With 2024 marking 25 years since the initial record of 156mph was set by Gary Rothwell, County Durham’s Jonny Davies aims to increase that to 160mph or more this August. The two-time Guinness World Record holder will be using a modified Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX, which features a secondary throttle fitted to the rear of the bike to allow him to continue to accelerate while skiing behind.

Having held several practice runs already, Jonny will have a few more practices before attempting to break the record on Sunday, August 18th, at Elvington Airfield. The record attempt will be part of the lineup for the 2024 Ultimate Supercar event, which will see dozens of elite sports and supercars showcase their own top speeds.

“It has been exciting watching Jonny’s progress with the Ninja H2 SX so far and to now have the record attempt date and location confirmed is fantastic. We are pleased that it’s taking place at such a well-attended event and look forward to our Supercharged machine being showcased in front of thousands of motorsport enthusiasts!” 

“I’m really excited to confirm the date and set my sights on securing a new Guinness World Record. I’ve already done several runs on the Ninja H2 SX, and while these have primarily been to start testing the throttle and other components, we have already been able to reach 120mph! I have a couple more practices before the 18th, where I will be looking to build on that speed and ensure everything is in place for the big day!”

Winners of the 1980 350cc World Championship fielding Jon Ekerold on a two-cylinder, two stroke Bimota YB3 machine, success was also achieved in TT Formula 1 with legend Virginio Ferrari aboard a YB4R taking the Championship honours in1987. No strangers to four stroke machinery, Bimota won no less than seven races in the very first World Superbike Championship year of 1988 thanks to Davide Tardozzi (5) and Stephane Mertens (2). Even as late as the year 2000, Bimota were still able to achieve a WorldSBK race win thanks to the late, great Anthony Gobert aboard an SB8R machine mounting the top step of the podium at a wet Phillip Island race weekend.

For the 2025 season, Bimota is partnering with Kawasaki in a joint venture which will result in a Bimota chassis with Kawasaki engine (plus allied technology), competing in WorldSBK. Not only will the donor Ninja ZX-10RR powerplant be familiar, but also many of the team staff as Kawasaki transfers its efforts into the Bimota racing program marking a landmark moment in the journey of the Kawasaki Racing Team after nearly four decades in the premier global racing series based on production machines that can be purchased at dealerships.

Recognising not just the legacy of Kawasaki in Superbike racing, but also the close cooperation and synergies between majority Bimota shareholder, Kawasaki, and the Rimini based Italian manufacturer, the new team will operate under the title of Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team.

Fielding a machine jointly developed by Bimota and Kawasaki, the new team will play a pivotal role in the wider global recognition and market presence of the Bimota brand as well as being crucial in highlighting the hand built craftsmanship and care that goes into the creation of every Bimota product. This wider appreciation of the Bimota brand and its core racing DNA is also expected to create increased demand and sales of Bimota street motorcycles. 

Speaking about the new direction for Kawasaki in WorldSBK, President and Chief Executive Officer of Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. Hiroshi Ito, stated: “Bimota has an enviable reputation for excellence in motorcycle design and manufacture. As part of our vision for the evolution of this world famous brand we see racing as a logical next step in terms of both product development as well as brand exposure on the global stage. Our commitment to WorldSBK is as strong as ever and we hope that this new racing project will energise fans of both Bimota and Kawasaki. The passion for race success remains and we look forward to the presence of the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team on the 2025 WorldSBK grid”.  

On behalf of Bimota, COO, Pierluigi Marconi, commented:
“The engineering, technology and day to day business support already offered by Kawasaki has put Bimota firmly back into the consciousness of the media and potential customers, now it is time to take a next step in our evolution.Bimota has had racing as part of its DNA from day one and to compete in WorldSBK alongside developing our new product range, while expanding the European and global dealer network, has an undeniable logic to it.

With the unparalleled experience of the existing Kawasaki racing team experts plus the full support and cooperation of Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. in Japan fills us with pride and optimism. The Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team will surely form the foundations of the next chapter in the Bimota story”.

