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The Inevitable Ninja 400 – It was Going to Happen

    What was the Ninja 250 missing? What what was the Ninja 300 missing? For that matter what was the Suzuki’s new GSX250R missing? The answer is just a little bit of displacement. Not much but just a little more squish space at the top of the cylinder.  It is what makes a bike that is entry level into a bike that is enjoyable for a far greater audience and, with the exception of a few riders, a bike that doesn’t have an expiry date because it is powerful enough to cover all the bases from commuter to weekend touring machine. The Suzuki GSX250R in some ways knew what was needed. The bike was big. It didn’t feel like a small bike but the engine – as fun as it was – had its limitations. But small displacement bikes were getting bigger …. 250, 300, 320, 390 and now 400 (399 to be specific). But this is going to be the sweet spot.  Where can you go from here without bumping into the already existing middleweight Ninja models. But here is the rub – we don’t know as of today whether Kawasaki will be bringing the new Ninja 400 with it new motor into Canada. We hope so but we also hope that it is still priced in the small displacement range. If it does arrive at Canadian dealers  expect to see the other manufacturers bump the displacement of their smaller offering.

    UPDATE

    The Ninja 400 is coming to Canada with a starting price of $5799 for the base model ranging up to $6399 for the ABS KRT edition. Kawasaki’s Canadian specs are:

    Displacement               399cc
    Type                                   4-stroke Parallel Twin
    Bore and stroke          70.0 x 51.8 mm
    Cooling                            Liquid-cooled
    Compression ratio   11.5:1
    Valve system                DOHC, 8 valves
    Fuel system                   Fuel Injection: 32mm x 2 (Keihin)
    Ignition                            Digital
    Lubrication                   Forced Lubrication, wet sump
    Brakes
    Front: type                    Single semi-floating 310 mm petal disc
    Front: calipers             Single balanced actuation dual-piston
    Rear: type                     Single 220 mm petal disc
    Rear: calipers             Dual-piston
    Overall length           1,990 mm
    Overall width            710 mm
    Overall height          1,120 mm
    Wheelbase                1,370 mm
    Ground clearance 140mm
    Seat height               785mm
    Curb mass**            164 kg
    Fuel capacity         14 litres
    Transmission          6-speed, return
    Final drive                Chain
    Primary reduction ratio 2.219 (71/32)
    Gear ratio: 1st           2.929 (41/14)
    Gear ratio: 2nd         2.056 (37/18) [
    Gear ratio: 3rd         1.619 (34/21)
    Gear ratio: 4th         1.333 (32/24)
    Gear ratio: 5th          1.154 (30/26)
    Gear ratio: 6th          1.037 (28/27)
    Final reduction ratio 2.929 (41/14)
    Clutch                        Wet multi-disc, manual
    Frame                         Trellis, high-tensile steel
    Wheel travel:front 120mm
    Tire: front                    110/70-17 M/C 54S
    Wheel travel: rear 130 mm
    Tire: rear                     150/60R17 M/C 66H
    Caster (rake)              24.7°
    Trail                               92 mm
    Steering angle (left/right) 35° / 35°
    Performance
    Maximum Power‡      36 kW {49 PS} / 10,000 rpm
    Maximum Torque‡    38 N.m {3.9 kgf.m} / 8,000 rpm
    Suspension, front        41 mm telescopic fork
    Suspension, rear          Bottom-Link Uni-Trak, gas-charged shock with adjustable preload

     

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