2011 Kawasaki Ninja 400R

By
CMG Staff
-
ninja_400r.jpg

250 cc and $1,200 less than the Ninja 650R. Lower insurance rates, too.

Kawasaki has just released details of the new 2011 Ninja 400R, which
will be available in Canada beginning in mid-August.

This new member of the Ninja family is closely based on the Ninja 650R,
but it’s engine displaces 399 cc. Bore and stroke measurements are 68.4 x
54.3 mm (versus 83 x 60 mm for the 650R). The fuel-injected mill
produces a useful 43 hp at 9,500 rpm, with torque peaking at 27.3 lb-ft
at 7,500 rpm.

Chassis geometry is identical to the Ninja 650R and wet weight is 203 kg
(448 lb), a kilo less than the 650R.

It will be available in black or lime green at a retail price of $7,499.

This bike is a welcome addition in a displacement category that has been
sadly lacking participants.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

1 COMMENT

  2. 400cc or less is also critical in Saskatchewan to enjoy reasonable insurance rate. I hope Honda can import there 400 so I can have choices.

  3. Its great for us in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, a supersport bike’s licence fees are 1400$CAN/yr and we get to ride maybe 2-3 months at most with the weather here and insurance is > 200$CAN/month for the whole entire yr, no way to suspend it for non-riding months
    With this Ninja 400 being introduced, these costs are GREATLY reduced (373$CAN for licence +

  5. I like it. Especially because it means the demented folks at the SAAQ can go futter themselves, no matter what happens with the ‘talks’ going on later this summer.

  6. Growing up in Prince Edward Island, I saw a lot of Kawasaki Ninja 400s on the streets. They were sleeved-down 600s, if I recall correctly. The local mechanics thought pretty highly of them.

    There were a lot of weird machines like this kicking around back then. We also had a lot of Honda NSR250 race replicas. There were a few guys running grey-market import businesses shipping American cars to Japan in return for bikes. A cousin of mine acquired a beautiful BMW that was brought into the country this way.

  8. I think this is a great move. It gives options to new riders that think a 250cc bike is too “sissy”. Might curb them from getting the supersports to begin with. I hope it prompts Suzuki to bring their Gladius 400 over from Europe…nice modern replacements for the old Ninja 500 (EX500) and the Suzuki GS500, even though Suzuki still produces that one for the newbies.

  9. Would have been excited if it was a 4 cylinder. Saw a few of those overseas from the mid ninties,a vfr(V FOUR), a gsxr,super fun exciting little crazy reving machines they are. I think honda makes a 400 inline four for Austrailia and japan that’s really popular, that’s something we could use here. look it up CB400 !, like those vtr 250 spada’s aswell. Gas goes higher small bikes will grow, not a bad futre for motorbikes on this side of the pond.

  10. Bravo Kawasaki,

    They must be doing it to lose money though. Right Honda? It’s not possible sell a 400cc bike for less than a 600cc. :roll

    But I agree it would’ve been better as an upsized 250, rather than down sized 650. Surely the 250 chassis could handle and extra 20hp.

  11. I applaud them for trying, but it’s really a detuned 650R at which point one has to ask what’s the point (leaving the insurance out of it)?

    It surely plugs the hole in cc line up, but it sounds like they cheated at that …. or at least it has the feel of it.

    The benefit I am expecting out of this is, how the other manufacturers will react. Or will they at all (since Honda was already trying to tell CBR125R users to step up, or jump up, and buy CBF600 ….)?

Join the conversation!