There are 2 types of people, those who think of martial artists when they hear the word ninja and those who think about the sport bike created by Kawasaki. If you think of the Kawasaki Ninja, there’s a good chance you still have the song from the commercial stuck in your head. A Kawasaki Ninja hillsboro or is still sure to turn heads with its signature neon green color and innovative technology. Throughout the years, the Kawasaki Ninja has gone through some changes but is still just as impressive today.

1984 – Ninja SPZ900R

The original Ninja came with a dual overhead shaft and an engine with 16 valves and 4 cylinders. This model was Kawasaki’s first liquid-cooled engine of this kind all in a light chassis with a sleep and compact design. It was named the bike of the year by many different magazines as well as breaking the world record for the fastest bike at speeds of 250 kilometers per hour.

1985 – Ninja 600R

The Ninja 600R offered aerodynamic performance featuring a frame built with modern design. The middleweight bike rivaled many of the larger of the time in performance. Many believe that the Ninja 600R was the first of the 600cc Super Sport Class bikes.

1988 – Ninja ZX-10

The Ninja ZX-10 was certainly one of the most impressive bikes of the time. Its lightweight design and ultra-rigid frame made from aluminum combined with its 750cc engine were responsible for winning Kawasaki more records. In 1988 at 270 kilometers per hour, the ZX-10 became the newest Kawasaki Ninja to become to the fastest bike in the world.

1990 – Ninja ZX-11

The Ninja ZX-11 was the first bike in the world with a Ram Air System. It was dubbed the “King of Speed” and showed the world once again that Kawasaki knew what it was doing when it came to maximizing the power of their machines. Its speedometer reached 320 kilometers per hour and it was the first bike in the world with this feature. This Kawasaki model was the first bike that was considered to be in the “flagship” category.

1993 – Ninja ZZ-R1100

The successor to the ZX-11 was the ZZ-R1100 and it came with a lot of changes. This model focused on making many different technological improvements from its predecessor. Among these were different upgrades concerning the Dual Ram Induction system and the weight of the aluminum perimeter frame.

1994 – Ninja ZX-9R

With an engine featuring all the best qualities of most of the previous bikes like the Ninja ZXR750 and more displacement, the ZX-9R was a bike that turned some heads. It came with a twin Ram Air intake system as well an aluminum frame to make it lightweight. This particular model took the Super Sport bike to a different level. When it came to balancing handling, power, and size, the Ninja ZX-9R set the standards for the time.