Kawasaki Ninja 500 vs rivals: specifications compared

Ninja 500 costs the same as outgoing 400; still the most expensive bike here.

Published On Feb 23, 2024 07:00:00 AM

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Kawasaki Ninja price, Ninja 500, R3, RC 390, RS 457 comparison.

The Kawasaki Ninja 500 has been launched at the same price as the outgoing Ninja 400 – a hefty sum of Rs 5.24 lakh, because it comes to India via the CBU route. Here, we’ve compared the newest Ninja on the block with its immediate rivals.

Kawasaki Ninja 500 vs rivals: engine & output

Engine & output
	Kawasaki Ninja 500	Aprilia RS 457	Yamaha R3	KTM RC 390
Engine	Liquid-cooled, 451cc, parallel-twin	Liquid-cooled, 457cc, parallel-twin	Liquid-cooled, 321cc, parallel-twin	Liquid-cooled, 373cc, single-cyl
Power	45hp at 9,000rpm	47.6hp at 9,400rpm	42hp at 10,750rpm	43.5hp at 9,000rpm
Power-to-weight ratio	263hp/tonne	272hp/tonne	248.5hp/tonne	253hp/tonne
Torque	42.6Nm at 6,000rpm	43.5Nm at 6,700rpm	29.5Nm at 9,000rpm	37Nm at 7,000rpm
Gearbox	6-speed	6-speed	6-speed	6-speed

While the Ninja 500’s peak power output is the same as its predecessor, its torque figure has gone up significantly and that should make it quite easy to ride at lower speeds in higher gears. The R3 is the least torquey bike here and makes its peak output figures in the upper echelons of the tachometer. The Ninja 500 and the Yamaha R3 both have a 180-degree firing order, typical of small-capacity Japanese twin-cylinder engines.

This is where the 270-degree firing order of the made-in-India Aprilia RS 457 distinguishes itself with a raspy, deep exhaust note. The KTM RC 390 is the only thumper here and despite having one less cylinder, it still manages to post a higher power-to-weight ratio than the smaller Yamaha.

Kawasaki Ninja 500 vs rivals: weight & dimensions

Weight & dimensions
	Kawasaki Ninja 500	Aprilia RS 457	Yamaha R3	KTM RC 390
Kerb weight	171kg	175kg	169kg	172kg
Seat height	785mm	800mm	780mm	835mm
Wheelbase	1375mm	1360mm	1380mm	1347mm
Fuel capacity	14 litres	13 litres	14 litres	13.7 litres
Ground clearance	145mm	150mm	160mm	160mm

Coming in just under the 170 kilo mark, the Yamaha is the lightest machine here, although none of these bikes are heavy in absolute terms. This, despite carrying the most fuel in this company. To its credit, the Ninja 500 packs in 150 more cubes and still weighs just 2 kg more than the R3.

If you’re of shorter stature and looking for an approachable machine, then the Japanese machines have the lowest perches here. None of these bikes have worryingly low ground clearance figures but the Ninja 500 has the least amount available.

Kawasaki Ninja 500 vs rivals: suspension & brakes

Suspension & brakes
	Kawasaki Ninja 500	Aprilia RS 457	Yamaha R3	KTM RC 390
Suspension (f)	Telescopic fork	USD fork	USD fork	USD fork
Suspension (r)	Monoshock	Monoshock	Monoshock	Monoshock
Brakes (f)	310mm disc	320mm disc	298mm disc	320mm disc
Brakes (r)	220mm disc	220mm disc	220mm disc	230mm disc
Tyres (f)	110/70-R17	110/70-R17	110/70-R17	110/70-R17
Tyres (r)	150/60-R17	150/60-R17	140/70-R17	150/60-R17

The Ninja 500 is the only one to use a telescopic fork, in comparison to the USD units found on the others. Except for the preload-adjustable fork on the Aprilia RS 457, all other bikes have non-adjustable units. The Japanese bikes use axially mounted Nissin calipers while the made-in-India Europeans use radially mounted ByBre calipers.

While tyre sizes are near-identical, the compounds used are quite different. Both the Japanese bikes run Dunlop tyres, which we’ve found to be quite average in our tests, while the Metzeler rubber on the RC and the TVS Eurogrip hoops on the Aprilia are quite grippy.

Kawasaki Ninja 500 vs rivals: features

Since the Ninja 500’s standard variant is the only one to be launched in India, the bike gets a LCD dash with Bluetooth connectivity. Features like riding modes and traction control are only found on the Aprilia RS 457 and the Yamaha R3 even misses out on a slipper clutch. The KTM and the Aprilia also allow you to turn off ABS at the rear and are the only two bikes to have a TFT dash. The RC 390 gets a bidirectional quickshifter as standard while on the Aprilia it's an optional extra.

Kawasaki Ninja 500 vs rivals: price

Price
	Kawasaki Ninja 500	Aprilia RS 457	Yamaha R3	KTM RC 390
Price (ex-showroom, India)	Rs 5.24 lakh (introductory)	Rs 4.10 lakh	Rs 4.65 lakh	Rs 3.18 lakh

Since the Yamaha R3 and the Kawasaki Ninja 500 come to India via the CBU route, they’re priced rather high in comparison to the made in India KTM and Aprilia. With the Aprilia now offering a twin-cylinder experience at a much more digestible price, it remains to be seen how many people still opt for the simpler yet pricier Japanese offerings.