Quote:
Originally Posted by NinjaBraap
Kawasaki tends to focus on the large side and come out with things like the Ninja H2 and H2R, but leave anything smaller than the ZX10R as an afterthought.
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I don't buy that.
Kawi was the ONLY manufacturer actually paying attention to little bikes for.... well, decades, and they never stopped. Offerings in that class from the other three were, for a long time, utter jokes. Some still are. Kawi was able to rest on its laurels because it had no competition -- hence the slow pace of development on the 250. That's not the case anymore.
Kawi isn't waffling and unable to make up its mind. It is simply responding to the market. The 500 was discontinued because it wasn't selling, period. The 400 has been introduced because it will be seen as a better choice in the class, period. The obvious target is the bike that competes directly: The R3. The RC is taller (a BIG deal to the target market), weirder, more focused, less available. The CBR doesn't really stand up head-to-head. Suzuki is late to the game and, well, yawn. If any manufacturer is REALLY treating small bikes as an afterthought, it's them.
We go on and on about racing rules and how the 400 is going to screw things up, but never forget: Racers are NOT the target market. Put yourself in the shoes of a novice rider. Judge the class based on that. The 400 is a smart move.