Kawasaki’s Need 4 Speed: Enter The Ninja ZX-4R

There’s a new Kwacker in town, and it is a screamer! After a long wait, Kawasaki has finally launched the Ninja ZX-4R lineup abroad. This consists of the ZX-4R, ZX-4R SE and the ZX-4RR, and are meant to bridge the gap between the Ninja ZX-25R and the ZX-6R. 

Powering this performance-oriented supersport is a 399cc inline-four liquid cooled engine that produces a whopping 77PS without ram air intake and 80PS with ram air intake. That said, the torque output stands at 35.9Nm, which comes in at 11,000rpm. For perspective, the ZX-25R produces 51PS (with ram air) and 22.9Nm, while the ZX-6R produces 136PS and 70.8Nm. Reining in the engine are rider aids, including the Kawasaki Traction Control (KTRC), four power modes (Sport, Rain, Road and Rider), and an optional bidirectional quickshifter.

The Ninja ZX-4R is underpinned by a 37mm Showa SFF-BP upside down fork with preload adjustability and a fully adjustable Showa BFRC monoshock. Braking is shared between 290mm dual discs with radial calipers at the front and a 220mm single disc at the rear, with the safety net of dual-channel ABS. The bike rolls on 17-inchers, wrapped in 120/70 and 160/60 section Dunlop Sportmax rubber.

This supersport gets a 4.3-inch colour LCD display with smartphone connectivity. The console has a track mode, which displays lap times, gear positions and rpm in an easy-to-read manner. There’s no navigation, though.

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The ZX-4R is available in a Lime Green colourway, while the ZX-4R SE gets the special edition Kawasaki Racing Team (KRT) inspired colours. In addition to this livery, the SE also gets a range of accessories as standard, like a bi-directional quickshifter, smoked windshield, USB power socket and frame slider.

The ZX-4RR gets the same hardware as the SE variant, along with a Showa BFRC-lite rear monoshock, same as the Ninja ZX-10R , which should allow for a more sporty riding experience. The RR variant is priced at USD 9,699, approximately around Rs 7.93 lakh, while the pricing for the other variants are under wraps as of now. Kawasaki will launch the bike in Europe in autumn (September-November 2023). The bike has no natural rivals, however the Honda CBR500R comes close.

While the ZX-4R bridges the gap between the ZX-25R and the ZX-6R in terms of performance, it is still a price proposition, considering it costs only USD 2,300 (around Rs 1.8 lakh) less than the ZX-6R, which offers better performance along with more sophisticated electronics for track junkies.