain America, and more recently the autonomous racing car that goes by the name Robocar, the C-01 was supposed to sell for around for €100,000 (roughly $110,000), but never managed to get into a serious production run. It did inspire others into coming up with their own versions of the C-01. Somewhere in the Indonesian city of Bali there’s a custom bike garage that goes by the name of Smoked. The Lotus concept served as inspiration for one of the group’s builds, one they call Bronco Racer. The starting point for the new machine was a naked 2006 Kawasaki Ninja 650R, more precisely the ER-6n variety. Around its frame, Smoked designed a new body and several other custom elements that make the Bronco the finished product you can see in the gallery above. The metal shell of the build was constructed in such a way as to mimic that of the 2014 Lotus concept. It includes elements like fenders, panels, headlight housing and even the fuel tank. The Ninja was perched on top of custom wheels, a new saddle has been fitted on it, and the paint choice was made in such a way as to mimic that of the inspiration bike. Some work had to be done to the rear frame, which has been cut and rebuilt as well. No change was made to the engine, though. The motorcycle is

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Kawasaki’s Open-Road Ready 2020 Ninja 1000SX Ups The Comfort, Tech And Power

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by Bill Roberson from https://www.forbes.com It’s raining and I’m sheltering in place with my family, which sadly means no motorcycle riding as spring weather imminently arrives in the Northwest. Thankfully, Kawasaki just broke the boredom by holding a model reveal online, as is the sudden new norm, and the new bike is the 2020 Ninja 1000SX. It looks to be another fine machine from the always capable Kawasaki. But after the presentation, I found myself wandering down memory lane (and through digitized photos) to the first and only Ninja I personally owned. In the early 1990’s, I happened across a pristine first-gen Top Gun era 1986 GPz 900 Ninja in bone-stock, unblemished like-new condition (below). Resplendent in original red, white and blue livery, it was by that time somewhat of a performance relic, but I bought it anyway because, well, I had always wanted one and the price was right. Compared to the back-road-strafing Suzuki GSX-R 750 I was riding at the time, it was heavy, a bit wobbly when pressed in the curves, and big. But still, it was just so cool. It still is. One weekend, a riding buddy and I saddled up our respective bikes with some soft bags and headed out to parts unknown in the wide-open (and very lightly patrolled) reaches of eastern Oregon. Midway into a long leg of the trip, my cohort was complaining about the uncomfortable riding position of his mount and tried everything from using the rear pegs to sitting on towels to soothe the pain. But I had made an unexpected discovery: That big, heavy GPz Ninja was a near-perfect sport-touring machine, with a supple yet sporty suspension, a comfortable seat, a near-perfect bar-seat-peg triangle (for myself at least), and a willing, powerful engine. That was the first of many

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Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R Racer Custom unveiled – A 250cc track machine

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by Abhinand Venugopal from https://www.rushlane.com/ Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-25R Racer Custom is a track-only version of the brand’s new 249cc four-cylinder sportsbike Kawasaki has unveiled the all-new Ninja ZX-25R Racer Custom ahead of its official debut event which had to be cancelled due to COVID-19. The pandemic has caused a lot of confusion among global automotive industries with back-to-back plant shutdowns, event cancellations and rising losses. However, manufacturers have taken social media as an effective platform to introduce their latest products. Coming back to Kawasaki’s latest product, the Racer Custom variant is essentially a track-focused, track-bred and track-only version of the Ninja ZX-25R that was unveiled last year. The sportsbike’s main highlight is its power plant — a 249cc DOHC liquid-cooled ‘inline-4’ engine that can rev up to a cool 17,500rpm! So far, Kawasaki has not shared the exact engine specifications of the ZX-25R or its track-only avatar. Various reports state that it could generate around 45bhp and a lot of acoustic drama (way more for the Racer Custom variant). In fact, Kawasaki had shared the exhaust note of its new light-capacity four-banger. To many, it wouldn’t make any sense to split a displacement of roughly 250cc into four cylinders, but for the very few who likes to ride a motorcycle at its absolute limit (in a safe environment) will find a fun machine in Kawasaki’s new ZX-25R. Kawasaki also plans to introduce a new one-make championship next year with the ZX-25R (and NOT the track-only Racer Custom variant). The race will be open to anyone regardless of their track hours. Meanwhile, Kawasaki has introduced a host of performance and cosmetic upgrades for potential ‘25R’ buyers. This includes racing cowls, tank pad, track tyres (Dunlop Sportmax ?-13SP), Showa suspension, new chainset, performance exhaust, carbon bits and many more. Sources suggest that

