Let good times roll with mean green machines

Ever since I started riding, the one motorcycle brand I've noticed many riders like to rip off is Kawasaki. Of late, I've started to wonder how much truth there is to this tradition.

I have two friends who ride Kawasakis - one still rides his and the other one has been parked for about a year now, mainly due to mechanical problems.

I have seen first hand how expensive it is to maintain this motorcycle. Not that other brands are that much cheaper but Kawasaki takes the crown among Japanese bikes.

More than 40 years have passed since Kawasaki started full-scale production of motorcycles.

Taking a look at the history of this brand, we see it started out in the late '60s and early '70s, when Kawasaki built a reputation for some of the most powerful engines on two wheels.

Their first motorcycle engines were designed with technical know-how garnered from the development and production of aircraft engines.

Kawasaki emerged out of the ashes of World War 2 and later produced legendary sports bikes like the Ninja series and a line of championship-winning off-road bikes.

Lets take a look at the Ninja series:

• Ninja 250R (also known as EX250, GPZ 250, ZZ-R250). Production: 1986 to present.
• Ninja 400R (EX400. Production: 2011 to present.
• Ninja 500R (EX500, GPZ500S, ZZ-R500). Production: 1987 to 2009.
• Ninja 650R (ER-6F, EX650R. Production: 2006 to present.
• Ninja ZX-150RR (KR150, KR150K, KRR150, Ninja 150 RR. Production: 1996 to 2006.
• Ninja ZX-6R and 6RR. Production: 1995 to present.
• Ninja ZX-750 F2. Production: 1988 Special Edition.
• Ninja 1000 (Z1000Sx. Production: 2011 to present.
• Ninja ZX-10R. Production: 2004 to present.
• Ninja ZX-12R. Production: 2000 to 2006.
• ZZR1400 (ZX-14 in US). Production: 2006 until now.

The company has produced a wide variety of bikes over the years, but one of its most popular sports bikes remains the Ninja ZX-6R, a 600cc class machine. Introduced in 1995, it has been continually modernised over the years to remain competitive against its competitors, namely, Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha.

When introduced, it was the first middleweight sports bike with an aluminium frame. It had a dry weight of 182 kg, and was capable of accelerating from 0 to 100km/h in just over 3.6 seconds.

The 2012 edition is a carry-over model, with only new colour options available but, as far performance goes, it features everything needed for on- and off-track domination - a 599cc engine, twin-spar aluminium frame and advanced Showa suspension.

I still wonder why myths lurk about Kawasaki's performance. Until I find out, let the good times roll!