Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1504322
RIDE REVIEW I 2023 KAWASAKI NINJA ZX-4RR P90 The 4RR is all-new, but you could be forgiven for thinking the spec sheet reads some- thing like the larger ZX-636. Items like ram air, fully adjust- able suspension, four-piston monobloc brakes, quickshifter, and a screaming 16,000 rpm redline is normally reserved for race-spec 600s, but all of it can be found on the 4RR for under $10K at $9699 for this KRT Edition (there's an extra base model for other markets that's not coming to America). The 4RR feels like it's a Ninja 400 that's spent too much time eating burgers and not enough time running, a bit like the guy writing this article. The chassis is a Ninja 400-style steel trellis number that runs the Hori - zontal Back-link and BFRC-lite shock directly off the swing- arm, so you get an exceptional feel from the back end despite the settings being on the soft side straight out of the box. The ride position is a near- perfect mix of sport bike and naked bike, with the clip-on handlebars mounted above the top triple-clamp. For a 6'1" tall rider like me, you can sit almost bolt upright on the freeways but still get behind the screen when you need to at your favorite backroad. Because you're only dealing with a claimed 414 pounds of curb weight, the little 4RR is exceptionally nimble. Running the 37mm inverted Big Piston Separate Function Inverted Fork, you can haul the 400 through corners with the kind of mid-corner speed 1000cc done as both ends are fully adjustable. Getting on the throttle, you hear something a bit differ- ent coming from the engine. It almost sounds like a mini F1 car! The throttle response is strong, and you hear that sound of the inline four- cylinder screamer engine. Picking up the pace and get- ting into faster turns seven and eight, you hear the engine come to life. It rides very smoothly and likes to be in the higher revs. The 10- 14,000 rpm mark is the sweet spot, but it took a few laps to find the right gears to utilize the power delivery. Helping to control and smooth the gear change is a slipper clutch to help stop the rear tire from hopping or skidding into corners, which can be dangerous if you're not comfortable with it, not to mention tiring. The front brakes on the ZX- 4RR feature a pair of 290mm semi-floating front discs mated to four-piston monob- loc calipers; Kawasaki claims the dual caliper setup makes for smoother braking and is worth the extra weight. It's an exceptionally easy bike to get used to. The power delivery is smooth and usable, and the chas- sis gives loads of feedback. Finding the sweet spot with the quickshifter and throttle combination took a few ses- sions to get down, but once it was understood, the bike was so easy to manage through the gears. Only once did we get the rear end to step out after five sessions, but after a few tweaks of tire pressure and rear suspension settings, we were good to go again. About 10 of us were on track at one time, and I swear I could hear the giggling and laughing at how much fun we were having on these little Kawasakis. If you are an ex- perienced track rider/racer, there's very little you need to do to make this an extremely fun machine. Likewise, if you're a new rider looking to improve your skills and want room to grow as you gain speed and confidence, this is also an excellent option. The first thing we'd do if this bike were ours is put a larger screen on it—after we've had our necks cracked at the chiropractor.