Kawasaki confirms ZX

Jan 25, 2024

Kawasaki is bringing back more of its 1990s goodness with the new ZX-4RR, a brand-new four-cylinder 399cc screamer.

The new sports bike from Team Green uses a new dual overhead cam engine with a bore and stroke of 57mm and 39.1mm respectively. Curiously, Kawasaki is hiding its power figures – only saying it delivers "impressive power" – but the engine produces about 35.5Nm of torque at 11,000rpm before a redline of 16,000.

Ram air intakes should up that mysterious peak power figure some, while 34mm throttle bodies with Kawasaki's latest Electronic Throttle Valves (ETV) allow the high-spec ECU to precisely control the fuel and airflow.

That ECU also supports ride-by-wire, meaning four ride modes (Sport, Road, Rain, and the customisable Rider) that adjust traction control (modes 1 through 3 or Off) and power mode (Low or Full).

READ MORE: * Kawasaki could be working on a brand new 400cc screamer * A Timaru man with 14 motorbikes * Best bikes to hit the race track on

A six-speed transmission gets a slip/assist clutch along with an up/down quickshifter, while the chassis benefits from Kawasaki's considerable success in the World Superbike championship. It's a high-tensile steel trellis frame with various pipe diameter thicknesses, a swingarm pivot section, and a high-tensile steel swingarm.

Suspension consists of a 37mm inverted Showa Big Piston Fork with adjustable preload up front and a fully adjustable horizontal Showa Balance Free Rear Cushion (BFRC) shock. Keeping speed in check are four-piston radial-mount monoblock front calipers biting twin 290mm discs and a single piston rear caliper with a 220mm disc, both ends benefitting from ABS.

So far we haven't heard of any local release of the ZX-4RR, which is understandable as the sports bike market is far from what it used to be.

The similarly brilliant ZX-25RR came here in limited numbers with a high price tag, and considering there are very few new 600cc supersports left, the ZX-4RR might remain forbidden fruit.

Meanwhile, Chinese manufacturer CFMoto has revealed it is working on a 1000cc superbike to rival the likes of Ducati and Aprilia. It is to be a four-cylinder, but arranged in a V. Early reports and patents are suggesting power figures of 150kW, which would put it slightly beneath the Italian's 160kW-plus offerings, but most curious is the 75-degree configuration.

Ducati's V4 is a 90-degree engine, coming from its MotoGP efforts, while Aprilia splits the banks of the RSV4 engine by 65 degrees. CFMoto may have been inspired by Ducati here, because the Chinese brand enjoys a close relationship with KTM, which ran a 75-degree V4 in the 2017 MotoGP championship. Perhaps this could be KTM's way of offering a road-legal MotoGP racer?

In any case, CFMoto hasn't explicitly confirmed it is building a V4 superbike, it has only patented some of the designs. The big motorcycle reveals usually happen towards the end of the year at the various trade shows, so hopefully we see something at one of those.