Kawasaki Motorcycle Road Tests
& Reviews
Kawasaki Motorcycle Guide
The Kawasaki Motorcycle & Engine Division has been manufacturing motorcycles since 1954. The trademarked names of some of Kawasaki's powersports machines–from Kawasaki Ninja sportbikes to Kawasaki Vulcan cruisers to Kawasaki Jet Ski personal watercraft–have become household names.
2008 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R Road Test
Troy Siahaan
July 1, 2008
[This review of the 2008 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R was originally published in the April 2008 issue of Rider] If there’s one thing Kawasaki isn’t suffering from, it’s an identity crisis, especially in the sportbike segment. But that wasn’t always the case. A few years ago the bikes... Read more »
Rider Magazine’s 2008 Motorcycle of the Year and Best of Class
Rider Magazine
June 26, 2008
The new bikes for the 2008 model year have all been revealed, and it’s time once again to name our three Best-of-Class winners. From that trio we have picked one for Rider‘s Motorcycle of the Year award that we think succeeds best at its intent, satisfies like no other and lengthens the list... Read more »
Retrospective: Kawasaki KE175: 1976-1982
Clement Salvadori
March 25, 2008
(This Retrospective article was published in the March 2008 issue of Rider.) STORY AND PHOTOS BY CLEMENT SALVADORI This little woodser was a tribute to good engineering and an American passion for motoring through the semi-wilderness. In the 1960s the Japanese were selling a heckuva lot of little bikes... Read more »
2008 Suzuki Hayabusa vs. Kawasaki ZX-14 Motorcycle Comparison
Bill Stermer
March 10, 2008
You’re riding along on one of these new 2008 supersports, and suddenly slow down to contemplate the moment you’ve been waiting for. The road before you sweeps down into a valley, runs tidy and direct for several miles with nary a home or driveway or traffic, then climbs the other side–clear,... Read more »
2008 Kawasaki Versys 650 Road Test
Donya Carlson
March 7, 2008
[This 2008 Kawasaki Versys 650 Road Test was originally published in the December 2007 issue of Rider magazine] Many psychologists contend that nagging is counterproductive. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case with Kawasaki, as the flood of e-mails requesting that it bring its Versys 650 stateside... Read more »
2008 Kawasaki Concours 14 ABS Review
Mark Tuttle Jr.
October 24, 2007
[This 2008 Kawasaki Concours 14 ABS Road Test was originally published in the October 2007 issue of Rider] It’s finally here! Twenty-one years since its introduction in 1986, Kawasaki has finally seen fit to reinvent the venerable Concours. Sure, it made a few refinements to the ZG1000 during those... Read more »
2007 Kawasaki Z1000 Road Test
Troy Siahaan
October 24, 2007
When you look at all the bikes on the road today, it’s pretty easy to identify their respective categories. You’ve got your cruisers, tourers, dual-sports, sportbikes, dirt bikes; the list goes on and on. So what, exactly, would you call this Kawasaki motorcycle? It’s too upright for... Read more »
2007 Honda XR650L, Kawasaki KLR650 and Suzuki DR650S Motorcycle Comparison
Clement Salvadori
March 5, 2007
A lot of riders look at these three motorcycles, scratch their heads, and wonder just what they’re meant for. Anybody who desires a good dirt bike can make a choice from a big selection, and a street rider has an even greater variety. Why get one of these machines, these compromises intended for... Read more »
2006 Kawasaki ZX-14 Road Test
Rider Contributor
January 4, 2007
Kawasaki and Suzuki have been engaged in, shall we say, friendly fire for the past four years, battling it out for the title of manufacturer of the most powerful production motorcycle. With the introduction of the Ninja ZX-14 for 2006, Kawasaki has officially dethroned its own Ninja ZX-12 as well as... Read more »
2006 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic LT Road Test
Bill Stermer
January 2, 2007
Many years ago, the watchword in the gentleman’s clubs was, “What the world needs is a good five-cent cigar.” Today, in the bike hangouts, they’re saying, “What the world needs is a good touring cruiser for $8,500.” If that’s the case, Kawasaki has certainly... Read more »
