Unveiled last year at EICMA, the Kawasaki Ninja 500 has been teased on the brand's social media platforms. The new middleweight motorcycle – powered by a liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine – is expected to go on sale in India in late March or early April 2024. Speaking of powertrain, the fully-faired Kawasaki Ninja 500 uses the same engine as the Kawasaki Eliminator 500, i.e. a 451cc parallel-twin liquid-cooled mill, which in the Eliminator churns out 45bhp at 9,000rpm. Meanwhile, the torque output stands at 42.6Nm at 6,000rpm, which is 4.6Nm more than that of the Ninja 400.
While the Ninja 500's engine is based on the Ninja 400's, it has been tuned to offer a broader torque spread compared to the Ninja 400. Besides, it has a larger stroke (58.6mm) and continues to come mated to a 6-speed transmission. The bore also remains the same at 70mm.
Kawasaki Ninja 500: Styling, Features
Based on a teaser video, the upcoming Kawasaki Ninja 500 gets sleek twin LED headlamps, layered full fairing, a small windscreen, clip-on handlebars, split-type seats, an LED tail lamp, and a swept-up tail section. However, the fuel tank design remains the same. In terms of features, expect the Ninja 500 to be equipped with all-LED illumination, keyless ignition, assist and slipper clutch, dual-channel ABS, and Kawasaki's Intelligent Proximity Activation Start System (KIPASS), depending on the variant selected.
The bike comes in two variants. The Ninja 500 standard variant comes with an LCD screen with phone connectivity, while the SE variant receives a 5.0-inch TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation.
Kawasaki Ninja 500: Hardware
Hardware-wise, the new middleweight bike uses a steel trellis frame, supported by a telescopic fork at the front and a preload adjustable mono-shock at the rear. The braking hardware, meanwhile, includes 310mm front and 220mm rear disc brakes, accompanied by dual-channel ABS. Tipping the scales at 171 kilograms, the bike rolls on 17-inch wheels wrapped in Dunlop Sportmax tyres. With a 785mm seat height, the bike is quite accessible for shorter riders.
Kawasaki Ninja 500: Price, Rivals
Kawasaki took the wraps off the Ninja 500, alongside the Z 500, at EICMA 2023. While the Ninja 500 is already available in the international market, it could be launched in our market in the coming weeks. The bike will likely arrive through a CBU route. If it does, expect it to be priced in the range of Rs. 5.20 lakh to Rs 5.40 lakh (ex-showroom). Once launched, it will compete with the likes of the KTM RC 390, Aprilia RS 457, and Yamaha R3.
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