At last, riding my own ZX-4RR. It’s been a while but worth the wait to get the Ninja 40th anniversary edition colours and custom leathers. First ride was out to roads I know well in the North Pennines, big country with sweeping curves under a wide sky.
It’s good. It’s bright green. It’s light and nippy. Noisy and rides like a track bike, almost no engine braking. Not pushed the revs yet while running in, the red line is 16k revs so some way to go: I’m looking forward to screaming it like a teenager!
Four cylinder 400 cc engine, a modern design parallel four, which harks back to before the twins became popular again. The Kawasaki ZX-4RR has a quick-shift so can change gears without the clutch, though can still use the clutch to feather the power. Lot of wind noise, the ram air system at work, even over the Akrapovič exhaust tone.
Handling razor sharp, this bike goes precisely where I point it. Suspension hard but sure, it’s a premium rear shock as well as a sports front shock. Brakes seem good and trustable but not pushing it yet. ABS on the front.
Dainese leathers as good as ever, a standard size fits me fine.
The classic Ninja colours remind me of the ‘Green Meanie’ leathers of a friend who took me as pillion round the Isle of Man circuit on his Ninja green ZXR-750 in the Nineties. Thanks Keith.
And the exhaust tone reminds me of the Honda 400/4 (CBF400 F1) which was such a rival on the road to the KH250 that was my first bike, on which I passed my riding test. Neither were popular with dispatch riders, the delivery riders of the era, but many had one or other model as the toy to ride at the weekend.
Yes, the ZX-4RR needs to be ridden actively and that’s the fun, the sport, of it. So it’s great to have this new model that has the luxury of a four cylinder engine on a lightweight bike with modern controls. It’s not for commuting, long distance touring or deliveries, the ZX-4RR is just for serious fun.
