From the small Ninja 250 to the mind-bending, supercharged Ninja H2, the Kawasaki’s Ninja moniker is home to some crackling motorcycles. But when you ponder the Ninjas, it’s impossible to forget about the Ninja 900. After all, the motorcycle (commonly called GPZ900R) was the first-ever Kawasaki to bear ‘Ninja’ in its name. You might also remember the GPZ900R from the iconic Top Gun movie, ridden by none other than Tom Cruise.
As iconic as it was, Kawasaki pulled the plug on the Ninja 900 in 2003. This year marks the decade of its demise, and it makes us wonder what a modern iteration of the GPZ900R would look like. Lucky for us, this is also the train of thought of popular design Kar Lee, thus treating us with a render of a refreshed GPZ900R successor. The result is amazing, just like the designer's previous renders, and it's giving us daydreams, to say the least.
Kawasaki GPZ900R Re-Imagined
One look at the GPZ900R render, and it feels bang on the money. The edgy fascia, square headlight, long single seat, and brawny bodywork have all been retained, and so has the gorgeous red-black livery. However, Kar Lee has made all aspects sleeker and sharper to bring the design in line with modern motorcycles, similar to what Suzuki did with the Katana. We love the uber-edgy fairings, ripe with dual aerodynamic scoops on both sides and the beefy belly shroud.
Looks aside, the render is based on the Kawasaki Ninja H2 and flaunts the supercharged 999cc, inline-four engine as the centerpiece. The mill not only adds to the muscly appearance, but the idea itself gives us butterflies. After all, just imagine how epic a 200+ horsepower, supercharged GPZ900R would be. Oh, and since we are on the topic, you should also know the Ninja 900 was the first motorcycle to break the 150-MPH top-speed mark.
Like the engine, the Ninja 900 render is shown to ride on the Ninja H2’s star-shaped alloys, paired with the Ninja ZX-10R’s suspension (gas-charged Showa Balance Free fork and monoshock). The single-sided swingarm from the H2 is missing here, though. Nevertheless, the entire package is still quite well-imagined.
Could Kawasaki Resurrect The GPZ900R?
Sadly, it’s anything but a possibility. Emission norms are tighter than ever, and even Kawasaki’s Ninja H2 fails to meet global emission norms (Euro 5). What makes matters worse is the onset of electrification, which has made manufacturers shift their focus from ICE motorcycles to other alternatives and EVs. Kawasaki is aboard this bandwagon too, which brings any hopes of a refreshed GPZ900R to a dead halt. That said, Team Green recently introduced a hydrogen-powered, supercharged concept motorcycle. It might be a bit far away, but it sure keeps hope alive for ICE.