If you want to put mikes under your wheels, and carry a few odds and ends, what better way than aboard a 1400cc Ninja rocket. Make sure your bags are well strapped down for the ton plus speeds you’ll be encountering.
January 15, 2023
Ninja Days
– organizing some photos I came across a couple of old photos from the SLR film era. My Kawasaki used to commute in London (top), and my 900 Ninja used in Chicago. Both terrific machines.
January 8, 2023
Half Litre History
Nifty Ninja
Another good find in the City yesterday. This was a Kawasaki 500 that some student at the University of Chicago must use as their runaround. I had one similar to this when I lived in London. Great twin engine powering a very useable bike. EX500 in the ‘States, GPZ500R in the UK
November 20, 2022
City of Angels
Parked on a side street in the historical district of Los Angeles. Motorcycles are certainly a much used type of transportation here on the west coast. In the typical SoCal traffic they are the best thing to get about on!
November 2, 2021
Ninja
– the current liter Nina makes about 200hp with a restricted top speed of 186mph. In ‘85 Ninja black and red color scheme it looks the part.
March 12, 2021
Kawasaki
– I really liked this bike I owned when living in London. Weekend trips to the Peak District, the Northeast, and Wales were enjoyed. Motorways, A & B Roads as well as the interwoven streets of London.
January 7, 2021
Tarzan! Jane’s headin’ home!
– Quite a look; and a serious hairdo to boot! Two-Stroke screamer is pure seventies sixteen year old adventure.
December 18, 2020
Project
– it looks sad and forlorn in a garage stall. $450 all there; but we know the cost in getting ‘er back on the road. Given the means…
December 4, 2020
Toecutter
– KZ1000 ridin’ charismatic gang leader in a near dystopian Australian outback. also Toyal Shakespearean actor, poet and artist. “Anything I say? What a wonderful philosophy you have. Take him away.”
May 6, 2020
Hump Day
As we jump past midweek here’s a bright yellow Kawasaki GPZ900 in cigarette livery. This tobacco company has traditionally been a sponsor of motorsports.
December 16, 2019
Annie get your gun
Would I lie to you? While I was cruising some 80’s music videos this evening I happened upon this snippet in the opening sequence of a Eurythmics hit from 1985. Her unruly boyfriend has a Kawasaki GPZ 900. Best color scheme too! That’s a great bike!
July 18, 2019
I feel the need…
He’s Dangerous | The official trailer for the sequel to Top Gun was released today. Called Top Gun Maverick it stars Tom Cruise as the titular character – this time an aged fighter pilot rather than a brash young jock. Kawasaki motorcycles feature again. A brief sighting of the original Ninja 900 as well as a speeding Ninja H2. The Need for Speed.
June 22, 2019
Two Wheels Good
Motoblot | The annual pilgrimage to Chicago’s main open air motorcycle gathering was had today. Weather cooperated after stormy forecasts. Plenty to look at amongst the offering. The KZ900 in sparkly brown and oranges was a notable example; as was a display of the Danish in-line 4 workpony’s Nimbus.
May 20, 2019
Austrian Racer
Niki Lauder | He won the F1 world championship in 1975, 1977 & 1984 racing for both Ferrari and Maclaren. He had a horrific accident at the Nurburgring in ’76 where a fiery crash severely burned his head and toxic fumes damaged his lungs. His rivalry with James Hunt is legendary. He died earlier today aged 70.
January 9, 2019
Fettled & Fast
Pops – The post-war period in Japan saw a push in engine tuning to wring out any available additional horsepower to not just be faster but the fastest. This would eventually lead to the superbikes of the seventies and eighties and the current flock of hyper sports.
Leading this evolution of power and speed was Hideo ‘Pops’ Yoshimuro (1922-1995). After maintaining aircraft for the Japanese Empire during WW2 he redirected his masterful talents to the British bikes being brought to the land of the rising sun by American servicemen. This photo shows our man astride a fettled BSA preunit drag bike readying for a speed run.
Later he shifted his works and racing team to California where big reliable Japanese superbikes like the Kawasaki KZ and Suzuki GS’s went on to dominate the burgeoning AMA road racing circuit.
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