you want a 400, you get a 400

[karlosdajackal]

http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-...led/12221.html

[kkim]

it isn't going to the UK... will it come to the US? My guess... Most likely not, but that does look interesting.

[maglin]

Nice Photoshop

[Daeldren]

May be worth looking into if it is ever brought out in the US. I was hoping for a proper RR bike but that wasn't going to happen.

If this is actually real and not just another Japanese mock up, fantasy bike.

[caliente103]

wow 70hp for a 400
Posted via Mobile Device

[izmail1215]

I would go for 650r.

[bob706]

Nice looking bike, whatever it is.

[ScraitT]

Looks like the tail section still says 650R on the little pop out pieces for adding a handle. Actually, everything about that picture is a 650R, minus some color changes and a 400RR added to the fairing.


Also, the 650R only puts out 72hp. I have no doubt that a 400 COULD put out 70hp, but I don't see it happening. Kawi would be killing the 650R unless it was going through an overhall and being bumped to 95+ HP.
My guess is with the 250 being 30ish and the 650 being 70ish, the 400 should come in at 50ish HP.

[dimeified]

I would find it hard to believe they'd give it a banana seat like the 650r. If so this is another dissapointing miss, like when they redesigned the 250 but not the 500.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Snake]

That would be interesting to see how many 250 riders would switch to the 400 if it ever came to the U.S. and Canada. As for myself at this point I don't know.

[patw]

Originally Posted by Snake

That would be interesting to see how many 250 riders would switch to the 400 if it ever came to the U.S. and Canada. As for myself at this point I don't know.

I find that we get more small models in Canada (ie CBR125R), not sure there is much desire for smaller bikes down there.

[Snake]

Originally Posted by patw

I find that we get more small models in Canada (ie CBR125R), not sure there is much desire for smaller bikes down there.

True, For some reason some people here in the states think that bigger is better.

[Rayme]

Why not just get the 650 then, if this is true they are practically the same physical size.

[Flashmonkey]

Originally Posted by Rayme

Why not just get the 650 then, if this is true they are practically the same physical size.

Ya I'm a little boggled as well....where'd this new engine come from? They probably just sleeved the 650r engine....in which case, what's the point?

[CZroe]

These are obviously mock-ups. I mean, they even call the Er6 streetfighter styled one in the upper left "Ninja 400" up there even though Kawi has never called a bike without full fairings a "Ninja." Example: Er6N *is* a Ninja 650R with different fairings, lights, mirrors, etc, but the "N" is for "Naked," not "Ninja." The Versys is a more extensively retooled Ninja 650R with a touch of dual-purpose (it's strayed much more in recent years) and they'd never call it a "Ninja" either, despite trying to make it sporty.

[cifex]

I think it is meant for release in a country with graduated licensing (Japan). 400cc license is easier to get. 72hp does seem like a lot to ask of a 400 though....

This thread has photos of the boxes and says it will be on sale Aug 1st.

http://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=2545444

[Flashmonkey]

Originally Posted by cifex

I think it is meant for release in a country with graduated licensing (Japan). 400cc license is easier to get. 72hp does seem like a lot to ask of a 400 though....

I think this is the only way the production of this bike would make any kind of sense. Unless it sells like freakin' hot cakes down there, and hundreds are lost to illegal importation to Europe and NA, I doubt it'll be shipped anywhere else.

[2WheelGuy]

I'd be interested if they beefed up a 250 to a 400:



But not if they sleeved down a 650:

[WOWNinja]

we'll see...

[Daeldren]

Especially if it still weighs the same as the 650 ninja.

[alexit69]

Hey guys, it's not just a photoshop anymore! Looks nice!

http://www.kawasaki.ca/model/ninja-400r:1256

[Talonne]

It does look nice, but I am really disappointed with the high seat height!! Hopefully they will come out with an optional low seat like they have for the 650.

[Talonne]

Huh... All dimensions are identical to the 650, and so is the weight! Might as well jump right up to 650 then. I had been hoping the 400 would be smaller/lighter than the 650.

[c-dog]

Looks like the same body and frame and exhaust, etc, etc. as the 650. Engine is bored and stroked differently though. Very interesting new bike.

