MOTOFOODIE

The 2024 Kawasaki ZX-4R is a ‘ UNICORN🦄 ’ – a motorcycle that shouldn’t exist in the age of dying sportbikes. I am ecstatic, that it does!

Kawasaki have been ‘super-daring’ and deserve ‘utmost respect’ to produce such an unusual motorcycle in the current times – it’s the only 400cc inline-4 supersport on the market and I am very grateful to my stars to experience one.😊🙏

The 2024 Kawasaki ZX-4R is great fun, loves to rev, is easy to ride and forgiving too. 

Inheriting the great handling manners and hooliganism from its elder siblings – the ZX-6R and ZX-10R, the 2024 Kawasaki ZX-4R is a motorcycle – new sports bike riders are going to love just as much as old sports bike riders looking to remind themselves of what flat-out really means.😍

Engine:

It is the ‘Koh-i-Noor’ of the ZX-4R! 

Powered by a liquid-cooled 16-valve inline-four 400cc engine producing a sweet 75BHP – it is an absolute screamer and sounds like music to my ears!

What’s really impressive is the flexibility and the dual nature of the engine:

• Docile, easy to use and tractable the motor while gliding through traffic at 30 kmph
• Ballistic, banshee screamer revving upto 15,000 RPM

Handling:

This ‘Koh-i-Noor’ engine is housed in an equally ‘Precious-Chassis’ – a steel-trellis frame that delivers razor-sharp, ‘nimble supersport-style handling’ on the ZX-4R.

Suspension:

The front suspension is 37mm Showa Separate Function Big Piston fork with adjustable preload only.

The rear is a Horizontal Back-link, gas-charged shock with spring preload adjustability

The stock suspension setup is very plush and comfortable to tour and commute.

A fully-adjustable front and rear suspension is throughly missed however – a shame, considering the premium pricing of the 4R. 😞

Brakes:

The front brake comes with a pair of Nissin four-piston mono block calipers with 290mm discs and rear is a single-piston Nissin caliper with 220 mm disc. 

Braking on the motorcycle is good and doesn’t feel intrusive – great OE setup.

Electronics and Technology:

The 2024 Kawasaki ZX-4R has a minimal suite of electonics that include:

• 3-Mode KTRC (Kawasaki Traction Control): Levels 1 to 3 and OFF 
• SmartPhone Connectivity on the TFT Dash
• Integrated Riding Modes: 3 Power modes with preset traction control setting + 1 Power mode with custom setting

Riding Modes:

There are four integrated riding modes  – Sport, Road, Rain, and Rider (manual) – which changes the power (full or low) and KTRC traction control (levels 1 to 3 and off).

Sport, Road and Rain Modes have “preset” traction-control and power settings.

• Sport: Full Power + KTRC Level 1 (least intervention)
• Road: Full Power + KTRC Level 2 (ok intervention)
• Rain: Low Power + KTRC Level 3(maximum intervention)
• Rider: allows you to customize the settings and choose any traction-control setting or turn it off, and choose between Full or Low power.

Instrument Console:

The ZX-4R comes with a clear 4.3 TFT dash with smartphone connectivity. 

It has 2 display modes:

• Normal Mode – displays road-oriented info
• Circuit mode – displays race-oriented info with lap timer

The background theme/color of the TFT dash can also be toggled manually between black and white | Use the right button just below the dashboard to toggle.

Smart Phone Connectivity on the ZX-4R:

Smartphone connectivity is via Kawasaki’s Rideology app, that allows users to tether to the bike via Bluetooth and access things like GPS route information, call notifications, vehicle info and even change settings from the phone.

Seat Comfort and Riding Posture:

Not as committed a riding position as a full-fledged sport bike but properly sporty at the same time. Wide, commanding clip-ons and a typical Kawasaki rider triangle — notably compact between the handlebars and the seat.

Seat height is 800mm, which should accommodate a wide range of riders.

Pillion Comfort:

Does not exist – The pillion seat is very small and is best suited to mount a tail-bag or a slick rear seat cowl.😬

City Commute: 

The ZX-4R is a super easy motorcycle to navigate through the city and the heat is bearable even in our painfully slow-moving traffic.

The combination of light-clutch, silky smooth gear-engagement, sufficient low-RPM power and crisp throttle response – attribute for painless slow-speed manoeuvring.

Touring:

The Kawasaki ZX-4R is an absolute delight to tour on – covers good and bad roads comfortably due to the plush suspension.

Smooth throttle response and fueling, ample mid-RPM power, reasonably sporty ergonomics, room to strap luggage, comfortable seat and a fantastic soundtrack from the exhaust – makes it my favourite 400cc tourer.❤️

Loved every second touring on this beauty!

PS: The rear foot-peg mounts have slots to strap a bungee-cord and the wide mirrors provide good visibility.

Mileage and Fuel Tank Range:

The ZX-4R comes with fuel-gauge and a ‘Trip-to-Empty Fuel’ Range Indicator.

• City Mileage: 18 kmpl
• Highway Mileage: 20-24 kmpl
• Full Tank capacity: 15 litres (Fuel Light comes upon finishing 12L)
• Real world full tank range: 216 – 276 kms 

Being a high-compression engine, it is recommended to fill 95-octane fuel.

Cost of 1st Service: INR 8680

Aftermarket components on this ZX-4R:

Tastefully added components include:

• Akrapovic end can
• ASV Brake and Clutch levers
• MRA windscreen – dark 
• Kawasaki OE rear seat cowl
• Evotech frame sliders, brake lever guard and radiator guard

What I love about the 2024 Kawasaki ZX-4R:

• Engine: the inline-4 engine is a beauty across the rev range and howls like a banshee above 8000RPM – a masterclass!
• Handling: Nimble motorcycle – that corners like its elder ZX siblings – sublime!
• Great One-Motorcycle Garage: The ZX-4R is the perfect 400 sports bike (minus the price) – tackles city traffic with ease, super comfortable to tour and hunts-down apexes on a racetrack with an evil gleam in the eye!

What I dislike:

Despite the premium price – it misses out on lot of minimum equipments like:

• No quick shifter
• No Steering damper
• No adjustable front and rear suspension 
• No cruise control
• Pricey Baby!

Conclusion:

The 2024 Kawasaki ZX-4R is an impressive ‘motorcycle-avatar’ of every Japanese cliché about miniaturisation – bringing together the nimble-handling of a superbike on a screaming 400cc engine. ❤️

Yet it is a flexible enough to let you wring its neck on the back roads and potter through the city at 25-30 kmph without any grumbles.

All this sophistication, brilliance and brawn comes with a heavy pricey-tag – which is outrageous, but I am super glad Kawasaki made one!

Thank you Kawasaki, It was totally worth the wait!

Special thanks to Anant for trusting me with his beloved 4R 🤗

Follow his motorcycling on Instagram.