Post-Sale Update: After 11 bids on eBay, this Ninja sold for $2,551.
La Carrera Costa a Costa was a race from Ensenada to San Felipe, a 140 mile pavement run that crossed the Baja Peninsula. According to the seller, this Ninja 250 was given by Kawasaki to Gary Nixon to compete with. Nixon owned the bike until he passed in August of 2011, and the current owner brought it back to life with an emphasis on originality.
For more on La Carrera, check out this August 1986 article from Cycle World in which they enter a Ducati Montjuich. It sounds like a crazy experience and it’s well worth a read – plus it should be noted that Cycle World says Nixon was on a KLR600, which casts doubt on the seller’s story. Maybe Nixon rode the Ninja in the 1987 running instead?
This bike (VIN: jkaexme19gaoo2144) has about 16,900 miles, 15k of which came from Gary. The sale includes trophies and other memorabilia from Nixon’s experience with La Carrera. The original engine was rebuilt in 2014 and the shifter is still in the race pattern – presumably 1 up, many down.
Find this Ninja for sale in Coatesville, Pennsylvania with an unmet opening bid of $999 or a BIN of $4,995