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Kawasaki ZX25R rev sound video – All the way to 17k RPM

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by Abhinand Venugopal from https://www.rushlane.com/ The upcoming Kawasaki ZX-25R hit all headlines in the motorcycle world about two months back, after its official introduction at the Tokyo Motor Show 2019. With aesthetics resembling its bigger siblings such as the ZX-6R and ZX-10R, the ZX-25R is quite the package for a 250cc motorcycle. The 25R is powered by a 249cc liquid-cooled DOHC ‘four-cylinder’ engine i.e. just over 60cc in each cylinder. The official output figures are not available at the moment, but rumours claim it peaks at almost 60bhp, at around 17,000rpm — yes, you’ve read that right! Prices are not yet revealed for any region in the world and we see minimal chances of it hitting the Indian market. However, if it does happen to come to your local Kawasaki dealership, expect a price tag of at least Rs 5 lakh ex-showroom; making it more expensive than a Kawasaki Ninja 400 and every other ‘normal’ 250cc motorcycle on the market. The screaming baby Kawasaki sports bike borrows a lot from its bigger siblings alongside a host of other sophisticated components. The list includes Kawasaki’s horizontal back-link rear suspension, quick shifter, traction control, Showa SFF-BP (Separate Function Fork – Big Piston), dedicated power modes, and a lot more. This is an odd and interesting combination of facts and figures, but nothing new in the motorcycle world. There have been multiple 250cc i4 models over the years and especially towards the end of the twentieth century, such as the Yamaha FZR250, Honda CBR250RR, Suzuki GSX-R250 and of course, the Kawasaki ZXR250. These motorcycles may not be as fast as a conventional middle-weight or any other sensible alternative of its time. However, the customer focus is/was different for these low-capacity multi-cylinder motorcycles. They are meant for those who like to ride on the

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Kawasaki to launch electric Ninja

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Yoshimoto Matsuda, Senior Manager, Innovation Department division at Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. and his team have been working on the electric motorcycles since the 2000s. Japanese premium motorcycle manufacturer Kawasaki is working on an electric motorcycle that is likely to come with the Ninja badge upon launch, reveals a media report. Yoshimoto Matsuda, Senior Manager, Innovation Department division at Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. and his team have been working on the electric motorcycles since the 2000s. The motorcycle maker has teased a test mule in a video that looks like the upcoming electric Ninja. As Kawasaki hints, the electric motorcycle will be fun to control, exciting and it will reflect the passion of the brand. The video hinted that Kawasaki is testing the electric powertrain on a 2017 Ninja 650. However, the details about this powertrain are not clear yet. The media report quoted, Yoshimoto, who said, “We have been thoroughly studying and patenting features ranging from packaging and chassis geometry to transmissions and thumb brake activated energy recovery systems.” The test mule hs a range of 100 km but the production model is likely to come with improved range. Speaking about the launch date of the electric Kawasaki Ninja, the motorcycle is likely to come sometime in early next decade. On Tuesday, Kawasaki confirmed that the brand is joining the EV (electric vehicle) revolution by officially announcing that an electric motorcycle is on the way. Following in the footsteps of Harley Davidson, Kawaski announced that an electric motorcycle — albeit it being a concept model — is currently in development. In a video demonstrating the speed of the bike, the company’s Innovation Senior Manager Yoshimoto Matsuda stated that the motorcycle is equipped with a next-generation power unit which has been in the works since the turn of the century.

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