It’s been a whereas since any producer provided 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 driving on little four-cylinder bikes. Many people will bear in mind, fondly, CB400Fs or 350Fs, or if you happen to had been fortunate sufficient, possibly you bought to journey a Suzuki GPZ400R or GS500. They weren’t highly effective, however they had been enjoyable.
One in every of my first bikes was a 1976 Honda CB550, with a four-into-one exhaust, that seemed like a banshee once I obtained on the pipe. That bike (I apologize for the previous picture) 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 easy methods to faucet that horsepower then, I wouldn’t really feel snug on a racetrack or on a high-powered bike now.
The little Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR will seemingly encourage a legion of latest bike followers to exit and purchase it, not as a result of it’s cool (it’s) or gentle (it’s), however as a result of they’ll learn to deal with a motorbike as the facility builds. 4-cylinder bikes construct energy in a particular approach, and lots of instances it’s not linear. They really feel damaged and decelerate low, then you definitely get a burst of pace as they arrive on the pipe.
The little oversquare 400cc within the new Ninja ought to try this, too. The Ninja has gentle solid aluminum pistons that enable for quick-climbing revs, which implies you’ll have to concentrate to the 11,000 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 once you’re crossed up attempting to enter a flip laborious, which I want my previous Honda had. Nevertheless it additionally has a number of energy and driving modes to permit riders of various abilities in numerous climate situations to deal with the facility. Sadly, we don’t understand how a lot horsepower it makes, 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 shall be an almost $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 must be lighter and entire lot extra enjoyable.
