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Kawasaki Ninja 400 vs ZX-4RR vs CFMoto 450ss

klaviator

klaviator

Scooter Trash
Joined
Feb 8, 2022
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I have always been intrigued by by small bore sportbikes and in the last month I have had to ride three of the best available in the USA. Last month I rode the CFMoto 450ss and today i rode the ZX-4RR and Ninja 400 back to back. Keep in mind that these were all short demo rides not extended tests so I didn't get the chance to really evaluate these bikes. My comparison is just based on my riding impressions from rides around 20-30 minutes long.

The contenders:

Weighing in at 415 pounds with a claimed 56 HP and a price tag approaching 10 grand.

Kawasaki ZX-4RR

IMG_20231103_120249786_HDR.jpg


Next up, weighing in at 368 pounds with 44 claimed HP and a price tag between 5 and 6K depending on paint and ABS.

Kawasaki Ninja 400.

IMG_20231103_132102473_HDR.jpg


Last, weighing in at 370 pounds with 50 claimed HP and a price of $5,499.

CFMoto 450SS.

PA060004.JPG
 
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I will be getting up early tomorrow for a ride so the rest of this comparison will have to wait................
 
Very strange for a sport bike manufacturer to claim their bike is 70lbs heavier than it really is. Possibly a translation error, but even I have a smartphone that will do it for me in three seconds. That's weird
 
Shinyribs said:
Very strange for a sport bike manufacturer to claim their bike is 70lbs heavier than it really is. Possibly a translation error, but even I have a smartphone that will do it for me in three seconds. That's weird
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CFMoto claims 370 for the 450ss. It's actually heavier than that. Maybe they weighed it without gas??

Oops, I just noticed I made a typo and posted 470 pounds for the 450ss. i went back and fixed it.
 
I posted my impressions of the 450ss about a month ago: https://advbikes.com/threads/cfmoto-450ss.2967/

When I got to the Kawasaki Demo rides a couple of days ago and saw they had the new ZX-4RR I knew I had to ride it. Here's my impressions:

It is surprisingly comfortable. Unlike the 450ss the riding position is reasonably upright although like the other 2 bikes the legroom is tight. The seat felt pretty comfortable.

Getting underway the throttle response felt a bit jerky at low speeds but not bad. The power at low RPM was more than I expected from a super high revving four. It was very smooth as well. The brakes had good initial bite and felt powerful as you would expect from dual front discs. The handling felt solid but the demo ride didn't allow for any really cornering. We did a 3 mile stretch on the interstate so i got to open it up briefly. Low and mid range felt good but there was no real top end rush like you would expect. I have read that they neutered the top end from 11,000 to 15,000 RPM to meet US noise standards and that a re flash of the ECU will add 20 HP. With those 20 extra HP this thing would be a real rocket for a 400. As it is, the 450ss felt a lot stronger.
 
I decided to ride the Ninja 400. I had ridden this bike twice before at previous demo rides and it really impressed me but I wanted to ride it back to back with the ZX-4RR.

The riding position is similar to the 4RR but the seat wasn't as comfortable. It is basically and upholstered brick. That would be easy to fix with a seat pad or aftermarket seat. It felt much lighter and more responsive. It also felt peppier at low speeds and RPMs. Basically it just felt more user friendly as you would expect from a bike aimed at beginners. After riding the 4RR the twin in this bike felt buzzy. I hadn't noticed that on previous rides. The brakes weren't bad but not as strong as the 4RR.

The biggest advantage of the Ninja 400 was that it costs around 4K less.

My take on these two bikes is the Ninja 400 would be better around town or on the super twisty back roads I often ride but the 400RR would be better on the track or on higher speed roads.

As for the CFMoto, I really liked it except for the riding position. The bars are both lower and farther forward. I know that 1" bar risers are available but it would need more than that to be comfortable. I really like the motor and the styling but if it's too uncomfortable to ride........

The 450RR felt a lot stronger than either Kawasaki but I don't know if it really is or that is just my impression. According to some reviews I read it isn't any faster than the Ninja 400 but I find that hard to believe.

I don't see me buying another sportbike at my age but.................I do want one:hmmmmm If I were to buy one it would be in the 300-500cc range. They are plenty fast for me. Anything bigger would just get me into trouble. I'm not sure one of these wouldn't get me into trouble!
 
klaviator said:
CFMoto claims 370 for the 450ss. It's actually heavier than that. Maybe they weighed it without gas??

