Kawasaki Ninja 1000

The Bike Kawasaki Misnamed

Kawasaki is well know for its “Ninja” line of bikes. The term Ninja conjures up images of Tom Cruise speeding past a runway in “Top Gun” satisfying his “need for speed”. Not since the 80’s has Kawasaki branded a bike as the Ninja 1000. In recent years, they have brought several real world street bikes to their lineup with the Ninja name. The 250, 300, 500, 650, and 1000.....all Ninjas, none of them your typical “crotch rocket”. In fact, in Europe, these bikes aren’t called a “Ninja”, saving that nomenclature for the hard edged track focused machines.

What drew me to the Ninja 1000 was its comfortable upright riding position, excellent windscreen, and torquey motor. The engine is glass smooth. It reminds me of my old FJR1300 (for a LOT less money). You can cruise around at 3,000rpm and surf the torque as you would on a big twin, or you can wick it up a bit and mash your eyeballs into the back of your skull. The engine isn’t uber powerful like it’s ZX-10R big brother, but power is available all over the rev range. It’s possibly one of the best motorcycle engines I’ve ever commanded.

I enjoyed owning my Ninja and sold it only after facing some more life changes which resulted in a move from Alabama back to Tennessee.