Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ZX-10RR 40th Anniversary UK Performance Edition 2024 — Specifications

Forty candles for the Ninja family, and Kawasaki doesn't do things by halves. While the Akashi manufacturer is celebrating the anniversary across virtually its entire sportbike range, it's over in England that the party takes a unique turn. The British subsidiary decided to go all out with this ZX-10RR 40th Anniversary Performance Edition, limited to 40 units. A symbolic number, and an equally symbolic approach.

To design the liveries for this collector's series, Kawasaki UK called upon the Kardesign studio, based in Peterborough. Kar Lee, its founder, dug through the brand's archives and proposed around twenty graphic concepts. Six were shortlisted, then put to a fan vote on social media. The result is delightful: the three most popular colorways directly echo the palette of the 1994 ZXR 750, a machine that defined its era. There's a deep purple dubbed Ebony / Metallic Eventide, a green-white-red tricolor inspired by Endurance racing machines, and a green-white-blue Stinger that reeks of the 90s. Each unit receives a numbered plaque, and the buyer chooses their livery. The kind of detail that turns a motorcycle into a collector's piece before the key is even turned.

Beneath these ceremonial robes lies the sharpest mechanical platform in Kawasaki's catalog. The 998 cc inline four-cylinder produces 204 horsepower at 14,000 rpm and 111.8 Nm of torque at 11,700 rpm. This isn't an engine, it's a turbine. The Pankl titanium connecting rods and dedicated camshafts allow stratospheric rev limits. The 13:1 compression ratio leaves no room for compromise. Add the Marchesini forged wheels, the radially mounted Brembo M50 calipers with their 330 mm discs, and you get a package built for the stopwatch. The Showa BFF front suspension and BFRC Lite rear unit offer full adjustability — the kind that keeps you busy in the paddock for a good while before each session. All of this is wrapped in a perimeter aluminum twin-spar frame, for an all-wet weight of 206 kg. Up against a BMW S 1000 RR or a Ducati Panigale V4 R, the Japanese contender clearly plays in the same league, with perhaps a touch less electronic sophistication but a mechanical rigor that commands respect.

On the equipment front, the Performance version brings its share of goodies: an Akrapovic carbon and titanium exhaust, a tinted screen, a seat cowl color-matched to the liveries, and a tank pad. The anniversary edition adds a commemorative keychain, a bike cover, and a paddock stand. The onboard electronics are no slouch either, with four riding modes, traction control, anti-wheelie, slide control, engine brake management, launch control, a bi-directional quickshifter, and cornering ABS. The variable air intake system also exists, but you'll need to go through the optional racing kit to unlock it. A nod to homologation regulations that will irritate the purists.

The entry ticket is set at £26,599, the same price as the standard ZX-10RR Performance. Kawasaki UK is therefore offering the rarity and exclusive liveries at no extra cost. That's rare enough in the industry to deserve applause. This machine is obviously not aimed at the Sunday rider: it targets the demanding track enthusiast, the discerning collector, the kind of person who knows what 204 horsepower in 206 kilograms means and has the wrists to exploit it. With only 40 units produced, the question isn't whether it's worth it, but rather whether you'll be quick enough to snag one.