Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS - Long-Term Test Update #2

While it's true our long-term Kawasaki Ninja 1000 has yet to endure a long-distance sport-touring trip, the bike has served well as a daily commuter. The practicality of our Ninja's Quick Release Saddlebags ($1,269.75) has proven priceless to the point that even though the bags remove in seconds, I rarely leave the garage without them. The integrated styling, full-face-helmet-swallowing capacity and the convenience of ignition-key-matched locks has made living with these Kawasaki accessory bags exceptional.

The only repair our Ninja 1000 has required thus far was the replacement of a hinge pin that fell out of a saddlebag lid. A rusty 16d eight-gauge nail has provided an effective fix for mere pennies. While in the DIY mind-set, we tackled the 3,800-mile service ourselves, which, per the owner’s manual maintenance schedule, consists entirely of visual inspection of brake system components. We found plenty of brake pad material remains and no issues to report.

Additional maintenance has been simple: a sticky sidestand cured with a squirt of WD-40, and lubing the O-ring drive chain every 500 miles or so.

We replaced the original Bridgestones after 3,000 miles of use that included a trackday at Chuckwalla. Michelin's new Pilot Road 4 sport-touring radials ($547.90) are now on the bike, and they're a good first step toward getting the Ninja out for longer sport-touring adventures.