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.
