It’s been a whereas since any producer supplied a mass-produced tiny four-cylinder sport bike. This week Kawasaki lastly launched the brand new highly-anticipated Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR, a 400cc four-cylinder sport bike.
Many people began using on little four-cylinder bikes. Many people will keep in mind, fondly, CB400Fs or 350Fs, or when you had been fortunate sufficient, perhaps you bought to journey a Suzuki GPZ400R or GS500. They weren’t highly effective, however they had been enjoyable.
Considered one of my first bikes was a 1976 Honda CB550, with a four-into-one exhaust, that appeared like a banshee once I received on the pipe. That bike (I apologize for the outdated photograph) was enjoyable, nimble, and let me develop right into a higher-revving motor. That’s the reason the brand new ZX-4RR issues. With out studying how you can faucet that horsepower then, I wouldn’t really feel comfy on a racetrack or on a high-powered bike now.
The little Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR will seemingly encourage a legion of recent bike followers to exit and purchase it, not as a result of it’s cool (it’s) or mild (it’s), however as a result of they will discover ways to deal with a motorcycle as the ability builds. 4-cylinder bikes construct energy in a particular approach, and plenty of instances it’s not linear. They really feel damaged and decelerate low, then you definately get a burst of velocity as they arrive on the pipe.
The little oversquare 400cc within the new Ninja ought to do this, too. The Ninja has mild solid aluminum pistons that permit for quick-climbing revs, which suggests you’ll have to concentrate to the 11,500 rpm redline. It’s backed up, in KRT Version trim, with a brand new Showa SFF-BP the wrong way up fork, and a completely adjustable rear shock, too.
The brand new Ninja, too, has a fast shifter with an help and a slipper clutch. That implies that a tough shift received’t lock up the rear wheel while you’re crossed up making an attempt to enter a flip laborious, which I want my outdated Honda had. But it surely additionally has a number of energy and using modes to permit riders of various expertise in numerous climate situations to deal with the ability. Sadly, Kawasaki hasn’t launched official horsepower numbers, however we do realize it makes 26.5 lb.-ft (36 Nm) of torque.
Within the U.S., the brand new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR KRT Version might be a virtually $10,000 bike, which places it into rivalry with 600cc four-cylinder bikes on worth. However, as anybody who’s ever ridden a small four-banger can inform you, it needs to be lighter and entire lot extra enjoyable.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/octane/3NW6MRELDVD4RFCYHQH3SU4XTI.jpg)
