We ride the all-new 2023 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR! Team Green is shaking up the small-displacement sportbike class with its 399cc inline-four-cylinder powered machine! Loaded with tech and features that put it head and shoulders above sportbikes with similar engine sizes, the ZX-4RR is the modern successor to a class of fully-faired sportbikes that we haven't seen from Kawasaki since the ZXR-400R in the 1980s and 1990s.

What makes the ZX-4RR special is its screaming inline-four-cylinder engine, capable of revving out to a lofty 15,150 redline. The Swiss-watch smooth mill spins up vigorously and delivers its linear power so that riders with any experience cannot only handle but thoroughly command. The four-banger engine is a pint-sized version of what you'd find in the ZX-6R and ZX-10R, starting with the classic short-stroke design and followed up with lightweight internals, making this rev-happy I4 a blast to ride. Wringing this engine out is only half the fun of the ZX-4RR, as there's much more to explore.

Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-4RR is equipped with a Showa SFF-BP with preload adjustment and a fully adjustable horizontal back-linked BFRC shock derived from the ZX-10R. All of that is bolted to a nimble steel-trellis frame and steel swingarm that adds up to a 414-pound wet weight and feels incredibly nimble while delivering the kind of confidence riders will find encouraging, allowing riders to carry loads of corner speed, just as any lightweight sportbike should. Stopping power is provided by 4-piston Nissin calipers and 290mm rotors in the front, which help this wee machine slow nicely.

Between the advanced I4 engine and chassis, the ZX-4RR offers much more than entry-level sportbikes typically provide riders. However, a sampling of additional premium features takes it to the next level, like an up/down quickshifter, adjustable traction control, ABS (which cannot be disabled), and a full-color TFT display.

The 2023 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR is priced at $9,699, and to find out if the new Ninja is the bike lightweight sportbike fans have been begging for, we sent Senior Editor Nic de Sena to Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, California, for First Ride.

Want the full specs and pricing? Check out our complete review!
https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023...

#ZX4RR #Kawasaki