5 Things You Should Know About The 2020 Kawasaki Ninja 1000

[Road Runner]

The Ninja 1000's new electronics suite is pretty impressive. A fancy-schmancy Bosch inertial measurement unit (IMU) measures inertia along five axes and feeds that data to a trio of high-tech Kawasaki systems—the Kawasaki Traction Control System (KTRC), the Kawasaki Intelligent Anti-Lock Brake System (KIBS), and the Kawasaki Cornering Management Function (KCMF).

The KTRC uses IMU data to provide three riding modes—Sport, Road, and Rain—that adapt timing, throttle response, fuel/air mixture, and various other elements to current riding positions. A fourth "Power Mode" setting allows a rider to dial in their own custom settings to match both current riding conditions and their own personal riding style.

The KIBS is the same base unit off the Ninja H2 and ZX-10R with modified programming to better match the Ninja 1000's performance. The system works by having the engine ECU talk to the ABS ECU (that's a lot of acronyms, sorry about that), a unit that monitors wheel speed and front caliper hydraulic pressure. Combined with a clutch system that suppresses ABS during downshifts and an internal system that Kawasaki claims provides a more consistent lever feel than traditional, non-Kawasaki ABS systems, KIBS gives the Ninja 1000 some serious whoa to go with its go.

Kawasaki's Corner Management Function is a kind of master system, an overseer that controls both the KTRC (traction control) and KIBS (pitching and corner braking control). Touted as a "total engine and chassis management package", KCMF takes data from the other two systems and uses it to keep a rider's line straight and true through even the tightest corners. 

Riders control all this techno-wizardry through the Ninja's new instrument panel and handlebar control binnacles. The IP is a big, bright, TFT display that provides all the info a rider needs in an easy-to-read package. Riders can choose between white and black backgrounds and the IP can be set to display only the basics—speed, revs, water temp, range, etc.—or to display every bit of data the bike can generate. That latter setting is more for hardcore nerds racers and track days than for regular mortals.

To top it all off, the bike is Bluetooth enabled and can be communicated with and controlled by Kawasaki's proprietary Rideology App. With Rideology, riders can do everything from check their fuel level and service interval to select riding modes. Similar to apps by other companies, Rideology provides yet another level of control and connectivity to the Ninja 1000's rider.

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