2023 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R vs. Ninja 650 - Same price, key differences! Full in-depth comparison! 

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Great choice! I like both of these bikes, but I think you're right. If you know what you want in a bike, you'll probably know which of these is right for you. I love them both, but for different reasons.

ZX-4R and 650 are the same price in Canada. 10 000 $CAN MSRP

Wow. Ninja 650 overpriced or is it ZX4RR is good deal there? Which is it?

Hes talking about the ZX-4R not the double R

Your comment is spot on 👌 The sound doesn't do anything good for the otherwise excellent bike 😢

Well it seems here in Canada good luck getting one, at least for a while until the hype dies down. I dunno if the dealer allocations are so tiny because they don't understand the demand, or if they want it to be a rare exclusive edition...

I did that a little bit last summer when I was filming outside. Sometimes the audio of a revving engine doesn't really film that well, so there are things that I leave to other videos who do a better job of those things. Having said that. A bike like this, part of it is the sound, so I'll try to get it on audio. The Black ZX-4R did sell and deliver yesterday though, so I'm down to my very last ZX-4RR for the year now.

puig windshield

That'd be pretty cool to have, especially when manufacturers are multiplatforming motors now.

You should watch the video. 😉

@@PeterLoweOne definitely commented without watching hahaha

@@NiteFPS He keeps calling it sport bike through the whole video, so idk if we watched same video.

People can't critically think anymore. The 650 is awesome and the zx4rr is too. These are the exact two I'm torn between

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Or you take it down a dirt road.

Yeah. I drove a Versys 650 for years and it didn't have traction control, it was fine. I will say though, that as you drive this bike aggressively, knowing it's there could help some people feel more comfortable as they find it's limits at peak power, when shifting gears.

@@PeterLoweOne Granted, but I had one for 2 years on stock tires with full exhaust and she never got away, not even close while ripping through the gears. The top end is not very strong, so as long as you have ok throttle control to handle the torque at low speed in 1st, there is no risk sliding. Even pulled accidental small wheelies in 1st at lights, that was fun :)... now got the z900 SE...damn happy it has KTRC...

@@xy4859 I moved from the Versys 650 to the Z900RS SE. I loved my Versys, but I love the new bike too!

..the ZX4 rr engine is not set up for doing that (roll-on from lower speed/ higher gear). You have to rev the engine high for passing power! The Ninja 650 is better for that (40-50kph in 5th or 6th gear) ..A new Ninja 500 is coming to India soon to replace the Ninja 400, and costs almost 1/2 the price of these 2 bikes !

@@PopsRacer61 Thank you, but am keen on 4 cylinders for the sound. Ninja 500 is just 2 cylinders which wouldn’t sound sweet.

@@SenthilShetty27..I've owned a Ninja 650 since 2018 and absolutely love the bike. I never liked the sound or the aftermarket mufflers either, especially at idle. But when riding, the sound of the engine is nice! In 2024 I will buy the Ninja ZX4 r ...because I miss the sound of 4 cyl. I'm keeping the 650 bcs I have room for a few more bikes..

@@PopsRacer61 That’s great. I have owned Z650 before, I loved its practicality and performance, just hate its exhaust this sold. Now confused to finalise between ZX4R and Z900

@@SenthilShetty27..a very good friend of mine has the Z900 ! I rode it, and it's very comfortable, and faster than the Zx4 r of course. He put a wind screen on his and blocks the wind ! The ZX4 R is more fun in the twisties and around the city or track. The Z900 is very good in a straight line but more comfortable than the ZX4 !

I can see myself buying the ZX4RR simply because it would be all the engine I would ever need to have the fun that I want. But you're right, if you have a ZX6R, you really need to think about why you would want a ZX4R. The Ninja 650 is a great bike with more comfort than both of the 6R and 4R. Thanks for watching!

on straights ? it cant 👍🏻 even restricted smoked ninja 400 on straights 👍🏻

For you maybe. Let's be clear, the 400, 4 cylinder engine will make more horsepower. But watch the video to see why people may want one over the other.

