The ZX-4R, expected to debut in 2023, is attracting attention as the first 400cc multi-cylinder model in many years.
We would also like to take another look back at the history of Kawasaki's past 400cc multi-cylinder models.
CG/SRD
Kawasaki's commitment to the parallel 4-cylinder 400cc is strong!
The history of Japanese parallel four-cylinder models began in the late 1960s, and Honda and Kawasaki, which have competed with each other since the dawn of the industry, have a strong commitment to four-cylinder models as manufacturers. This commitment has continued to the present day, which is why Kawasaki is expected to follow the ZX-25R in 2020 with the ZX-4R.
Kawasaki's expected release of the ZX-4R at the same time that the CB400 Super Fore (SF), the only parallel 4-cylinder 400cc model, was discontinued this past October, is likely aimed at strengthening the brand image of Kawasaki as a 4-cylinder Kawasaki over Honda.
And it is interesting to note that the situation coincides with the present when we explore the origins of the company.
Kawasaki's first 400cc parallel four-cylinder model was the Z400FX in 1979. Honda, which had preceded it, had launched the CB400 FOUR in 1974, but at the margins of the revised license system, it was replaced by the two-cylinder Hawk II in 1977.
This trend led to the disappearance of Honda's 4-cylinder 400cc models at the end of the 1970s, and in the intervening years, Kawasaki launched the Z400FX with a DOHC 4-cylinder engine. This is exactly the same as the CB400SF, which will be discontinued, and the ZX-4R, which is expected to be launched in 2023.
HONDA CB400 Four. In December 1974, the CB350 Fore was enlarged to 408cc and launched in the café racer style that was popular at the time.
In 1976, a 398cc version compatible with a medium-sized driver's license was added.
KAWASAKI Z400FX. In 1979, the first 400cc class model with a parallel 4-cylinder DOHC engine was released. Rival companies followed suit, releasing 4-cylinder DOHC models, and the parallel 2-cylinder engine models, which were at the height of their popularity at the time, were destroyed.
From the anti-replica Kawasaki to the ZXR400, the most powerful replica ever made.
Following the huge success of the Z400FX, four manufacturers released one parallel four-cylinder 400cc model after another, and the 400cc multiple became a huge movement in the 1980s. In this case, it was Honda that was strong, and the CBX400F equipped with a DOHC 4-valve engine dominated its rivals.
In the late 1980s, Honda was expanding its lead with the CBR400R and VFR400R, both of which had two engines that other companies could not imitate. On the other hand, Kawasaki, which had temporarily withdrawn from racing, had an anti-replica policy.
At the time, Kawasaki was focusing on tourers for public roads, and while other companies were concentrating on replicas, the GPZ400R was launched in 1985. This tourer model, which was rare for a 4-cylinder 400 cc model, was a huge hit and became a popular brand for Kawasaki, which was followed by the ZZ-R series in 1990.
Not satisfied with this success, Kawasaki released its first 4-cylinder 400cc replica, the ZXR400, in 1989. However, the ZX-400 was not a sudden departure from the ZX-400, but rather a thorough refinement of the exterior and equipment to make it racier, after the ZX-4, a tourer-like replica with a replica interior, had been a dud the year before.
HONDA CBX400F. Honda's stance was that two-cylinder engines were sufficient for 400cc machines, and even the Super Hawk III was launched in 1981.
The DOHC 4-valve engine produced 48 PS, 5 PS more than the Z400FX.
KAWASAKI GPZ400R. Kawasaki's first 400cc liquid-cooled straight-4 model was a tourer concept with an upright handlebar position, though it wore a full cowl. It was a tourer concept with an upright handlebar position, yet it produced a maximum output of 59 PS.
KAWASAKI ZX-4. In 1988, Kawasaki released the ZX-4, a near-racer replica. It was equipped with an aluminum twin-tube frame and a newly developed 4-cylinder engine. The dry weight was a mere 152 kg, a radical spec.
