Kawasaki Ninja ZX-9R
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| Manufacturer | Kawasaki Motorcycle & Engine Company |
|---|---|
| Parent company | Kawasaki Heavy Industries |
| Production | 1994-2003 |
| Predecessor | Kawasaki GPZ900R |
| Successor | Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R |
| Class | Sport bike |
| Engine | 899 cc (54.9 cu in) liquid-cooled 4-stroke 16-valve DOHC inline-four |
| Bore / stroke | 75 mm × 50.9 mm (2.95 in × 2.00 in) |
| Compression ratio | 12.2:1 |
| Top speed | 168 mph (270 km/h) |
| Power | 141 hp (105.1 kW) (2000 model @ crank) 121.2 hp (90.4 kW) (rear wheel) |
| Torque | 70 lb·ft (94.9 N·m)(claimed) 66.4 lb·ft (90.0 N·m) (rear wheel) |
| Ignition type | Digital with Kawasaki Throttle Responsive Ignition Control (K-TRIC) |
| Transmission | 6-speed |
| Frame type | Aluminum twin-spar |
| Suspension |
Front (94-97) 43 mm upside-down KYB fully adjustable (98-03) 46 mm cartridge fork fully adjustable Rear Bottom-Link Uni-Trak rising rate mono shock preload ,compression, rebound and ride height adjustable |
| Brakes | Front Brakes 2x 320 mm discs 6 piston calipers Rear Brakes Single 220 mm disc 1 piston caliper |
| Tires | Front tyre 120/70 ZR17 Rear 190/50 ZR17 |
| Rake, trail | 24°, 3.8 in (97 mm) |
| Wheelbase | 55.7 in (1,410 mm) |
| Dimensions |
L: 80.7 in (2,050 mm) W: 28.3 in (720 mm) H: 45.5 in (1,160 mm) |
| Seat height | 32.2 in (820 mm) (adjustable) |
| Weight | 533 lb (242 kg) (97)(wet) 477 lb (216 kg) (98) (wet) |
| Fuel capacity | 19 L (4.2 imp gal; 5.0 US gal) |
| Related |
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R Kawasaki Ninja ZX-7R Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R |
The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-9R was a motorcycle in the Ninja sport bike series from the Japanese manufacturer Kawasaki produced from 1994 until 2003. There were five model incarnations across two basic designs.
Kawasaki developed the model in response to Honda's introduction of the CBR900RR Fireblade for the 1992 model year. Prior to the advent of the Fireblade, large-capacity Japanese sports motorcycles had become polarised. On one side were the 750 cc sport bikes, influenced by Endurance racing and the World Superbike Championship. On the other, the "big-bore" 1,000 cc-plus sports-tourers had become the natural evolution of the performance bikes of the preceding 20 years. In simple terms, the 750s had the handling, the big-bores had the power. In both categories, Kawasaki ruled. The ZXR750 offered the technology and the performance of ultra-expensive racing-homologation models from Honda and Yamaha at half the price, and it outclassed the similarly priced GSX-R750 of the time, which still featured a perimeter frame and an oil-cooled engine, while the ZZ-R1100 held the title of the fastest production motorcycle on Earth.
The Fireblade packaged a 900 cc engine into a 750 cc sport bike chassis. It combined big-bore power with sport bike handling, but, crucially, it also pioneered meticulous attention to weight-saving design. The Fireblade not only outpowered the 750's, it was also significantly lighter. This was the detail overlooked or underappreciated by Kawasaki when they set out to build their Fireblade-beater. In building the first ZX-9R, Kawasaki combined their class-leading big-bore, the ZZR1100, with their class-leading 750, the ZXR750, rather than commit to an entirely new design.
The result was a big motorcycle; despite weight-saving measures like magnesium engine covers, its quoted dry weight was 215 kg (474 lb), almost 30 kg (66 lb) heavier than the Fireblade. It made around 125 hp (93 kW) at the rear wheel on the dyno, between 10 and 15 hp (11 kW) more than the Fireblade, but this advantage in power could not make up for its size, weight and reduced agility. Rather than be a direct competitor, the ZX-9R was retained as a more stable and more comfortable alternative to the Honda, with more straight-line speed. The road-going bias is evident through the raised clipons and more upright seating positions.
The first ZX-9R could be seen as a ZXR750 incorporating a number of ZZ-R1100 design features. The wheels - three-spoke cast aluminium alloy 3.5-inch x 17-inch front and 5.5-inch x 17-inch rear -, the front forks - fully adjustable 43 mm upside-down KYB - and unbraced fabricated aluminium box-section swingarm with fully adjustable remote-reservoir KYB monoshock were direct carry-overs from the ZXR. The twin-piston rear Tokico caliper no longer mounted via a torque arm, and the clip-on handlebars mounted above the top triple clamp, not below. The four-piston Tokico front calipers and 320 mm front discs were common to the ZZ-R and the ZXR.
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