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Hey folks,
I thought I'd post this in here in case any of you north of the border are contemplating moving up to the new 400R. Hopefully Kawasaki will offer this to our American friends in the future if the bike is a sales success here in Canada.
I've had the bike for almost 2 weeks now, and have put on 330kms mostly commuting to work and running errands around town.
I'll continue to post here as I get more time on the bike, and if I encounter any problems of issues with it.
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2011 NINJA 400R REVIEW
Ok, before I start with the review, let me give a little background on my 2 wheeled experience. I've been riding for the last 26 years on everything from a Honda Elite 125 to a CBR 600F3 and F4, a CBR 125, and a BMW G650 XCountry. I'm not a motorcycle expert, just an enthusiast. The majority of my riding in the last few years has been commuting to work, which is 18km round trip on mostly 100kph highway. I also do some riding with my friends, who are cruiser and adventurer touring riders, no sportbike guys here. I'm also 6ft and 190lbs.
SPECIFICATIONS
MODEL Kawasaki Ninja 400R
PRICE $6999.00 CDN
ENGINE Liquid-cooled four-valve parallel-twin
HORSEPOWER (CLAIMED) 44 @ 9,500 rpm
TORQUE (CLAIMED) 27 lb-ft at 7,500 rpm
DISPLACEMENT 399 cc
BORE AND STROKE 68.4 x 54.3 mm
COMPRESSION RATIO 11:1
FUEL DELIVERY Fuel-injection
TRANSMISSION Six-speed
SUSPENSION Telescopic 41 mm fork; single shock adjustable for preload
WHEELBASE 1,410 mm (55.5 in.)
RAKE/TRAIL 25 degrees/106 mm
BRAKES Twin front 300 mm discs with twin-piston calipers; rear 220 mm disc with single-piston caliper
TIRES 120/70-17 front; 160/60-17 rear
WEIGHT (CLAIMED) 203 kg (448 lb)
SEAT HEIGHT 790 mm (31.1 in.)
FUEL CAPACITY 15.5 L
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Why a 400? I went to high school in the late 80's when the RZ350, NS400, and the 500 Interceptor were popular, and I loved those bikes, but unfortunately my parents were dead set against anything like that coming into our house (when you are under my roof you will follow my rules). What do you do when you are 16? Hang out at bike shops, drool over bike mags, and dream a lot. So maybe I'm trying to relive a lost youth in my 40's. Also the 400R was $1200 cheaper than the 650, and my insurance is $200/year cheaper than my old G650.
I bought the bike at the Power Store in Saint John, New Brunswick, great bunch of guys, and were a real pleasure to deal with. Prompt returning phone calls and emails. The bike retails for $6999, and I got it for $6499.
The bike is fuel injected so there is no choke to mess with, and it fires up on the first push of the starter. The bike is very quiet, which is good when I'm headed off to work in the wee hours of the morning.
The bike has a fairly low seat height, and the saddle is firm, I'm thinking for long journeys I'll be using my Airhawk seat cushion. I have short legs for my height so distance to the footpegs is comfortable for me, if you have long legs, it might be a tight fit. The reach to the bars is nice, with a good upright position, very similiar to the FZ6R. The one thing I don't like are the mirrors, all I get is a nice view of my elbows, I have to tuck in my elbows to see whats behind me. It's because the mirrors are mounted low on the fairing.
Weather protection is good behind the windscreen, and the speedo and gauges are easy to see. The tach and fuel gauge are a bar graph, and there is odo, two tripmeters, plus a clock. I really like the set up. I fly airplanes for a living, and all the instrumentation in our aircraft is graphical, so I'm used to looking at that kind of presentation instead of typical dials. Some may not like it.
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So what's it like to ride? In a nutshell, fun. The first 4 gears are pretty short, so accelerating up the road requires a lot of shifting. The bike moves along rather quickly, and generates good power in the 4000 to 7000 rpm range. It seems happy in that range, and is great for around town riding. The bike is fairly peppy, responses well to a twist of the throttle, but don't expect any arm snatching acceleration like a 600 supersport. On the highway it cruises comfortably at 120kph and 7000rpm, however more than once I went looking for another gear accelerating to speed. Passing slower traffic is not a problem, and I wouldn't hesitate taking this bike for an extended highway trip. Wind buffeting is noticeable, but tolerable. I may try out the Kawasaki spoiler windshield that adds an additional 2" of height when I go on a big trip.
