1987 Kawasaki Ninja 400
1987 KAWASAKI NINJA 400
RIDING IMPRESSION
Kawasaki's answer to the Hurricane
FOR ALMOST THREE YEARS, ONE bike has been the clear sales leader among all sportbikes: Kawasaki’s Ninja 600. The fastest and quickest of the 600s, the Ninja also has offered an excellent balance between handling, power and comfort, which—along with a memorable name and the right lookhelped it to become the class favorite. Nonetheless, the current design has begun to wear a little thin, making Kawasaki aware that a serious reworking was needed if a Ninja were to remain at the head of the class— especially now that Honda’s Hurricane 600 is out on the streets and trying to pick a fight.
But fear not, Kawasaki fans; a new 600 Ninja is on the way. This soonto-be-announced 600 is merely a larger version of the new 400 Ninja recently released in Japan. And by knowing how that bike performs and handles, you can get a sneak preview of what to expect from the new 600 when it finally reaches the States.
Expectations were that the new 400/600 engine would incorporate some 750 Ninja-level technology, such as lighter valves opened by individual rocker arms; but that’s not the case. Even though the level of performance is improved, the engine is remarkably unchanged. To provide better breathing, the airbox is bigger, and the intake manifold has been altered to allow an almost straight shot from carburetors to valves. Both changes, in concert with a higher compression ratio, give the engine more mid-range power and better throttle response. And attention to detail in the engine has enabled an overall reduction in its weight. New connecting rods are narrower and lighter, for one thing, and the pistons have shorter skirts and thinner wristpins. The clutch-release shaft now uses needle bearings, and the radiator is larger to deal more efficiently with potential overheating problems.
But while the engine isn’t all that different, the rest of the new Ninja 400 has undergone more substantial alterations. The chassis now uses Kawasaki’s Featherweight Alloy and Steel Technology (FAST) frame that utilizes a steel, double-cradle main frame with an aluminum two-piece subsection for the seat. Dual-piston calipers on each of the two front disc brakes are connected to an anti-dive system, giving stronger, more positive stopping than before, while providing the rider with better feedback.
Still, by far, the biggest difference in the new 400 is its styling, which features all-new body panels of a rather surprising shape. On all of the other bikes in the Ninja line, the body panels are sensuously rounded to curve and flow around the mechanical parts of the bikes, covering most or all of the engine in the process. But the bodywork on the new 400 and 600 has hard edges, pointed corners and sharp lines, and it doesn’t totally enclose the engine. Still, Kawasaki claims that the new machine has a more slippery shape than the older one, and that the bike’s performance benefits from the improved aerodynamics.
That hard edge is for looks only, though, because functionally, every bit of harshness evident on the old Ninja has been removed, making this new machine much more comfortable and rewarding to ride. On the track, that translates into a bike that feels slower and decidedly softer than the previous version; it has a smoother engine and a more compliant suspension that make it easier to ride briskly. For full-on racing, however, the soft suspension in particular may prove to be a handicap; but most Ninjas seldom, if ever, turn a wheel on a racing circuit.
Instead, it’s on the street where most of the improvement with the new Ninja is noticeable. There, the bike is vastly more comfortable and spread-out than before. When pushed really hard in turns, the Ninja tends to wallow a bit due to its soft suspension, but that is only at very high speeds. Otherwise, it displays fine manners with quick, responsive steering and a wonderfully smooth ride.
If the 400 is any indication, the new 600 should prove to be a worthy opponent for the Honda Hurricane. The new Ninja is not destined for glory at the racetrack, but then, it wasn’t designed to be; it was designed to be a more comfortable and competent sportbike than it was before.
And for Kawasaki fans, it should also serve notice that Hurricane season will soon be over.
—Kengo Yagawa
