The “Slow” Inline-Four Sports Bike That Teaches You To Ride Like A Pro
Many enthusiasts have the wrong mindset when coming into a motorcycle purchase. While there is no denying the fact that there are motorcycles out there that you can simply buy once and keep forever, that is more of a commitment to enjoying the benefits of a smaller, lighter bike. For newer riders, getting a larger displacement sport bike too early is a sure-fire way to ruin your entire motorcycling experience.
The Supersport Class Has A New Approach Today
With tighter emissions regulations coming in over the past decade or so, we saw a gradual decline in the supersport class. Small displacement inline-four motorcycle engines are pretty inefficient when it comes to tailpipe emissions, and getting these engines compliant proved costly for manufacturers. In most cases, all the required changes resulted in a weight gain and a drop in power.
As a direct result of this, we saw several manufacturers roll out more efficient parallel twins and triples. These bikes are also all based on modular platforms, which brings down production costs. They are also a degree more practical, with more comfort-oriented ergonomics, but they are rather obviously missing that special “something.” The added theater of an inline-four screaming in your ear is precisely what Kawasaki wants to keep alive with the bike in question.
MSRP: $9,999
Few would have seen this coming. The Ninja ZX-4RR is one of the most unusual motorcycles currently on sale purely because of its engine. We thought the small-displacement inline-four was dead and buried, but Kawasaki found a way to keep this engine configuration alive. Although it is only a 400cc bike that costs just as much as some more powerful middleweight alternatives, to the right buyer it is well worth the added expense, offering a means to learn how to ride a proper inline-four sport bike.
The Ninja ZX-4RR Is Worth Buying For Its Inline-Four Engine
Power: 56 Horsepower
To the uninformed, $10k might seem like a lot of money for a 400cc motorcycle, but this is no beginner bike. It offers the full liter sports bike experience, just scaled down to a more affordable and manageable size. It does not make a lot of power lower down in the rev range, and you will be forced to learn how to keep the revs up, just without the fear of getting pulled over all the time. Even if you do get pulled over, it won’t have anything to do with speeding. They might just want to confirm that the bike is, in fact, street legal, down to how much noise the thing makes!
More Power For Track Rats
This is the main reason why the US version is down on power. In an effort to meet noise restrictions, the bike has been limited to a maximum RPM of “just” 11,500. In other markets, where it is allowed to rev up to 14,500 RPM, it makes closer to 80 horsepower. While this is a massive difference, the cold, hard reality is that its 56 horsepower is ample for regular road use. But if you want to convert it into a more dedicated track toy, an aftermarket exhaust and tune will unlock a lot of extra power.
This A Sports Bike That Actually Works In The Real World
While the Ninja ZX-4RR will never get mistaken for a practical motorcycle, it is certainly easier to live with than the ZX-6R or the ZX-10R. The ergos are not quite as racy as those sport bikes, and even when you do push it a little, you won’t find yourself accidentally breaking the law. It is the ideal sports bike compromise for the real world, and will be most at home on a decent canyon road. But if you are spending the extra cash on this RR model, then you most likely also want to take it to the track.
For most riders, the significantly cheaper base model will suffice. It offers enough of everything for real-world riding conditions, but if you are going to be using the bike as a track trainer of sorts, then it is well worth spending the extra cash. Over and above the usual fare, you get fully adjustable Showa suspension, a quickshifter, and a couple of color choices. The steel trellis chassis borrowed from the ZX-25R is already very good, but the added adjustability will help you set the bike up for your weight and riding style.
The 4RR Isn’t Beginner-Friendly, Though
Just when we all thought the supersport era had come to an end, with pretty much all the 600cc supersport bikes starved of important updates, we got this. It is an absolute gift of a motorcycle that will appeal to pretty much anyone looking to move up from their first motorcycle, or at least hop on their first real track bike. If we have not made it clear enough already, this is not a beginner-friendly motorcycle. No matter how approachable it may seem on paper, owning a highly strung motorcycle like this requires a certain level of dedication.
While it comes with modern electronic features like ABS, adjustable traction control, ride modes, and a modern TFT dash with smartphone connectivity, it is still a proper supersport. It requires your full attention, all the time, and if you miss a beat, it will still punish an inexperienced rider. But for more experienced riders looking to hone their skills on track, it is ideal. The high-revving little inline-four combines beautifully with the composed, lightweight chassis (415 pounds) to deliver an incredible riding experience.
The interest in this model only serves to underscore the fact that the supersport class is alive and well. There is still demand for motorcycles like this, but the difference between this and the new parallel mostly boils down to the use case. Those bikes are more practical and can double up as handy commuters, while the ZX-4RR is the kind of motorcycle that will make you a better rider.
Source: Kawasaki
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