Ninja 650
Displacement 649 cc
Bore x Stroke 83.0 x 60.0 mm
Compression Ratio 11.3:1

Ninja 400
Displacement 399 cc
Bore and Stroke 68.4 x 54.3 mm
Compression Ratio 11.0:1

[Ken08Ninja]

400R
Maximum Power 32 kW {43 PS} / 9,500 rpm 42.9127069 hp
Maximum Torque 37 N·m {3.8 kgf·m} / 7,500 rpm 27.289799524 ft lb

650R
Maximum Power 53 kW {72.1 PS} / 8,500 rpm 71.0741707 hp
Maximum Torque 66 N·m {6.7 kgf·m} / 7,000 rpm 48.679101854


For the extra $1200 I would get the 650R. 28 more HP and 21 more ft/lbs torque.

[Sound Wave]

i tried googling, but it still is confusing. so in canada, there is the m1 and m2 license. does the m1 limit the engine size to under 400cc or something like that?

i can see a ninja 400 working in a system like as cifex mentioned. i think it would really hurt 250 sales if they brought it to the US.

[Xoulrath]

I'll take the 650R over that..that...thing....any day.

[Sound Wave]

true, i would take a 650 over that. but if you were just starting out, which would you have taken? a 250 or a 400? i would think many would go with the 400 instead... although, it seems it won't be coming here anyways.

[kkim]

Specifications

ENGINE
Type Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke Parallel Twin
Displacement 399 cc
Bore and Stroke 68.4 x 54.3 mm
Compression Ratio 11.0:1
Valve System DOHC, 8 valves
Fuel System Fuel injection: ø34 mm x 2 (Keihin)
Ignition Digital
Starting Electric
Lubrication Forced lubrication, semi-dry sump
Top
DRIVETRAIN
Transmission 6-speed, return
Final Drive Sealed Chain
Primary Reduction Ratio 2.095 (88/42)
Gear Ratios: 1st 3.000 (42/14)
2nd 2.167 (39/18)
3rd 1.640 (41/25)
4th 1.360 (34/25)
5th 1.192 (31/26)
6th 1.040 (26/25)
Final Reduction Ratio 3.067 (46/15)
Clutch Wet multi-disc, manual
Top
FRAME
Type Diamond, high-tensile steel
Tire: Front 120/70ZR17M/C (58W)
Tire: Rear 160/60ZR17M/C (69W)
Wheel Travel: Front 120 mm
Wheel Travel: Rear 125 mm
Rake 25˚
Trail 106 mm
Steering Angle (Left/Right) 35º / 35º
Top
SUSPENSION
Front: Type 41 mm telescopic fork
Rear: Type Offset laydown single-shock with adjustable preload
Top
BRAKES
Front: Type Dual semi-floating 300 mm petal discs
Front: Caliper Dual twin-piston
Rear: Type Single 220 mm petal disc
Rear: Caliper Single-piston
Top
PERFORMANCE
Maximum Power 32 kW {43 PS} / 9,500 rpm
Maximum Torque 37 N·m {3.8 kgf·m} / 7,500 rpm
Top
DIMENSIONS
Overall Length 2,100 mm (82.7 in.)
Overall Width 760 mm (29.9 in.)
Overall Height 1,200 mm (47.2 in.)
Wheelbase 1,410 mm (55.5 in.)
Ground Clearance 145 mm (5.7 in.)
Seat Height 790 mm (31.1 in.)
Curb Mass 203 kg (447.5 lbs.)
Fuel Capacity 15.5 L (3.4 gal.)
Fuel Consumption TBA
Top
DETAILS
MSRP* $7,499
Colours Lime Green/Flat Super Black, Metallic Spark Black/Flat Super Black
Warranty 12 months

[Xoulrath]

Originally Posted by Sound Wave

but if you were just starting out, which would you have taken? a 250 or a 400?

I would have taken the 400...but I also weigh 270 lbs. The single reason I didn't just get a 500R instead of the 250R was looks. Though it helped that I didn't fit quite as well. I think for your average person, the 250R is still the better bike if this is the option.

[miks]

Still not as good lookin' as the 250R IMO.

[patw]

Seems the Canadian forums are quite active over this subject right now. The dominant theory is that this is the 500R's replacement and it's designed for the Quebec market. They recently added a pretty large surcharge on sport bikes, so this might be sporty + insurance friendly solution. I'm with State Farm, and I know this would be much cheaper than the 650R, as the 650R is more expensive than the 600's for me. They only care about displacement bike style is irrelevant to them.

