The Kawasaki Ninja 400 is no longer on sale in India. The recently launched Ninja 500 has replaced the Ninja 400. Kawasaki recently took off the motorcycle from the Kawasaki India website.
Goodbye Ninja 400!
The Ninja 400 was launched to replace the lower-capacity Ninja 300, which was struggling in sales owing to its higher price. However, Kawasaki has managed to localize parts for the Ninja 300. The localization has helped reduce the price of the Ninja 300 to INR 3.43 lakh. It now makes sense to keep the Ninja 300 on sale even after it has been aging. The Ninja 400 on the other hand is a CBU (completely built-up unit) and was priced at INR 5.23 lakh ex-showroom. This was too high a price for a 400-cc motorcycle. This is why Kawasaki has decided to discontinue it in India
The Replacement: Ninja 500
For the enthusiasts who will miss the Ninja 400, they can go for the Ninja 500 instead. The price of the Ninja 500 is INR 5.24 lakh which is just a thousand more than the Ninja 400 it replaces. So for more or less the same amount, you’d get a more powerful and updated machine.
The Ninja 500 is equipped with a 451 cc parallel-twin engine that produces 44.7 bhp and 42.6 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox. The Ninja 500 borrows design from the powerful ZX-6R. It gets LED headlamps, a LCD display, slip-assist clutch, a 14-liter fuel tank, Bluetooth connectivity, etc.
While the Ninja 400 was an impressive motorcycle, it faced stiff competition in the market from motorcycles priced lower. The price was simply not justified. The Ninja 500 coming in at almost the same price makes a lot of sense, as it not only gets a bigger engine but also gets one more cylinder for that refined ride. The Ninja 500 now faces competition from the Aprilia RS457 which is slightly more affordable.
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