Kawasaki Eliminator 400 could get the same 399 cc engine parallel twin motor from Ninja 400, making 43 bhp and 37 Nm
Does Kawasaki Eliminator 400 ring any bell to you? No? How about Bajaj Eliminator? This rings a distant bell, doesn’t it? That is because Kawasaki-Bajaj JV sold Eliminator 175 cruiser bikes in India for some time. It was a cruiser motorcycle manufactured in India and exported to global markets.
Kawasaki Eliminator 400cc – New Age Cruiser For Modern Gen
Bajaj Eliminator became the base for a motorcycle that is sold today under Avenger brand. Going by Kawasaki’s teasers, it is pretty evident that the Japanese brand is unveiling a slew of new products, and one of them is a low-slung cruiser. There are speculations set in place, suggesting Kawasaki Eliminator can be revived. Let’s take a look.
2023 Osaka Motor Show is being held in Japan on March 15th. This is a motor show based on customisations, but manufacturers also showcase their upcoming products, if any. First teaser from Kawasaki showed three motorcycles, a ZX-4RR (confirmed), an ADV and a cruiser motorcycle in the middle. Second teaser from Kawasaki shows veiled motorcycles at its pavilion at the Osaka Motor Show.
Looking at the round ORVMs, tail lights, and height difference between its handlebar and rear subframe, suggest that it might very well be a cruiser bike. It can be a variation of outgoing Vulcan S. But the veiled cruiser has round ORVMs, unlike a Vulcan S. We hope it is the revival of the Eliminator series to rival Royal Enfield’s dominance in the middle-weight cruiser category.
Kawasaki Eliminator 400 Revival Of An Icon
One of the popular series in Kawasaki’s lineup from the 90s was Eliminator. It was a cruiser-type motorcycle, first sold in 1985. The model started life with Eliminator 900, but soon spawned multiple engines ranging from mere 125 cc models to 1000 cc models. Model range includes EL125, EL175 (Bajaj Eliminator in India), EL250, VN250, ZL400, ZL600, ZL750, ZL900 and ZL1000.
Mostly, Kawasaki has used engines from its Ninja counterparts in the Eliminator series. Today, Kawasaki has a middle-weight cruiser in the form of Vulcan S priced at Rs. 6.4 lakh (ex-sh). With the launch of Super Meteor 650, Royal Enfield has pretty much stomped Vulcan S as the RE cruiser is priced between Rs. 3,48,900 and 3,78,900 (ex-sh).
Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 Rival
If Kawasaki Eliminator 400 is real, it might be a fitting weapon in the company’s arsenal against Super Meteor 650. We expect Kawasaki to use the same engine as the Ninja 400, which is a 399 cc parallel-twin motor packing 44.7 bhp of power and 37 Nm of torque. In contrast, RE’s 648 cc parallel-twin engine makes 47 bhp and 52 Nm.
Considering that Ninja 400 weighs just 168 kg, Kawasaki Eliminator 400 is likely to weigh around 200 kg. Which is far less than 240 kgs of Super Meteor 650. With less weight to lug around, Eliminator can beat Super Meteor 650 in outright performance. Tuning the engine to suit cruiser character is paramount as well. Ninja 400’s 37 Nm of torque has to be made accessible lower in the rev range to suit cruiser personality. This is not confirmed by Kawasaki, though. So, taking it with a pinch of salt would be advised.
