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2011 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 First Ride Photo Gallery

2011 Kawasaki Ninja 1000

Check out photos of the 2011 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 in action in the 2011 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 First Ride gallery. Read the full story in our 2011 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 First Ride.

Kawasaki pitches its new Ninja 1000 as a do-it-all sportbike, with relaxed ergos inviting long-range comfort and touring.

Hustling around the bends, the 2011 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 delivers sporty performance for the real-world roadways.

The Ninja 1000 eats up the curves, with its Showa suspension featuring a three-way adjustable fork and the rear horizontal-link shock adjustable for preload and rebound.

The Ninja 1000 aims to deliver sportbike thrills to the street without the compromise in comfort.

The Kawasaki is designed for the high-speed sweeping backroads and the street, not the racetrack.

A cable-actuated clutch delivers a light pull and easy engagement, while the six-speed gearbox offers zero hiccups rolling through the gears.

Riders familiar with the raucous character of the Z1000 will not be disappointed with the new Ninja 1000.

The overall comfort factor makes the Ninja an intriguing touring mount.

The 2011 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ergonomics allow for a comfortable upright stance.

The Ninja 1000's full fairing keeps the rider
protected from the wind.

The optional
hard luggage enhance touring credentials.

Unchanged from the Z1000 are those distinctive four-pipe exhaust silencers. The system is, in truth, a dual exhaust, with the end-caps only delivering a faux four-pipe aesthetic.

The 2011 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 engine, a 1043cc Inline Four.

The Ninja 1000 rear shock features a horizontal linkage similar to the ZX-10R.

Analog tach and right side digital speedo, ZX-6R riders will be familiar with the control panel on the Ninja 1000.

A three-position windscreen is adjustable via a hand-operated lever beneath the control panel.

The new Ninja delivers the sportbike looks, but without the aggressive ergonomics. Instead riders sit upright in a standard position.

Aside from the intrinsic aesthetics it conveys (is there a more distinctive sportbike feature?), the Ninja’s fairing is quite effective at directing air away from the rider.

In the looks department the latest Ninja may not sport not the uber-sleek lines and full unbroken fairing found on the “real” Ninja ZX sportbikes. But much like its smaller-displacement kin, the 650R and little Ninja 250, it delivers legit sportbike styling despite lacking a full track pedigree.

At $10,999 the Ninja 1000 delivers versatility and exhilarating road performance, without compromising of comfort.

Riders looking for a road-going sportbike should take keen interest in this new entry from Team Green.