Oops, I just noticed I made a typo and posted 470 pounds for the 450ss. i went back and fixed it.
Click to expand...
Ah, ok. It all makes sense now!
 
Small bore sportbikes have never sold well here in the land of "bigger is better" with the exception of the Kawasaki Ninja 250,300 and 400. Those were all budget bikes. I think that these three bikes as well as a few others on the market may change all that. The bigger sportbikes are out of reach price wise for many buyers and faster than anyone really needs on the street. I think we will see more small bore sportbikes in the future.

I would really love to see the Ninja 400 and 450ss motors in lightweight adventure bikes.
 
I read a review on the ZX4RR where there was a mod to the ECU that would net you more HP. I will try and find it. IIRC, the mod would void the warranty.
 
www.vcyclenut.com

Kawasaki ZX4-RR

Scroll to the bottom of the page to see my aftermarket exhaust and intake testing results
www.vcyclenut.com

He got one of the first 4RRs I knew of and tests at the track and dyno a lot. great resource
 
morsetaper2 said:
I couldn't find what I was looking for. But this is close. Has an ECU flash paired w/ a Yosh pipe allows it to make power all the way through to the 15k redline. Std ECU has power capped at 11k rpm.

Click to expand...

Interesting video. Of course when I think of sportbike riding I don't think of riding in city traffic which is where this guy rode it.
 
If I was going to buy one of these it would most likely be the Ninja 400. The CFMoto has a much better engine but I'm not sure the radical riding position could be fixed. I talked to a guy who had one who said he got 1" bar risers for it but I don't think that would be enough. The ZX-4RR would be the one I would buy if I won the lottery. Realistically for the type of roads I prefer, the Ninja 400 would probably work the best. I'm talking super twisty roads where the speeds are not that high.

Another bike I rode recently which isn't quite in the same class as these bikes was the CFMoto 300NK. First, it's a naked bike, not a true sportbike. Second, it's a 300cc single. For the roads I like it would work great but then I already have a 250cc dual sport bike which works great on those roads and has the flexibility to work well on dirt/gravel roads. On many of the paved roads I ride I'm pretty sure I am faster on my 250 than I would be on any sportbike. However, there are also many roads I ride where a small sportbike would be a blast.
 
klaviator said:
If I was going to buy one of these it would most likely be the Ninja 400. The CFMoto has a much better engine but I'm not sure the radical riding position could be fixed. I talked to a guy who had one who said he got 1" bar risers for it but I don't think that would be enough. The ZX-4RR would be the one I would buy if I won the lottery. Realistically for the type of roads I prefer, the Ninja 400 would probably work the best. I'm talking super twisty roads where the speeds are not that high.

Another bike I rode recently which isn't quite in the same class as these bikes was the CFMoto 300NK. First, it's a naked bike, not a true sportbike. Second, it's a 300cc single. For the roads I like it would work great but then I already have a 250cc dual sport bike which works great on those roads and has the flexibility to work well on dirt/gravel roads. On many of the paved roads I ride I'm pretty sure I am faster on my 250 than I would be on any sportbike. However, there are also many roads I ride where a small sportbike would be a blast.
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Have you tested a cb300r? I have always been impressed with the specs. I was recommended this bike in a "unicorn" thread for a adv conversion project. Basically tires and such would complete the build. The poster stated the z400 felt nervous on gravel compared to the cb300r.
 
Kawasaki has long had a lock on the first bike market with the Ninja 250. A cfmoto at the same price as a kawi is a non starter.
 
Madmx said:
Have you tested a cb300r? I have always been impressed with the specs. I was recommended this bike in a "unicorn" thread for a adv conversion project. Basically tires and such would complete the build. The poster stated the z400 felt nervous on gravel compared to the cb300r.
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I have not. I haven't been to an event with Honda demo rides in a very long time.
 
SandRdr said:
Kawasaki has long had a lock on the first bike market with the Ninja 250. A cfmoto at the same price as a kawi is a non starter.
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IMO the motor in the CFMoto 450ss as way better than the one in the Ninja 400. However I'd buy the Kawasaki because I could actually ride it for more than 30 minutes without being in pain. On top of that I have always been partial to Kawasaki and at this time they have a better dealer network. I do think CFMoto has some very nice bikes and I hope that the competition will get the Japanese manufacturers to up their game.
 
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