VOL. 55 ISSUE 7 FEBRUARY 21, 2018 P87
ter track weapon. This is still a
bike you need to rev hard if you
want ultimate, track-level per-
formance—around somewhere
like Sonoma Raceway you're
very rarely doing anything other
than full brakes or full throttle on
a little bike—but the ride is less
tiring, less intense than on the
300. This factor is no doubt a
byproduct of the slip and as-
sist clutch, fitted as standard to
the 400. You can bang down
the gears pretty abruptly and
the clutch will just take care of
business, reducing the chances
of the rear wheel locking up and
making corner entry smoother.
The engine is helped in that
it enjoys a beautifully smooth
throttle response—there's not a
lot of power being pumped out
so a smooth throttle should be a
given—and there are no variable
ride maps on the 400. Not that it
needs any.
(Left) New brakes are 20mm
bigger and offer much greater
stopping power. (Bottom) Unlike
many California-compliant
exhausts, the Ninja 400's isn't an
eyesore.
wouldn't give us official claimed
power and torque figures), the
Ninja 400 has a clear advantage
over the rest of the competition in
the spec sheet even before a key
is turned and a starter thumbed.
On the street, this translates
to a much easier bike to ride
than something like the outgoing
Ninja 300 or the excellent YZF-
R3, simply because there's more
midrange torque available over
a wider rev range. Here the 400
is a revelation, with good, usable
torque from 5000-9000 rpm,
meaning you don't need to rev the
parallel-twin as hard as its opposi-
tion it get meaningful drive, and
you more often than not find your-
self in a higher gear in the close-
ratio six-speed box than you'd
expect, letting the engine pull you
from corner to corner.
And to the sportbike rider's
delight, the extra capacity afforded
to the 400 also makes for a bet-
(Right) Notice
the little spoilers
on the front of
the fairing? Just
like the Ninja H2.
(Left) Three of
the four colors
you can have with
your new Ninja
400. The terribly
named Pearl
Solar Yellow/
Pearl Storm Gray/
Ebony bike (left)
looks great in
the metal.
