North America Is Getting The 2024 Kawasaki Ninja 500, But Does That Mean You Should?
After a long ten-week wait, we finally know that North America will be getting the Kawasaki Ninja 500 and Z500. That means you can probably go down to your local dealer and put a deposit down on one of their allocated units, but does that mean you should?
That answer depends on a few factors, but the biggest is whether or not this is your first motorcycle. If you’re eyeing the shiny new bike from Team Green as a second bike that complements what is already in your stable, I think it’s safe to run to your dealer and throw that deposit at them as hard as you can. On the flip side, if you’re a new rider and you’re looking at the Ninja 500 as your first bike, I think you have a far better option.
When you have been riding for years and have amassed a few bikes in your garage, chances are you know your way around a motorcycle and know how to work on them. You’re probably okay with waiting on the aftermarket parts to go through their development phases while you break in your bike, too. But if you’re new to the riding scene, one of the major things you need are support resources. That doesn’t just mean the dealership, because I’m a huge advocate for doing your own work and learning your motorcycle inside and out - I’m talking about online resources for knowledge and parts, and new models simply don’t have that. It’ll take at least a year for readily available support items like crash protection and ergonomic parts to start flooding the aftermarket space, which gives you the ability to not only protect your first bike from when (not if) it falls, but also set up the ergnomics to fit you comfortably. I don’t care about LED lights or tail tidies, but I do think every rider should consider when tank grips, windscreens, levers, and rearsets are going to available because those are the things you interact with the most and become critical components when controlling your bike. Many new riders don’t understand the importance of changing a small annoyance on the motorcycle because they haven’t spent enough time in the saddle or been in a scary situation in which that small annoyance became life threatening. You may think that’s over exaggerating, but take something as simple as levers for instance; if you’re reaching too far, or your glove interferes with a stock non-adjustable lever, that is a potential weak point in reaction time that can be solved with a simple aftermarket part installation, but that wont’ be available right from the start.
So what should you do if you’re a new rider that wants the Ninja 500? Easy - get the Ninja 400. The market is flooded with used bikes in great quality with low miles, and they are ripe for the taking. Both the 400 and 500 engines make very similar power numbers, despite the extra 100cc capacity in the name. The engine characteristics are extremely similar as well, with the 500’s peak power coming a bit earlier in the rev range, but the Ninja 400 is a phenomenal motorcycle, so much so that many in the industry don’t understand Kawasaki’s move to the 500 when the 400 was still dominating the market.
The Ninja 400 has been out since 2018, and since then it has gained a large community of dedicated riders that share their knowledge online in forums, Facebook groups, and YouTube. That knowledge is truly invaluable as a new rider, because when you want to do maintenance and it’s your first time working on a motorcycle, that means you can find someone with your exact model and follow along, step by step. Even if you own a shop manual, which you should for every bike you own, it’s still a huge help watching someone on YouTube go through the process along with you. If you happen to have an issue, you can probably find the answer to that as well because it’s pretty likely that somebody else has had the issue, too.
The online community won’t be the only ones to have your back either. The aftermarket scene is there to provide you with high-quality replacement parts and upgrades that improve the performance, protection, function, comfort, and style of your Ninja 400. With so many great companies making unique parts that have been proven to improve the Ninja 400 platform on the street and the track, opting for the Ninja 400 over the Ninja 500 opens up so many different doors. You can upgrade your Ninja to be exactly what you want it to be, but those upgrades will take some time to arrive for the Ninja 500 and will only begin to start trickling in from trusted companies near the end of 2024 at the earliest.
Is the Ninja 500 a great bike that can make new and experienced riders grin ear to ear at the twist of a throttle? Yes. But is it the smartest purchase for a new rider that needs support - I don’t believe so, however it will be in a year or so…but that’s a year you could be riding a Ninja 400.
