Oh really, thanks! I'm still trying to improve my setup but I'm glad you like it. That's a GoPro Hero 5 Session mounted to the side of my helmet, and a GoPro chest mount.
I wish they had gone with the dash from the Ninja 400 instead of the Z650. I mean, it's great looking and all, certainly one of the best looking LCD screens, but nothing beats a tach with a true pointer, both in looks and visibility.
Yea I struggled to tell what the tach was showing, as even though it's right up the top, I didn't find it highly visible. I think it would be better at night, but the old school clock is hard to beat.
That is a good review. I got mine before the plague hit, so not many miles yet, But so far, I agree with you on everything you said. I've only had big bikes, and they are getting too tiring to ride in the urban area I live in. I've never had a road bike this small, but I am totally loving riding this bike. It goes were you look, no drama, turns in like a motocross bike! I don't think someone can go too far wrong with one of these, especially at they price.
Yep, especially when you consider the price, they are pretty exceptional little machines. Hopefully when things get a little more back to normal you'll have plenty more opportunities to ride.
Is that a pre release bike you were testing???? The Australian bikes don't have a fairing part at the bottom of the engine like your one does, looking at the picture on Kawasaki Australia site..
I actually didn't realise until later that was an accessory, which was my bad! The bike came for testing with a number of accessories (cowl, screen, rad guard, crash posts, spools, tank protectors, and that belly pan/cowl), but I somehow missed that particular one. I only came to the realisation when I looked at the official pics, when pricing up all the accessories, and realised the same thing, doh!
in regards to the seat, it is just as you describe it. For short runs it's perfect. Put over 25 miles in one ride - like I did and your butt starts to feel it. The Ergo seat would be an improvement, but aside from the higher seat height, you have to consider the fact you will be changing the angle of your back and arms, putting more strain on them. For me with a bad back and hand numbness (thank goodness for Grip Puppies!) the cushion would be a bitter sweet trade off. Just food for thought.... BTW, I love my Z400. I outfitted mine with the same accessories as the one in the video - with the exception of the rear seat delete. I just don;t like the looks of it.
Oh nice! I've got the pillion seat cover on the Ninja 400, and not being able to just throw the pillion seat back on is a real pain. Plus with a rack on the back, you barely notice it. I still haven't got a more comfortable seat, but every time I go for a long ride on it, I wish I had! You're right of course though, it'll change the overall ergonomic of the bike.
Kris, Cb500F vs Z400? You and I are identical size and leg dimension. It NEEDS to be able to cruise at 80mph on the highway between twisty fun. What do you think?
I think the only 300-400 class machines I felt struggled a bit cruising on the highway in that region of speed was the Honda 300s, but that was years ago, the 500s would do it easily. You may just be revving them a fair bit, but that shouldn't be an issue! I do think the CB500 gives the bigger bike feel however!
Thanks for the vid! Might have been talked about already but have you reviewed the MT03 at all... if not, have you ridden one? What are your thoughts? Thanks
I haven't tested the 2020 model yet, but I tested the previous generation a few years ago and found it a great bike. It shares the same engine characteristics as the R3, so not as torquey as the Z400/Ninja 400, but incredibly smooth and very linear, with a slick gearbox and great top end. For basic suspension I found it well sorted for me at 70kg, with a good braking package if not quite as powerful as on the Kawasakis. I'm interested to see how the 2020 model stacks up though, as it looks like there'll be some improvements there to mirror the changes we saw on the R3.
Is the upright handle bars that much different then the ninja 400,is the handling the same, I plan on getting one of the to next year,,I had dirt bikes when I was younger, so I'm sure the handle bars on the z400,are close to that,but I like the lookes of the nija,
From a mounting perspective they are almost at the same point, just the Z400 bars are flatter, where the Ninja 400 are a bit more down swept for that 'clip-on' feel without actually being proper clip-ons. There's some small ergonomic differences but nothing crazy.
@@MotoJournoKris thanks for the reply, would you say there is much of a power difference, even no there the same motor,would love to se side by side in a quarter mile with these 2 bikes,I'm kinda leaning towards the ninja. Stay safe.
@@rippingj6017 Crouched in behind the fairing on the Ninja is going to net you a bit more top speed if you're really pushing things, just thanks to aerodynamics.
Totally forgot to get a standalone piece with the exhaust, but I'm working on getting an exhaust for my Ninja 400 and I'll do a comparison. Unfortunately most of my onboard had terrible wind noise, so I had to cut the audio.
Same as the Ninja 400, both are restricted to 35kW here in Australia, so around 47hp. In the US people have dyno'd them a little higher as there's no restriction.
Moto Journo Kris yeah..I sat on it at my local showroom a couple days ago to test my “fit” compared with the ninja 400. Both bikes my right boot was partly riding on the exhaust..I wear size 13 =(..I’m also 6’2 220lbs lol. But I really want a 400cc range motorcycle
@@zaxazva I'd recommend planning to get an aftermarket slip-on exhaust with either of these machines to be honest, to give them a proper exhaust note, but that's frustrating.
@@MotoJournoKris It is definitely loud, but it is throaty and low which I love. I don't know if you listened to the audio on my videos but they show the difference to some degree. I am still breaking in the bike so I haven't been able to crack the throttle yet.
I found the throttle response very good generally, my only gripe was the transition onto engine braking at times on a closed or closing throttle, which can be a bit harsh, probably as the fueling cuts off and when the slipper clutch doesn't come into play.
@@ilhamsabirin4673 I think it depends on the rider. Personally I'd say there's enough performance to have plenty of fun in the long term, but there are people who need 100 hp+ to get that feeling, and others need 200.
That seems a little high, however if it's a brand new bike that may be a contributing factor. I think around 4-4.5L per hundred km would be the norm on the Ninja 400, which is more like 55mpg, but there's a bit more wind protection. It also depends how hard you're riding to an extent. Does it have an aftermarket exhaust or fuel module? Those can see fuel efficiency drop.
@@theresonly1truth138 Thanks, I initially tried riding around it, and being less aggressive or running a higher gear or two, but in the end I found being a little more aggressive seemed the best solution. It's one of those quirks that'll probably only be noticed if you're commuting or cruising casually in specific conditions, as if you're having some fun it's rarely noticeable because you're generally already in that sporty mindset.
@@perry8498 Yep it's typical of a nakedbike, the bars are taller and flatter than on the Ninja 400, and you're not stretching for them, if you're a similar height to me (180cm) at least.
@@MotoJournoKris not bad, I am thinking of trading in my Cb500f for this due as I'm beginning to feel the weight of the Honda which is about 20 kilos more. Power wise not much difference so will give it a try ASAP. Thanks! 👍
Normally street fighters are sportsbikes that have been stripped back in a nakedbike conversion, but we see a bit of overlap with the factory options sometimes being called the same thing.
The only problem is they sound like poo. But they slaughter most cars, cheap insurance, cheap tyres, do freeway speeds with ease, and use bugger all petrol. An ideal cc bike. And that's from a brand new Kawasaki triple owner, who's owned many extremely powerful Kawasaki bike's. A 400 is all the bike you need.
Yea they are awesome little bikes. We've got an Arrow slip-on on our Ninja 400 and it sounds better, but nowhere near as good as a four, triple, or even a 270-degree parallel-twin with a similar exhaust.
Kawasaki what is up with these fugly ugly compliant hideous exhaust, everybody spends money to replace them with aftermarket, who is lining whose pockets.......