2024 Kawasaki Ninja 500 The Dynamic Lightweight
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When the Ninja 400 replaced
When the Ninja 400 replaced the Ninja 300 in 2018, its chassis and twin-cylinder engine were dramatically overhauled, so Kawasaki found no need to return to the drawing board for the latest update. Based largely on the Ninja 400, the 500′s increased engine capacity comes courtesy of a 6.8mm-longer stroke (bore is unchanged). Kawasaki claims the engine produces 31.7 lb.-ft. of torque at 7,500 rpm. That peak torque figure is not only 3.7 lb.-ft. greater thanks to a longer stroke, it also comes 500 rpm earlier in the rev range. To suit the increased capacity, Kawasaki revised the balancer shaft to quell vibration, increased clutch capacity, and modified the connecting rods, crankshaft, and piston (which includes an alumite surface treatment on the top ring land). The changes may not impress your mates at the local tavern, but added together, they attest to the incredibly thorough R&D that underlines Kawasaki’s commitment to performance, efficiency, and durability of its smallest Ninja.
The Ninja 500 uses a steel trellis frame with the engine as a stressed member; a die-cast aluminum swingarm mounting plate is bolted to the rear of the engine. Kawasaki claims the curb weight as 377 pounds. Suspension remains unchanged, with a nonadjustable right-side-up telescopic fork at the front and a preload-adjustable rear shock at the rear. The Ninja 500′s braking package is also nearly identical to its predecessor, save for an updated front brake master cylinder.
Kawasaki tweaked the styling for the Ninja 500, co-opting the Ninja ZX-6R’s LED headlights to create a new-look front-end. A new LCD instrument cluster and a reshaped seat continue the theme of “refine, refine, refine.”
The Ninja 500 has a lot going for it: It’s based on a proven and loved motorcycle, it has a greater engine capacity than most of its direct competition—and in some cases even an additional cylinder—and its friendly ergos and plush suspension make it a lovely streetbike. What it doesn’t have is the electronic rider aids of Cycle World’s 2023 Ten Best Lightweight Streetbike (the ZX-4RR), and—more critically—the 2022 winner of the same accolade.
Kawasaki is smart to offer the base model and SE model in order to cater to different preferences within the market, but we wish the higher-priced version had the tech that Kawasaki already has in its back pocket. If the SE was equipped with some level of electronic rider aids (other than ABS), it would be on a more even playing field with the best of the competition and offer a technological steppingstone to the ZX-4R or ZX-6R.
The Ninja 500 uses a steel trellis frame with the engine as a stressed member; a die-cast aluminum swingarm mounting plate is bolted to the rear of the engine. Kawasaki claims the curb weight as 377 pounds. Suspension remains unchanged, with a nonadjustable right-side-up telescopic fork at the front and a preload-adjustable rear shock at the rear. The Ninja 500′s braking package is also nearly identical to its predecessor, save for an updated front brake master cylinder.
Kawasaki tweaked the styling for the Ninja 500, co-opting the Ninja ZX-6R’s LED headlights to create a new-look front-end. A new LCD instrument cluster and a reshaped seat continue the theme of “refine, refine, refine.”
The Ninja 500 has a lot going for it: It’s based on a proven and loved motorcycle, it has a greater engine capacity than most of its direct competition—and in some cases even an additional cylinder—and its friendly ergos and plush suspension make it a lovely streetbike. What it doesn’t have is the electronic rider aids of Cycle World’s 2023 Ten Best Lightweight Streetbike (the ZX-4RR), and—more critically—the 2022 winner of the same accolade.
Kawasaki is smart to offer the base model and SE model in order to cater to different preferences within the market, but we wish the higher-priced version had the tech that Kawasaki already has in its back pocket. If the SE was equipped with some level of electronic rider aids (other than ABS), it would be on a more even playing field with the best of the competition and offer a technological steppingstone to the ZX-4R or ZX-6R.
2 ماه پیش
در تاریخ 1403/03/03 منتشر شده
است.
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