Team-BHP - The Kawasaki Ninja 400. EDIT: Launched at Rs. 4.69 lakhs

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Originally Posted by Fernang (Post 4392594)

Absolutely, couldn't have put it much better. But the general perception in Bangalore is that of the KTMs being a young guys bike. But it is so much more than that. The experienced riders or KTM riders can be recognised by their more responsible riding behavior. But, sadly, they are outnumbered by the hotheads. The first question from my colleagues at school when i turned up with the D390 was 'YOU have a Duke. Aren't you too old for that bike?' You cant change people's perception I guess. The only thing we can do is ride responsibly.

Tell me about it. Just yesterday I met some of my good friends who saw my new Duke 390 and asked what happened to my RE Electra. When I told them I sold it, they said that while the RE made me look mature this one just makes me look like a thug. Tried telling them that the RE is too slow and that's why I needed the upgrade but the consensus still prevailed that this is a bike for the college crowd and not mature professions

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Originally Posted by dkaile (Post 4415948)

5 x Ninja 400's delivered at Aurum Kawasaki, Delhi, in one go, yesterday.

Attachment 1772570

Cheers...

Interesting. Seems to have found more takers than the Versys X300, at similar prices. Initial deliveries itself match what the Versys sold in almost 5 months till date.

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Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR (Post 4416003)

Interesting. Seems to have found more takers than the Versys X300, at similar prices. Initial deliveries itself match what the Versys sold in almost 5 months till date.

Probably because it is much more capable in city and a much better looking bike. If Kawa had priced it more sensibly, it would have given them great numbers. Hell i would have given a serious thought to sell my RR and get this.

Ninja 400 takes on the RC 390 and the Honda CBR500R, and comes on top in this Motorcycle.com comparo -

(PS - RC390 still is almost there, and considering Indian prices - its an absolute no-brainer winner).

https://youtu.be/hSc3jtnkt-8

Yamaha R3 was not officially included in the comparison as its already lost out in the comparison last year against the Ninja 300, and is no match against the 400.

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Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR (Post 4419048)

Ninja 400 takes on the RC 390 and the Honda CBR500R, and comes on top in this Motorcycle.com comparo -

(PS - RC390 still is almost there, and considering Indian prices - its an absolute no-brainer winner).

Yamaha R3 was not officially included in the comparison as its already lost out in the comparison last year against the Ninja 300, and is no match against the 400.

If they can add rc390 to this list why not R3? It puts out 42 bhp to the crank. But these guys are talking about the output at wheel I guess.

Btw, as a 2017 RC390 owner, this video makes me so happy :D
Oh Kawasaki India, you priced ninja 400 on par with RC390 elsewhere and here you want twice the money!! Wasted opportunity if you ask me.

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Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana (Post 4419077)

If they can add rc390 to this list why not R3? It puts out 42 bhp to the crank.

Guess it makes lesser output in the US market, like the N400 too.

Here's the extract from their print version of the review. Full review here - http://www.motorcycle.com/shoot-outs...bikes-shootout

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Obligatory R3 disclaimer

Before we go any further, we can hear the racing fans shouting in protest because the Yamaha R3 isn’t here. They’ll say it’s also a contender in the little bike racing classes both at home and abroad. To that we say – yes, but rule changes are the reason the R3 is anywhere near the front. Rev limits and weight penalties have been added to the other bikes to help the R3 compete. Here in the real world, the R3 – while a great motorcycle in its own right – is simply outclassed in the power department. Plus, it hasn’t changed since we tested it in 2015, so there was no reason to bring it back.

We joined our pals at Trackdaz for their one and only trip to the Dry Lagoon every year. Coincidentally, Trackdaz is also sponsored by Yamaha, and the crew had a slew of blue bikes for their staff to ride. This included a couple R3s, giving us the chance to verify if we made the right decision to leave it out.

The conclusion? Yes. No matter who was riding, any of the bikes in our trio would leave the R3 in the dust (though the Honda did have to work a little harder to do it), the poor Yammie simply was unable to keep up in a straight line.

