Kawasaki’s got a lot of previous with the 1100cc capacity: its GPz1100 in 1983 was arguably one of the first proper modern superbikes, with half-fairing, fuel injection and monoshock suspension. The ZZ-R1100 in 1990 was the fastest bike in the world for seven years, and it’s had various other ZRX, GPZ and Zephyr 1100s since. So, these two upgraded 1000s have some heritage behind them. The Versys 1000 adventure tourer and Ninja 1000 SX sporty tourer have been doing good work in recent years, offering strong grunty performance in usable practical packages, and for 2025 they get extra capacity for even more drive.
The engine mods are similar on both bikes: capacity goes up from 1043cc to 1099cc thanks to a 3mm longer stroke and that, plus intake mods, boost torque. The Versys also gets an extra 14bhp peak power – which it arguably needed, having just 120bhp in 1000 form. The Ninja sticks with 140-odd bhp peak output, with the extra midrange drive.
There are other detail mods on both bikes, but the big story is probably the new SE variant of the Ninja, which comes with Brembo M4.32 calipers, Brembo master cylinder and discs, plus braided steel hoses. It also gets an Öhlins S46 rear monoshock with remote preload adjuster, and standard fit heated grips.
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Both new Kawasaki 1100s will be in the shops for Christmas, with the Ninja costing £12,249 for the standard model or £13,999 for the SE. The standard Versys costs £11,899 and the SE (which comes with Showa semi-active suspension) is £15,649.
