Six Reasons Why Kawasaki’s New Ninja 500 Is An Outstanding Choice For Riders, New and Old (2024)

In recent years, the sub-500 cc sportbike category has staged something of a comeback. This is good news for a motorcycle industry apprehensive over its aging client base. Popular with new riders, the entry-level segment offers a stepping stone to bigger, more powerful models, especially in the sports bike classification. Numerous manufacturers have responded by allocating precious time and resources to refining their lineups, including Kawasaki, who recently invited me to test-ride its new Ninja 500.

Kawasaki’s popular Ninja 400 was under increasing pressure from a raft of capable new machines, such as Yamaha’s YZF-R3 updated for 2020, the KTM RC 390 released in 2022, and the RS 457 debuted by Aprilia this year. In addition to the established brands, newcomers include the 450 SS from China's CF Moto. While they all share numerous class attributes and similar styling, they offer varying degrees of performance, comfort, and value. Choosing between them is a question of priorities, balancing personal preferences with the practical limitations of budget and intended use.

The diminutive Suzuki GSX250R is better suited to inexperienced riders perfecting their skills, while the competition-bred KTM and Aprilia machines tend to appeal to track riders and weekend warriors. Prices vary according to displacement and componentry, from the budget-friendly $5,099 GSX to Honda’s high-end CBR500R with an MSRP of $7,399.

Team Green’s answer is the Ninja 500, which receives a more powerful 451cc engine, improved instrumentation, and a revised seat design. Additionally, enhanced styling and LED lights bestow big-bike appeal on Kawasaki’s newest Ninja, which maintains its accessible low seat height and light curb weight. Although the class offers better-specced machines, the Ninja 500’s inherent versatility and attractive MSRP appeal to riders who place value over bling.

2024 Kawasaki Ninja 500

9/ 10

The 2024 Kawasaki Ninja 500 stands out in the sub-500cc sportbike class for its powerful performance, lightweight build, affordability, and comfort. The Ninja 500, styled similarly to the ZX-10R, features a new 51 horsepower engine, LED lights, improved instrumentation, and a revised seat design. The Ninja 500's 451cc engine offers superior throttle response and efficiency. Despite its compact, lightweight design, the Ninja 500 provides a comfortable ride even for taller riders, thanks to its relaxed upper body ergonomics. Its handling is agile and responsive, making it a joy to ride on backroads. The SE model includes advanced features like a TFT display, wireless smartphone connectivity, and keyless start. The Ninja 500 offers a balanced blend of performance, handling, and comfort, making it an appealing option for riders of all experience levels.

Make

Kawasaki

Model

Ninja 500

Segment

Motorcycle

Engine

451cc, parallel-twin

Transmission

6-Speed w. Assist/Slipper Clutch

Horsepower

51 HP

Torque

31.7 LB-FT

Driveline

O-Ring Chain

Range

229 miles (est.)

Starting Price (MSRP)

$5,299

MSRP (As Tested)

$6,399

Fuel Economy

74 MPG (claimed)

0-60 MPH

4.8 seconds

6 Value

In a price-sensitive class, the Kawasaki Ninja 500 offers excellent value. Four trim levels, ranging from the $5,299 base model to the $6,599 top-of-the-line SE 40th Anniversary Edition, offer pricing to match a range of budgets. The ABS-equipped base model starts at $5,699. That’s only 100 bucks more than Yamaha’s R3, which makes less power and carries more weight. The refined Honda CBR500R, a cornerstone of the sub-500 class, offers Showa suspension and dual front brakes but costs $1,700 more, enough to buy a full set of quality gear. Only the 25-horsepower GSX and the ABS-equipped CF Moto 450 SS (with an MSRP of $5,699) can compete with the Ninja 500 on price.

5 Performance

While other segments have witnessed a steady increase in power output, the lightweight classes fall under European A2 licensing regulations, restricting new riders to motorcycles limited to 47 horsepower (35 kW). As a result, nearly every sub-500 sports bike tops out at a maximum of 47 HP or less. While Kawasaki has restricted the Ninja 500 in Europe in line with A2 requirements, the North American version unbridles four additional ponies. The NAS entry-level Ninja produces a peak horsepower of 51 at 10,000 RPM and a maximum torque of 32 pound-feet at 7,500, outgunning the slightly larger capacity Aprilia RS 457 and Honda’s CBR500R.

4 Handling

Although the latest Ninja’s newly developed, larger capacity engine offers more performance, its condensed design allowed Kawasaki to maintain the aggressive sporting dimensions and geometry that won the Ninja 400 numerous plaudits. A compact, steel trellis frame uses the engine as a stressed member, reducing weight and permitting a relatively long, diecast aluminum swingarm while conserving its short, 54.1-inch wheelbase. Combined with a quick steering 24.5-degree rake and 3.6-inch trail, the Ninja 500 offers exceptionally agile handling and, at 366 pounds, one of the lightest curb weights in its class.

3 Styling

Subtle updates to the bodywork adorning the smallest Ninja provide an imposing presence usually reserved for bigger sports bikes. Thanks to the inclusion of LED head and tail lights, the 500 offers the same aggressive facade that graces its bigger 650 and 1000 cc cousins and, at first glance, could easily be mistaken for either. Only its skinnier tires betray its smaller dimensions, bestowing big-bike appeal on the new Ninja. Whereas most of the machines making up the sub-500 sports class come in two or three color schemes, Kawasaki offers the Ninja 500 in five (trim-dependent) color options, including the stunning 40th Anniversary Edition finished in its classic lime green, white, and blue racing livery

2 Clutch

One of the biggest causes of anxiety afflicting new riders is operating the clutch effectively, especially while riding in urban environments. The Ninja 500’s clutch, with assist and slipper functions, makes life easy, regardless of the rider's experience or physical strength. The assist function offers an exceptionally light lever action, and even the most demanding stop-and-go traffic would fail to test the forearm strength of a child. While the clutch’s slipper function steps in when excessive engine braking, due to less-than-perfect downshifts, asks more of the rear tire than is reasonable, suppressing back-torque that can destabilize the bike.

1 Comfort and Accessibility

The low sporty clip-on handlebars and high-clearance footpegs that define the sports bike classes necessarily prioritize performance over comfort. Both the KTM RC 390 and Aprilia RS 457 are focused machines that cater to street and track riders, alike. As a result, their more aggressive ergonomics and taller seat heights - 32.4 and 34.2 inches respectively - are less appealing to new and shorter riders. Although the Ninja 500’s highly accessible low seat height of 30.9 inches induces a significant bend at the knee, the reach to its clip-on bars is not excessive, providing a more relaxed upper body position, making it equally at home on the daily commute or carving canyons. In addition, Kawasaki updated the seat’s design, making it flatter, which prevents sliding forward under heavy braking and helps riders keep their weight off their wrists.

While it cannot boast the branded componentry adorning some of the pricier machines in its class, the Ninja's suspension and brakes are highly effective and have long proved themselves on the outgoing 400 model. And, although less suited to laying down PBs at the track, its surprisingly comfortable ergonomics provide a well-rounded platform adept at taking on twisty backroads or urban adventures. However, the Ninja 500's most notable achievement lies in its ability to offer exceptional accessibility without compromising performance, making it equally capable of building confidence in new riders while thrilling old hands like me.