Kawasaki Z400: What to expect?

Early in 2018, Kawasaki replaced the much popular Ninja 300 with its brand new Ninja 400 which was an instant hit in the motorcycle community worldwide. It was quite evident that sooner or later the Japanese green team is going to bring a naked version of the Ninja 400. And they did in the form of the Z400, and boy it looks fantastic!

One of the reasons of launching a naked version of a fully faired motorcycle is to cater to the needs of those people who want the same amount of power and fun but don’t like to have a bulky fairing near their legs. The main aspects which make the Z400 different from the Ninja 400 are its styling and riding ergonomics. It’s being speculated that Kawasaki Philippines should launch the Z400 in the country pretty soon, therefore, let’s put our minds to the things that we should expect from this brilliant naked streetfighter.

Styling

Since the Z400 is already available in some international markets, we do have an idea about what package it would bring to the Philippines. Undoubtedly, the Z400 is a fantastic-looking motorcycle. Kawasaki has done a great job in making sure that this naked streetfighter doesn’t go unnoticed by anyone on the street. At the front, we have a newly designed full LED twin headlamp setup that has a peculiar design. Its design is somewhat similar to the Ninja 400’s, not in term of size but its shape is quite reminiscent.

What else? There is a small visor which covers the new instrument cluster. Just like the rest of the motorcycle, this, too, is new. There is an analogue tachometer and a multi-function LCD screen that shows various data like gear position indicator, fuel and temp gauges, economical riding indicator, and much more. Of course, we do have the usual tell-tale lights as well.

Probably, one of the best parts of a naked streetfighter is its visible engine. You can see the metal chunk that is responsible for taking this motorcycle into oblivion. The  Z400 has two exhaust pipes emerging out from its two cylinders and merging into a big single exhaust unit that look pretty muscular. The rear end of the bike gets a full LED tail light that too has a very sharp design. And you can clearly see the fat 150 section rear tyre which looks very sporty. Overall, the Kawasaki Z400 is a mean and aggressive-looking naked bike that would make heads turn.

Engine

Although the engine on the Z400 is the same unit that we’ve seen in the Ninja 400, it is still one of the main highlights of the Kawasaki Z400 specs. This parallel-twin engine is a masterpiece. It produces around 44 PS of max power at 9900 rpm and 38 Nm of peak torque at 8000 rpm. It comes with a 32 mm throttle body and a DOHC setup. In short, this thing is a blast! Riding the bike would be extremely fun, especially around the twisties. The engine has enough grunt to pop the front wheel up at your request. And it does all that not in very raw nature. It has been tuned brilliantly to handle things in a much mature manner. Also, it is super refined.

Riding ergonomics and other features

Unlike the Kawasaki Ninja 400, the Z400 has an upright riding stance with a slightly forward lean which is the usual case with naked motorcycles. The single-piece tube-type handlebar is a bit towards the rider which makes it well within his/her reach. The footpegs are placed at a position that would provide a mix of both relaxed and sporty riding. Also, the 785 mm of seat height should be comfortable even for smaller riders.

The Z400 comes with 43 mm telescopic forks at the front and a mono-shock at the rear. The brakes would be a 310 mm single disc at the front with Nissin dual piston calliper and a single 220 mm disc at the rear. To enhance the braking performance of the bike, Kawasaki has provided it with a dual-channel ABS.

These were some of the features that you should expect from the upcoming Z400. It’s a great naked motorcycle that can be a lot of fun to ride. As of now, there are no exact details or an official statement by Kawasaki regarding the launch of the Z400, but it should reach the dealers pretty soon and would be available in at least two colour options - green and black. As far as the Kawasaki Z400 price is concerned, it’s expected to be somewhere around Php 298,000.

We will be covering all the latest updates on the Z400, so stay tuned.