Kawasaki GPz900R Ninja

Make Model	Kawasaki GPz 900 Ninja
Year	1997 - 00
Engine	Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder.
Capacity	908 cc / 55.4 cu-in
Bore x Stroke	72.5 x 55 mm
Cooling System	Liquid cooled
Compression Ratio	11.0:1
Induction	4x 34mm Keihin CVK34 carburettors
Ignition	Battery ignition, full electronic!
Starting	Electric
Max Power	108 hp / 80.5 kW @ 9500 rpm
Max Torque	8.7 kgf-m / 62.9 lb-ft @ 8500 rpm
Transmission	6 Speed
Final Drive	Chain
Frame	Iron, Double cradle frame
Front Suspension	41mm Telescopic forks, air assisted four way anti dive.
Rear Suspension	Uni-Trak air assisted, single shock, 4-way adjustable damping.
Front Brakes	2x 300mm discs 4 piston calipers
Rear Brakes	Single 250mm disc 2 piston caliper
Front Tyre	120/70-17
Rear Tyre	150/70-18
Trail	91 mm / 3.5 in
Wheelbase	1425 mm / 56.1 in
Seat Height	790 mm / 31.1 in
Dry Weight	228 kg / 502 lbs
Fuel Capacity	22 Litres / 5.8 US gal
Consumption Average	40.8 mpg
Standing ¼ Mile	11.3 sec
Top Speed	248.4 km/h / 155 mph

In 1984, the new GPz 900 Ninja was the cutting-edge of performance, with an all-new liquid-cooled four-cylinder driving its cams from the left side instead of the middle—the better to lean over farther in corners and produce top-end power that put the big air-cooled multis of the day to shame. Thirty years later, the old beast reminds us why Kawasakis used to be thought of as unbreakable but a bit crude: On serial #0001, black primer shows through the red paint on part of the fairing and many of the stickers are just that, stuck on. None of it mattered; in 1984, the median Baby Boomer was 29 years old and making decent bank working the second shift at the Budweiser plant in Van Nuys, California, cruising the boulevard after work in Oakley Blades with a mullet for a helmet.

We called the new Yamaha FJ1100 introduced the same year “the fastest, most competent all-around liter-class sportbike of them all.” But when it came time for “Ten Best” in 1984, the Kawasaki was it: “This isn’t your usual Japanese sportbike... this is a hard-core performance motorcycle aimed directly at the hard-core performance rider.”
Here’s the thing about the original Ninja, though: It was hard-core before the core became so hard. Never mind the period hyperbole, your Open-class streetbike of 1984 was also a pretty good daily ride/sport-tourer. The old hausfrau Ninja weighed 546 pounds with half a tank of fuel (2.9 gallons); the new ZX-10R that Tom Sykes’ World Superbike champion bike is based upon is nearly 120 pounds lighter. That’s an entire Dani Pedrosa.

The Kawasaki GPZ900R (also known as the ZX900A or Ninja 900) is a motorcycle that was manufactured by Kawasaki from 1984 to 2003. It is the earliest member of the Kawasaki Ninja family of sport bikes. The 1984 GPZ900R (or ZX900A-1) was a revolutionary design that became the immediate predecessor of the modern-day sport bike. Developed in secret over six years, it was the world's first 16-valve liquid-cooled inline four-cylinder motorcycle engine, years ahead of rival manufacturers' efforts. The 908 cc four-cylinder engine delivered 115 bhp (86 kW), allowing the bike to reach speeds of 151 mph (243 km/h), making it the first stock road bike to exceed 150 mph (240 km/h).

Prior to its design, Kawasaki envisioned producing a sub-liter engine that would be the successor to the Z1. Although its steel frame, 16-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels, air suspension, and anti-dive forks were fairly standard at that time, the narrow, compact engine was mounted lower in the frame, allowing it to take Japanese superbike performance to a new level. Only three months after being unveiled to the press in December 1983, dealers entered three works GPZ900R bikes in the Isle of Man Production TT finishing in first and second place.

Kawasaki GPz 900R Ninja