A new Motor vehicle Identification Quantity decoder introduced by the U.S. Countrywide Highway Visitors Basic safety Administration confirms that Kawasaki will be introducing a 399cc Inline-4 Ninja ZX-4R model for 2023. Though the VIN decoder does not deliver any clue to what the ZX-4R will glimpse like, we expect it will be styled identical to the 249cc Ninja ZX-25R (pictured earlier mentioned) at the moment made available in Japan and other Asian marketplaces.
We formerly wrote about the existence of a ZX-4R a calendar year ago, when we uncovered a Kawasaki patent for the fairing layout that was adopted for the ZX-25R. The patent described how intakes developed into the fairing would divert air in the direction of the engine for supplemental cooling. Although the style was utilised on the ZX-25R, the patent describes the invention as being “more ideally applied to a car or truck possessing 4-cylinder 400 cc engine.”
The patent illustrations confirmed a fairing with an air intake resembling the structure of the ZX-25R. The text of the patent, nevertheless, describes the meant use as remaining for a 4-cylinder 400cc motor.
Many thanks to the VIN decoder, we now know the ZX-4R not only exists, but that it will be presented in the U.S. for 2023. The 2023 Kawasaki VIN decoder was dated March 22 and was an update on a past edition printed last December. The variations involve the listings beneath for two products with the codes ZX400PP and a ZX400SP. For every Kawasaki’s product code structure, the ZX codes designate its large-functionality sportbike designs like the ZX-10R, ZX-6R, and Ninja H2. The 400 signifies an approximate motor displacement, with the letter following indicating a certain model variant. The “P” at the stop, as for every marketplace standard, represents the 2023 model 12 months. The name “Ninja ZX-4R” doesn’t in fact surface in the VIN decoder, but the engine code leaves tiny question to its industrial title.
The ZX400 is not to be puzzled with the Ninja 400, which is also bundled on the VIN decoder below its product codes EX400GP for the Abdominal muscles model, and EX400HP for non-Abdominal muscles. The entire VIN decoder supplies a lot more particular facts.
The previous five columns in the VIN decoder point out the motor displacement, amount of strokes for the engine cycle, quantity of cylinders, the claimed engine output in kilowatts, and an embargo date.
It confirms the ZX400 products are run by a 4-stroke 399cc Inline-4. The engine output continues to be “to be determined”, but we expect it will be a considerable boost over the Ninja 400’s 36 kW (48 hp), which is just marginally much more highly effective than the ZX-25R which claims a peak output of 44 hp at 15,500 rpm.
We expect the ZX-4R will be supplied with or devoid of Stomach muscles. Over and above that, we hope a chassis similar to the ZX-25R, with a trellis body and inverted fork. The ZX-25R helps make use of just a one entrance disc brake, but it continues to be to be noticed if the much more highly effective ZX-4R necessitates a second rotor.
Kawasaki introduced a range of returning 2023 models today, but of its supersport designs, only the ZX-6R has been verified so significantly. We suspect the ZX-25R will be announced along with the Ninja ZX-10R.
Turn into a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the most recent motorbike information first by subscribing to our publication below.
