Kawasaki has discreetly launched the Ninja 400 in the country at Rs 4.69 lakh. The all-new supersport was speculated to be launched at the 2018 Auto Expo but Kawasaki disappointed the fans by not even showcasing it at the event. However, Kwacker has redeemed itself by bringing the full-blown, non-tampered with variant to India that makes 48bhp and 38Nm, unlike most of the other countries which get the detuned variant.
The all-new 399cc, parallel-twin engine on the Ninja 400 gets a compression ratio of 11.5:1 along with a larger airbox, helping it churn out class leading figures. To put that into perspective, the KTM RC 390 makes 43.4bhp. However, the Ninja is slightly heavier than the RC 390, thanks to an additional cylinder and it’ll be interesting to see which one comes out on top in the 0-100kmph sprint. Our folks at at Fast Bikes UK were quite impressed by the Kawasaki’s practical yet funky nature and we can’t wait to put the two against each other. Kawasaki claims that it packs in 40 per cent more torque (at 8,000rpm) than the Ninja 300 it replaces. It gets a 6-speed gearbox as standard as well. Kawasaki India has not yet confirmed whether it comes with a slipper clutch, yet.
The Ninja 400 should be more agile than its 300cc sibling with its 24.7deg rake angle and a shorter wheelbase. The chassis is lighter and stiffer as well and that makes it heavier than the 300 by just 1kg. You also get a 310mm-220mm disc setup at the front and rear, respectively. Kawasaki hasn’t mentioned about ABS on its website, but we’ll update the story after the confirmation.
The pricing is slightly on the higher side and is almost double of the RC 390. The recently updated Yamaha R3 will save you over a 1.2 lakh rupees over the Ninja 400 as well. Would you still pick up the Kwacker? Let us know in the comments section below or head to Twitter and join the conversation @FastBikesIndia.