Kawasaki Ninja 500 arrives
The next evolution of Kawasaki’s Ninja LAMS model has arrived. What was originally a 250, then a 300, followed by a 400, is now available as a 500, combining familiar Ninja features with a larger engine and updated styling.
After making its public debut at Phillip Island for the Australian round of the 2024 Superbike World Championship in February, the all-new Ninja 500 started arriving in Kawasaki dealerships in late March.
Engine Upgrade
Against the Ninja 400 that it’s based on, the Ninja 500 uses the same parallel twin engine configuration, with the same bore of 70mm, but stroke has been lengthened to 58.6mm to achieve a capacity of 451cc against 399cc for the 400. This upsizing has no impact on the new model’s LAMS legality.
With dual 32mm throttle bodies, this liquid-cooled DOHC four-stroke twin produces a claimed 33.4kW at 9,000rpm and 42.6Nm at 6,000rpm. This compares to maximums of 35.0kW and 37.0Nm from the Ninja 400, so the gain from stroking the engine is clearly in torque.
According to Kawasaki, acceleration from the 451cc twin is brisk, thanks to plenty of power in the low- and mid-rpm range, while still offering enough grunt higher in the rev range, too.
The 451cc twin is matched to a six-speed gearbox with chain final drive and Kawasaki’s assist & slipper clutch as standard for easy clutch operation.
Frame, Suspension, Brakes
A lightweight steel trellis frame is carried over from the Ninja 400, as is the 41mm telescopic fork front and Uni Trak rear suspension. Both units have been optimised to suit the Ninja 500’s additional weight, which at 171kg wet, is 2kg above the Ninja 400. The rear suspension offers five-way preload adjustability, with 120mm front travel and 130mm rear travel.
The Ninja 500’s braking consists of 310mm front and 220mm rear discs (solid, not petal), with dual-piston calipers for both and dual-channel Nissin ABS. The front brake master cylinder has been redesigned for better control, with hose dimensions and materials selected to maximise brake performance.
New Style
Five-spoke alloy wheels are carried over from the Ninja 400, as is the fuel tank design, front mudguard, engine covers, exhaust and number plate bracket. The rest of the Ninja 500’s styling is new, with the most obvious changes being on the headlights and surrounding fairing. Subtler differences can be seen on the bellypan, side plastics, seat and tail.
Compact hybrid projector/reflector LED headlights (projector low beam, reflector high beam) are in the style of those fitted to the ZX-6R and give the Ninja 500 a more distinctive ‘face’ compared to the Ninja 400. Sharper spoilers below the headlights and claw-like additions to the upper sides of the fairing are notable new styling touches, too.
Ergos and Colours
Despite the aggressive new styling, riding position is comfortable - what Kawasaki calls a relaxed rider triangle - with high-mount clip-on ‘bars, slightly forward pegs and a narrow cross section where the 14-litre fuel tank meets the well-padded seat. Seat height is unchanged from the Ninja 400 at 785mm, but the seat itself is flatter.
The Ninja 500 launches with two colour choices: Metallic Spark Black with Metallic Flat Raw Greystone; and White Silver with Metallic Moondust Grey. There’s no signature Lime Green option for now, but a Special Edition (SE) version to be released later this year will run a Lime Green with Pearl Crystal White and Blue finish inspired by the Ninja ZX-7 from the early 1990s.
The Ninja 500 SE also gains a TFT instrument display, proximity key, USB-C port, LED indicators, pillion seat cover and other features not fitted to the standard version.
Local Availability
In Kawasaki dealerships now, the LAMS legal 2024 Ninja 500 is priced from $7,544 (+ ORCs), which should translate to ride away pricing of around $9,000. See your Kawasaki dealer for details.
