Is the Kawasaki Ninja 400 Outdated in 2023? 

My thoughts exactly. It's really a great machine at the end of the day. Not the fanciest but very very good!

Sorry but by that logic we would all still be riding horses.

@@MTBrider26 Not sure such an inane comparison and logic really belong in the same sentence.

@@MotoJournoKris as a journalist you should play the ball and not the man. But as a journo surely your have heard of reductio ad absurdum. My comparison was not 'inane' it is the logical although extreme inescapable conclusion from the argument being presented i.e the Ninja 400 is not capable of being improved. It was to show how absurd the premise was that was being made or reductio ad absurdum.

TFT.

I still love it, it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of some of the newer stuff, but it's great to ride!

That's an interesting inclusion, especially with the ride recording system. It seems like a cool idea, but bike mounted footage tends to be a bit on the meh side compared to helmet or even chest mounted, and onboard cameras would ideally want to be fairly close to modern GoPro quality and stabilisation. I guess for accident recording though, it's a big boon. That said, it runs TC, so maybe we'll see that also arrive on the other 400s soon. Looks like they've kept brakes and suspension simple.

Yea, I think it'll put real pressure on it, just being almost $1000 less here, so if it matches or exceeds the Ninja it'll really make an impact!

I have the cf Moto, my ninja 400 is by far a more quality machine.

@@Darbymitch101 Interesting!

Yep I think bikes end up a victim of their own success, while they sell well, updates can probably wait!

@@MotoJournoKris Never thought of it that way. Yeah you’re right, that makes a lot of sense. The Suzuki’s DR-Z400 comes to mind. Probably still carbureted, lol. Seriously if they had fuel injection I would’ve picked up the SM model. Honestly I go back-and-forth with that bike, because I would love a Supermoto.

@@dukie1616 Yea I was surprised they didn't update the DRZ to EFI, maybe due to emissions problems? The E was such a popular bike here, but the SM was awesome too.

The TFT seems an obvious inclusion at this stage, especially since it can be lifted off the 650 directly (probably along with the TC honestly). I think the exhaust issues are pretty universal on most of the bikes. The standard exhausts now are all pretty sad.

@@MotoJournoKris we can thank Euro5 for the sewing machine like exhaust sounds. 👎

@@marcusgeorge1825 Yea the noise restrictions out of Europe are a bit of a joke... Probably designed to give electric vehicles a leg up by trying to make ICE vehicles as boring as possible!

I've heard the LED assemblies can be a bit pricey to replace too, indicators maybe less so but a mate had a taillight fail and it was pretty expensive to replace. Definitely feels bad if your bike it outdated after a year, does make you wonder how many people upgrade every few years just for that reason!

The good thing about LED Lights is They dont Blow ,you would be very Unlucky if they failed & in Europe & UK The Lights are wired on all the Time So they are a Saftey Feature as well

@@jefflambert8603 Yep they should last practically forever, compared to globes.

I like the ZX-10R style too!

Lots of points that go the KTM's way, but I think the real world differences are probably much smaller than the spec sheet would suggest for regular everyday riders. The adjustable suspension is definitely nice, but on the road I'm not really sure there's a huge advantage (which may be me being lucky on weight, reducing the impact of the Ninja's lack of adjustability), particularly having a similar setup on my 401 to compare against. On the track it'd be a different story. Likewise brakes, the Ninja 400 setup does a great job there, despite the disadvantage. The electronics are a nice feature, if not really necessary on a small capacity bike. I'd have to test the Quickshifter+, as if it's similar to that seen on the 390 ADV I'm not sure I could really justify $400 and I'm a huge quickshifter fan. If it operates like the standalone systems on the bigger bikes it'd be a different story. How valuable the TC is will really come down to whether it saves you from your own foolishness, so that's likely to be huge or negligible with little in-between. If you're a tech head, or super into spec sheet battles the RC 390 is the undeniable winner of course. I think what's most impressive is how they've priced it, more than anything, despite all the extras, it's just so competitively priced. That said, for all that I'd say the Ninja 400 is a clear winner in the engine department, a good 10% more power according to independent testing, and I'd say a nicer engine character too, although the latter is somewhat subjective... Not that I'd complain if they updated the Ninja 400 with the adjustable suspension, or any of those other features!

That might be true for track use, but for the street, where 90+% of these bikes will be used? Most of the componentry is more than good enough. And the KTM is essentially a track bike. Which is why my local dealership can’t keep new N400s in stock, but has 6 new ‘22 RC390s on the floor w a $1000 factory discount. Also: the lack of a TFT is a huge point in the Ninja’s favor. I look at a damn phone all day. I don’t want to look at one on a bike.

Interesting points, I was actually looking between the new RC and ninja. Rode both and if I didn’t I would have gone for the RC. Spec sheet would have me making a false decision. Like what has been said above the ninja is just so much more comfortable with the riding position which is an advantage for everyday use. The suspension is great, again, for the road. The only reason (if you were to try both) to get the RC is if you want it for track use IMO. I hate to say it, but I’d rather a simpler bike if the reliability is better. I had a ninja 400 when they first came out and sold it. Regretted it, and I really wanted a new experience on a small sport bike, but the ninja 400 is just that good. I’m a small cc lover for the street, and I deem myself as an experienced rider of 23 years. I’ve had from the fastest to the slowest. Now I won’t purchase bikes over 650-ish cc. Fun, engaging, light, easier on tyres, won’t get me in as much trouble, cheaper on fuel, insurance and registration. That being said I think everyone should experience owning a powerful bike that’s 1000+ cc at some point in life.

Interesting but not unsurprising responses. All come down to yes the KTM is better....but... let's just ignore objective reality and choose the Kawasaki and pay the same price for way less. More power to you for that decision. It is after all a free choice you can make. The downside of course is that there is zero incentive for kawasaki to update its offering in any meaningful way other than different colour schemes each year. Why should they? KTM if trying to convince buyers with a much better value proposition than its rivals. With rusted on kawasaki customer's the ninja 400 will still be the same bike in 2030...all be it with a slightly different colour scheme.

On the power figures. You have to be careful when quoting them where they come from. The US 400 ninjas are 36kw but the bikes sold in AU are only 33.4KW. The KTM has 32kw and the same 37nm of torque as the Kawasaki. Both of which peak sooner than the kawasaki. The KTM is a fraction lighter than the Ninja. But the KTM has far less unsprung weight which as you know greatly aids acceleration and the ability to maintain momentum as well as provides considerable handling advantages.