Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R Globally Unveiled

Kawasaki has taken the wraps off its latest baby sportbike, the Kawasaki ZX-4R. The bike features an air-cooled 400 cc inline four-cylinder engine making it the only bike in its class to do so. The bike will be launched in three variants which include the standard ZX-4R, ZX-4R SE, and the ZX-4RR. 

The 400 cc inline-four engine produces a power output of almost 79 bhp and revs to 15,000 rpm, and has peak torque of almost 36 Nm at 11,000 rpm. From the figures, it’s apparent that the engine will be a screamer although peak torque is achieved quite high in the rev range. 

The bike comes with Kawasaki’s Ram Air technology which ensures that additional air enters the engine via a centrally positioned air duct. It features SFF-BP front forks developed by Showa along with BFRC-lite rear shocks by the same manufacturer. The rear of the bike is equipped with a horizontal back-link rear suspension system. It gets a 290 mm twin-disc brake setup at the front along with 220 mm single-disc brakes at the rear.

The bike gets 4 different riding modes to choose from depending on the rider’s preference- Sport, Road, Rain, and Rider (Manual). The bike also comes with a KQS (Kawasaki Quick Shifter) that enables clutchless gear shifting, but this feature will only be available on the ZX-4R SE and ZX-4RR variants. The ZX-4R SE model will also receive a few additional features and accessories like a smoked windshield, USB power socket, and frame slider. 

The bike also consists of a 4.3-inch full-digital colour LCD screen as its meter panel. The screen has a track mode function that can display information like lap times, gear positions, and RPMs. It also gets the Rideology App that helps you connect your smartphone to your bike which can then be used for functions like navigation. 

The top-spec ZX-4RR variant costs $9699 in international markets. There is currently no information about whether this motorcycle will be launched in India. However, if it ever did, it will be the most expensive 400 cc sports bike to go on sale in the country and will definitely cost upward of what it does in international markets. But considering the fact that it produces more power than many motorcycles in the 650 cc class, the price paid will not be for nothing.