Kawasaki’s first Ninja was introduced in 1984 as a 900 (you may remember it thanks to a famous cameo in the movie Top Gun). The following year, Kawi basically created the 600 sportbike category as it is still enjoyed today (even if it’s currently dominated by Yamaha). Soon after Kawasaki also introduced the Ninja 250 – a full lineup was born and the sportbike wars had begun. Here’s a 2nd year example of the 600R (also known in European markets as the GPZ600R) – the first Kawasaki model to utilize a perimeter frame.
The bottom end of the Ninja motor was pulled from the GPz550 (the bike that the Ninja 600 replaced), but the 16-valve top end was all new. That combination was good for 76 horsepower and 38.3 pound-feet of torque, enough to get the 452 pound (dry) bike up to 122 miles per hour. MSRP was $3,299, and features like the AVDS (air-assist) suspension meant it was closer to the bigger brother 900 than the smaller brother 250 when it came to equipment. Obviously, compared to modern 600s this is a heavy slouch, but at the time the 16″ front wheel and relatively light weight were very attractive to riders who were raised on the idea that sportbikes had to be big brawlers.
This example has roughly 8k miles and it’s been with the seller for one year. He notes that it’s been gone through, including a carb rebuild, tank liner, oil/filter change, fuel petcock rebuild, air filter, spark plugs, valve adjustment, and more.
Find this Ninja for sale in Denton, Texas for $3,995 here on Facebook Marketplace.