Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R launched: India’s first middle-weight four-cylinder supersports bike

Kawasaki India has taken the lead spot in India’s middle-weight motorcycle segment, as the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer has launched the 2023 Ninja ZX-4R supersports in the country. With the ZX-4R, Kawasaki has brought the beauty of a four-cylinder engine, to the 400 cc segment, however, it comes at a price. For now, the motorcycle has been launched in its base variant and there is no indication of the higher trims making it into the country. Here is everything you need to know about the 2023 Ninja ZX-4R.

At the heart of the Ninja ZX-4R, sit a 399cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four-cylinder engine that produces 75 hp and 39 Nm of torque. While the torque figure is at par to a KTM Duke 390, the peak power of 75 hp is achieved at a very tall 14,500 rpm. This could mean that the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R likes to scream on open stretches and performance at low speeds may not be too exciting. However, we will reserve our opinions until we have ridden one so stay tuned.

In terms of equipment, the ZX-4R gets a trellis frame, Showa USD front forks, rear monoshock with pre-load adjustability, Nissin disc brakes (290 mm front, 220 mm rear) and dual-channel ABS along with Kawasaki Traction Control. It also comes with the standard Kawasaki 4.3-inch full-colour TFT display, which gets Bluetooth connectivity. There riding modes called, Sport, Rain and Road are on offer as well, along with the customisable Rider mode.

While the arrival of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R certainly puts spice into the 400 cc motorcycle segment, it comes at a hefty cost of Rs 8.5 lakh ex-showroom. At the price point, the 399cc four-cylinder is just Rs 71,000 cheaper from the much bigger and powerful Z900, which gets a 955 cc, four-cylinder engine. The ZX-4R is also much costlier than Kawasaki’s own Versys 650 ADV.