I
t was only a matter of time before
Kawasaki's popular naked-style
Z400 grew some muscle, and that
time is now. The all-new Z500 ABS
"supernaked" is here with not only
more power but sportier looks. Not
to mention there are several other
new nuggets to make living with the
Z500 that much better.
While the outgoing Z400 was liked
and endeared by many, it was high
time for a refresh. The most signifi
-
cant upgrade is its engine. The Z500
is now equipped with Kawasaki's
latest-generation sub-500cc eight-
valve, DOHC, parallel-twin power unit,
delivering more power and perfor
-
mance. It's the same motor that's in
the new 2024 Eliminator and 2024
Ninja 500. Technically, the engine is
a 450 (okay, 451), not a 500, but 500
sounds better, so Kawasaki ran with
that for its name, and surely, Z500
owners won't mind that it did. The
engine's foundation hasn't strayed
far from the previous 399cc engine,
but it has been stroked from 51.8mm
to 58.6mm (a 6.8mm bump) using
the same 70.0mm bore, and there
are several mods ranging from the
very beginning of the horsepower
assembly line to the very end.
P122
RIDE REVIEW I 2024 KAWASAKI Z500 SE ABS
THE POPULAR ENTRY-LEVEL KAWASAKI Z400 IS
Going
BY KIT PALMER I PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN WING
