2019 KAWASAKI Z400 ABS
FIRST REVIEW
P90
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New riders are central to a big
push from Kawasaki with the 400
who are presenting the new bike to
market at a starting MSRP of $4799.
The lower cost of insuring small
displacement motorcycles, plus the
current boom in naked-bike styling,
should prove profitable for the green
crew as it now finally has a foothold
in the lower capacity bike segment
with which to compete against the
likes of naked-bike class stalwarts
KTM and their 390 Duke and Hon-
da's recently released CB300R.
What's Been Changed?
In short, not a great deal. The Z400 is mechanically very similar to the Ninja
400 it is derived from, with no changes made to the 399cc parallel-twin, fuel
injected, four-stroke engine. Kawasaki doesn't give power or torque figures,
but you can expect around 42 hp in Z guise as everything from the intake to
the crank is the same as you'll find on the Ninja 400 sport bike.
The chassis is the same as the Ninja starting with the trellis steel frame
with the engine used as a rigid stressed member of the chassis. Kawasaki
is claiming a featherweight 363 pounds curb weight for the Z, although it's
still a touch heavier than the 390 Duke, which claims a wet weight of 360 lb.
The Z does have an extra cylinder, so we'll forgive it for that.
(Upper left) The
dash is easy to
read, but it's
annoying having
the gear position
indicator in the
center of the dash
rather than where
the speedo is.
(Right) It's got a
face kind of like
the Freshman with
an attitude.
(Above) The seat
unit is slim and
svelte, but the seat
padding at the
front can cause
rider underwear to
disappear directly
up the clacker.
(Right) Mr. Wing's
capture of Team
Green symmetry is
nearly flawless.
