Kawasaki Ninja 400. Could be a decent A2 lightweight

jigger · 1 Dec 2017 at 13:22

45ps, reasonably light and pretty high reving. But £5400...

www.kawasaki.co.uk/en/products/Supersport/2018/Ninja_400/overview?Uid=0900CVEMDl1RUVFcUVkJXFBdXwkJDA1eXgkKUVhYCgpaDl4

jigger · 1 Dec 2017 at 17:43

Yeah the KTM looks good but I think a 10,000 RPM twin would be lot better than a single especially at the top end.

jigger · 2 Dec 2017 at 15:11

TallPaul1878 said:
If you're buying an A2 bike in the knowledge that you'll be moving up to a full license and bigger bike in the future then I don't really see the wisdom in spending a lot of money on an A2 bike.

I don't a really see these kind of bikes as "young rider friendly". I see them more as an entry point back into motorcycles for someone who has previously given up or maybe an older rider who doesn't want all that power anymore.

It's a lot of money for a young rider who may be more likely to drop it and then be gutted they've knocked the fairing off a bike that cost the best part of £6000

Yeah the price is bonkers for the standard of machine on offer. The EU licencing laws and manufactures pricing has killed the lightweight bike market.

jigger · 2 Dec 2017 at 15:29

BUDFORCE said:
I think you would be insane to drop five and a bit grand on that personally.

If you want speed hate to say it but you gotta wait and get your full license, I would look at a used bike to tide you over, get a dual sport to start off with and have fun with it. Yamaha do a great 250 street legal dirt bike, drop it and just pick it up again an go, or Suzuki do a 400 (drz is it?) Anyway trying to get a sportsbike on a restricted license like those kids that but the Aprillia rs125's cus they got 5mph faster than the far more reliable, practical and just about better in every way Japanese counterparts.

Ok I'm done

It's a 400cc bike so even without the silly laws you have a limited performance level. The baby 250 R bikes of the 90's make more power than the A2 bikes of today.

jigger · 2 Dec 2017 at 18:27

Not sure. It seems the EU have a max HP and max power to weight figure.

jigger · 23 Dec 2017 at 14:27

It's just a shame no company will build a modern version. A sub 150Kg 400R restricted to fit the A2 class that can be derestricted to become a 15RPM+ super lightweight would be great, but he A2 classification is taking development backwards and pushing up prices.

Before I understood what the government had done with the A2 class I booked a test ride on a CBR500R expecting it to be proper machine and push on from the 80's CBR400. But, it was the most overpriced pile of scrap I'd rode since the CB400 wet dream. In fact, I think a CB400>CBR500R.

Fingers crossed, when/if we ever leave the EU British bike manfactures will liven up the sub 500cc class and show the rest of the world how to build a great bike.

A 100hp 100Kg Daytona 500R triple for the UK and rest of the world? The EU spec bike could ship with a lead fairing and CBR500R engine for 10,000 Euro's.