Kawasaki recently teased the new Ninja 500, and now the motorcycle has been officially launched in the Indian market. Ultimately, it will replace the Ninja 400, which has been available for purchase in our country for a few years. If you are thinking about buying one, here are the top 5 features of this sportbike.
Aggressive style
With a strong, forward seating position, it maintains the ninja aesthetic. The angular, flaky fairing blends perfectly with the robust fuel tank. A sleek, upward-sloping tail section hides the sinister-looking split headlamps. Strangely, Kawasaki has decided not to introduce the iconic green color of the Ninja 500 in India and instead has only brought the black trim this time.
Powerful engine
An all-new 451cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine that produces 42.6 Nm at 6000 rpm and 45 bhp at 9000 rpm powers the Ninja 500. Not only are the performance figures better than those of its predecessor, the Ninja 400, but they also perform better than the Yamaha YZF-R3 and KTM RC 390. Surprisingly, with 46.9 hp and 43.5 Nm, the Aprilia RS457 remains the class leader.
Basic features
In terms of features, the Ninja 500 is the least feature-rich sports motorcycle in its class. The regular version, now available in India, has a negative LCD that can be linked to the rider’s smartphone to record the ride and receive mobile notifications. Other features include dual-channel ABS and slipper clutch.
Hardware
A steel trellis frame supports the Ninja 500 and features 17-inch alloy wheels supported by a mono-shock with preload adjustment at the rear and a telescopic fork at the front. There are disc brakes at both ends to handle braking. The diameter of the disc brakes is 220 mm at the rear and 310 mm at the front, respectively. Interestingly, the diameter of the front disc brake is slightly larger than that of the Ninja 400.
Price and Rivals
The price of the Kawasaki Ninja 500 is relatively high for its category as it is offered as a CBU (completely built unit). However, it is priced the same as the Ninja 400 at Rs 5.24 lakh (ex-showroom).
In terms of rivals, the Ninja 500 competes with Yamaha YZF-R3, KTM RC 390, and Aprilia RS457.
