Kawasaki GPz 500S  (EX 500R Ninja)

Introduced in 1987 the EX has had a long and for Kawasaki, prosperous life. A perennial bestseller. the EX continues to make a good account of itself in a broad range of uses — as a commuter, a one-up sport-tourer, a sportbike even a club roadracer. That it does so is a measure of Kawasaki's devotion to this model. That it does so virtually without change is a measure of how good a bike it was from the very beginning.

Powered by an enlarged version of the liquid-cooled, DOHC eight-valve parallel-Twin that originally appeared in the 454 LTD Cruiser - and which is essentially, half of an old Ninja 900 motor — the EX is right in the running with the other bikes in this class. In fact, during our quarter-mile testing, the Seca II, the EX and the Bandit turned I3.07-, 13.09- and 13.10-second ETs. respectively, each with a terminal speed within tenths of 100 mph. It doesn't get much closer than that. And old or not. the EX topped our top-speed testing, with 117 mph showing on the radar.

The EX's motor is a bil rough-running at slow speeds, doing a fair impersonation of an air compressor. Bui it smoothes out at speed, and — with the exception of the Bandit's engine at high-rpm — is the quickest-revving motor here. Though the Seca with its displacement advantage, is the most powerful at all rpm, the EX is able to match it at the bottom end and actually feels stronger thanks to the lorquey power pulses of its twin-cylinder engine. The EX has lots of grunt right off idle, and it intensifies once the tach needle swings past 6500 rpm continuing to pull hard all the way to its peak at 9000. It's a great motor.

Sadly, we can't say the same thing about the EX's chassis. Although it's perfectly capable in day-to-day riding, it doesn't quite measure up as a sport bike. When the EX was introduced 16-inch wheels were cutting-edge technology, but today they impart the EX with an old-fashioned feel. True, the 16-inch front wheel gives the bike light steering, but compared to today's fashionably wide 17-inch hoops, the 16 feels less trustworthy. That, combined with the EX's relatively high center of gravity, gives the EX a tendency to fall into corners. And the narrow, high-profile front tire - a 100/90-16 Bridgestone Esedra — makes the front end feel vague during hard riding.

Contributing to the front end's problems is the spindly fork, which flexes during hard cornering or braking, and especially during quick side-to-side transitions.
The EX500 may be entering its sixth year of production, but its frame design and engine technology give little away to those of the competition.

These complaints, however, should not dissuade you from purchasing the EX: they should only alert you to its peculiarities. Because once you've adapted to the EX and learned to ride it smoothly, you'll probably be able to go as fast on it as anything in this foursome. Light weight — 403 pounds dry — means that it's easy to flick from side to side, and combined with plentiful cornering clearance, makes the EX extremely quick through corners. And its upright riding position is comfortable for all but the tallest riders, its small fairing highly protective.