Kawasaki takes us on a ride down memory lane with 40th Anniversary Edition bikes
Kawasaki has brought back the iconic green, white, and blue livery from the late 80’s and early 90’s and pasted it, fonts and all, on four of their bikes: the ZX-4RR, ZX-6R, ZX-10R, and ZX-14R
Japanese motorcycle manufacturer Kawasaki seems to be on a nostalgic trip, painting four of their Ninja bikes with the iconic green, white, and blue livery. The ZXR-750 was the first bike to be styled in this paint scheme, and back in the day, it was extremely successful, winning various championships, including the WorldSBK Championship in 1993. (Image: Kawasaki)
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Now, of course, the paint scheme is not the same as the bike that won the world championship, but a replica of the production model of that time. Everything from the lines of the colours to the font used on the logos has been copied onto the new bikes. Kawasaki is calling this the 40th anniversary edition and is available on the ZX-4RR and the ZX-6R. (Image: Kawasaki)
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The ZX-4RR is Kawasaki’s entry-level bike. However, under that miniature appearance, there is an absolute monster of a powertrain. A 399cc inline four-cylinder liquid-cooled engine generates 77 hp of maximum power, going up to 80 hp when using the ram-air intake (that’s that massive opening on the nose of the bike) - 600cc segment power figures. Torque is a more forgiving 36 Nm, but when the engine redlines at 16,000 rpm, torque is going to be the least of your worries. With the new 40th anniversary edition, the ZX-4RR takes you back 40 years. For those of you who don’t know, even the smaller-class Kawasaki bikes back in the day were propelled by inline four-cylinders. Of course, now four pots are reserved for the big boys, and most 250-400cc bikes use just two cylinders. (Image: Kawasaki)
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The Kawasaki ZX-6R was launched for the year 2024 back in June, complete with new styling, sharp aggression, and an updated engine. It follows Kawasaki’s Sugomi design language, which blends sharp lines and curvy surfaces for a splendid amalgamation of sporty goodness with rider comfort. The ZX-6R is powered by a liquid-cooled 636cc inline four-cylinder engine that produces 128 hp of maximum power at 13,000 rpm. Again, those power figures are much higher than your traditional 600cc equivalents. Torque comes in at 69 Nm, peaking at 10,800 rpm. For 2024, the ZX-6R comes with a complete overhaul of its electronics as well. Starting with a full-colour TFT dash for instrumentation, the sports bike gets Bluetooth connectivity, riding modes, two power modes, and three-level traction control, among others. Braking is handled by two 310 mm petal discs at the front and one 220 mm disc at the rear. (Image: Kawasaki)
Next up: the ZX-10R. This bike too dons the Sugomi design language, but there is no feeling of comfort that you can derive from this bike. It gets a full-tuck riding position, and the fuel tank is high enough for you to rest your chest on, making this an amazing bike for track days. On the nose is a massive ram-air intake flanked by a dark set of headlamps which honestly appear to be smaller than both the ZX-4RR and the ZX-6R’s units. Powering this bike, however, is a 998cc liquid-cooled inline four-cylinder that dishes out 200 hp of maximum power and 114 Nm of peak torque. A six-speed gearbox handles transmission duties, aided by a bi-directional quick-shifter for lightning-fast gearshifts. Of course, you do get all of Kawasaki’s electronic wizardry as well, such as power modes, cruise control, ride modes, including a fully customisable one, smartphone connectivity, traction control, and the works. (Image: Kawasaki)
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Finally, you have the ZX-14R. Now, this is probably Kawasaki’s curviest bike out there. Virtually unchanged for years now, the ZX-14R design is best known for its performance at the drag strip. It draws power from a 1.5-litre liquid-cooled inline four engine and comes with two power modes – Low and Full. The ZX-14R’s design is fluid compared to the others on this list, and when decked in the 40th anniversary livery, truly brings out a sense of nostalgia. But for all its old-age styling, the ZX-14R doesn’t skimp out on tech. It still gets things like traction control, dual-channel ABS, digital instrumentation, slipper clutch, and riding modes to tailor performance to best suit the terrain. (Image: Kawasaki)
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