My Ninja was powered by a 599cc (36 cubic inch) in-line four cylinder engine that was liquid cooled and had a high capacity oil cooler. It was the most compact, most powerful, most advanced 600cc engine currently in production on the planet at that time and received many accolades for its design from the major motorcycle publications. The compact engine produced ninety seven horsepower, a twin intake ram air setup with pressurized air box bumped that to probably another five percent additional power when under speed. Ninety-seven horsepower was a far cry from the outdated, air cooled irrigation pumps that powered the bikes that Milwaukee was producing. Eighty-eight cubic inches thumping out a laughable fifty something horsepower was about the most power you could get if you went with the best that America could build.
Now, to put into perspective, on a power output to engine size ratio, the Kawasaki's motor made ninety-seven horses out of a miniscule thirty-six cubic inches. That would be the equivalent of having a 350 cubic inch small block Chevy under your hood that made 944 horsepower from the factory, stock.
Black Echo
BrandX be forewarned, it gets pretty ugly.
disclaimer:
I HAVE met fellas who own Hardley's and actually ride. No, I don't mean up and down mainstreet, around and around the Walmart parking lot, or back and forth in front of the local high school, but a few hundred miles at a time actually going somewhere. There ain't many, but they are out there. You can spot 'em sometimes, they're usually old (like me), their bikes are dirty ('cause they ride 'em), and all the little and big things that must be done to get a Hardly down the road reliably have been done (they idle real slow - not just loud - without dieing at stoplights.)
