I'm just learning to ride and was intending to buy a Ninja 400 as it seemed the perfect beginner bike (and much more for later).
I just called the Kawasaki dealer here in Switzerland and I hear that it is now no longer available because of some emissions standards concerns.
The dealer is therefore pushing new riders to 650cc bikes, but restricted to 35Kw (47Hp I think). FYI here we are restrcited to that limit for the first two years.
I just wondered what people thought of that ; seems like a restricted 650 would be a heavier and less fun machine.
I'm therefore wondering if I should consider another bike altogether (suggestions if so please).
I'm learning on a Duke 390, which I like and is fun, but really don't like on the freeway.
This is news to me. The only bikes I've read about having problems with the 'new' emission restrictions are some bikes in the 600-650cc class. Can anybody verify this and explain why the Kawi N/Z 400 falls into this category?
There are no 2021 400's on the Swiss Kawasaki site or EU so I guess it's no longer being sold there or they just need to wait until the new 2022 are available?
This may be temporary only. They go from 125cc to 650cc which is strange. Maybe like SCNinja400 says, they have to wait for an update to the emission technology?
I image that is the case. My ZX6R has 2 power modes, full power and low power that cuts power by 25% or something. I guess the 650 has the same power mode capabilities but instead of being selectable by the rider it is hard coded into the ECU via a flash.
Not sure if anyone in NA would go for it, but I think it would be good to limit 650CC + bikes to a lower power for new riders for like 2K KM or such. Those are usually the ones crashing with too much power and no exp.
I worked at a Honda Dealer in DE back in the Mid 80's selling bikes etc... I don't know how many times I would look away when a customer was riding away from the Dealership on his new bike.
Depends on the make and model. We have a raft of restricted 650/660's down here in Australasia due to similar learner license laws.
Some (like the Suzuki SV) are purely restricted by retarding the fuel and ignition maps so easily converted with an ECU flash but some have mechanical restrictions in the throttle bodies or a mix of the two.
My latest SV race bike was actually a restricted model when I bought it new and we took it from 39 RWHP to 72 without laying a spanner on it. At 100% throttle the ECU was only delivering 48%. Wouldn't even pull the ton lol.
But yes, the 650’s are a lot heavier bike so if you can’t get a N400 then I’d go with the KTM 390 myself.
I would highly recommend z400 over the 650 class bikes (Kawi at least). I've owned a 2017 Ninja 650 and it was a great bike for touring purposes, but a disaster when riding it hard. When you're taking a corner and a penny on the ground makes your rear jump like those youngins at a music festival, you get scurred. I owned mine for less than a year before ditching it for the n400.
The power difference wasn't thaat noticeable either, and the top speeds are similar IIRC. I think there's a big weight difference as well (40 lbs I think? - getting old)
Weird that the 400 doesn't meet the emission requirements in Switzerland...don't all European countries follow the EURO4 standard or 5...whichever they're on now. Either way, I thought they all follow the same standard, so if it's good in Germany, France, etc. shouldn't it be fine in Switzerland too?
But if you can't get a 400 and the next option you have is a restricted 650, I would do that. The nice thing about it is you can "fix" that pretty easily and have a regular unrestricted 650 in no time
Weird that the 400 doesn't meet the emission requirements in Switzerland...don't all European countries follow the EURO4 standard or 5...whichever they're on now. Either way, I thought they all follow the same standard, so if it's good in Germany, France, etc. shouldn't it be fine in Switzerland too?
But if you can't get a 400 and the next option you have is a restricted 650, I would do that. The nice thing about it is you can "fix" that pretty easily and have a regular unrestricted 650 in no time
Hi,
I live in Switzerland, but it will be a European wide issue going forward, so yes we all use the same norms.
As for unrestricting the 650, yes I would like to .. but actually I heard that these days it's not so straightforward, at least compared to earlier bikes.
Thanks.
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