If you were to ask a stranger on the street to name a motorcycle, the most common answer would probably be Harley Davidson. But I predict that the second most popular answer would be Ninja.
The Kawasaki Ninja is almost a generalized household name, like Kleenex and ChapStick, when it comes to referencing sport-oriented 2 wheeled machines. I guess the name just speaks to the swift actions sportbikes are known for and the sleek and sharp lines that define their profiles.
However, “Ninja” isn’t quite the blanket term most people think it is. “Ninja” is simply a family of Kawasaki motorcycles – a large family with a long history.
The 2007 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R is just a blip on the radar in the deep sea of Ninja heritage. It was born in a time when 170 horsepower to the rear wheel was the norm. It had styling and handling that, just a few years earlier, would have made it the best 1000cc machine available. Unfortunately for the ZX-10R, 2007 was a year flush with superbike offerings that made it appear to lack the track finesse that so many sportbikes are graded by today. As soon as the ink had dried on the reviews, the bike was destined to be forgotten.
The truth is, the bike was still a high performance beast that yielded more riding pleasure on the road than on the racecourse. It’s not uncommon to find these bikes with significantly more miles on the clock than its contemporaries for that reason alone. As far as picking up a deal on a good used all-round liter bike – the second generation ZX-10R deserves another look.
