Odd & may just be Japanese market but still odd

http://www.kawasaki-motors.com/model/ninja400r/

Licensing requirements for the japanese are strict beyond the reach of most due to the extreme costs and rider trainer ,This is why the cb400 is such a popular bike there .Similiar to Lams in Australia etc .

In Japan there are two tiers for motorcycle licenses- the first tier allows up to a 400cc bike, and the second tier (which involves a special, expensive class, and if you fail the test you have to start the class again from the first step) allows for bikes bigger than 400cc- a very small percentage of riders in Japan have a second-tier classification.

Something like a 500cc bike just wouldn't sell there (I lived there almost ten years and saw few bikes even in the 600cc class)- most people who take the time and trouble to qualify for larger bikes go for 1000cc+ models- the 400cc Kawi is aimed at their mass-market.

Edited- Greg beat me to it.

Pity it's a toned down N650 and not a toned up N250/300.

That would be nice.

Yes I figured it was license related

But just thought it so odd given the 250/300

Also as KW said...too bad they didn't spice up the Ninja

style instead with USD fork & nice swingarm/frame etc.

They were also selling it in Canada for a while, but despite what it says in this article http://www.motorbeam.com/bikes/kawasaki/kawasaski-to-launch-ninja-300r-400r/ .neither Canada nor the states shows the 400R on thier websites.

Interesting paint job. I wonder why they used the 2009-2011 model seat, plastics and frame though.