The 2018 Kawasaki Ninja 400 KRT Edition.
The leapfrogging continues in the small-displacement sportbike class, and Kawasaki is taking the displacement lead with its new 2018 Ninja 400. Far from a bored-out Ninja 300 with a facelift, the 400 is new from the ground up.
At the Ninja 400?s heart is an all-new 399cc liquid-cooled parallel twin. It utilizes a downdraft intake with funnels that are at different heights, tuning out torque valleys, and has a larger 5.8-liter airbox, increasing intake efficiency and performance, especially at high rpm. The 32mm throttle bodies have oval-shaped butterfly valves that allow for quick throttle response, and intake and exhaust valve diameters were chosen for optimal performance at high rpm. Kawasaki says the Ninja 400 weighs 19.7 pounds less than its predecessor, and part of that weight savings is due to the new engine design, including aluminum die-cast cylinders, lighter pistons, forged camshafts and a new cooling system with minimal external piping. Read our 2017 Kawasaki Versys-X 300 first ride review
The non-ABS version of the Ninja 400 is available in this Candy Plasma Blue color scheme.
A new steel trellis frame was created for the Ninja 400 that uses the shortened engine as a stressed member and tightens the wheelbase by nearly an inch, to 53.9 inches. The die-cast aluminum swingarm was lengthened for stability and handling, and it bolts directly to the back of the engine, eliminating the need for additional bracing and further re...