Description
Click here for an instaVIN Motorcycle History Report on this 1990 Kawasaki Ninja 750R.
A full photo gallery for this Ninja is available here for your perusal.
PLEASE NOTE: We offered this bike up for auction last month but it did not meet reserve. This time it’s guaranteed to find a new home as it’s being offered with no reserve. Happy bidding!
In the mid-to-late 1980s, three-quarter-liter race replicas were becoming all the rage. Spurred on the release of Suzuki’s game-changing GSX-R750, it didn’t take long for other major manufacturers to follow suit; Honda with its VFR750 and Yamaha with the FZ750. Wanting in on the action, Kawasaki introduced its own take on a sporty-road-going 750 with the Ninja 750R. Kawa’s 750 wasn’t quite as race-focused as Suzuki’s Gixxer or Yamaha’s five-valve FZ, though it afforded superior road-going capabilities and was easier to live with day-to-day.
Having said that, the 750R was no slouch. It’s liquid-cooled, four-stroke, DOHC, straight-four engine was good for 106hp and 57.4ft-lbs of torque. Tipping the scales at 495lbs wet, the Ninja 750R was capable of reaching speeds of up to 140mph. Despite displacement being 22% larger, Team Green claimed the Ninja 750’s four-cylinder engine was actually more compact than that of the Ninja 600’s.
The engine was housed in a newly designed steel, round-tube chassis, not too dissimilar from Norton’s famous featherbed frame. The Ninja’s steel frame was shrouded in bulbous, unapologetically 1980’s plastics, adorned in the iconic black and red GPz livery. The bulbous front-fairing and its fighter-jet-inspired scoops leave little doubt as to what era the model was born out of.
Ninja 750R specimens aren’t too hard to come by, however, this (VIN: JKAZXDF1XLB509011) at our shop in Marnina del Rey, California is far from your average example. Approximately thirty years after leaving the plant, this 1990 Ninja retains its factory configuration 100-percent. We’d easily classify this bike as a 9.5 out of 10. Plus, it only has 9,000 original miles on the clock. Making this example all the more special is the fact it is owned by AMA road racing legend, Daytona 200 winner, and most importantly, our good friend: Steve Rapp.
You’d be hard-pressed finding a more pristine 750R than this, making it an ideal addition for a collector as it has been sitting “dry” for quite some time. We’re offering this bike as is because there may be someone who wants it on display as a time capsule. If you want to put it on the road to enjoy, Rapp’s Ninja will need (at a minimum): all fluids (oil/coolant/hydraulics), a new battery, fresh set of tires, and a carb service, all normal items considering the age of the bike and how long it has been sitting. With that in mind, other components may need attention (such as fuel lines/rubber parts/seals) but our White Glove department here at Iconic would be glad to take a look at it in detail for you if you’re serious about this bike.
If you’re a Kawasaki purist, it really doesn’t get much better than this. The fact it was previously owned by a renowned American racer who previously competed in MotoGP and MotoAmerica is just the icing on this bone-stock cake. Plus – Steve says he’ll gladly sign the bike for you if you wish!
Photos by Nathan May.
