The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R Could Be The ULTIMATE Four-cylinder Entry-level Sportbike
With the potential to produce more power than the twin-cylinder 500s the ZX-4R could even take on a couple of 650cc bikes
by Punya Sharma, on LISTEN 02:41Love it or hate it, electrification is happening as we speak and it’s more a matter of when, not if, as we see the big guns jump aboard the EV train.
However, Kawasaki’s ideology seems a bit different than the rest, as the Japanese bikemaker is trying to whip up some flabbergasting internal combustion engines before it electrifies its portfolio.
A prime example of this is the four-cylinder Ninja ZX-25R and now, it looks like Kawasaki will soon back it up with a 400cc iteration, the Ninja ZX-4R.
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R - What To Expect?
The prime talking point of the Ninja ZX-4R is its engine.
It is expected to be an up-specced version of the Ninja ZX-25R’s 250cc, four-cylinder mill, and could potentially churn out as much as 60 horsepower. Considering the ZX-25R already produces 44 horsepower, this doesn’t sound too hard to achieve either.
In addition, the bump in the engine capacity will also help Kawasaki tweak the engine to meet stricter emission norms, which the current ZX-25R fails to do, thus catering to a wider set of customers.
Owing to its powerful heart, the Ninja ZX-4R will not only have rivals in the 500cc segment but it’ll even punch above its weight to rival bikes within the Kawasaki stable, like the Ninja 650.
Powerplant aside, the ZX-4R will be nothing short of tech-savvy too, probably borrowing a sizeable chunk of modern electronics from the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R. Not to mention, the TFT instrument cluster would also be part of the package.
As a bonus, the Ninja ZX-4R could look like a mini-ZX-10R too, and if Young Machine’s renders (which are pretty accurate mostly) are anything to go by, the ZX-4R will be a sure shot eye-candy in the 250-500cc space.
To wrap it up, all this sounds pretty darn impressive, and it just goes to show that Kawasaki wants to extract every ounce from its internal combustion engines before going the EV route.
All we can do for now is wait patiently for the Japanese giant to uncover this banger and stir up the competition. Plus, let’s hope Kawasaki exports the ZX-4R to international markets as well, instead of keeping it limited to Japan as they did with the ZX-25R.
Source: Young Machine
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