Kawasaki has been making motorcycles since 1962, and just a decade later, it built the world’s fastest production motorcycle — the Z1.

These days, the brand is best known for its excellent lineup of Ninja sports bikes. These models are synonymous with power and speed and have always been at the forefront of performance.

Here, we’ll examine 10 of Kawasaki’s fastest bikes ever, arranged chronologically.

1972 Kawasaki Z1 — Top Speed: 132 Mph

After Honda launched the CB750 in 1969, Kawasaki took the high-performance four-cylinder street bike segment to the next level with its Z1 in 1972. The Z1 wasn’t as innovative as the CB750, in fact, it couldn’t even match the Honda’s handling and brakes, but it did have more power, and that made it the king of the performance bikes.

Nestled in the Z1’s frame was a unique 900cc four-cylinder engine, as this was the first large-capacity, Japanese four-cylinder with double overhead camshafts. Producing 82 hp, unheard of at the time, the Z1 had a top speed in excess of 130 mph, which was unheard of in a Japanese bike from the early 1970s.

1984 Kawasaki Ninja GPz900R — Top Speed: 155 Mph

The Kawasaki Ninja GPz900R became an overnight success after appearing in the 1984 Top Gun movie as Maverick’s weapon of choice — other than the F-14, that is.

Its 908cc four-cylinder mill was the first 16-valve engine used in a sports bike. With 115 hp, the GPz900R could reach a 155 mph top speed, making it the epitome of a high-performance street bike, as it was the first model to smash the 150 mph barrier.

1988 Kawasaki Ninja Tomcat ZX-10 — Top Speed: 165 Mph

In 1988, Kawasaki cemented its position as the creator of the world’s fastest motorcycles. Its GPz1000RX already held the top spot, but the new Ninja Tomcat ZX-10 topped out at an astonishing 165 mph and became the world’s fastest motorcycle in the process.

The Tomcat was the first Kawasaki to feature Team Green’s aluminum perimeter frame, and its remarkable speed was courtesy of a GPz1000RX-derived engine. With 36mm, semi-downdraft carbs, a higher compression ratio, and lighter pistons, it now produced 137 hp, giving the Tomcat the boost needed to claim the top speed record for production motorcycles.

1990 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-11 — Top Speed: 176 Mph

By 1990, Kawasaki had clearly found its calling — to build the world’s fastest motorcycles and dominate the high-performance bike market. Its new Ninja ZX-11 picked up where its predecessors had left off, and with a 176 mph top speed, it was the new the king of the hill.

This was the first motorcycle to implement a ram-air intake, which boosted the 1,052cc engine’s power from 120 hp to 147 hp at high speeds. The ZX-11 was soon overshadowed by Honda’s CBR1100XX Blackbird and Suzuki’s Hayabusa, but it’s fair to say that it marked the beginning of the end of the top-speed war.

1994 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-9R — Top Speed: 167 Mph

The 1994 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-9R may not have been as fast as the ZX-11, but with a 167 mph top speed, it was faster than the Tomcat ZX-10.

The ZX-9R was never a great track bike, but its plush suspension, powerful engine, and large body made it an excellent sports tourer. Kawasaki kept improving it over the years, but many enthusiasts only want the 140-hp engine so they can swap it into the iconic ZX-7R.

2000 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R — Top Speed: 186 Mph

After the Honda Blackbird and Suzuki Hayabusa ensured that the ZX-11 was destined for obscurity, Kawasaki returned with the improved ZX-12R. Its 1,199cc engine produced 178 hp at low speed, and a whopping 190 hp at high speed, making it the most powerful motorcycle for the next six years.

The ZX-12R was neutered by the Gentlemen’s Agreement, stating motorcycles couldn’t surpass 186 mph, but that’s still plenty fast for a large yet nimble sports touring machine.

2012 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R — Top Speed: 186 Mph

As fast as the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R was, it was never able to dethrone the iconic Suzuki Hayabusa. Naturally, Kawasaki then stepped up its game once again, introducing the new 1,441cc ZX-14R in 2012. After all, there’s no replacement for displacement, right?!

Well, top speed-wise, its increased power and torque didn’t really matter, as it was still limited to 186 mph. With later European models pumping out over 200 hp, it accelerated faster than the Hayabusa, which kind of made it the new king, and there are videos of ZX-14Rs flying down the road at around 200 mph.

2015 Kawasaki Ninja H2 — Top Speed: 200+ Mph

MV Agusta decided to no longer play by the rules and introduced the F4 R 312 with a 193 mph (312 km/h) top speed, and nearly a decade later, Kawasaki followed suit, leading to the H2 with a 200+ mph top speed.

Its ridiculous top speed is made possible thanks to a supercharged 998cc engine pumping out over 200 wild horses. To this day, it remains the fastest road-legal bike out there. The same engine is also used in the Ninja H2 SX SE and Z H2.

2015 Kawasaki Ninja H2R — Top Speed: 249 Mph

If the Ninja H2 isn’t fast enough for you, there’s always the track-only H2R, which basically takes everything that made the regular H2 so ridiculous and turns it up to 11.

Kawasaki was slightly conservative when claiming the H2R had a top speed of 236 mph, as motorcycle racer Kenan Sofuoglu reached 249 mph during a top-speed run on Turkey’s Gulf of Izmit Bridge. It uses the same 998cc supercharged unit found in the “regular” H2, but in the H2R, it produces as much as 326 hp!

2020 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R — Top Speed: 186 Mph

Compared to the H2R, the Ninja ZX-10R seems pretty tame. However, once you throw a leg over it and twist the throttle, you realize this isn’t a bike for beginners. In fact, it’s a proper WSBK racer for the road.

It may be electronically limited to 186 mph, but that’s more than enough for road use. The bike’s excellent chassis and riding dynamics give it near-telepathic handling.