Small-capacity supersport riders in regions other than Asia have been eagerly anticipating the release of Kawasaki’s ZX-25R ever since the bike was introduced in June of 2020. All these fans sent out a sigh of relief when, in May of 2021, speculations began to circulate regarding the possibility of a ZX-4R variant. On the other hand, the ZX-4R airwaves were rendered inoperable for more than a year. Now, new research implies that Kawasaki could throw a party for the new green engine in 2023.
According to earlier reports, we anticipate that Kawasaki will model the ZX-4R after the ZX-25R bike that it now produces. The chassis for the four-cylinder supersport would remain the same, but the engine’s displacement would increase to 399 cc despite keeping the same quarter-liter capacity. Although the ZX-25R generates 44 horsepower, the addition in capacity would almost certainly result in an increase in the power capability of the ZX-4R as well.
According to a claim by the Japanese news outlet Autoby, the ZX-4R will also receive a double-disc front braking system as well as a wider-section back tire to accommodate that additional power. In addition, the bored-out powertrain might require a new exhaust system for the supersport, which would be necessary in order to remain in compliance with the applicable emissions standards.
The ZX-25R’s wet weight of 397 pounds should also increase by a few pounds due to the larger exhaust, bigger rear donut, and supplemental caliper and rotor, but apart from those main modifications, the two small-bore screamers would share much of the same equipment. The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) decoder information that was released by the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveals that the ZX-4R will be shipped outside of Asia, in contrast to the ZX-25R.
Kawasaki is getting ready to sell two different ZX-4R variations in the United States in 2023. These models will go by the model names ZX400SP and ZX400PP. According to Motorcycle’s primary moto investigator Dennis Chung, the industry standard identifies 2023 models with the final number ‘P,’ whereas the ZX-4R’s ‘S’ and ‘P’ penultimate letters most likely refer to ABS and non-ABS trims respectively. Regrettably, we won’t be in a position to validate any of these hypotheses until the company formally discloses information on its forthcoming inline-four engine. Despite this, being lovers of small-capacity supersports ourselves, we are counting down the seconds until the ZX-4R is eventually revealed.