Autoportal India

Kawasaki has launched the BS6 version of Ninja 400 in India. After a brief period of absence, the motorcycle has been re-introduced at a starting price of Rs 4.99 lakh (ex-showroom).

The new price tag makes the Kawasaki Ninja 400 the most expensive offering in the segment, as it demands a significant premium over rivals like the KTM RC 390 (Rs 3.14 lakh) and TVS Apache RR310 (Rs 2.65 lakh). Also, it’s a whole Rs 1.60 lakh more expensive than its younger sibling – the Ninja 300.

In its new avatar, the motorcycle comes with a BS6-compliant 399cc parallel-twin motor, producing 45hp at 10,000rpm and 37Nm at 8000rpm, which is 1Nm less than that of the outgoing version. Among the competition, the motorcycle that comes close to the figure is the KTM RC 390, which outputs 43.5hp and 37Nm of torque from its 373cc single-cylinder motor.

Even in its new avatar, the Ninja 400 makes do with semi-digital LCD instrumentation, featuring an analogue tachometer with a neat 12,000rpm redline. Other notable features of the motorcycle include LED headlights, an assist-and-slipper clutch, an ECO indicator on the dash, and dual-channel ABS.

The Ninja 400 also has the lightest kerb weight in the segment, tipping the scales at just 168kgs. The motorcycle is underpinned by a trellis frame and has a very accessible seat height of 785mm. In terms of suspension, the motorcycle gets a telescopic fork (both its main rivals get USD forks) and a preload-adjustable monoshock.