KAWASAKI ZXR400. With the 1989 ZXR400/R, Kawasaki lifted the ban on replicas. In addition to the specifications inherited from the ZX-4, the ZXR400/R was equipped with a style and features that were thoroughly aimed at the circuit and reigned as the most powerful 400 replicas.
KAWASAKI ZZ-R400. This model debuted in 1990, the same year as the ZZ-R1100, and the first generation model only used K-CAS to cool the cylinder head area.
The maximum output was 58 PS, which was lower than that of the GPZ400R. The photo shows the 1991 model.
Kawasaki's 400cc replicas are a big success in racing. However, the boom shifted to naked
The ZX-4, launched in 1988, won the Suzuka 4-Hours Endurance Race, which was known for young riders. The ZXR400R, fully remodeled and released in 1989, won the 1990 All-Japan TT-F3 class title, marking the beginning of Kawasaki's counterattack on the circuit.
However, the replica boom had already passed its peak, and the ZXR400 fared worse in sales than its Zephyr competitor. In addition, the ZZ-R400, which debuted in 1990, had also recorded stronger sales than the ZXR, so the ZXR400 was not a success in terms of sales.
In 1992, Honda launched the CB400 SuperFour (SF), a naked model using the CBR400RR's parallel four-cylinder engine, and in 1993, it surpassed the Zephyr as the best-selling model for three consecutive years. Since then, the CB400 SuperFour has been the mainstay of the naked boom.
And now. The CB400SF, a long-seller for 30 years, has finally been discontinued, and now Kawasaki is about to take the lead in 4-cylinder 400cc models with the ZX-4R. Will Kawasaki's strategy to compete with a supersport 400cc model, which is neither a replica nor a tourer, prove to be a good one?
KAWASAKI Zephyr. Introduced in 1989. It was equipped with an air-cooled parallel 4-cylinder engine, which had its roots in the Z400FX.
HONDA CB400SF. Developed based on the Project BIG-1 (later CB1000SF) concept exhibited at the 1991 Tokyo Motor Show.
It is a 400cc version of the CB1000SF but was released in April 1992, before 1000.
Ninja ZX-4R [KAWASAKI] Editor's CG forecast. The Ninja ZX-4R is based on the ZX-25R with a different engine displacement and is expected to release in 2023, similar to the relationship between the Ninja 250 and Ninja 400.
[Extra] Japan 400cc Sales Ranking from 1984 to 1991
1984
1. CBR400F - 24775
2. GSX-R - 13238
3. GPz400F - 11657
4. FZ400R - 11388
5. CBX400F - 5403
Unit: number of units (same as below)
1985
1. GPZ400R - 18709
2. FZ400R - 17977
3. CBR400F - 15491
4. GSX-R - 9358
5. SRX400 - 6219
1986
1. GPZ400R - 13409
2. VFR400R - 11228
3. FZR400 - 10545
4. FZ400R - 8631
5. CBR400 - 8159
1987
1. VFR400R - 16103
2. FZR400 - 11368
3. GPZ400R - 8724
4. SRX400 - 8309
5. GSX-R - 5473
1988
1. CBR400R/RR - 17664
2. FZR400 - 9757
3. Bros. - 7825
4. GSX-R400 - 6509
5. ZX-4 - 6138
6. VFR400R - 6066
1989
1. VFR400R 10769
2. Zephyr 7300
3. CB-1 7138
4. CBR400RR 4975
5. FZR400 5354
6. ZXR400 4904
1990
1. Zephyr - 13499
2. VFR400R - 6692
3. ZZ-R400 - 5128
4. CBR400RR - 4975
5. CB-1 - 4250
6. Steed - 4198
1991
1. Zephyr - 16261
2. Steed - 7635
3. ZZ-R400 - 6024
4. VFR400R - 5488
5. Bandit - 5188
6. CBR400RR - 4132