Ninja super sporty, then Z naked sporty and, in third place, a classic retro RS. This seems to have been a fairly common pattern at Kawasaki for some time. It was the case with the 900 and the 650 twin, so it does not seem unreasonable to speculate that it may also be the case with the latest one, the ZX-4R.
The medium-sized fairing built on the inline four-cylinder that we tested in the previous presentation and that we hope will arrive on our roads very soon, could thus give rise to a Z 400 RS and we are not the only ones thinking so, quite the opposite. Our Japanese colleagues at Young Machine see this possibility as very likely, especially since Kawasaki’s RS models are being unanimously acclaimed from the South to the West and, from an industrial point of view, it would not be a big problem. On the contrary, it could give rise to a fascinating naked bike with a classic touch and an inline four-cylinder with a good 77 hp and it would indeed be very interesting, although not unique, at least in Japan.
Even Honda, in fact, seems to be taking advantage of the CB400 for 2025, who knows. Could Kawasaki arrive before that date? It is not so far-fetched to think that, if this RS is really in the company’s plans, it could be presented as early as 2024 and arrive on our roads next year.
On the other hand, in recent times, we cannot fail to notice the great dynamism of Kawasaki, both in the direction of the future, with electric, hybrid and hydrogen models, and in the recovery of its heritage. For example, take a look at the beautiful color schemes for the 40th anniversary of the Ninja.
The possibility of a four-cylinder Z 400 RS makes us dream and remember. From the legendary Z400FX of the 70s to the beautiful (and perhaps to our shame not fully understood) Zephyr of the 90s, Kawasaki’s history offers enough stylistic clues to legitimize a 400 that evokes us. On the other hand, we are also witnessing a rediscovery of this displacement with mostly single-cylinder or twin-cylinder models, and having a four-cylinder already on the assembly line seems like too good an opportunity for a management as dynamic as Kawasaki’s to let it pass.
