Kawasaki ZX 4R, India’s Most Expensive 400cc Bike Is Here!

It’s FINALLY here! India’s thirst for a small capacity inline-four has finally been quenched because the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R has finally landed in India! Here’s all you need to know about it: 

What’s The Price? Who Are Its Rivals?

Kawasaki has priced it at Rs 8.49 lakh (ex-showroom), making it a lot more expensive than even the Ninja 650 (Rs 7.16 lakh ESR). And with that, it doesn’t really have any direct rivals. The closest rivals for the ZX 4R include multi-cylinder sub-500cc supersports like the Ninja 400 and the upcoming Aprilia RS 457.

What’s New?

The ZX 4R is expensive but it packs an absolute punch, some things that we’ve never even seen previously on a 400cc bike in India. Here’s a quick lowdown on the same: 

• Sharp, aggressive and an authentic supersport styling | But it does look awfully similar to the other Ninjas. Remove the sticker and you could easily mistake it for the Ninja 400

• 399cc inline-four engine | 77PS at 14,500rpm and 39Nm at 13,000rpm 

• Power output can be increased to 80PS with a RAM air intake

• 37mm Separate Function USD fork (120mm travel) with a monoshock (112mm wheel travel)

• Twin 290mm disc brakes at the front | 220m single rear disc

• 17-inch wheels shod with 120/70 (F) and 160/60 (R) W-rated tyres    

• 4.3-inch TFT with a layout that’s similar to the one on the bigger Ninjas | Gets smartphone connectivity and two display modes - Normal and Circuit: the latter could be a racetrack-ready display

• 800mm seat height | 189kg kerb weight | 15-litre fuel tank | 135mm ground clearance 

ZigSays  

Yes, the Ninja ZX-4R is expensive. In fact, it's priced close to the Z900, which not only offers more power but also makes more torque. And not to mention, it has comfier, more upright ergonomics. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about the bigger picture. India has barely had such small capacity inline-fours officially sold here. We did want them badly but manufacturers never brought them here for a variety of reasons. Plus such bikes are a rarity in themselves as well. The Ninja ZX 4R was never going to be even a competitively priced bike and we knew that from the moment Kawasaki announced it. It not only packs a lot but it’s also a Completely Built Unit (CBU). 

But now that we do have it here, I think us enthusiasts should embrace it with both hands. The ZX-4R promises an experience that’s unlike any other bike in its segment. Heck, it’ll even easily outperform some of the larger displacement bikes too. So while most of the buyers will find it extremely expensive, we’re sure it’ll find some buyers who are more than willing to pay for the fantastic experience (riding and aural) that this bike will bring. Kudos to Kawasaki as well, for getting the bike here despite knowing that it won’t set sales charts on fire, simply for the enthusiasts.