Kawasaki Ninja 500: Top 5 highlights

After teasing the new Ninja 500 recently, Kawasaki has finally launched the motorcycle in the Indian market. It will eventually replace the Ninja 400 that has been on sale in our country for a few years now. In case you’re considering purchasing this sportbike, here are its top 5 highlights.

Aggressive stance

Aesthetically, it stays true to the Ninja heritage with an aggressive, front-squatting stance. The sinister-looking split headlamp nestles in an angular and layered fairing which blends seamlessly with the muscular fuel tank and a svelte, upswept tail section. Strangely, Kawasaki has refrained from launching the signature green colour of the Ninja 500 in India and has brought just the black trim for now.

Potent engine

Powering the Ninja 500 is a new 451cc, liquid-cooled, parallel-twin motor that produces 45bhp at 9000rpm and 42.6Nm at 6000rpm. The performance numbers are not only higher than its predecessor, the Ninja 400, but they also outdo the KTM RC 390 and Yamaha YZF-R3 on paper. Interestingly, the Aprilia RS457 is still leading in the segment as it makes 46.9bhp and 43.5Nm.

Basic features

The Ninja 500 is the most underequipped motorcycle in its segment on the feature front. The standard variant, which has entered India, gets a negative LCD which can be connected to the rider’s smartphone for mobile notifications and riding logs. Other features include an assist and slipper clutch and dual-channel ABS.

Traditional hardware

Underpinned by a steel trellis frame, the Ninja 500 rides on 17-inch alloy wheels that are suspended by telescopic forks up front and a preload-adjustable monoshock at the rear. Braking is handled by a disc brake at both ends with diameters of 310mm and 220mm at the front and rear, respectively. Notably, the front disc brake is slightly larger in diameter than that of the Ninja 400.

Steep price

Since the Kawasaki Ninja 500 is available as a CBU (completely built-up unit) product, its pricing is quite steep for its class. However, at Rs. 5.24 lakh (ex-showroom), it’s the same as the Ninja 400.