Is The Kawasaki Z400 A Good Bike For Beginners? Here's What You Need To Know

The Kawasaki Z400 is a lower-mid-sized naked sportbike that was first introduced in 2019. It has the compact, cut-back styling of a standard naked street bike, but with a more aggressive, forward-leaning posture and a few other performance-minded design elements. A lot of new riders might be considering the Z400 as their first motorcycle. It's smaller and less powerful than its truly upper-mid-sized sibling in the Z650, while still having just enough horsepower to be a significant step up from most 250-300cc starter bikes. This can make it an attractive middle ground for first-time riders.

There are a lot of different factors to consider when choosing your first motorcycle, however. You want to make sure that its performance is sufficient for your needs, that it's comfortable to ride, has features that are beginner-friendly, is reliable, and that it's reasonably priced. Kawasaki makes a lot of bikes that are popular among new riders, but should the Z400 be counted among them? One of the best ways to find out is to take a look at the specs and then see what independent reviewers have had to say about it.

To get an idea of the Z400's performance, you'll first want to have a look at what it's got at its core. This motorcycle is powered by a parallel-twin 399cc, DOHC, liquid-cooled 4-stroke 8-valve engine. The Z400's engine has a 70.0mm bore and a 51.8mm stroke with a 11.5:1 compression ratio. Kawasaki claims that it can produce up to 28 pound-feet of torque, but did not report a maximum horsepower. Cycle World tested the 2019 model, however, and they found that it "produced 44.1 hp at 9,830 rpm and 25.1 pound-feet of torque at 8,250 rpm." In addition to the engine, the Z400 has a DFI fuel system with 32mm throttle bodies, a TCBI ignition with Digital Advance, and a 6-speed transmission. 

This is a significant step up in power from what you typically see in 300cc motorcycles, meaning that new riders will experience more acceleration and speed than they would on a smaller beginner bike. Whether or not you're comfortable with that is a matter of personal preference. This makes it a good option for new riders who want a slightly larger bike that they can grow into as they learn, and heavier riders who prefer a bike with a bit more pickup, but how does it perform in the real world?

MCN also tested out the 2019-2021 Z400 for their review. They described it as being surprisingly powerful given the size of the engine, but were less impressed with its shock absorption. "Annoyingly, the tiny naked does tend to vibrate quite badly through its foot pegs, leading to numb toes on long motorway or dual carriageway stints where you are holding constant high revs." They also found that it got about 55 mpg, giving it a 170 mile range from its 3.7 gallon tank.

There are a few design elements and features that have been built into the Z400 which might make it a bit easier to decide if this is the right beginner bike for you. The first is it's size. J.D. Power estimates that the average 250 and 300cc motorcycle weighs about 350 lbs. The Z400 weighs 363.8 lbs., making it roughly the same weight as the Ninja 400, just a few lbs. heavier than the KTM RC 390, and just a few lbs. lighter than the Triumph Speed 400. It also has a 30.9" seat height, which is a bit on the shorter end. This means that it should be low enough and light enough that most riders should have a relatively easy time planting their feet while stopping and maneuvering the bike while turning it around or parking.

The Z400 has an assist and slipper clutch. This has two different kinds of cams built into it, so it can either drive the clutch hub and operating plate together, as it would under normal operation, or separately, which relieves pressure on the clutch plates when rapidly downshifting to break quickly. This is a function that was devised for the racetrack, but gives the clutch a nice actuation for every day use as well. The newer, post-2022 Z400s also come with ABS built in, which provides another added layer of safety if you find yourself needing to rapidly break.

Performance and design metrics are all well and good, but most new riders aren't looking for a project vehicle. They want something safe and reliable that they can take on the road without having to worry about overheating or breaking down. Consumer Reports ranked Kawasaki as the fourth most reliable major motorcycle brand after Yamaha, Suzuki, and Honda in a survey they conducted in 2015. The Z400 is a relatively new bike, since it's line just launched in 2019, but you still might be interested in hearing how the early reports stack up.

MCN compiled a meta-analysis of owners reliability rating for the 2019-2021 models, granting the bike a weighted 4.7 out of 5 stars. The only negative reviews cited superficial deficiencies such as flimsy plastics and thin paint. No major mechanical issues were reported.

There haven't been a lot of reliability updates on the newer models just yet, but Cycle World reviewed the 2022 Z400 ABS and they reported that they were quite pleased with the overall build quality. "Beginner friendly doesn't mean a bike has to be cheaply made," they said. "Kawasaki's quality has improved over the years. The Z400 has a nice fit and finish with beautiful paint, clean lines, and a tidy dash." This seems to imply that the post-2022 Z400 ABS bikes may have had a few touch ups to the older edition's more superficial shortcomings.

One of the most important qualities that a beginner bike can have is affordability. For one thing, new riders have a greater tendency to drop or otherwise damage their bikes while they're learning. Another reason is that many new riders might decide that they eventually want to upgrade to a bigger and more powerful bike once they've gotten comfortable with the basics.

Fortunately, the Z400 is considered one of Kawasaki's cheapest and easiest to maintain motorcycles. Kelly Blue Book values the non-ABS, 2019-2021 models at about $3,500. Meanwhile, you can get a brand-new 2023 Z400 ABS for $5,399. Now that's a bit more than the Honda CBR300R, but not much, and it's a tiny bit cheaper than the Yamaha YZF R3. Keep in mind that there are no 400cc street bikes currently being made by Kawasaki's fellow Japanese manufacturers, Honda, Yamaha, and Suzuki. The Z400 is competitively priced against bikes with significantly smaller engines.

It's only direct competition comes from the west. The Z400 ABS is a little more expensive than the Triumph Speed 400 and a bit less than the KTM RC 390. All in all, this seems like a good price point for a starter bike for beginner riders who want their first bike to have a bit more horsepower than other options.

The Kawasaki Z400 is a hybrid in more ways than one. Its engine size puts it somewhere between small and mid-sized, while its streetfighter design puts it somewhere between a performance-focused sport bike and a more comfort-oriented naked street bike. While this means that it might not be the best option for any single use-case, it also means that it's a great first bike for a new rider who's still not sure what they want out of a motorcycle.

The 400cc engine is particularly good for heavier riders who want something smaller that still has a bit of get-up-and-go. I myself am 6 feet tall and weigh just over 200 pounds, and I've always found the 250-300cc starter bikes to feel a bit sluggish. The extra power should be just enough to give you a bit of extra zip off the starting line, without finding yourself accidentally creeping to higher speeds than you intend. 

Concerns raised by reviewers about its lack of vibration absorption and narrower frame suggest that it might not be an ideal bike for longer rides, however. Most reviews suggest that the Z400 is great for getting around town, but can be uncomfortable on long trips and less developed roads. Even so, its affordability, attractive design, and lower-mid-sized stature are hard to ignore, making the Z400 a tempting choice for beginner riders.