I disagree as someone who owned an N400 and switched to an N650 recently. I like the lower end torque on the street, I really don't want to live at 10k+ RPMs all the time to wring usable torque out of the 4R. Also, the N400 was just physically too small and I'm not even a huge guy. Felt more like a toy... perfect for the track obviously but even though it's all most people NEED, the N650 feels a lot nicer and more planted, especially on the interstate. What I wish they'd make is an N750 triple... best of all worlds except top end horsepower which doesn't really matter in the real world.

much more lowendtorq vs lil more topend power if you are 100% race type guy yea zx4 r is better , but trust me as daily after test ride 9 out of 10 test rider would choice 650 lil more upright position + much stronger lowend and lower rpm for most people be enough reason for get 650 instead of this 400 😁👌🏻+ fast launch on zx4 r so each time you start from light comapre to 650 is nightmare 🤭 you must spin engine 2 times more and slide clutch 4 times more for get the same launch 🤭

@@itstomjohnson One thing to remember is that wringing out the Ninja 400 or Ninja 650 to the upper reaches of the rev range is a very different experience than doing the same with a supersport 4 cylinder bike. You may find that you enjoy it on a bike designed to make power up there.

​@@PeterLoweOne Exactly, Peter, torque beats BHP in most real world driving scenarios 👍

There are aftermarket pipes for it, but your choices will be limited with that style. If you google search, you should be able to find the options. I've heard a few and they sound decent.

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I think some people will like the 650, and you might be one of them, I definitely think the 4RR serves a purpose, and those who want it will love it, but there's no question the market for the 4RR is a smaller market.

There are a lot of Ninjas that are good for shorter riders. Choosing between them may have more to do with your experience or your other preferences, more than height. If you're newer to riding and shorter or light weight, the Ninja 400 has always been my recommendation and I would consider the all new Ninja 500 as it's a direct replacement for the 400.

I'm waiting to see the 2024 ZX-6. Once it arrives, I'll have videos of it up.

In short, the bikes computers tell it to stop making more horsepower at 11,500 rpm and I guess that keeps the sound of the bike just within the limits allowed for a new motorcycle. Without that computer limitation, it would continue to build more horsepower as the revs build and would top out at a higher peak horsepower near 16,000 rpm. Since Kawasaki is limiting the power due to a regulation, they won't instruct people how to get around that, but we know that aftermarket companies often help reprogram motorcycle computers, often with new exhaust systems in order to build more power, and that would seem to me like it would be a common thing for users to do with these bikes to unlock their full potential. That would move the responsibility of too much noise from Kawasaki, to the individual owners.

@@PeterLoweOne I fail to understand how the sound is suppressed from 11.5 to 16k. ????

@@mv4075 Obviously it must be? I didn't design the bike, but that's what Kawasaki is telling us was done to meet regulations. You may want to reach out to Kawasaki to get a better answer.

@@mv4075 The ZX4 has an electronic throttle, so throttle at the grip isn't the same as throttle at the actual throttle bodies. After 11.5K, it starts closing the throttle. Full throttle is louder than partial throttle.

@@mv4075 at low RPMs bikes are always quieter.. duh

I see some videos where the ninja 400 is faster than the zx25r so imagine the zx4r

if u have some extra money, go for zx4rr. Unless you love 250cc bike, zx25r is the answer. But me personally, i would go with zx4rr.

Ninja 650 is longer.

Paint it? This ZX-4R is available to Canadians, but my guess is the country is likely sold out of them already.

@@PeterLoweOne oh for me it has red stipes and stuff

I film in Canada. Canadian prices can be found at www.kawasaki.ca

About 6 feet tall

​@@PeterLoweOnewhich of these do you think would best suit a 6'3 person 😅

@@frankwoods9680 either one. The ZX-4RR is going to be a bit more compact as that's the riding position in the class. I know taller riders who are comfortable on the Ninja 650 though. That's definitely a great choice!

@@PeterLoweOne awesome, thanks!

Great question! It's the "eco" indicator. It tells you that you're driving economically. My Z900RS SE has the same thing, and if you look really closely, you'll see that the 3 circles are actually the lower case letters e-c-o

​@@PeterLoweOne Keeping the riding style within those ECO circles, the mileage gets down to really surprisingly low levels 👍