An entry-level sport bike to grow in to.

I still remember when I rode my first Ninja. Although it was only a 250 cc, I felt like the next Valentino Rossi whipping through the corners. I expect that many riders have at least one memorable experience on a Ninja, considering the model has been at the forefront of sportbikes for the past 40 years. The model was, and is, available in many displacements offering growth and usable power throughout the lineup.

I found myself on the California coastline ripping through the twisties on this mid-displacement sportbike. The fuel-injected 451 cc twin-cylinder engine is similar to the previous Ninja 400 but with a longer stroke and significant changes in tuning for better performance. The bore and stroke are now 70 mm x 59.6 mm, as opposed to the previous 70 mm x 51.8 mm, and the fuel injectors are now placed closer to the intake ports, allowing for direct fuel injection into the combustion chamber. The pistons are coated in a hard alumite treatment to better withstand the high combustion pressure, while oil jets cool the underside of the pistons to help achieve a lightweight piston design. An open-deck design on the die-cast aluminum cylinder contributes to a lightweight engine design; this is the most common block design for lower horsepower engines, allowing particularly good heat dissipation as coolant can make full contact with the surface of the upper portion of the cylinder.

PERFORMANCE

Kawasaki’s goal was to focus on performance improvement for all riders’ experience levels. The crankshaft, connecting rods and pistons have been redesigned for the 11.3:1 compression ratio (previously it was 11.5:1) allowing for a particularly smooth and linear power delivery, and the lightweight flywheel offers a sharp power response off the line. As someone who doesn’t get to ride on sportbikes as often as I’d like, I was surprised to feel an immediate comfort with the power of the bike within the first few minutes.

Long-reach sparkplugs allow more contact with the cooling jacket which, when paired with advanced timing, contribute to increased performance and more efficient cooling. The heat from the radiator fan is designed to help direct hot air away from the rider for increased rider comfort. In context, we were riding in 29 C and I was happy to feel minimal hot spots on the bike, especially while waiting to take photos.

ERGONOMICS

The Ninja 500 features the same lightweight trellis frame as the previous 400, with the engine being a stressed member. Helping to contribute to a low curb weight of 170 kg is the swingarm mounting plate, which bolts directly to the engine, allowing for more stability and negating the need…