New Kawasaki Ninja 1000 (render)
Just when it looked like the
sports-touring class was going to be left to fester, it appears Kawasaki will
join Ducati in releasing an all-new bike in that class.
Patent drawings suggest Kawasaki have a
secret new road-focused Ninja 1000 under development, which comes just a week
after Ducati previewed their new SuperSport 939 at World Ducati Week. The two
bikes would be a massive shake-up for the sports-touring class, which has been
almost abandoned by bike firms as they have rushed to develop adventure bikes
and modern classics.
These computer-generated images have
been based on patent drawings lodged to cover many of the technical and
aerodynamic innovations that Kawasaki are keen to protect from being copied.
The patent drawings show a Ninja 1000 –
a fully-faired bike using a refreshed version of the engine and chassis from
the current Z1000 and Z1000SXs, which need to be worked on in order for them to
pass looming Euro4 regulations anyway. We don’t expect the engine power output
of around 140 bhp to change much.
Like the current Z1000SX, this new Ninja
1000 will be aimed squarely at those who ride on the road, not the track. There
is, however, a clear link to the range-topping Kawasaki H2 and H2R models in
the form of two aerodynamic wings that can be seen mounted on the side
fairings. The patent drawings are very clear about the design, which clearly
mimics that of the supercharged H2 models.
