Kawasaki Ninja 400 and Z400 make a comeback

Two of Kawasaki’s stand-out A2-licence compliant 400s of recent years are making a surprise return this summer.

The popular Ninja 400 sportster, which in preceding 300cc form was a championship winner in the highly competitive WorldSSP300 series before being dropped in 2021, is headed back to the UK, as is its ‘naked’ roadster sibling, the Z400 as first introduced in 2019.

Both are powered by a liquid-cooled, parallel twin producing 44bhp and 28ftlb of torque which has now been made Euro5-compliant.

As before, the sporty Ninja 400 has styling inspired by its superbike brother, the Ninja ZX-10R but with a more relaxed, novice-friendly riding position, Z H2 style tubular steel trellis frame, assist and slipper clutch and powerful 286mm front disc brake.

The Z400, meanwhile, is based on the same engine and chassis but with naked, Zed family ‘Sugomi’ styling but in a more manageable, upright roadster style.

Both will be available from mid-August with the guide price for the Ninja 400 being £6250 and the Z400 £6000.