The overall silhouette of the motorcycle remains unchanged when compared to the Ninja 400. However, it does get a new face, familiar to the one on the larger and more powerful Kawasaki ZX6R. This is in accordance to the Ninja 400 taking inspiration from the pre-facelift ZX6R. The redesigned headlights and integrated winglets provide a menacing and aggressive front end.
The same however, can’t be said about the ergonomics. The Ninja line has always had a riding position more inclined to Sport Tourers while the committed ergonomics are left to the ‘ZX’ line-up. The Ninja 500 seems no different with seemingly higher clip-ons and low seat height.
The big update lies underneath the skin! A new 451cc parallel-twin, liquid cooled, DOHC motor churning out 45.4HP at 9500rpm and 42.6Nm at 6000 rpm. A slip and assist clutch, trellis frame and telescopic forks complete the package.
The Ninja 500 will most likely replace the 400 and go head-to-head with the Yamaha R3 and the Aprilia RS457. While the engine is more powerful than the R3, the RS457 from Aprilia still tops the tower of power, in the A2 class.
The mean, green machine from Kawasaki comes in 5 variants with features such as keyless ignition, USB charging, LCD and a Bluetooth equipped TFT screens on the lower and higher models, respectively. While the engineers at Kawasaki are far more qualified to choose, an upside down fork would have been a welcome addition.
We expect the price to fall around the ₹ 5.4-5.8 lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi) mark. Whether the Ninja will join its predecessors as a sweet bike to ride with an unjustifiable price tag is something to watch out for.