KRT Team Manager, Guim Roda, concluded:
“In the past thirteen years, myself, and all of those at the KRT workshop in Granollers, have dedicated ourselves wholeheartedly to the Kawasaki Superbike project and garnered seven WorldSBK rider titles in that time plus numerous team and manufacturer awards. Now – after Kawasaki competing for nearly four decades in the Superbike championship – we are proud to be part of a new era forming the infrastructure of the new Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team.

For sure we will spare some time to reflect on and celebrate the heritage of Kawasaki in Superbike racing, but we are also extremely excited to be a core component of this new Bimota and Kawasaki joint venture. This is an evolution for Kawasaki’s approach to the top level of production racing and we are honoured to play our role in this new project. I am confident we have the technology and human resources necessary to succeed and it will be a fresh, energising experience fielding an impressive two rider team in the 2025 Motul FIM WorldSBK Championship.”   

Kawasaki UK is excited to announce that James Hillier will be returning to Team Green for the 2024 Isle of Man TT, reuniting with long-time partner Bournemouth Kawasaki Racing to compete in the Supersport class aboard a 40th anniversary-liveried Ninja ZX-6R! 

The pairing have enjoyed a rich history at the iconic event, securing multiple podium finishes together across multiple classes. However, it’s been the Supersport class where they have enjoyed the most success, scoring five podiums with the Ninja ZX-6R. 

After several years away, the Bournemouth Kawasaki team is returning to the Isle of Man TT and will be partnering with Hillier once again. With 2024 marking the 40th anniversary of the iconic Kawasaki Ninja brand, the team will be running the latest ZX-6R in the highly popular green, white and blue anniversary colours. 

James Hillier:
“I’m excited to be back with Pete and the team at Bournemouth Kawasaki once again for the Supersport races. We collectively have a lot of knowledge and data after many years racing together and at the TT that’s a crucial element to being competitive.” 

Pete Extance, Bournemouth Kawasaki Team Owner:
“We are really looking forward to our return to the Isle of Man TT as Bournemouth Kawasaki Racing, which we are proud to say is an in-house dealer effort. The TT is, without doubt, the best road race in the world, and we are over the moon to be back involved in 2024. It’s a great honour to be running James again, and even more so with the 40th Anniversary liveried Ninja machine. Big thanks to Kawasaki UK for the support.” 

Ross Burridge, Head of Marketing & Racing Department:
“We are really happy to welcome James back into the Kawasaki fold for the Supersport races this year. Together with Pete and the Bournemouth Kawasaki team we have collectively enjoyed a great deal of success over the years, so we are really hopeful of more trophies in 2024! We’d like to thank both Pete and James for pulling this together, and we can’t wait to see him head off down Bray Hill on what will be a stunning retro-themed Ninja ZX-6R!”

Voted for by fans, the three stunning machines were revealed live on the Kawasaki stand at Motorcycle Live today and are available to order from dealers now.

With 2024 marking the 40th anniversary of the Ninja brand, Kawasaki UK worked with Kar Lee Design to create a range of liveries for the ZX-10RR inspired by retro colourways from the last four decades. Kawasaki’s social media followers voted for their favourite, with UK specialist SprayBay then turning the three most popular ones into reality before their appearance on the Kawasaki UK Motorcycle Live stand. 

There are just 40 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RRs available, each with anniversary plates set into the top yokes bearing the special moniker of 1 of only 40 and the anniversary logo.  Customers will be able to choose their favourite from the three designs. 

In addition to the unique colourways, each bike will be a Performance Edition, featuring an Akrapovic muffler, pillion seat cover, smoked windshield and tank pad. Customers will also receive a paddock stand, a special bike cover, and a Ninja 40th anniversary keyring. 

The anniversary ZX-10RR will cost £26,599 and is available to order from dealers now.  

