I’m from the UK, Nottingham to be precise, and the land where Robin Hood performed his ancient archery antics. ‘We’ tend to say something is a ‘cracker’ when it’s exceptionally good. I’m not so sure if ‘we’ use this terminology in South Africa but you might see where I’m coming from, and it couldn’t be a more appropriate term for this attractive Ninja. It most certainly is a ‘cracker’ in the world of motorcycling!
The Ninja 400 isn’t a new bike and it’s been around since 2019 in these resplendent KRT (Kawasaki Race team) colours since then, however, it still attracts attention wherever it’s placed with the fetching ZX-10R looks. If it wasn’t for the large 400 stuck on the side of the twin-headlight fairing many people could be under the impression it was at least a 600. I’d have to agree because it doesn’t feel like a ‘mere’ 400 to ride.
The Ninja 400 SE did replace the Ninja 300 and it IS so much better, lighter as well, with an 8kg weight saving down to 168kg. The frame is different with a ‘H2’ type steel trellis frame, which is partly responsible for its terrific handling attributes -stable at all speeds and it changes direction as quick as Pac-Man. The suspension is also a major contributing factor, especially those 41mmm forks that, like the rear shock, are slightly sprung on the soft side, ideal for our road conditions, but not too soft as to disguise its sporting heritage. Let’s not forget the Ninja 400 tends to clean up the podium in the WSSP 300 class, and I can now see why.
Another highlight of the Ninja 400 SE is the 399cc, parallel-twin, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected engine, and a real peach to be exact. Kawasaki claim 44hp and 38Nm from their high-revving unit, so a quick visit to Noddy’s state-of-the-art Dynojet dyno was in order. The result was 42hp and 35Nm as seen on the graph, surprisingly close to the claimed figures, for once. The rider can see an indicted 13,000rpm on the analogue rev-counter whilst thrashing around, but in real life the rev-limiter arrives at just over 12,000. Still, that’s one ‘revvy’ engine in anyone’s books.
It’s not just about high rpm performance though as the Ninja 400 SE will happily pull from as low as 3,000rpm in fourth gear, and it will show close to 200km/h on the digital side of the clocks when you bury yourself behind the effective fairing. Now that’s more than impressive for a ‘400’ right? It’ll happily cruise all day long at highway speeds as well, with around 8,000rpm showing at those speeds. With such a high –revving engine you’d expect the 14-litre fuel tank to drain quicker than a liter of lager on a hot day, well you’d be wrong. It actually amazed me that it only used around six liters during my week of fun. I would guarantee that it’d go well past 300km+ on a tank full. With the shocking fuel prices, we’re enduring maybe this sort of motorbike is the way to go for experienced riders and commuters alike? Believe me, very few motorcycles can give the rider a bigger enjoyment buzz for less fuel than this particular bike, not to mention the reduced running costs regarding tyre wear and mechanical parts due to its capacity and weight advantages over bigger machinery.
With a price of R104,995 it’s also within many peoples reach. Don’t let the race bike image put you off either, because the ‘bars are set quite flat allowing the rider to deviate from a full race crouch, like the type found on their ZX-10R for example. Commuting, touring or racing the Ninja 400 SE will be more than happy to provide all three.
You’re probably asking if there are any negative points and there’s maybe one, the brakes. They’re fine most of the time but if you venture into full-on wild sporty riding, which is just about all the time due to the nature of the engine, another front disc would have been ideal. It only has one 310mm petal disc with a Nissin twin-piston caliper, apparently the disc is the same as found on their ZZR-1400, so it would have been a good idea to import the 1400 caliper as well. It’s not that the brakes are bad, it’s just the Ninja 400 SE demands better when ridden aggressively, which again is 95% of the time. The more sedate owner will never complain though, I’m sure.
With our ridiculous South African licensing laws, you can jump straight onto a supercharged H2 after a pathetic written test, which is insane and sometimes lethal, without the experience needed after years in the saddle. So experienced riders often ignore bikes like this because they’re too ‘small’. I couldn’t disagree more and after letting many of my friends, with large bikes, ride this 400 they came back with the same comments as myself. Like WOW! I’d love one of those in my garage for going to work, shopping and generally flying around with a constant smile on your face. The Ninja 400 SE is most certainly a ‘Green Cracker’ for sure, if you don’t believe me go and try one!
Go to: www.kawasaki.co.za to find your local dealer and to view their 2022 range.
Images by Sudoku.
