Kawasaki has a tendency to make bikes that nobody else would dare; the supercharged H2 family being a fine example. A couple of years back, the company pulled another big surprise when it launched a four-cylinder 250cc bike called the ZX25R and more recently, the company revealed a four-cylinder 400 called the ZX-4R. We can now report that the ZX-4R will be launching in India soon.
Both, the 250cc and the 400cc four-cylinder class were all the rage back in the 1990s, but they gradually died out due to the implementation of stricter emissions norms, and the growing popularity of larger 600cc and 1000cc machines.
Today, Kawasaki's small four cylinders are fully emissions compliant, and while the company never brought its 250cc model to India, the 400 will be here soon.
Kawasaki ZX-4R: more details
The ZX-4R is powered by a 399cc engine, which incidentally is the same size as the new gen 390 Duke. However, that’s where the similarities end and the little Kawasaki screams to over 15,000rpm on its way to producing a peak output of 80hp (with ram air assistance). That’s nearly double what the KTM produces and it’s a lot closer to the India-spec 87hp Honda CBR650R. On the other hand, the Kawasaki’s 39Nm of torque is nearly the same as the KTM and a far cry from the Honda’s 57.5Nm. Then again, at 188kg it weighs a whole lot less than the 211kg Honda.
The Kawasaki ZX-4R will launch in India in its base spec only and the higher-spec ZX-4RR and SE model will not make it here.
Braking is handled by twin 290mm discs at the front with Nissin four-piston radial calipers, although the rear gets an axial master cylinder. The rear disc is a 220mm unit, and dual-channel ABS is standard. Tyre sizes (120/70-ZR17 front and 160/60-ZR17 rear) are similar to the larger capacity, but less powerful Ninja 650.
The ZX-4R gets four preset riding modes – Sport, Road, Rain, and a customisable Rider mode, which allows the rider to adjust the traction control and power modes. On the SE and RR variants, a bidirectional quickshifter is standard, but this can be had as an optional extra on the standard variant.
The bike gets a familiar 4.3-inch Bluetooth-compatible, colour TFT dash, which enables turn-by-turn navigation and notification alerts. The dash also has a separate Track layout.
Kawasaki ZX-4R: expected price
Kawasaki India has already teased the bike on its social media and the launch is expected to happen in the coming days. The Kawasaki ZX-4R will be brought in via the CBU route and is expected to be priced between Rs 7-8 lakh (ex-showroom) in India, which will make it a rather exclusive machine.
Do you think that it could offer a unique and sweet riding experience on our roads or is the price simply too high? Let us know in the comments below