Having already unveiled several 40th anniversary Ninja models for the 2024 range in the racetrack influenced ZXR livery of blue, white and green, Kawasaki has now gone full throttle with the announcement of two further celebration models – but with a twist. 

Reimagining the famous 1985 Ninja 900 colours for a today’s riding generation, the new season line will now include 40th Anniversary Editions of the Ninja 1000SX and Ninja 650, resplendent in black, silver and red livery redolent of early USA market Ninja models retailed in Europe under the GPz brand name.

The unmistakable two-tone Firecracker Red and Ebony colours are inspired by the 1985 Kawasaki GPZ900R with the colour of the silver line separating the red and ebony panels carefully selected to match the brightness of the original.

Additionally, on top of the fuel tank, a 40th anniversary emblem sit proudly. Designed in a style similar to a championship sticker and reminiscent of the 1980s racing scene, the outline of the “Ninja” logo was reproduced using the original designs while the “Liquid-Cooled” logo used elsewhere symbolises the transition from air-cooled to liquid-cooled engines in the late 80s.Attention to detail abounds with the eye-catching addition of silver-coloured wheel rim tape representing the texture of the machined wheels of the 1980s.

Predicted to be a highly popular and collectable iteration of the Ninja family, all 40th Edition models will be available in showrooms alongside a vibrant range of standard colourways for the 2024 season.

Making the future a feature of today, Kawasaki hopes that a new generation of riders will enjoy and celebrate four decades of Ninja in the nest way possible; on the open road at the controls of an iconic sports machine. 

Hot on the heels of the Barcelona media launch of its globally unique Ninja 7 Hybrid, Kawasaki has now doubled its presence in this exclusive market with the announcement of the Z 7 Hybrid.

Harnessing the same innovative, unique* and groundbreaking technology as its fully faired sibling, the 2024 Z7 Hybrid is a naked style bike – or should that be bikes? as it is effectively three machines in one thanks to electric power allied to hybrid and internal combustion technologies.

With two power sources, a 43.5kw max power 451cc water-cooled four-stroke twin cylinder internal combustion engine and a 9kw maximum rated electric traction motor, the latest (and most technically advanced) – Z is ready for what the city, the suburbs and countryside can challenge it with … plus come back for more!

Calling out its strong hybrid** credentials, the Z7 Hybrid can operate in three ways. As a full EV with automatic transmission, the machine is suitable for zero emission zones and can operate for up to 12kms on electric only before the internal combustion engine seamlessly provides battery charge – remember this is a true Hybrid so the machine recharges itself.

In Eco-Hybrid mode, the electric motor works in harmony with the internal combustion engine providing a “best of both worlds” solution offering the choice of either six speed automatic transmission or manual gear selection via “up and down” paddles on the left handlebar – which, naturally, features no clutch lever. A “walk mode” is also a feature for ease of manoeuvring and parking plus selectable auto engine stop at standstill reflecting current automotive thinking. 

Finally, sports mode unleashes the full performance potential of both the electric and gasoline motors with the addition of an “E-Boost” function (via a paddle switch on the right handlebar) that effectively harnesses all the potential power available in a short five second burst for litre class acceleration from a standing start or truly impressive thrust while riding. Matched to a potential for fuel economy in the 250cc class category, the Z7 Hybrid truly represents the best of both worlds and looks set to change the game.

Relying on the same trellis type chassis layout and running gear as the Ninja 7 Hybrid, the ‘Sugomi’ styled Z7 Hybrid opens up a new world in the naked class sector while doubling the Strong Hybrid offer from Kawasaki in the market from one to two machines. Expected to be on sale during the Spring of 2024, the Z 7 Hybrid moves Kawasaki firmly to centre stage in the constantly evolving universe of powered-two-wheeler technology.

*1 Mass production models (excluding scooters) from a major power sports manufacturer as of October 6, 2023, per Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. research. **2 Strong hybrid systems combine an internal combustion engine (ICE) with an electric motor for powerful riding, and because of their large battery capacity they are able to run on electricity alone.