- Eliminator 450 India launch around February-March 2024
- Kawasaki receiving a lot of enquiries for the bike
- To be the more accessible version of the Vulcan S
Kawasaki was expected to launch the new Eliminator 450 cruiser at the recently concluded India Bike Week event in Goa. Instead, the company launched the new W175 Street. On enquiring about the Eliminator 450’s India entry, we got to know that the motorcycle will be launched here between February and March 2024.
Interestingly, Kawasaki has been receiving a lot of enquiries for the Eliminator 450 from the Indian bikers. For a while now, the Japanese bike maker has been catering to cruiser buyers with the 650cc Vulcan S. However, many riders find it inaccessible, especially in terms of weight which stands at 235kg (kerb). Hence, the Eliminator, which weighs just 176kg, will enter our shores as the more accessible alternative to the Vulcan S.
The new Eliminator 450 is powered by a 451cc, parallel-twin engine which is essentially a longer-stroke version of the existing Ninja 400’s 399cc mill. The cruiser pumps out around 49bhp and comes mated to a six-speed gearbox. The Eliminator also gets 32mm larger throttle bodies along with a bigger 5.8-litre airbox as compared to the Ninja 400. It is underpinned by a steel trellis frame, rides on an 18-16-inch wheel combination, is suspended by telescopic forks and dual springs, and features a single disc brake at both ends.
Once launched, the Kawasaki Eliminator 450 will mainly compete against the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650. Now, it remains to be seen whether Kawasaki brings the Eliminator 450 to India via the CKD (completely knocked down) or CBU (completely built-up unit) route which will be the main factor influencing the pricing of the motorcycle.
