Back in March, we reported that Kawasaki was looking for video submissions from riders who have had favorable experiences on the little bike that could, the Ninja 250. It turns out that Team Green got a few hundred submissions and has placed the top eight finalists on its website. We spent some time going through them and some are better than others. We especially liked the videos from Emily Cohan and Brandon Zambroski. As you might expect, nimble handling, adequate performance and excellent economy -- around seventy miles per gallon according to one owner's video -- . give the small sportbike a lot of appeal.

The Ninja 250 may be the best motorcycle currently available to begin your riding career on, and as more people become interested in making the switch from four wheels down to two, these types of learner-friendly bikes will become increasingly important. With that in mind, the updates that Big Green has made to its beginner bike, including new seventeen inch wheels, upgraded brakes, and much-improved styling, are very welcome indeed.

[Source: Kawasaki]

The Kawasaki Ninja 250 has helped many riders ease their way into the world of motorcycling throughout its 20 years of being on the market, saving them tons of gas money in the process. Recently made-over for the 2008 model year, Kawasaki is celebrating their economical and fun little run-about by asking for riders who have had favorable experiences on the bike to send them videos. The best part is that if your video is chosen as the winner of the competition, you win a brand new 2008 Ninja 250. The next five videos that were oh-so-close to being best will earn their budding videographer a replica Team Kawasaki racing jacket from Joe Rocket.

[Source: Kawasaki via Women Riders Now]

Kawasaki's little Ninja 250 has been with us for ages, and it's about time the bike got some love from its parents. The bike receives a makeover this year, the most obvious change being the new bodywork. Featuring a brand spankin' new full-fairing that looks more like the rest of the Ninja line, the styling is now much less likely to put off those who hated the dated lines of the old version. Of more importance, though, is the upgrade to 17-inch wheels, allowing for many more tire choices and a larger front brake rotor. Also of note are the revised camshaft profiles and the new 2-into-1 exhaust system. Despite often running at very high engine speeds, expect the smallest Ninja to return fuel economy well over 70 miles per gallon.

Related only by the fact that they are from the same manufacturer, the monstrous ZX-14 has received a few changes this year as well. In an effort to meet Euro-III emissions requirements, the bike got a third exhaust catalyzer and a remapped fuel-injection profile. While the changes were made to meet emissions and noise requirements, an added benefit was a bit more low-end grunt - as if this beast needed that!

So there you go... changes to Kawasaki's largest and smallest sportbikes, all in the name of fuel efficiency and emissions. We like the sound of that!

[Source: Kawasaki]

Soon, I plan to write an editorial about which way the motorcycle designers are going when it comes to being a green form of alternative transportation. A sneak peek: motorcycles are getting bigger, faster and less fuel-efficient. Why? The demands of the buyers, of course. But, with the same things being demanded of cars, and with very tough fuel and emissions standards, we are starting to see some technology trickle down from the automotive sector to that of motorcycles. An example of this is the variable-valve-timing that will appear on the Kawasaki Concours 14. This bike in particular is an example of a model that was well thought of, the Concours, being redone with a much larger and more powerful engine, while gaining significant amounts of power and weight in the process. Of course you know that power and weight will usually have a negative impact on fuel efficiency. In an effort to help combat this, Kawasaki has created a system on the Concours 14 which can change the timing of the intake valves to match the needs of the rider. This can create more power when necessary and reduce it when not necessary, thereby saving fuel and reducing emissions. Does the world need a touring motorcycle capable of 200mph in the first place? Probably not, but if the success of models like the Hayabusa, BMW K1200 bikes and the Honda Blackbird are any indication, we can expect to see more like it in the future. For more details and video of their system, click here and follow the appropriate links.

Honda has had a Vtec system available on their Interceptor, or VFR bikes for a few years now as well.

[Source: Motorcycle Daily]