Kawasaki Announces 2015 Models

The ZX-14R ABS leads off Kawasaki’s 2015 line, and does it with speed, style, and safety. The 1441cc four-cylinder engine churns out enough power across the board to take you to the front of the pack or two-up on a weekend ramble with plenty of oomph left over. ABS is standard, along with radial-mount brake calipers, K-TRIC traction control with three modes, a slipper clutch, and a supersport bodywork package. A centerstand and a passenger grab handle are optional. An MSRP of $14,999 gets you the ZX-14R ABS in Golden Blazed Green/Metallic Spark Black, or Metallic Matte Carbon Gray/Golden Blazed Green.

Like the looks of Kawasaki’s Ninja line but not the ergonomics? Swing a leg over the 2015 Ninja 1000 ABS, with its aggressive styling and accommodating seating position. Powered by a 1043cc four with Dual Selectable Power Modes, a three-mode traction control system (with an “off” setting), and a tall sixth gear for relaxed highway cruising, the Ninja 1000 comes standard with ABS, a three-position windscreen, higher bars and lower pegs than the typical sportbike, and a subframe compatible with optional Kawasaki Quick Release 28L hard saddlebags. MSRP is $11,999, and colors include Candy Lime Green/Metallic Spark Black, and Metallic Carbon Gray/Metallic Spark Black.

Kawasaki’s stalwart KLR650 has been one of Big K’s best sellers for longer than some of its riders have been able to reach a handlebar. The tough and amiable dual-sport chugs largely unchanged into the 2015 line-up with its liquid-cooled, counterbalanced, 651cc single-cylinder engine hung between a 41mm front fork and single-shock rear suspension rolling on wheels with new black rims, a 21-incher up front and a 17-incher out back. The 6.1-gallon gas tank means you can adventure for longer between pit stops. MSRP is $6599, and colors include Candy Lime Green/Ebony, Metallic Flat Raw Graystone/Ebony, and Pearl Stardust White/Ebony.

Like to ride around naked? The Z1000 ABS is your bike. Within this streetfighter’s brawny chest beats a 1043cc four-cylinder heart with six speeds. Up front a 41mm inverted Separate Function Fork-Big Piston (SFF-BP for you acronym lovers) fork has damping adjustment in one leg and preload in the other, and in the rear is a single shock mounted almost horizontally above the swingarm for optimal mass centralization. Tear up the local streets for an MSRP of $11,999 in Golden Blazed Green/Metallic Spark Black.

The 2015 Ninja 650 comes plain or with ABS. Both versions come with a compact, liquid-cooled 649cc parallel twin engine with great low-end and midrange stomp and a counterbalanced 180-degree crankshaft. The broad two-piece seat is just 31.7 inches off the deck so the inseam-challenged can flat-foot it at gas stops between peg-dragging sessions in the twisties. Practical as well as entertaining, the Ninja 650 can be accessorized with optional luggage, windscreens, and a color-matched seat cowl. MSRP is $7199/$7599 for ABS, in Candy Lime Green/Metallic Flat Spark Black, Metallic Spark Black/Metallic Flat Spark Black, and Pearl Flat Stardust White/Metallic Flat Spark Black.

The latest Ninja 300 ABS gets new tires––Dunlop TT900 GPs––and updated colors and graphics. Otherwise it and the non-ABS version keep on keepin’ on this year, with puppy-frisky 296cc parallel twin engines, zoomy bodywork, and a 30.9-inch seat height. MSRP for the ABS model is $5299, in Lime Green or Pearl White Stardust; the non-ABS model goes for $4999 and comes in Lime Green or Pearl White Stardust. There’s an SE model, too, with Metallic Moondust Gray/Ebony paint and special graphics, for $5199.

You can get the 2015 Vulcan 1700 in two flavors, the touring-oriented Voyager or the gunfighter-lean Vaquero. The Voyager comes with ABS, a frame-mounted fairing, color-matched lower fairings, a locking trunk that holds two full-face helmets, and an audio system that includes Navigation Audio Prompt Capability that relays voice prompts from Garmin Zumo 600/665 GPS units through the bike’s audio system. The Vaquero’s mission statement is more lone wolf, with standard ABS, a pair of locking hard bags, a chopped fairing, and a headset-compatible, 40-watt, twin-speaker audio system that’s compatible with a number of MP3 players and GPS units. MSRP for the Vaquero is $16,999; available colors are Candy Lime Green with Ebony frame graphic, or Metallic Carbon Gray with a black racing stripe. The Voyager is $17,399 and comes in Metallic Carbon Gray/Metallic Spark Black.

The long-lived Vulcan line has prospered to the point of offering three variants, the Classic, the Classic LT, and the Custom. Think of the Classic as an archetypal touring cruiser, with floorboards, whitewalls, spoke wheels, and twin exhausts; the LT as the wandering kind, with leather saddlebags and a windscreen; and the Custom as the black sheep, long and lean with black cast wheels and a don’t-mess-with-me scowl. All are powered by a 903cc V-twin and come with no-fuss belt drive. The Classis has an MSRP of $7999 and comes in Metallic Matte Carbon Gray Pearl/Pearl Flat Cyrstal White; the Classic LT comes in Metallic Carbon Gray/Metallic Spark Black for $8999; and the Custom rolls out for $8499 in striking Ebony.