Kawasaki ZX-4R

[KungFooBob]

The usual media outlets are saying Kawasaki have confirmed the ZX-4R.

A 400cc inline four, with a 15k redline and 78bhp.

I'll take two, one for each foot.

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/new ... aki-zx-4r/

Shame it's got a low rent steel frame. Be even lighter with a nice alloy jobbie.

[ChrisW]

It's been officially launched in the US - only $9700, I thought it was going to be more than that.

https://www.kawasaki.com/en-us/motorcyc ... ECSDETAILS

[Yorick]

Only weighs 5 Kgs less than ZX6R. Loses 50 BHP. Hmmm

[Bigyin]

A couple of my old racing mates were talking about it on FB and wondering if it could revive the clubbie 400 class which exists on auld NC Hondas, ancient ZXR400's and the occasional FZR400.

At 188 kgs its too heavy but strip off all the cat, standard bodywork, lights, ABS kit etc and the weight will drop to something more competitive with the claimed 78 BHP

[Yorick]

It's been officially launched in the US - only $9700, I thought it was going to be more than that.

https://www.kawasaki.com/en-us/motorcyc ... ECSDETAILS

The ZX6R is barely any more at $10,499

https://www.webbikeworld.com/2022-kawasaki-ninja-zx-6r/

[ChrisW]

It's been officially launched in the US - only $9700, I thought it was going to be more than that.

https://www.kawasaki.com/en-us/motorcyc ... ECSDETAILS

The ZX6R is barely any more at $10,499

https://www.webbikeworld.com/2022-kawasaki-ninja-zx-6r/

So it is. $9.7 would put it less than £8 over here - I just imagined it'd be more than that.

[Supermofo]

It's been officially launched in the US - only $9700, I thought it was going to be more than that.

https://www.kawasaki.com/en-us/motorcyc ... ECSDETAILS

The ZX6R is barely any more at $10,499

https://www.webbikeworld.com/2022-kawasaki-ninja-zx-6r/

So it is. $9.7 would put it less than £8 over here - I just imagined it'd be more than that.

Problem with that is things in the States are just cheaper generally full stop. Example PS5 in the US is $499 which is £405. Price in the UK is £479.

[ChrisW]

The ZX6R is barely any more at $10,499

https://www.webbikeworld.com/2022-kawasaki-ninja-zx-6r/

So it is. $9.7 would put it less than £8 over here - I just imagined it'd be more than that.

Problem with that is things in the States are just cheaper generally full stop. Example PS5 in the US is $499 which is £405. Price in the UK is £479.

And of course I wasn't thinking - the MSRP in the US is before sales tax etc.

[Yorick]

So it is. $9.7 would put it less than £8 over here - I just imagined it'd be more than that.

Problem with that is things in the States are just cheaper generally full stop. Example PS5 in the US is $499 which is £405. Price in the UK is £479.

And of course I wasn't thinking - the MSRP in the US is before sales tax etc.

Yup. I once wrote a tax calculation system for a big U.S. store.
About 75,000 tax codes IIRC

[A_morti]

It's a heck of a jump in price from the 400 Ninja at $4,599.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

It's a heck of a jump in price from the 400 Ninja at $4,599.

It's a lot more bike than the 400 Ninja.

[KungFooBob]

Back in the 90's the JDM 400's sold like hot cakes, they were better equiped than the 600's and cheaper to buy and insure.

In the early 00's the euro model 600's caught up as they started to be sports bikes rather than shopping bikes.

[A_morti]

Back in the 90's the JDM 400's sold like hot cakes, they were better equiped than the 600's and cheaper to buy and insure.

In the early 00's the euro model 600's caught up as they started to be sports bikes rather than shopping bikes.

Back in the 90s when those shipping containers started arriving, the bikes were already 10 years old and the prices of them weren't so bad.

For your comparison to be valid, you'd have to check how well the UK market ZXR400 sold, versus the ZX6-R of the day.

[tricol]

Will it sell though? The ZX25R was Asia only, was that market demand based?

Lots of people are nostalgic towards these types of bikes but will they part with the cash? I reckon it would be a hoot on track.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Realistically there's no major difference in the cost to make a 400 over the cost to make a 600 or even a litre bike, assuming they're all the same spec on things like brakes, suspension etc. There's a small material cost maybe, but that's a pretty minor chunk (especially when lots of 1000s have the smae block as a 600 just with bigger holes, so it should be cheaper ). The price structuring is mostly just artificially set to maintain a model hierarchy.

The high spec 400s from the 90s were mostly a result of Japanese licence law were they not? So the big four made loads of 400s 'cause that's what sold in the home market?

[Mr Moofo]

I assume the paint will slough off the swing arm and rear wheel before the first service , in true Kawasaki style

[Supermofo]

Lots of people are nostalgic towards these types of bikes but will they part with the cash? I reckon it would be a hoot on track.

I think the problem it will have is that my 99 R6 track bike weighs less and makes more power. This was also the case with the Jap import 400s but back in the day they made sense as 'my first bike' mainly due to insurance and being lower power than the 600s but given a lot of new riders are now restricted to hp limits I don't think that will be the case anymore as they won't be able to ride the ZX4. So you'll then be in the situation if you don't have a hp limit of a 90bhp Hornet at less money new or a vast range of bikes 2nd hand for the same price but with a lot more power/kudos. Which will make it a hard sell I'd imagine. Plus in the 90s everyone rode sportsbikes, now everyone wants to ride a bike version of a Range Rover.

I think it's a cool thing, but not sure they'll sell many. But then as mentioned UK spec/sold ZXR 400s were pretty rare as you could get a 600 for less. The 400 Jap bike thing mainly come about due to 10 year old cheaper bikes heading over.

[The Spin Doctor]

I suspect is more about "what have we got to lose?"

There's a definite end-of-life for the petrol-powered ICE and if you've designed and built a bike that meets existing and likely future emission standards, then so long as you can, you might as well distribute it to markets where you think you can make a profit, even if you only sell a dozen bikes.

Rumours of the 400 began circulating at least as early as spring 2021 and the 250 was leaked back in 2019, so it's likely both engines were being developed at least a couple of years before this, long before COVID and the sudden shift in thinking towards leccie power.

India has the largest production plant for e-bikes in the world, Indonesia is already making big strides towards e-bikes, with conversion kits for small ICE bikes being subsidised by the government, and official government training courses for people to do the conversion work. Several East African countries are also rapidly transitioning away from the ICE.

So is this actually the ICE's last hurrah?

[SSS]

Funnily enough, i popped on to post what peeps thought of the Ninja 400. I make no secret to my fondness of 400s (having an NC35). Might go and see this, this weekend or during the week....

https://www.kdykawasaki.com/inventory-d ... code=14280

[KungFooBob]

Funnily enough, i popped on to post what peeps thought of the Ninja 400. I make no secret to my fondness of 400s (having an NC35). Might go and see this, this weekend or during the week....

https://www.kdykawasaki.com/inventory-d ... code=14280

It's not a 400/4 tho', the Ninja 400 is a budget twin, for popping out for some milk and lotto tickets