Kawasaki has unveiled their 2026 Ninja sport and supersport lineup, featuring fresh colorways for the ZX-4R, ZX-6R, Ninja 650, and Ninja 500. But something was missing from Kawasaki's announcement—the Ninja ZX-10R and ZX-10RR.
Often, when a manufacturer forgoes a model from their forthcoming lineup—a widely loved bike that’s been available since 2004—that usually means it's either updating the machine or discontinuing it entirely (cue the tiny violin). Considering other OEMs are moving into new sportbike segments (think Yamaha R9), I can’t help but wonder if Kawasaki might kill off its mighty Ninja model and fill the gap with a larger displacement twin-cylinder motorcycle.
My fears are not entirely unsubstantiated, though.
Considering that Kawasaki did not update the Ninja ZX-10R in 2025 in order to make it Euro5+ compliant, and has subsequently channeled their racing efforts into the Bimota KB998 Rimini - a Kawasaki-powered World Superbike race machine - instead of the Ninja platform, I had cause for concern.
The absence of the Nina ZX-10R in Kawasaki’s 2026 lineup isn’t as alarming as you and I might imagine, though. According to Motorcycle.com, Kawasaki India announced that the liter bike will be available come next year, powered by the same 998cc inline four-cylinder engine used in the 2025 model. However, the 2026 ZX-10R is said to make 193 hp at 13,000 rpm and 82.6 lb-ft. of torque at 11,400 rpm, which is notably less than the outgoing 2025 model, which Kawasaki claimed made 200 hp and 84.7 lb-ft of torque.
The reduction in both horsepower and torque suggests that Kawasaki has made changes to comply with the tightened Euro5+ emissions. This gives me hope that the 2026 ZX-10R might make its way to North America after all, just not as soon as the rest of their 2026 models. However, considering it was absent in its announcement, which included new colors for the ZX-4R, ZX-6R, Ninja 650, and Ninja 500, as well as a handful of minor updates, I'm hoping we might see more than “bold new graphics” when Kawasaki finally pulls back the curtain on the 2026 ZX-10R.
Fingers crossed.
