Kawasaki Ninja 1000
Encyclopedia
The Kawasaki Ninja 1000 (in some markets the Z1000SX) is a sport touring motorcycle introduced in 2011. Other than its name, it is unrelated to the Ninja 1000R produced from 1986–89, or to other Ninja
motorcycles.
It is generally characterized as a fully faired
sibling of the Z1000
streetfighter
, sharing the same 1,043cc liquid-cooled, electronic fuel-injected, 16-valve four-stroke inline-four engine and aluminum twin-tube backbone frame, but with ergonomics, storage, and other design elements more oriented to the sport touring
market. The Ninja 1000 is also fitted with an electronic speed limiter
, as its fairing gives it improved aerodynamics over the Z1000.
Kawasaki has positioned the bike as a "sport bike for the real world." As the model will not be homologated
for racing
purposes, the designers were free to make compromises for street performance. The Ninja 1000 thus has an upright seating position, large fuel tank, and adjustable windscreen among its features, as well a transmission geared for street-riding as opposed to racing. Nevertheless, it retains the large engine and aggressive styling of a sport bike
, and its performance characteristics remain on the sport end of the spectrum, placing it more in competition with bikes like the Honda VFR1200F
or Triumph Sprint GT as opposed to the Kawasaki Concours or Yamaha FJR1300
.
Kawasaki Ninja
Ninja is the trademarked name of a series of Kawasaki sport bikes, that started with the 1984 GPZ900R.-Standard series:* Kawasaki Ninja ZX-150RR* The Japan-only Kawasaki ZXR250 was sometimes rebranded as a Ninja ZX-2R by importers* Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R...
motorcycles.
It is generally characterized as a fully faired
Motorcycle fairing
A motorcycle fairing is a shell placed over the frame of some motorcycles, especially racing motorcycles and sport bikes, with the primary purpose to reduce air drag. The secondary functions are the protection of the rider from airborne hazards and wind-induced hypothermia and of the engine...
sibling of the Z1000
Kawasaki Z1000
The Kawasaki Z1000 is a four-cylinder motorcycle in the streetfighter or standard style.-History:Kawasaki introduced the Z1 motorcycle in 1972. Four years later they introduced the Kz900. The original Kawasaki Z1 was the first series of Japanese motorcycles with the combination of four cylinders,...
streetfighter
Streetfighter
A streetfighter is a sport bike that is customized by removing the fairing, and making other changes that result in an overall more aggressive look. Beyond simply removing fairings, specific changes that exemplify the streetfighter look are a pair of large, round headlights, tall, upright...
, sharing the same 1,043cc liquid-cooled, electronic fuel-injected, 16-valve four-stroke inline-four engine and aluminum twin-tube backbone frame, but with ergonomics, storage, and other design elements more oriented to the sport touring
Sport touring
A Sport touring motorcycle is a type of motorcycle that blends the performance of a sport bike with the long-distance capabilities of a touring motorcycle, while providing comfort and relative safety to the rider....
market. The Ninja 1000 is also fitted with an electronic speed limiter
Speed limiter
A speed limiter is a governor used to limit the top speed of a vehicle. For some classes of vehicle and in some jurisdictions they are a statutory requirement, for some other vehicles the manufacturer provides a non-statutary system which may be fixed or programmable by the driver.-Mopeds:Mopeds in...
, as its fairing gives it improved aerodynamics over the Z1000.
Kawasaki has positioned the bike as a "sport bike for the real world." As the model will not be homologated
Homologation
Homologation is a technical term, derived from the Greek homologeo for "to agree", which is generally used in English to signify the granting of approval by an official authority...
for racing
Superbike racing
Superbike racing is a category of motorcycle racing that employs modified production motorcycles. Superbike World Championship is the international superbike championship, and national superbike championships are held in many countries as well, including the United Kingdom, the United States,...
purposes, the designers were free to make compromises for street performance. The Ninja 1000 thus has an upright seating position, large fuel tank, and adjustable windscreen among its features, as well a transmission geared for street-riding as opposed to racing. Nevertheless, it retains the large engine and aggressive styling of a sport bike
Sport bike
A sport bike, also written as sportbike, is a motorcycle optimized for speed, acceleration, braking, and cornering on paved roads, typically at the expense of comfort and fuel economy in comparison to less specialized motorcycles...
, and its performance characteristics remain on the sport end of the spectrum, placing it more in competition with bikes like the Honda VFR1200F
Honda VFR1200F
The VFR1200F is a sport touring motorcycle from Honda, which has a V4 engine. It has the first dual clutch transmission offered on a motorcycle.-History:Honda announced the VFR1200F in 2009 and unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show...
or Triumph Sprint GT as opposed to the Kawasaki Concours or Yamaha FJR1300
Yamaha FJR1300
The Yamaha FJR1300 is the Yamaha Motor Company's largest sport touring motorcycle, currently in production as the FJR1300A and FJR1300AS .-History:...
.