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Kawasaki GPZ500S EX500 1993 Parts & Accessories

Introduced in the early 1980s, the Kawasaki GPZ (or GPz) Series represented a seminal evolutionary leap for performance road motorcycles, effectively birthing the modern era of the sportbike. Originally characterized by red-accented factory fairings, clip-on handlebars, and air-cooled performance-tuned inline engines, the GPZ lineage expanded to encompass groundbreaking liquid-cooled 16-valve architectures, monoshock Uni-Trak rear suspensions, digital fuel injection, and factory turbocharging. Serving as the direct precursor and founding platform for the legendary "Ninja" series, the GPZ line spanned entry-level twin-cylinder commuters to world-record-setting open-class inline-fours.

Kawasaki used specific casing, alphanumeric codes, and sub-family designations across the GPZ range:

• GPz vs. GPZ: Early air-cooled models typically featured a lowercase "z" (e.g., GPz550, GPz1100), whereas liquid-cooled 16-valve models adopted the uppercase "Z" (e.g., GPZ900R, GPZ1000RX).
• ZX-Series Internal Codes: Liquid-cooled sport GPZ models transitioned internally to ZX-based chassis designations (e.g., ZX900A, ZX750A, ZX1100A).
• R / RX Suffixes: Designated liquid-cooled racing/sport development iterations (e.g., GPZ750R, GPZ900R, GPZ1000RX).
• S Suffix: Designated semi-faired or sport-touring configurations (e.g., GPZ500S, GPZ600R).

• GPz250 (1983–1987): Lightweight parallel-twin entry-level sport streetbike featuring belt drive and sharp styling cues borrowed from its larger-displacement siblings.
• GPz305 (1983–1996): Air-cooled 306 cc parallel-twin commuter/sport roadster utilizing belt final drive, low seat height, and accessible ergonomics.
• GPz400 / GPz500 (1981–1985): Four-cylinder air-cooled middleweights tailored primarily for Japanese domestic and select European markets to meet strict licensing tiers.
• GPz550 (1981–1985): Benchmark middleweight sportbike powered by a high-revving 553 cc air-cooled inline-four, featuring twin front disc brakes and Kawasaki's progressive Uni-Trak rear monoshock.
• GPz750 (1982–1985): High-output 738 cc air-cooled inline-four sportbike with factory cylinder porting and high-lift cams, widely regarded as the fastest air-cooled 750 cc machine of its era.
• GPz1100 (1981–1985, Gen 1): Open-class flagship muscle bike featuring a 1,089 cc engine, Bosch/Nissan digital fuel injection (DFI), and twin air-assisted suspension.
• GPz750 Turbo (1983–1985): High-tech turbocharged 738 cc inline-four equipped with fuel injection, low-compression pistons, and a factory turbocharger, producing over 112 HP and outperforming naturally aspirated liter-class bikes.

• GPZ400R / GPZ600R (1985–1990): Mid-capacity liquid-cooled 16-valve inline-four sportbikes utilizing aluminum perimeter frames and aggressive aerodynamic fairings.
• GPZ750R (1984–1986): Scaled-down version of the GPZ900R built for markets with 750 cc displacement restrictions, sharing the liquid-cooled 16-valve engine architecture.
• GPZ900R / Ninja 900 (1984–2003): Legendary, revolutionary sportbike featuring the world's first liquid-cooled 16-valve DOHC inline-four engine (908 cc, 115 HP). First bike to officially carry the "Ninja" badge and exceed 150 mph (240 km/h) in stock form.
• GPZ1000RX (1986–1988): Designed as the super-high-speed successor to the GPZ900R, powered by a 997 cc 16-valve engine producing 125 HP wrapped in a perimeter steel frame.

• GPZ500S / Ninja 500R (1987–2009): Ultra-popular 498 cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin sport-commuter produced across two decades, renowned for bulletproof reliability and low running costs.
• GPZ1100 Horizont (1995–1998, Gen 2): Modern sport-tourer reusing the GPZ name, featuring a detuned 1,089 cc liquid-cooled engine derived from the ZX-11/ZZ-R1100, full fairing, and optional ABS.