Used bike guide: Naughty Ninjas... from £1500!

Published: 14 September 2023

When it comes to sporting dynasties, one name is synonymous with performance – Ninja.

First used by Kawasaki in 1984 on the GPz900R Ninja in the US market (the same year that Mirage Studios unveiled the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), it wasn’t until a decade later that the name made it over to Europe on the side of the Ninja ZX-9R B1.

Picking our top five was tricky but we have risen to the task and if you fancy giving a Ninja a workout, here are the best used models to go for. Cowabunga!

£3999-£5000

2004-2005 Ninja ZX-10R

Take a ride on the wild side with one of the best Ten’s ever

The 2004 Ninja ZX-10R was Kawasaki’s no-holds-barred entry into the litre class. Boasting the highest power-to-weight ratio of any sportsbike, it was designed to be as small and agile as possible while also boasting a ferocious engine – a combination that often sees it become a bit of a handful, especially as it lacks a steering damper…

By Jon Urry

MCN contributor, original 916 & R1-owner, human Labrador, thoroughly nice bloke. Working for over 20 years in the motorcycle industry, Jon not only has an encyclopaedic knowledge of bikes, but has also interviewed many key players in the motorcycle industry, including designers, factory bosses and legendary racers. Still a passionate motorcyclist with child-like enthusiasm for two-wheels, Jon has a collection of both modern and classic bikes that he maintains himself and he writes a weekly column in MCN (newspaper) about used bikes and the state of the motorcycle market.