Overtly priced, but good looking. Sweet engine sound, but not as equipped as its competitors. So where does this bike win or loose?
Overtly priced, but good looking. Sweet engine sound, but not as equipped as its competitors. So where does this bike win or loose?
After a two-year hiatus, Kawasaki brings back the modern and powerful Ninja 400 to India. The changes are incremental — largely a BS6-compliant engine — and we ride it to see what is what.
Let us start with the design. In true Ninja fashion, the 400 is one aggressive-looking motorcycle. Despite no changes made to the styling, the angular fairing with those twin-LED headlamps and the slim tail section with that attractive LED tail-lamp makes it look rather menacing. A big change for this model is the adoption of a new livery, inspired by Kawasaki’s WSBK-spec ZX-10R. The bright green base colour together with the red-and-black touches and the KRT logos make it a head-turner for sure.
The riding position on the Ninja 400 is comfortable and it is not as committed as you would think given the way it looks. The 785mm seat height makes it approachable and there is not a long reach to the handlebars. The foot pegs are set at a reasonably comfortable angle; they are a bit high for my liking, but they are not very rear-set, which is a good thing. The overall build quality and the switchgear feel good enough.
The Ninja 400 continues to be powered by the same 399cc parallel twin motor from the earlier version, but the transition to BS6 has led to a difference in output. Power is down 4hp, to 45hp, while torque is down 1Nm, to 37Nm. Despite that, the Ninja 400 continues to be the most powerful motorcycle in its class, albeit by just 1.5hp over the 390 KTMs.
As such, the BS6 Ninja 400 is faster than the KTM RC 390 in all aspects. In our performance tests, the Ninja managed to do 0-100kph in 5.25s, while the RC took 5.85s. The Kawasaki is also quicker in terms of in-gear acceleration. However, it is worth noting that we tested the Ninja in dry conditions while the KTM was tested in the wet.
The engine itself is a tractable unit that has a nice and meaty midrange. It is refined with only some mild vibrations filtering through at higher rpms. Speaking of which, this engine really comes into its own near the top of the revband. It builds speed rapidly and sounds so sweet, it is addictive!
The smooth engine is complemented by a slip-and-assist clutch that feels seamless in its operation. Lever action is light, and it is a breeze to operate even in traffic. The gearbox itself is a slick-shifting 6-speed unit but misses out on a quickshifter, which some competitors offer.
Another area where the Ninja 400 impresses is its corner-carving ability. There is nothing new in terms of hardware — it continues with the same trellis frame, suspension set-up and Dunlop tyres as before, but that is no bad thing. The 400 feels light and agile on its feet and does not take much effort to tip into corners. Once you are in there, it feels stable, which inspires confidence. The grip from the Dunlops is just about adequate, but offer little feedback and this chassis deserves better tyres.
As for the suspension, it continues to run a non-adjustable telescopic fork and a preload-adjustable monoshock. While there is nothing to complain about, it would have been nice to see a modern upside-down fork on the 400, especially as its main competitors feature that. The ride quality in general is good as it feels quite compliant with most of our road conditions. Only the sharper bumps and larger potholes filter through and even then it is not uncomfortable.
In terms of braking, the Ninja 400 comes to a dead stop from 60kph in an impressive 17.13m. It lacks some bite initially, but has more than ample stopping power on offer.
Now, equipment is an area where the new Ninja 400 falls short. You do get LED headlights, a slip-and-assist clutch, dual-channel ABS and a semi-digital instrument cluster with an analogue tacho, which looks cool. Given its positioning in the market, however, it should have been equipped better. There is no traction control, adjustable levers, TFT display or Bluetooth connectivity, which is expected at this price in 2022.
In conclusion, there is a lot to like about the Ninja 400. It has got the looks, a refined and sweet-sounding motor, and a sharp chassis. There is, however, no getting around the gigantic elephant in the room — its price tag.
Priced at ₹4.99 lakh (ex-showroom), the Ninja 400 costs ₹Rs 1.83 lakh more than the better-equipped KTM RC 390 and a massive ₹2.34 lakh more than the value-for-money TVS Apache RR 310. In fact, because it is a CBU import, the Ninja attracts higher taxation in certain states. For example, it costs ₹6.80 lakh (on road) in Mumbai, and for that much you can get two Apache RR 310s. And this Kawasaki is not twice the bike the TVS is.
So unless Kawasaki manages to cut prices drastically or bring in some level of localisation, the Ninja 400, as before, remains a sweet motorcycle, but one that makes little sense.
