2019 Kawasaki Z400: Team Green builds an entry-level naked bike

The Kawasaki Z400 has finally been revealed in Milan, with Team Green taking off the wraps at the EICMA show.

As expected, the Z400 is, at its core, a stripped-down Ninja 400. Steel tubular trellis frame, liquid-cooled 399cc parallel-twin motor with six-speed gearbox—it’s familiar territory. But, instead of a fairing and clip-on handlebars, Kawasaki put an upright handlebar and Transformers-style headlight on the Z400. The seat is also a bit higher than the standard Ninja. The end result isn’t what we’d call gorgeous, but it’s more attractive than some of the other naked bikes coming out of Japan right now.

And even though this is most definitely a budget bike, Kawasaki has included some proper bits on it, like an LED headlight and slipper clutch. Dual-channel ABS is standard, and there’s a single 310 mm disc up front, with 220 mm rear disc. Not everything is high-spec; the suspension is 41 mm telescopic forks, and the rear shock is only adjustable for preload. Of course the wheels are 17-inchers.

Wet weight is supposedly 167 kg. Output should be 45 HP at 10,000 rpm, and 28 lb-ft torque at 8,000 rpm, same as the Ninja, unless Kawasaki changed final gearing. MSRP is likely a tad under the Ninja 400’s $5,799 pricing, if it comes to Canada (we’d expect it to).