2024 KAWASAKI ZX-4R
It’s not often nowadays that we get a totally new sportsbike launched. It’s even rarer that we get a totally new class of sportsbike launched. But Kawasaki has done just that – and in the dank, miserable depths of winter too, just to cheer us up further. And here it is – the 2024 Kawasaki ZX-4R. A new minisuperbike, in 399cc form, based on the current 250cc ZX-25R, which has been around in SE Asian markets for a few years now. Okay, we know that ‘Japanese inline-four 400cc sportsbikes’ isn’t a completely new class – but it’s 24 years since you could last buy one new in the UK, so we’re taking that as a proper start over, sue us (please don’t sue us).
Not that anyone will be in the mood for litigation when they see this little charmer. It’s like a full beans ZX-10R megabike, but in 2/5ths scale. It thumbs its nose at all those sensible teacher’s pet parallel twins out there, with their 47bhp and standard A2 licence compatibility, their nerdy little twin firing orders and their economical running and sensible colour schemes. Here’s a proper sportsbike, with a screaming 16-valve DOHC motor, making 80bhp in stock form, and just begging to have the head skimmed, a race pipe fitted and the rev limiter mapped out with a rusty laptop, before being thrapped around the place until the Dunlop GPR300 tyres, and your brain, are completely fried. It’s got a super-short stroke layout of 57x39.1mm, a fairly low compression ratio of just 12.3:1, and the rev limit is ‘around 15,000rpm’. The specs don’t tell us about the electronics, but it’ll have a smart ride-by-wire fuel injection setup, and a moderate set of rider aids (you’re not going to need slide control, ten-stage traction or any of that old pony with 80bhp, we hope…)
Okay, the chassis belies its roots, with a slightly commuter-y steel trellis frame and aluminium swingarm. But there’s proper twin 290mm front brake discs with four-pot radial calipers, USD forks, and a ZX-10R-style horizontal rear shock linkage setup. Tyre sizes are proper ‘mini-superbike’ too, with a 120/70 17 front and 160/60 17 rear.
The chassis spec is where the main differences are on the ZX-4R model variants. The base bike comes with an non-adjustable Showa front fork using the firm’s SFF-BP Separate Function Fork - Big Piston setup, and the rear shock is also Showa. The ZX-4R SE and ZX-4RR variants get preload adjustment on the forks, and the RR gets a higher-spec rear shock, using Showa’s BFRC-Lite (Balance Free Rear Cushion) technology. SE and RR also get an up/down quickshifter as standard, and the SE gets some extra bolt-ons like a USB socket, smoked windscreen and crash protectors on the frame.
It’s not a total lightweight, at 188kg wet, which is the only tiny blot on the spec sheet. Fair enough, an inline-four motor is going to add a chunk of mass, but you have to think the steel frame is a little bit of a missed opportunity. It’s all about costs as well of course: a cast alloy frame would shed a couple of kilos no doubt but would also add a load of production overheads, perhaps ruling the bike out as a serious proposition altogether. Of course, there’s also all the modern Euro5 emissions gubbins to fit – we bet the exhaust weighs nearly as much as the engine – and once you pop that in your green recycling wheelie bin, things will no doubt look much sharper.
Fancy it? Well you’ve got a bit of time to get saving. There’s no word on price as yet, but you’d expect something near the likes of the Yamaha R7 (£9k or thereabouts). The
Ninja 650 twin costs around £8k but is 10bhp down and 15kg up on the 4R. Meanwhile Aprilia’s RS660 is over £10k but has near 100bhp and is 5kg less than the little Kawasaki.
Whatever the price is, we’ll find out in the autumn, when the new ZX-4Rs will hit these shores. And we cannae wait to throw a leg over one of these wee beasties!