Beginner bikes have come a very long way over the last decade or so, so much so that you can actually make a pretty sound argument that some of them don't ever really need to be replaced.
One such bike is the Kawasaki Ninja 400, it is approachable enough for it to be your first bike, yet fun enough to keep forever if you so wish. In the past most of us would have learned how to ride on a little 125cc machine, before we graduate to a machine we actually want, but today there is no real need for such stepping stone bikes.
There is a wide selection of motorcycles in this segment now, but only a handful are really and truly worth getting excited about, and Team Green knocked it out of the park with this one.
10 Beginner Friendly
The small displacement Ninja started life as the 250R (above), from a little while ago, although fun it was pretty underpowered.
It first grew into the 300, and now it has evolved into the 400, without actually getting any heavier, in fact, the 400 is actually lighter than the 300 even though it is better equipped and substantially more powerful.
9 Approachable
It has a very reasonable seat height of 31 inches, which will allow most people to flat foot the bike without any difficulty.
It is a bike designed for just about anyone, but they have been very careful to make sure it is as accessible as possible. They have kept costs down in a few key areas, without making too much of a sacrifice, and have given it an ABS option to attract people looking for an entry level sportbike.
8 Feels Like A Sportbike
For those looking at getting their first sportbike, they will not be disappointed as it certainly goes like one and does a good job of feeling like one to ride, in a good way.
Sportbikes are usually really track focused, but the little Kawa finds a good balance between feeling aggressive but still comfy enough to ride every day.
7 Good Ergonomics
The key difference between this and their real supersport bike is the handlebars are raised a little, making it infinitely more comfortable without sacrificing the traditional attack position you need to get yourself into on a sportbike.
It is very much street focused, and for good reason, it aims to serve as a commuter as well as a track machine and won’t disappoint in either respect.
6 Trademark Ninja Design
It looks right at home on a Kawasaki dealership floor as the design mimics the ZX models to a tee, and looks especially striking in its KRT colors, but arguably looks even better in one of the more understated colorways.
Whichever your choice might be, it looks every bit a sportbike ready to take on the track or canyon roads.
5 Trellis Frame
Their choice to use a steel trellis frame is simultaneously a cost-cutting measure and performance-minded move.
It works well to keep the project within budget but does wonders for the rigidity of the machine too, and generally makes up for the below par suspension.
4 Fun And Flickable
There is no way around it, that suspension is a limiting factor and for those looking to do more track days will want to switch it out for something a little more premium.
But where the suspension fails the chassis succeeds, it compensates for the squishy suspension in a way that makes the bike feel composed in corners and still lets you make the most of its power.
3 Most Powerful In Its Class
In this class it most certainly isn’t all about power, but if you compare it to the gixxer 250 which has but only 20 horsepower to its name at a similar price it does become a little bit about power.
In fact, Suzuki is outclassed so badly that it now feels like a pretty bad deal if you already got that, but the real competition is a lot closer with the Ninja making around 44 horsepower and the KTM RC390 around 42, a little less power, but it has a better suspension and ABS as standard. The two bikes are so evenly matched it truly comes down to what color you prefer…
2 Affordable
Kawasaki will list a price of $5,200, but that is a bit of a fallacy, in truth you really should be getting the ABS equipped bike, which pushes the base price up to $5,700 and if you are after the latest KRT colorway then make that $5,800.
It is still exceptional value for money and blows most of the competition away, including internal competition…
1 Better Than The 650
If you were cross-shopping the 650 (above), don’t bother. The 400 is better in every conceivable way, it has more balance, it is more fun to ride and just feels more like a sportbike.
There is one contender you should be wary of though, if you are in a market that sells the new Ninja ZX-25R inline-4 (above), they are priced similarly but the little 250 is a legit little screamer that is well and truly worth considering.