Ninjas, Ninjas and more Ninjas that is what the 90’s were really about for Kawasaki Motorcycles. Pushing the Ninja line across the different capacities, and making them the best sportbikes in the relative classes, fiercely challenging the competition from other manufacturers. It wasn’t all Ninja’s (just mostly), there was a super cruiser and a retro … Read more
Of the big four Japanese manufacturers, Kawasaki was the last to put into production a turbo charged motorcycle and I would say arguably the most successful. The ambition was to create a turbo charged middle-weight wonder that could compete with the fastest motorcycles out there. With the release of the Kawasaki GPz750 Turbo, they succeeded … Read more
The Kawasaki KZ650 (or the Z650 outside the US) was one of the most popular motorcycles of the 1970s. Affordable, quick, reliable and it made Kawasaki’s Z series accessible to those who didn’t want the full power or weight of the original Z1 or the later KZ1000 (Z1000). If you are anything like me, you … Read more
The Kawasaki Kz1000 was a motorcycle that set the bar for the litre capacity bikes that would follow. It was one of the fastest production motorcycles of the time and followed in the footsteps of the legendary 1972 Kawasaki Z1. Today Kawasaki is known for their fast, high-performing motorcycles but none of these would be … Read more
In the world of superbike racing, simply having the fastest machine will never be enough. Every manufacturer is constantly improving their bikes in order to stay on top, and sometimes that means utilising any and every loophole you can find in the rules. Many of the larger manufacturers do this with the homologation rule (to … Read more
Kawasaki had a point to prove with the GPZ900R. Having been beaten to the punch by Honda in releasing the world’s first four-cylinder 750cc “superbike”, the CB750, they needed to raise the bar with the successor to their own popular 900cc superbike, the iconic Kawasaki Z1. Spending several years in secret creating the perfect successor, … Read more
The Kawasaki Vulcan 750 was Kawasaki’s first ‘Cruiser’ motorcycle and it hit the mark so well that it remained largely unchanged for its full 22 year production period. It is a motorcycle well worth reading about so without further ado let’s start with it’s history. History of the Kawasaki Vulcan The Vulcan was first introduced … Read more
For me, the standout memories of the motorcycles of the 80s was the fascination with turbo bikes, improved (faster) two stroke machines and the Japanese manufacturers stepping on Harley Davidsons toes with their own cheaper V-twin cruiser models. Kawasaki 80s Motorcycles As it was for all the big four Japanese motorcycle companies, the 1980’s were … Read more
Since the 2009 second coming of Cafe Racers the genre has gone from strength to strength. Lots of manufacturers have one in their stable and in general they at least try to stick to the original 1950’s definition of what a Cafe Racer is. What is a Cafe Racer? A Cafe Racer is a motorcycle … Read more
In 1972 the Kawasaki Z1 900 was a motorcycle born out of a necessity for the survival of the company in an increasingly tough industry. It was a bold and clever move that catapulted Kawasaki to the leagues of fast, aggressive, power players in the motorcycle world, where they remain to this day. Let’s take … Read more
While it is true that most new retro bikes come with a premium price tag, there are several cheap retro motorcycles available for those not wanting to break the bank. Here, Paul picks out 8 options for the budget conscious rider. Sit back and imagine yourself bumbling along on a vintage motorcycle, open-faced helmet, and … Read more
Let’s face it, motorcycles of a bygone era are undeniably cool, from early Indian Scouts and Harleys to the Bonneville and CB750, they laid the foundations for everything that was to come later. They are classics for a reason and that’s because they got it right! However, for todays riders there is technology and modern … Read more