Oops! Milwaukee News Crew Outs 2018 Kawasaki Ninja 400

Milwaukee NBC affiliate, WTMJ-TV, may have just spoiledKawasaki‘s surprise for the 2018 model year by filming what appears to be a restyled Ninja 400. The previous generation 400, although not available in the U.S., was a downsized Ninja 650 and styled in the same vein with an under-engine exhaust. The higher-mounted muffler and swoopier bodywork seen here points to this being a stylistically revised model, though the narrowness of the bikes hints at the continued use of a parallel-Twin engine.

Any further comments on internal changes would be pure conjecture, but we’re not gonna let that stop us. We surmise that the 400 has undergone a Ninja 300-ification. The wheels look similar to the 300. The muffler and swingarm look virtually identical – which also means the shock has been relocated from the 650’s side-mount placement. The bodywork that we can see looks likes a brawnier version of the Ninja 300, and perhaps this new 400 has a larger tank. We expect the wheelbase to remain essentially the same since the 300 is only 0.2 in. shorter than the current 400’s 55.5 in. Engine internals are likely to be updated, but we’d expect the bore and stroke to remain close to its current 58.4 mm x 54.3 mm along with a 11:1 compression ratio.

The filming of the commercial in an American city also means – we hope – that the sporty 400 will be headed Stateside.