The 2024 Kawasaki Ninja 500 is an A2-ready middleweight sportsbike that replaces the Ninja 400 in the Japanese firm’s ever-expanding line-up. It, along with its Z500 naked sibling, are the second and third bikes to be added under the ‘500’ moniker, following the Eliminator cruiser.
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But don’t be fooled by the name. The engine is an evolution of the outgoing Ninja 400's with some tuning and 52cc more. It’s also very closely related to the petrol aspect of the Ninja 7 Hybrid’s powertrain. It's priced from £5999 for the standard bike, but most UK models will be the Special Edition, which is £6499 and comes in far more fetching colours with additional kit.
The frame is the same 250-derived tubular steel item, with a relatively accessible 785mm seat height plus the option of a 30mm higher seat for taller riders.
Considering the sheer number of shared parts between Z and Ninja in this format, we were surprised by how different the two bikes felt when rode back-to-back on the launch event in Alicante, Spain. The Ninja is a far more serious proposition, with composed, agile handling, whereas the naked feels looser at the front end and as a result, a little more fun.
But that isn’t to say that the Ninja is in any way dull. In fact, on first inspection (admittedly on some sensational roads) we felt that it was a very highly accomplished bike with a brilliant balance of performance and handling for the less experienced rider. It feels ‘right-sized’, rather than a bigger, heavier bike that’s been throttled back to duck under the A2 licence threshold.
There’s enough tech on board to keep most younger riders happy, with a smartphone app for that all important connectivity and on SE models like the one we’re riding here, a pleasingly posh-looking new TFT screen to keep an eye on vital statistics. The big question here is whether this bike has what it takes to go toe-to-toe with its arch rival, the Honda CBR500R.
You’ll need to wait for the group test to find out our definitive verdict, but early indications are that the Honda takes itself a little less seriously, with its MotoGP-style winglets and raucous exhaust note bringing a sense of occasion to the A2 sportsbike class, but the Ninja fights back with an accomplished balance of handling and comfort. And it’s hardly a shy-looking thing itself, particularly in Kawasaki’s greener paintjobs.
Read on for our in-depth look at the 2024 Kawasaki Ninja 500…
The first thing to note here is that to date, we’ve pretty much only ridden the Ninja 500 on glass-smooth, beautiful tarmac wending through the hills around Alicante. The temperature was idyllic too, ranging from 14 to just over 20 degrees centigrade for the duration of the test.
However, we found its chassis felt light and incredibly composed, with decent adhesion from the Dunlop GPR300 rubber – a tyre that’s keen to turn in and offers chatty feedback mid-bend. The non-adjustable 41mm front suspension features higher spring rates than the Z500 naked and feels a fair bit more direct through corners as a result.
Lean on the handling a little more than an A2 rider is likely to, and this Ninja feels very composed indeed, with a bigger-bike feel than its spec sheet would suggest. We had no issues with ground clearance during our test ride, and there’s no indication that knee-down fun would pose a problem should the opportunity present itself to a confident enough rider.
