Kawasaki received four awards including gold medals for Best Venue and Best Cinematography at the New York Festivals International Television & Film Awards for ads featuring the Ninja ZX-6R (636) and the Z800.

The New York Festivals have been celebrating the best in television and films for 55 years. This year’s awards, announced at the National Association of Broadcasters Show in Las Vegas, awarded 119 gold medals, 145 silver medals, 10 bronze medals and 327 finalist certificates for entries representing 50 different countries.

Kawasaki submitted the videos for the Ninja ZX-6R and the Z800 and received four medals and a finalist certificate. Continue Reading »

The 2013 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R has been homologated for AMA Pro Racing, making it eligible for the Daytona Sportbike and Supersport classes for 2013. The news comes as a bit of a surprise as those classes typically consist of Inline Four racebikes with a displacement smaller than 600cc.

The new Ninja ZX-6R immediately carries a displacement advantage over its I-4 competition in the class such as the Honda CBR600R, Suzuki GSX-R600 and Yamaha YZF-R6. Also eligible in those classes are the Ducati 848 (a Twin) and the Triumph Daytona 675 which uses a three-cylinder engine. The 636 will carry a weight penalty however, facing a minimum weight of 375 pounds compared to 355 pounds for the sub-600cc bikes.

The last time Kawasaki had a 636cc Ninja, it produced a 599cc  ZX-6RR for competition purposes. Kawasaki did the same this time for Japan, introducing a limited production run of the 599cc Ninja ZX-6R because the 636cc version did not qualify for its domestic racing program. The AMA has decided this wasn’t necessary and gave the new, larger Ninja approval.

The 2013 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R will also be eligible for various classes in the WERA, CCS, AFM, MRA, CVMA, CMRA and UtahSBA championships. Continue Reading »

The International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) has released an updated list of motorcycles homologated for the 2013 Superbike, Supersport, and Superstock racing season. Notable additions include the new BMW S1000RR HP4, the MV Agusta F3 and the Superbike-spec Ducati 1199 Panigale R.

To qualify a production-based racebike for FIM homologations, manufacturers have to meet certain production thresholds. Manufacturers must first produce 125 units ahead of a homologation inspection. After that, manufacturers have to produce a minimum of 500 units by June 30 and 1000 units by December 31 of the current year, and a minimum of 2000 units by the December 31 of the following year.

Production counts include both ABS and non-ABS versions of the same model, and at least 250 units of each version have to be produced. Production models must also be available for sale in either the U.S., Europe or Japan by the end of April of the current year to qualify. Continue Reading »

You may remember last fall’s release of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R was accompanied by a mind-blowing short video commercial of a rider screaming around the 37.33-mile Isle of Man TT course aboard the new 636 Ninja. Now, Team Green has just released a “Making Of” video about the production of that video, featuring TT star James Hillier.  Continue Reading »

Earlier, we looked back at some of the most notable motorcycle news stories of 2012, ten tales that helped define the motorcycle industry this past year.

It’s probably safe to say that none of the items in this top ten list will do that. This is a compilation of some of the strangest, dumbest, and funniest oddball stories we’ve seen this year.

Here’s to a great 2012. We can only hope 2013 will be just as entertaining.

When Kawasaki announced it was upping the engine displacement for the Ninja ZX-6R to 636cc, the immediate question on many Team Green fans’ minds was what it would mean for the company’s supersport racing efforts. Kenan Sofuloglu won the 2012 World Supersport Championship on a Kawasaki ZX-6R, but under the regulations, he may not be allowed to defend his title next season on the 2013 model as homologation requirements in Supersport racing series limit Inline-Fours to displacements smaller than 600cc.

Fear not however, as Kawasaki will be producing a special version of the ZX-6R with an engine displacement of 599cc, the same as the 2012 version. When Kawasaki last produced a 636cc ZX-6R from 2003-2006, it also produced a 599cc ZX-6RR for racing purposes. The 2013 Kawasaki ZX-6R racing homologation special will be available in Japan for a price of 898,000 yen (US$11,240). Continue Reading »

Join our new Kawasaki Ninja 300 forum community to learn more about the new Ninjette and chat with other owners. Visit KawasakiNinja300.com and register today!

A spreadsheet from the United States Environmental Protection Agency listing 2013 motorcycle certification data includes information about new an all-new Kawasaki Ninja 300 and the Ninja 400R, while also confirming reports the new ZX-6R will return to a 636cc engine displacement.

Appearing on the EPA’s spreadsheet doesn’t necessarily mean these models will be introduced to the U.S. market however. The Kawasaki Ninja 400R was included in a similar document for 2012 but was never introduced. The 2013 document does not include a Ninja 250 (pictured above) which was recently updated for other markets, so it is likely to be replaced by the new Ninja 300.

According to the EPA document, the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 will be powered by a fuel-injected 296cc four-valve twin-cylinder engine. Power is listed at 29 kW (which translates to 39hp) at 11,000 rpm.The documents lists both an ABS and a non-ABS version. Continue Reading »

Kawasaki is reportedly set to unveil an updated Ninja ZX-6R for he 2013 model year with a return to a 636cc engine displacement.

According to Motorcycle News, the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R will receive a styling refresh to resemble the ZX-10R while bringing back the larger 636cc engine displacement used from 2002 to 2006 (the 2003 ZX-6R is pictured above).

The British publication has gotten a hold of spy photos of the new ZX-6R being filmed for a Kawasaki promotional video on the Isle of Man. The photographs published online are grainy and shot from a distance, but the print edition shows a more detailed image revealing the new fairings, longer headlights and the larger displacement. Continue Reading »

It already sucks when you’re involved in a motorcycle crash. I found that out myself first-hand recently. It’s even worse however when someone steals your bike while you’re lying on the ground with severe injuries.

That’s what happened last week to 35-year-old Glenn Hawkins in Bristol, England. According to a report in Britain’s Daily Mail, Hawkins crashed his Kawasaki ZX-6R trying to avoid a bicyclist who had suddenly stepped out into his path. The crash sent Hawkins tumbling to the ground, breaking his collar bone, cracking two ribs and puncturing a lung.

According to a police spokesperson, a passer-by then allegedly offered to help move the crashed Ninja out of the way of traffic, but instead took off with the sportbike. Continue Reading »

Kawasaki is issuing a recall on 2008-2011 Ninja ZX-10R and the 2009-2012 Ninja ZX-6R sportbikes due to a defect affecting the batteries.

According to documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the regulator/rectifier on affected units may not sufficiently charge the battery. As a result, the battery may unexpectedly be fully discharged, causing the engine to stall.

Continue Reading »