Well Preserved – 1986 Kawasaki Ninja GPZ900R

In Japan, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

Post Listing Update: This Ninja did not meet reserve with 25 bids up to $4,650 on eBay.


In 1984, Kawasaki changed the world of sportbikes forever with their introduction of the Ninja name (did you know it was originally going to be called the Panther?) The first bike deserving of the Ninja was the GPZ900R, the first production road bike to top 150 miles per hour thanks to the world’s first 16-valve liquid-cooled inline four-cylinder motorcycle engine. It was a big deal on paper and in film – Tom Cruise famously rode one in Top Gun in 1986. ’86 was the 20th Anniversary of Kawasaki motorcycles, and it was in that year that Kawi applied a red/white/blue livery to the Ninja 900 as you see here. Many were built, and many were ridden hard. Very few have stayed in as nice shape as this example.

Basic specs for the first Ninja include 113 horsepower/63 pound-feet of torque, a top speed of between 151-158, depending on who you talk to, and a dry weight of 529 pounds. That’s not a light bike, but it should be pointed out that even though this was a huge leap forward for sportbikes, the Ninja was still capable of touring. It was a sign of the times, as the follow-up model would get more aggressive with a smaller front rims and a shift towards what we consider the modern sportbike. For more on the GPZ900R, check out this story on Cycle World (warning: lots of ads).

This example (VIN:JKAZX2A19GB515058) shows 17,567 miles on the odometer but it looks like it’s only covered 1% of that distance. The seller says it’s in “mint condition” as it has been garaged all of its life with occasional use in shows, parades, and some tours. Everything is said to work like new and it comes with the owner’s manual and tool kit. As the seller puts it, this is “ready for another collection or it can be ridden as far and as long as you would like.” What would you do with it? Once you decide, find this early Ninja for sale in Encinitas, California with an unmet opening bid of $100