Kawasaki poised to widen retro offerings with Z400 RS?
The Kawasaki Z400 RS could be the next model from the Japanese manufacturer to get the retro style treatment, following on from the Z650 RS
It has only just launched the new A2-friendly middleweight Kawasaki Z650 RS retro roadster but it appears the Japanese manufacturer is already planning to expand the RS range further to include the Z400.
First introduced as a throwback makeover for the larger Z900 naked in 2017, the contemporary retro RS has proven to be a sales success around the world, prompting its attempts to repeat the trend with one of its big European sellers, the Z650.
Now, having just launched the Z650 RS - you can read our FULL REVIEW HERE - Kawasaki is reportedly poised to expand the range further with a Z400 addition.
The news, together with a render, first appeared on the cover of Japanese publication Young Machine, a reliable source of information for all things hailing from the Land of the Rising Sun.
For now it isn’t clear whether such a model would make the trip over to Europe. Currently, the Z400 isn’t featured on price lists, leaving a sizeable gap between Kawasaki’s 650cc and 125cc ranges.
However, there is talk this is simply to clear room for Kawasaki to re-enter the fray with an overhauled ‘400’ range, led by the Kawasaki ZX-4R, which has been spotted on patent documents in the last few months, and is considered to be the European market version of the Kawasaki ZX-25R screamer.
It would see Kawasaki competing on all fronts following the announcement that it is dedicating significant resource into developing hybrid, electric and hydrogen-powered models with a view to phasing out all fossil-fuel powered vehicles by 2035.
Despite this, sport and retro remain big business for Kawasaki, which even resurrected its mothballed Meguro sub-brand to sell a premium version of its W800, the K3.