The bike handles very well, it's light and flickable and easy to manoeuvre at slow speeds, while still remaining stable and well planted on the road. It's confidence inspiring. I rode the bike in the rain A LOT, and never did it feel like I was going to lose traction, even under heavy braking.
Overall the brakes have a pretty good feel, and they bring the bike to a stop rather quickly when needed. I am a big believer in ABS, and I wish all bikes had them. Maybe the next version of the Ninja’s will come ABS equipped.
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Our roads in the Saint John area are in terrible condition, ruts, potholes, etc. The suspension is a little harsh over the rough stuff, and it gives you a good full body jolt. However once on the smooth pavement it's really nice and of course aids in the nice handling of the big 400. Engine vibration is very minimal, it’s a little noticeable at 7000rpm, but then it goes away as engine RPM continue to increase. It’s not as smooth as 4-cylinder bike, but much nicer than the single I just had.
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I can't comment on the fuel economy just yet, I have 250kms on the first full tank, so I'll have to update that later.
If you are looking for an economical fun commuter, or all around affordable sporty bike with usable power this would be one. I'd definitely recommend it to a confident beginner that is on the bigger side, that would like a full sized bike.
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The more I ride the bike the more I love it. The big 400 just does everything well, without the crazy power and acceleration that can get you in trouble, either with the law or put you in the ICU. I and most riders don't have the skills to ride a 600 supersport to its limits, and public roads are not the place to attempt it either, so this 400 is most bike most riders will ever need.
Once my kids are older and don’t want to be around dear ol’ dad all the time, I’ll get a bigger bike for some long distance touring, maybe a Concourse or 1200RT, however the 400 will remain in the garage as the go to commuting bike.
I thought I'd post this in here in case any of you north of the border are contemplating moving up to the new 400R. Hopefully Kawasaki will offer this to our American friends in the future if the bike is a sales success here in Canada.
I've had the bike for almost 2 weeks now, and have put on 330kms mostly commuting to work and running errands around town.
I'll continue to post here as I get more time on the bike, and if I encounter any problems of issues with it.
2011 NINJA 400R REVIEW
Ok, before I start with the review, let me give a little background on my 2 wheeled experience. I've been riding for the last 26 years on everything from a Honda Elite 125 to a CBR 600F3 and F4, a CBR 125, and a BMW G650 XCountry. I'm not a motorcycle expert, just an enthusiast. The majority of my riding in the last few years has been commuting to work, which is 18km round trip on mostly 100kph highway. I also do some riding with my friends, who are cruiser and adventurer touring riders, no sportbike guys here. I'm also 6ft and 190lbs.
SPECIFICATIONS
MODEL Kawasaki Ninja 400R
PRICE $6999.00 CDN
ENGINE Liquid-cooled four-valve parallel-twin
HORSEPOWER (CLAIMED) 44 @ 9,500 rpm
TORQUE (CLAIMED) 27 lb-ft at 7,500 rpm
DISPLACEMENT 399 cc
BORE AND STROKE 68.4 x 54.3 mm
COMPRESSION RATIO 11:1
FUEL DELIVERY Fuel-injection
TRANSMISSION Six-speed
SUSPENSION Telescopic 41 mm fork; single shock adjustable for preload
WHEELBASE 1,410 mm (55.5 in.)
RAKE/TRAIL 25 degrees/106 mm
BRAKES Twin front 300 mm discs with twin-piston calipers; rear 220 mm disc with single-piston caliper
TIRES 120/70-17 front; 160/60-17 rear
WEIGHT (CLAIMED) 203 kg (448 lb)
SEAT HEIGHT 790 mm (31.1 in.)
