Kawasaki introduces naked Z400 with Ninja performance

The Kawasaki Z400 is a lightweight, nimble, and stripped Ninja

It was only a matter of time until Kawasaki provided a streetfighter version of the Ninja 400 to update the Japanese brand’s Z line. This year, Kawasaki replaced the outgoing Ninja 300 with the new 400 to conform with Euro 4 regulations. Back in August, we saw that its naked counterpart was registered with the California Air Resources Board. Earlier this month, Kawasaki revealed the Z400, which carries over most of the Ninja 400’s canyon-carving features.

The 2019 Kawasaki Z400 is basically a Ninja 400, stripped naked. It gets the same 399cc parallel twin with 32mm throttle bodies — making around 44 PS at 9,900 rpm and 38 Nm of torque at 8,000 rpm. The Z400 is also built around the Ninja’s steel trellis frame, rides on 43 mm telescopic front forks, 17-inch wheels, a 310 mm front disc with a Nissin dual-piston caliper, and a 220 mm rear disc. It has standard ABS, a fuel capacity of 14 L, and a seat height of 785 mm.

Other than its lack of fairings, the most significant differences between the Ninja 400 and the Z400 are its tweaked styling and more comfortable riding position. The 2019 Kawasaki Z400’s has a seat height that’s identical to the Ninja. However, Kawasaki moved the foot pegs forward and provided wider handlebars to keep owners more relaxed.

The 2019 Z400 comes in two colors: Candy Lime Green with Metallic Spark Black, and Candy Cardinal Red with Metallic Flat Spark Black. MSRP is $4,799.