The Kawasaki Ninja 400 is loved the world over thanks to its beginner-friendly nature, sporty styling, and versatility. Ever since making its global debut in 2017, Kawasaki has done little to update its entry-level sportbike, other than launch new color options here and there. While other bikes in the entry level 300-400cc class have begun adopting fancier tech, the Ninja 400 remained a barebones sportbike.
Now, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
As the age old saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Perhaps this is
one of the reasons why the Ninja 400 is so loved—it’s really just a no-frills
sportbike, just like its predecessor, the Ninja 250, which is arguably the most
popular beginner bike in the U.S. market. Having said all that, Kawasaki has
just recently unveiled new color options for the Ninja 400. Introduced
initially in the Chinese market, the sportbike now flaunts two additional
sporty tones—Twilight Blue and Deep Grey.
It’s interesting to see Kawasaki venturing
into a more colorful palette when it comes to the overall styling of its bikes.
When the Ninja 400 first launched in 2017, it was available only in Kawasaki
Racing Team (KRT) green, and Spark Black. The new color options speak to
Kawasaki’s initiatives to attract a younger audience, and get new riders into
the sport. While the KRT colorway of the Ninja 400 continues to be made
available, and is no doubt one of the most popular color options thanks to its
iconic status in WSBK, the two new colorways give the bike a more elegant yet
equally sporty aesthetic.
Apart from the restyled paint job, the
Kawasaki Ninja 400 retains the same formula as it did when it was first
launched nearly four years ago. Its 399 cc parallel-twin engine makes for a
tractable mill both on the street and on the track. Rated at around 46
horsepower, the bike is powerful enough to provide a spirited ride, while being
docile enough to be friendly to first-timers. Starting at just US$ 4,999, we
can expect these new color options to make it Stateside in the not too distant
future.