FUEL CAPACITY 15.5 L
Why a 400? I went to high school in the late 80's when the RZ350, NS400, and the 500 Interceptor were popular, and I loved those bikes, but unfortunately my parents were dead set against anything like that coming into our house (when you are under my roof you will follow my rules). What do you do when you are 16? Hang out at bike shops, drool over bike mags, and dream a lot. So maybe I'm trying to relive a lost youth in my 40's. Also the 400R was $1200 cheaper than the 650, and my insurance is $200/year cheaper than my old G650.
I bought the bike at the Power Store in Saint John, New Brunswick, great bunch of guys, and were a real pleasure to deal with. Prompt returning phone calls and emails. The bike retails for $6999, and I got it for $6499.
The bike is fuel injected so there is no choke to mess with, and it fires up on the first push of the starter. The bike is very quiet, which is good when I'm headed off to work in the wee hours of the morning.
The bike has a fairly low seat height, and the saddle is firm, I'm thinking for long journeys I'll be using my Airhawk seat cushion. I have short legs for my height so distance to the footpegs is comfortable for me, if you have long legs, it might be a tight fit. The reach to the bars is nice, with a good upright position, very similiar to the FZ6R. The one thing I don't like are the mirrors, all I get is a nice view of my elbows, I have to tuck in my elbows to see whats behind me. It's because the mirrors are mounted low on the fairing.
Weather protection is good behind the windscreen, and the speedo and gauges are easy to see. The tach and fuel gauge are a bar graph, and there is odo, two tripmeters, plus a clock. I really like the set up. I fly airplanes for a living, and all the instrumentation in our aircraft is graphical, so I'm used to looking at that kind of presentation instead of typical dials. Some may not like it.
So what's it like to ride? In a nutshell, fun. The first 4 gears are pretty short, so accelerating up the road requires a lot of shifting. The bike moves along rather quickly, and generates good power in the 4000 to 7000 rpm range. It seems happy in that range, and is great for around town riding. The bike is fairly peppy, responses well to a twist of the throttle, but don't expect any arm snatching acceleration like a 600 supersport. On the highway it cruises comfortably at 120kph and 7000rpm, however more than once I went looking for another gear accelerating to speed. Passing slower traffic is not a problem, and I wouldn't hesitate taking this bike for an extended highway trip. Wind buffeting is noticeable, but tolerable. I may try out the Kawasaki spoiler windshield that adds an additional 2" of height when I go on a big trip.
The bike handles very well, it's light and flickable and easy to manoeuvre at slow speeds, while still remaining stable and well planted on the road. It's confidence inspiring. I rode the bike in the rain A LOT, and never did it feel like I was going to lose traction, even under heavy braking.
Overall the brakes have a pretty good feel, and they bring the bike to a stop rather quickly when needed. I am a big believer in ABS, and I wish all bikes had them. Maybe the next version of the Ninja’s will come ABS equipped.
Our roads in the Saint John area are in terrible condition, ruts, potholes, etc. The suspension is a little harsh over the rough stuff, and it gives you a good full body jolt. However once on the smooth pavement it's really nice and of course aids in the nice handling of the big 400. Engine vibration is very minimal, it’s a little noticeable at 7000rpm, but then it goes away as engine RPM continue to increase. It’s not as smooth as 4-cylinder bike, but much nicer than the single I just had.
I can't comment on the fuel economy just yet, I have 250kms on the first full tank, so I'll have to update that later.
If you are looking for an economical fun commuter, or all around affordable sporty bike with usable power this would be one. I'd definitely recommend it to a confident beginner that is on the bigger side, that would like a full sized bike.
The more I ride the bike the more I love it. The big 400 just does everything well, without the crazy power and acceleration that can get you in trouble, either with the law or put you in the ICU. I and most riders don't have the skills to ride a 600 supersport to its limits, and public roads are not the place to attempt it either, so this 400 is most bike most riders will ever need.
Once my kids are older and don’t want to be around dear ol’ dad all the time, I’ll get a bigger bike for some long distance touring, maybe a Concourse or 1200RT, however the 400 will remain in the garage as the go to commuting bike.
)
