[Moto] Kawasaki could have a new neo-retro bike in the oven based on the ZX-4R, and it would eat the Z 650 RS

[#Wittels-]

Kawasaki does not stop working to bring us new and interesting motorcycles to the market. On this occasion, and despite the fact that the arrival of the Kawasaki ZX-4R has not yet been confirmed, there is already talk of another neo-retro version that uses the same platform and engine as the latter.

 

This is what our colleagues at Young Machine say. The future Kawasaki Z400RS would use the same platform and engine as its sports sister but using that classic air that Akashi's have implemented in their latest Z-RS models.

Kawasaki Z400RS: Akashi's roundest range

There is no doubt that Kawasaki has been working hard to create a very complete range in recent years, including motorcycles of all kinds. From powerful sports cars like the H2R to classic models that have fallen in love with the public like the Z900RS.

 

There is no doubt that Kawasaki has been working hard in recent years to create a very complete range, which includes motorcycles of all kinds. From powerful sports cars like the H2R to classic models that have fallen in love with the public like the Z900RS.

Well, according to the latest rumors, this would be the perfect base to develop a neo-retro classic at zero cost. Called Kawasaki Z400RS, it would aesthetically use the same arguments already seen in the Z900RS and Z650RS, using straight and clean lines that run through the entire silhouette (from its tank to its tail), leaving its mechanics in the air and complementing it with a round headlight in front.

Mechanically, it would use the supposed 400 cc inline four-cylinder engine with about 75 hp of power that the future sports car will debut. Thanks to this engine, the 'small' could compete in the market with motorcycles with much higher displacements such as the Yamaha XSR700 or the Aprilia Tuono 660 with hardly any trouble.

Its cycle part would continue to use a tubular steel chassis to give it agility and resistance in equal parts. Attached to it, we would not find an asymmetrical swingarm and an inverted front suspension that would give the model great maneuverability when negotiating traffic in the big city. Likewise, the brake assembly is expected to be as powerful as its sports sister, using discs of about 300 mm bitten by radial calipers.

 

Would this model make sense?
Once all the information related to the supposed neo-retro model has been unraveled, we must think about whether it would be necessary for the brand. If we aim at the Japanese market, the arrival of this model would mean keeping a good part of the public that Honda has orphaned by withdrawing the Honda CB400 Super Four from sale for not complying with Euro 5, so it seems more than a safe bet .

However, if we target the European market, a model with these characteristics does not make sense. Especially since it could step on sales with a recently developed model such as the Kawasaki Z650RS. With these premises it seems more logical to create a new model to reduce the displacement of the latter than to develop a completely new one based on another model. However, the joy of a four-cylinder would not be the same as that of a two-cylinder. In any case they are all assumptions.

 

From Young Machine they assure that if this model reaches the market, it would be launched at the same time as the sports model, Kawasaki ZX-4R, in the fall of this year. Until then we will closely follow these rumors to see if there is any truth to it all.

 

Link: https://www.motorpasionmoto.com/naked/kawasaki-podria-tener-nueva-moto-neo-retro-horno-base-zx-4r-se-comeria-a-z-650-rs