The Ninja 400 has been absent from Kawasaki India’s portfolio because it was yet to receive a BS6 compliant engine. But now, Kawasaki has unveiled the 2021 Ninja 400 for international markets. While it might not have garnered a huge response in our country, it is a considerable proposition in other countries. For the MY2021, the supersport twin-cylinder machine has been updated cosmetically as it has received some new colour options.
New colours
Apart from the new colour schemes, there are no other changes made to the Ninja 400 and it remains the same, cosmetically as well as mechanically.
The new colour options include a black and grey colour combination which features lime green graphics. The other option is a red colour that gets subtle white graphics on the fairing. The last one on the list is teal blue colour with silver graphics. Interestingly, the new Ninja 400 has ignored the signature Kawasaki green colour with the trademark shade making an appearance only in the black and grey colour option. Besides the colours, Kawasaki has also revised the Ninja 400’s 399cc, parallel-twin engine to make it Euro 5 compliant.
Design-wise, the Kawasaki Ninja 400 takes design cues from its elder siblings. Up-front, the model is equipped with dual LED headlamps and a ZX-10R inspired LED tail lamp. As compared to the Ninja 300, the new Ninja 400 receives a sharper design for the headlight cluster, fuel tank, fairing and body panels. The LED turn indicators continue to be mounted on the fairing.
Other details
Based on a Trellis frame which makes the model 6kgs lighter than its predecessor, the Ninja 400 tips the scales at 168 kgs (wet). The lighter weight can also be attributed to the smaller fuel tank which now stores 14 litres of petrol as opposed to 17 litres in the Ninja 300. Feature-wise, the Ninja 400 has an LCD panel for the instrument cluster. Suspension duties on the model are taken care of by 41 mm Kayaba sourced forks at the front and a monoshock unit at the rear. The motorcycle is equipped with a 310 mm disc and a 220 mm disc at the front and rear respectively. Also on offer is a Nissan sourced ABS.
Propelling the new Kawasaki Ninja 400 is a 399 cc, liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine. This engine is capable of producing a maximum power output of 49 PS at 10,000 rpm while the peak torque of 38 Nm comes up at 8,000 rpm. This motor is paired to a six-speed transmission. The Kawasaki Ninja 400 goes up against the KTM RC 390, the updated version of which is already being tested around the globe.
Also read: Kawasaki Ninja 650 and Ninja 1000 SX Get New Colours, the Latter Receives a Price Hike
Kawasaki recently launched the BS6 Z900 in India. The Z900 is one of the most popular offerings in its segment and its rivals might be worried because apparently, even in its BS6 form, it’s one of the most powerful middleweight streetfighters you can buy today. The BS6 compliant Kawasaki Z900 is priced at INR 7.99 Lakh which makes it INR 30,000 more expensive than its BS4 counterpart. The Z900 continues to make 125bhp@9,500rpm and 98.6Nm of peak torque at 7,700rpm, and is mated to a 6-speed gearbox with slip and assist clutch.