Riding The 2018 Kawasaki Ninja 400

Team Green’s new sportbike from home to office.

It’s no secret we’re always trying to get our staff to work a little harder. Especially the ones who always seem to have too much to say. “Write it down!” we always shout at each other. Zack Courts is a classic case, always arriving to the office after his commute with a bunch of opinions about the bike he’s riding. Anyway, it’s always too much this, not enough that, and occasionally has some decent insights that we thought might help consumers or entertain enthusiasts.

So we strapped a camera and microphone to his helmet and told him to turn it on when he leaves his house. A lot of his talking in his helmet is complaining about drivers, yelling at red lights, and wondering why billboards aren’t more expensive. But sometimes he actually talks about the bike, and those are the parts we keep. Got a bike you would like to see discussed? Let us know and we’ll send him home on that one next.

We test the best entry sportbikes from Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Suzuki, and Yamaha

Which Small Sportbike Should You Buy In 2018?
It might look a little lumpy, but remember that it’s a small engine—that means there isn’t a ton of thrust on tap overall. Practically, the power is easy to use but also exciting, especially above 9,000rpm.Motorcyclist Staff

It’s a dyno smackdown with the Ninja 400, RC390, YZF-R3, CBR300R, and GSX250R

Let’s See How The Ninja 400’s Engine Performance Stacks Up To The Class

Quick Specs

PRICE AS TESTED $5500
DISPLACEMENT 399cc
MEASURED WEIGHT 371 lb. (168 kg)
FUEL CAPACITY 3.7 gal. (14L)
SEAT HEIGHT 30.9 in. (785mm)
MEASURED HORSEPOWER 43.3 hp @ 9900 rpm
MEASURED TORQUE 24.6 @ 8250 rpm