Kawasaki Motorcycles

GPz – Ninja 500 / EX 500 – KZ1300

One of the greatest, beautiful cycles ever made in my opinion developed before my eyes. Kawasaki’s GPz line began in 1981 and evolved through 1985. The GPz had iterations at many engine sizes: 305cc (only available in the US for 1982 & ‘83 and featured a belt drive,) 550cc, 750cc (regular and turbo version), and 1100cc. The Kawasaki Ninja began life as a 900GPz in 1984. Kawasaki rereleased an updated, yet less sentimental GPz 1100 in the early/mid 1990’s that impressed many. For me, though, it’s the GPz’s firecracker red color scheme that pumps my blood. The elusive, alluring GPz 750 Turbo is a particular object of my affection from the first time I saw one in 1984 to this very day. Lovely machines. For those of us who love this model line, finding a wonderful specimen anywhere in the nation involves a simple U-Haul rental to bring her home. See what GPz’s are for sale this very moment on eBay, nationwide, below.

Ninja 500 / EX 500

The bargain Ninja 500 began in 1987 as the EX 500. It’s 2008, and there’s no sign of the midclass sportbike ending. It hasn’t changed hardly at all throughout its many decade run as a great sportbike for both veterans and new riders alike. Its liquid cooled engine is a parallel twin with 4 valves per cylinder; it’s nimble, quick, and damn good looking.

No component of the Ninja 500 really sparkles in its own right. It has just a single disc brake up front and up through 1993 it carried a drum brake in the rear. In 1994 it was given a disc brake on the rear axle and given the “Ninja” name. Yet it’s the bike taken as a whole that has made the Ninja 500 such a solid selling, reliable, fun motorcycle all these years. I owned and rode a gorgeous pearl white fully faired 1989 EX 500 for two years, and for most of that time it was my only form of transportation. Motorcyle online has a rather exhaustive review of the 2000 Kawasaki Ninja 500 here.

Here’s a listing of Ninja 500 / EX 500 motorcycles available right now:

KZ 1300

In the early ’80s, a Japanese standard motorcycle over 1100 cc’s was just fawkin’ monstrous. If it didn’t have a Harley-Davidson badge on it, it was expected to top out at about 1100 cubes.

Well, Kawasaki gave Americans the KZ 1300 – and it was actually very well reviewed and received. We like our bikes big and powerful, and the KZ 1300 did not disappoint. This six cylinder beast weighed as much as a Toyota – standing still. It wasn’t unagile at speed, surprisingly. The KZ 1300 evolved into the Kawasaki Voyager, a full dress all-day tourer.

We don’t see KZ 1300’s often, but eBay is a good place to keep tabs on them: