The 1984 Kawasaki GPz900R used a 908 cc liquid-cooled inline-four with twin overhead camshafts and 16 valves. The engine also formed a structural part of its frame. A 16-inch front wheel and an anti-dive fork completed the chassis package.
The Ninja name was proposed by Mike Vaughan, Kawasaki’s US marketing director. He had given his sailboat the same name a decade earlier. Initially used only in the US market, the name later spread internationally.
The worldwide press launch took place in Monterey on December 7, 1983, ahead of the 1984 model year. Aerodynamic bodywork and red-and-charcoal paint gave it a distinctive appearance. Ninja soon became a family name: the 600R joined it in 1985.