Everyone seems to agree that the price is a bit too high, at about $1-1.5k less it would fit the newbie market a bit better.

Personally, I love the look of it

[TrueFaith]

It's really a shame, but this bike will probably not be offered to the US market because of the resistance of dealers, among other things. Best bike I ever owned was a Yamaha Seca 400 and I would dearly love to see 400cc bikes offered for sale in this country again. Alas, I doubt that will happen until American bike dealers get their heads out of their butts and get over this "bigger is better" mantra they've been force-feeding us for decades.

[Werehusky]

Originally Posted by kkim

Curb Mass 203 kg (447.5 lbs.)

MSRP* $7,499

Wow that price seems a little high. You can get an 08/09 CBR 600 for that price when dealers get anxious. Plus the CBR weights 380, this weighs 447????

Looks nice though.

[bdavison]

I dont know about the other countries, but I think this will be a complete flop in the US.

Let's face it, many of us like the 250 because of its sporty looks.
And along with that...
The target US market of 250cc riders that would consider upgrading to a 400cc bike, will want even more sporty looks, along with the slight increase in power.

This bike utterly fails in those respects. I dont know about you guys, but if I was to even consider upgrading to a 400cc (which I would love if done right). It must have more supersport ergos.

If I choose to get another bike, I personally want something with a bit more umph like a 400cc, but I want the ergos to start approaching ZX ergos.

This bike is a step backwards in my opinion. I see many US riders skipping it all together for the ZX series, and this decision will be based entirely on asthetics and ergos.

If they really wanted to sell a ton of these...they should have encased that 400 in a supersport body...not a dirtbike handlebar'd glorified cruiser frame like the 650r.

When...oh WHEN are we going to get a small displacement bike in supersport styling?

Im telling you...if they ever make a 250-500cc bike with the ergos and asthetics of a R6 or CBR600....it will be the hottest selling bike in the US without a doubt.

[mikecronis]

Not too new, the Ninja 450 was used by Jessica Alba in Dark Angel. I'm pretty sure the kawasaki.jp site had Ninja 400 bikes for some time. I'm pretty sure I saw them in Misawa, Japan in 1997.

[2WheelGuy]

Kawasaki already has everything it needs to build an incredible small motorcycle. Their KX450F motocross bike has a beautiful fuel injected 450 single engine that puts out 53 horsepower at the rear wheel. Repackaged as a small sport bike I believe would be a hit. I'd buy one.

I feel that the 53hp 450 engine fills the gap between the 26hp 250 Ninja and the 108hp ZX6 nicely. The single cylinder engine keeps manufacturing costs down and allows the bike to be very compact. The seat height should be kept at 29" or less for shorter riders (ladies are the fastest growing motorcycle segment).

The only downside to my plan is cost. I believe this motorcycle would retail at $8500. While $2000 less than a ZX6 it may be more than the average American would pay for a "little" motorcycle.

[sharky nrk]

those super single class motocrosser based race bikes are flat incredible, they are however not really a viable option for making money for the manufacturers - which sucks cause I would like one.

[kkim]

Originally Posted by Originally Posted by kkim

Curb Mass 203 kg (447.5 lbs.)

MSRP* $7,499

Originally Posted by Werehusky

Wow that price seems a little high. You can get an 08/09 CBR 600 for that price when dealers get anxious. Plus the CBR weights 380, this weighs 447????

Looks nice though.

remember, this was taken from the Canadian site. can someone from Canada comment how the prices for like models translate between the two markets?

[patw]

Originally Posted by kkim

remember, this was taken from the Canadian site. can someone from Canada comment how the prices for like models translate between the two markets?

We always seem significantly higher here. Some numbers I know:

- A used 2009 250 can still fetch $4200-4500 CDN
- When honda was dumping 2008 CBR1000RR's for $8000 USD the best the dealers here would go is $14.5k CDN, they're normally about 3-4k higher
- The huge "sale" on 2008 CBR600RR's right now is $8.5k CDN
- OTD on a 2010 250 is somewhere > $5.2k CDN from the dealership

It's hard to say really. Kawi is more in line with US prices than Honda, but they're still out to lunch considering the near dollar parity. The excuse we get nowadays is "Oh well you see... the US market took such a financial beating that we NEED to discount heavily down there to move product. Up here the prices are the same as before the financial crisis." Uh huh. Sure.