Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR: First Look in the Metal

Let’s take a quick look at the new Kawasaki ZX-4RR Ninja, which I went and ogled at my local Kawasaki dealer, MotoHUB in Castle Hill, Sydney, taking my camera along to capture the details in the metal… and plastic.

No test ride or review at this stage, the ZX-4RR is sold out locally until December, while the unwanted ZX-4R that’s still looking for a home isn’t a demo.

Pricing here in Australia is $15K ride-away for the ZX-4RR, with the standard ZX-4R priced at just under $14K and apparently not getting the same love as the RR, which receives upgraded suspension and the quickshifter out of the box, as well as the KRT colour scheme.

As a little background, we get the full power version here in Australia, which means it’s not a LAMS legal motorcycle for beginner riders, but we also didn’t cop a power restricted version like America and Canada, which means their version – performance-wise isn’t really all that much ahead of the Ninja 400 AND it’s way heavier.

As to the bike itself, the ZX-4R and RR are obviously a step up in production quality over the Ninja 400. A bit more solid overall, matching the heftier weight figure and bulkier overall feel, of the 636 from a hands on perspective.

Perhaps most interestingly is the fact that ZX-4RR isn’t full supersport ergos. The seat height is only 800 mm and I took the opportunity to have a sit on board. Not as tall as I thought, not as weighted onto your wrists, more like the Ninja 400 than 636 and I’d guess a more comfortable option than any of the real 600 supersports.

Peg position wasn’t a big standout, typically sporty, but not overly roomy, or tight, as far as the stretch between the seat and ‘pegs.

There’s a nice clear TFT dash, busier controls due to the electronics including ride modes and traction control, and you’ve got adjustment on the top of the right fork, for preload. The regular ole ZX-4R misses out on fork adjustment in contrast, and gets the lower spec shock too.

The quickshifter is an obvious bonus on the RR, and one I’d be reluctant to do without on this style of bike. Who am I kidding I want a quickshifter on everything now.

The exhaust is nicer than what we see on the Ninja 400s too, although looking across the showroom at a CBR650R, the headers are very utilitarian, where the Honda’s by contrast are a work of art. The ZX-4RR has its own unique appeal of course.

Taking a closer look, the frame is a trellis design, so not as sexy as the 636’s, the screen quite small and low, and we’re not seeing a fancier brake or master-cylinder setup, as we’d expect if the price was nearer the 636.

But this is an eye catching machine, iconically Kawasaki, and a step away from the increasingly same-same approaches we’re seeing in the market. Much like the H2 line in fact.

Obviously this isn’t going to be the top selling Kawasaki, these will have been brought in, in limited numbers, hence the demand and wait, but the move seems to have been a success.

Now I’ve just to hope a demo bike rolls into town and I get a chance to test ride one myself, and I’ll have a review up if that eventuates.

For now, this is a cool machine, and despite what the haters may say, deserves its time in the limelight.

It’s kind of crazy too, that the ZX-6R is still under $18k here in Australia, I kind of figured they might follow the market with the 2024 model and push the price up, for more breathing room for the ZX-4RR. Afterall the ZX-10R is $29K, and the supersport 600 segment is very much on the decline in popularity with pricing ever increasing it seems.

But nope, Kawasaki have kept the ZX-6R the most affordable option of the class, as far as I can tell. I’d have said the 636 was always the pick of the supersports too, for the road at least.

Anyway, if you like the idea of the ZX-4R and are in Sydney, head into MotoHUB to check it out, the regular version is still up for sale in the blacked out finish, and there’s a nice depth to that paint, it’s quite the looker really, just in the shadow of the KRT version.

Big thanks to MotoHub for letting me check out and record their ZX-4R and ZX-4RR:

MotoHUB Motorcycles & Accessories
Unit 7/4 Victoria Ave, Castle Hill NSW 2154
https://www.motohub.com.au

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