First Look: Kawasaki 1993

FIRST LOOK: KAWASAKI 1993

ROUNDUP

Matthew Miles

WITH HINTS THAT THE best is yet to come, Kawasaki has announced its early-release 1993 motorcycles.

Leading the minimally changed models is the big, black ZX-11, voted Best Open Streetbike in Cycle World’s 1992 Ten Best Bikes balloting, priced at $8499. Also back for the new year, fundamentally unchanged, are the Ninja 600R and the ZX-6, the latter receiving a striking red-white-and-blue paint scheme. The 600R, now in its sixth model year, will undergo a yet-unannounced price increase, while the ZX-6 goes for

priced EX500, Kawasaki’s bestselling motorcycle for the past three years, has a new paintand-graphics treatment and will sell for $3699. The popular EX250 Ninja, judged CWs Best Under-500cc Streetbike for 1992, is also slated to return, though a price has not been set.

If a new cruiser is on your list of things to buy, Kawasaki will again offer 500, 750 and 1500 Vulcans-with two new colors for the 500-for $3999, $5099 and $6999, respectively. Kawasaki’s big-bore standard, the ZR1100, another of this year’s Ten Best, is now in dealerships, as is the similarly styled ZR750. The larger model is priced at $6999, but as of presstime, Kawasaki had not released the 750’s price.

On the dual-purpose front, the $1549 KE100, $3149 KLR250 and $3899 KLR650 return unchanged for ’93.

In the coming months, look for some big news from Big K. Rumors insist there’s a new ZX-11-complete with a new chassis, a lower center of gravity and improved engine performance-capable of 180 mph. In addition, the ZX-7 will likely be revised, both mechanically and visually, and a CBR-beating ZX-6R is also in the pipeline. Though information is limited, the new 600 will likely sport an all-new aluminum chassis and an updated ZX-6 engine, with ergonomics along the lines of Elonda’s CBR600F2.