Kawasaki Ninja 400 seems to make a noise with little sense

Overtly priced, but good looking. Sweet engine sound, but not as equipped as its competitors. So where does this bike win or loose?

After a two-year hiatus, Kawasaki brings back the modern and powerful Ninja 400 to India. The changes are incremental — largely a BS6-compliant engine — and we ride it to see what is what. 

Let us start with the design. In true Ninja fashion, the 400 is one aggressive-looking motorcycle. Despite no changes made to the styling, the angular fairing with those twin-LED headlamps and the slim tail section with that attractive LED tail-lamp makes it look rather menacing. A big change for this model is the adoption of a new livery, inspired by Kawasaki’s WSBK-spec ZX-10R. The bright green base colour together with the red-and-black touches and the KRT logos make it a head-turner for sure.

The riding position on the Ninja 400 is comfortable and it is not as committed as you would think given the way it looks. The 785mm seat height makes it approachable and there is not a long reach to the handlebars. The foot pegs are set at a reasonably comfortable angle; they are a bit high for my liking, but they are not very rear-set, which is a good thing. The overall build quality and the switchgear feel good enough.  

The Ninja 400 continues to be powered by the same 399cc parallel twin motor from the earlier version, but the transition to BS6 has led to a difference in output. Power is down 4hp, to 45hp, while torque is down 1Nm, to 37Nm. Despite that, the Ninja 400 continues to be the most powerful motorcycle in its class, albeit by just 1.5hp over the 390 KTMs.

As such, the BS6 Ninja 400 is faster than the KTM RC 390 in all aspects. In our performance tests, the Ninja managed to do 0-100kph in 5.25s, while the RC took 5.85s. The Kawasaki is also quicker in terms of in-gear acceleration. However, it is worth noting that we tested the Ninja in dry conditions while the KTM was tested in the wet.

The engine itself is a tractable unit that has a nice and meaty midrange. It is refined with only some mild vibrations filtering through at higher rpms. Speaking of which, this engine really comes into its own near the top of the revband. It builds speed rapidly and sounds so sweet, it is addictive!  

The smooth engine is complemented by a slip-and-assist clutch that feels seamless in its operation. Lever action is light, and it is a breeze to operate even in traffic. The gearbox itself is a slick-shifting 6-speed unit but misses out on a quickshifter, which some competitors offer.