Kawasaki’s GPZ900R Ninja was the fastest motorcycle around when Carole Nash set up for business in 1985, but how does it stack up to the best bikes from today?
The Ninja is an iconic motorcycle. With a top speed of around 155mph, it was the fastest bike of its time. It would go on to win TTs and play a starring role in Top Gun, the legendary 1986 movie which would make turn Tom Cruise into an A list megastar.
But despite the Ninja’s greatness, we all know that it won’t be able to hold a candle to a modern day superbike. To find out just how far motorcycles have come, we took a now classic Ninja and put it up against today’s fastest production bike, the BMW S 1000 RR.
With pro riders, a closed runway and high-tech datalogging equipment, our task wasn’t to find out if the BMW was better than a 40 year old machine – rather to find out just how much better it is.
Discover just how far motorcycling has come in our exclusive video, featuring Senior TT winner Davey Todd.
Progress at a glance… these are the numbers that define 40 years of development.
| Kawasaki GPZ900R Ninja | BMW S 1000 RR | |
| 1984 | 2025 | |
| Price when new | £3,999 (approx. £13,000 today) | £17,990 (base model) |
| Engine capacity | 908cc | 999cc |
| Power | 115bhp | 210bhp |
| Top speed | 155mph | 193mph |
| 0-60mph* | 3.83 seconds | 3.0 seconds |
| Standing quarter mile* | 10.16 seconds at 134.2mph | 10.11 seconds at 149.01mph |
| Rolling quarter mile (from 30 mph)* | 11.69 seconds at 121.33mph | 8.01 seconds at 161.04mph |
| Braking from 60mph to 0* | 4.02 seconds/63.73m | 3.54 seconds/52.22m |
| Weight | 228kg (dry) | 185kg (dry) |
| Technical highlights | Liquid cooled, 16 valve engine, full fairing, 16” front wheel, hydraulic anti-dive front forks | Full electronics suite, aerodynamic winglets, actively controlled electronic suspension (optional) |
*As tested in 2025