So I got a call from the dealership that the 400 was available for a test ride, and made some time yesterday to go and check it out. However, when at the dealership, they refused saying that they couldn't have made such a call, and that Kawasaki hasn't provided TR bikes at all. Anyway, a few points I noticed:

1. The bike comes in only one colour.
2. The only notable missing feature is ride-by-wire throttle, though since I didn't test ride it, I can't say how useful that might be.
3. I sat on it while it was mounted on a paddock stand. Holy hell is the seat uncomfortable. Even in the few minutes I spent on the bike, my rear started sending signals of pain to the brain. That was a first from amongst all the bikes I've test ridden so far.
4. I wanted to compare it with the 300 next to it, but the dealership had no 300s on the floor, or in the service area.
5. By now I've test ridden the Striple and the Ducati Supersport S, and the N400 felt like a toy to me. I don't like the graphics or the colour. Also, that quickshifter (on the DSS) is where it's at. It just makes the riding experience so videogame-y clap:
6. The bike, though light, is not small.
7. We gave it some ignition, and there was a noticeable "burble" to the sound, which wasn't the case with the 300, AFAIR.
8. The touring seat option is 35k, and it is just for the rider.

I'd still like to ride one though, but not sure what's going on. It's a 5.5 lac vehicle without a test ride and it's been more than a month since availability. Weird.

https://www.autocarindia.com/bike-re...st-ride-409530

ACI review is out..

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The Ninja 400 is an impressive motorcycle, one that is a big step up from the Ninja 300 – there’s almost nothing I can think of that the 300 does better. But I simply cannot understand Kawasaki’s pricing strategy here and there is no justifying the absurd Rs 4.69 lakh (ex-showroom) price. For perspective, this bike costs just Rs 37,000 less than the significantly more powerful Z650 and a whole Rs 1.95 lakh more than the Ninja 300 (both prices on-road, Mumbai). Clearly, the customer can’t see the sense in it either, because sales are at an absolute trickle.

The Ninja 400’s price simply has to reduce, and quickly too, because this is a genuinely charming bike, one that I could see many preferring over the harder-charging 650s. Reworking the CKD pricing to more realistic levels will help, but ultimately, Kawasaki needs to give this bike the localisation treatment too. If it can position the Ninja 400 much closer to the 300’s current Rs 2.98 lakh (ex-showroom) price and (I think the 300 should have been cheaper still, around Rs 2.5-2.7 lakh), the 400 will certainly gain a following. But for now, it’s just not meant to be.

I whole heartedly agree, they need to get priceclose to 5 lacs OTR, only then will it make sense.

The reviews all but confirm what I liked best about the N400. The 11nm of extra torque arriving at 2000rpm earlier than the Ninja 300 which is a surprisingly good commuter with its brilliant engine braking. I could get by without using the brakes, only using throttle modulation 90% of the times in traffic. I can only imagine how much better the 400 would be with its lesser weight and higher power!

Watching that video reminded me of what an incredibly-stupendously-astonishingly-breath-taking motorcycle the Ninja 400 is! It would have been the quintessential upgrade for all of us looking for a refined-reliable Japanese daily rider, with enough razzle-dazzle in the corners and on the highway to keep enthusiasts fascinated for years. Regrettably, Kawasaki are asking for a price that most of said enthusiasts are finding heart-wrenchingly burdensome to rationalize.

I’m sort of waiting for the RE Interceptor/Continental GT launch now. Not really interested in buying one (Ok, maybe very minutely interested), but I have a strong feeling that the pricing strategy of RE for the 650 twins will finally dissipate the prevalent perception that a twin-cylinder motorcycle must be exorbitantly priced. Perhaps, this will ultimately nudge Kawasaki to drive down their prices via local production.

In the meantime, they can drive down the douchiness of their dealers.

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Originally Posted by Shumi_21 (Post 4482720)

It would have been the quintessential upgrade for all of us looking for a refined-reliable Japanese daily rider, with enough razzle-dazzle in the corners and on the highway to keep enthusiasts fascinated for years.

How would the Z-650 figure in these scheme of things and if one has a budget of a Ninja 400, I am sure, the Z-650 is not that far away and will make a better choice to commute, tour upon.

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Originally Posted by Sheel (Post 4482863)

How would the Z-650 figure in these scheme of things and if one has a budget of a Ninja 400, I am sure, the Z-650 is not that far away and will make a better choice to commute, tour upon.

Well that makes a lot of sense. Leave alone the z650, people who like ninja 400 are definitely fans of faired motorcycles. So let's take Ninja 650 into comparison.

80k extra, and what do you get- 20 extra horses, 30Nm extra torque and of course way better rideability and cruising ability.

In emi terms it is less than a 1000 bucks a month difference. If one doesn't care about the fairing, the difference is just 30k and in emi terms it is nothing. So z650/ninja 650 anyday over this overpriced 400