The Kawasaki Ninja 500 is now on sale in India and is priced at Rs. 5.24 lakh (ex-showroom) which is the same as the current Ninja 400. There is speculation that the 500 may replace the 400 in India but that is yet to be confirmed. The Kawasaki Ninja 400 has three strong rivals to contend with in the segment, two of which are fairly new, and one has been around for a while now. Yes, we are talking about the Aprilia RS 457 and the Yamaha YZF R3 along with the KTM RC 390. Here’s how the Ninja 500 fares against its three rivals on paper.
Also Read: Kawasaki Ninja 500 Launched In India
The Ninja 500 is of course the most expensive motorcycle, the R3 is priced at Rs. 4.60 lakh while the Aprilia RS 457 is priced at Rs. 4.10 lakh. The KTM RC 390 is the most affordable model at Rs. 3.18 lakh, but then it also gets a single-cylinder engine and gets maximum features in terms of electronics such as a bi-directional quick-shifter, full-colour TFT display, traction control, cornering ABS and supermoto ABS. All bikes get dual-channel ABS and standard but the RC 390 outshines them all.
Kawasaki Ninja 500 vs Rivals: Specifications
| Specifications | Kawasaki Ninja 500 | Kawasaki Ninja 500 | Kawasaki Ninja 500 | Yamaha YZF R3 |
| Displacement | 451 cc | 373 cc | 457 cc | 321 cc |
| Engine | Liquid-cooled parallel-twin | Single-cylinder, liquid-cooled | Liquid-cooled parallel-twin | Liquid-cooled parallel-twin |
| Max Power | 44.8 bhp at 9,000 rpm | 43 bhp at 9,000 rpm | 47 bhp at 9,400 rpm | 41 bhp at 10,750 rpm |
| Peak Torque | 42.6 Nm at 6,000 rpm | 37 Nm at 7,000 rpm | 43.5 Nm at 6,700 rpm | 29.5 Nm at 9,000 rpm |
| Gearbox | 6-speed | 6-speed | 6-speed | 6-speed |
The KTM RC 390 is the only motorcycle which gets a single-cylinder engine, rest all others get a parallel-twin engine. The Aprilia RS 457 makes maximum power and maximum torque while the Ninja 500 comes second. The Yamaha R3 has the lowest power and torque output among all four motorcycles here. Also, it has the lowest displacement at 321 cc. The R3 also has the highest-revving motor, with both power and torque coming in at high RPMs.
Kawasaki Ninja 500 vs Rivals: Chassis & Dimensions
| Specifications | Kawasaki Ninja 500 | KTM RC 390 | Aprilia RS 457 | Yamaha YZF R3 |
| Chassis Type | Steel Trellis | Split Trellis frame | Twin-spar Aluminium Frame | Diamond frame |
| Seat Height | 785 mm | 835 mm | 800 mm | 780 mm |
| Ground Clearance | 145 mm | 153 mm | 150 mm | 160 mm |
| Front Suspension | 41 mm telescopic fork | 120 mm travel | WP Apex 43 mm | 41 mm USD fork | 120 mm travel | 37 mm USD fork | 130 mm travel |
| Rear Suspension | Monoshock | 130 mm travel | WP Apex Monoshock | Monoshock | 130 mm travel | Monoshock | 125 mm travel |
| Fuel Capacity | 14 litres | 13.7 litres | 13 litres | 14 litres |
| Kerb Weight | 171 kg | 172 kg | 175 kg | 169 kg |
The R3 is the lightest bike here with a kerb weight of 169 kg. Although the heaviest bike, which is the Aprilia RS 457, is just 6 kg heavier. Surprisingly, the Ninja 500 gets telescopic fork while the rest of them get USD fork. The suspension travel is more or less similar for all motorcycles. The Japanese bikes have the lowest seat height and have a fuel tank capacity of 14 litres. The Europeans have taller seat height, particularly the RC 390, whose seat height is more than that of the Himalayan and is the same as that of the Scrambler 400 X. The Aprilia has the smallest fuel tank here. The R3 has the best ground clearance while the Ninja 500 has the lowest ground clearance.
Kawasaki Ninja 500 vs Rivals: Brakes and Tyres
| Specifications | Kawasaki Ninja 500 | KTM RC 390 | Aprilia RS 457 | Yamaha YZF R3 |
| Front Brake | 310 mm disc - two piston calliper | 320 mm disc with radially mounted calliper | 320 mm disc with 4-piston radial calliper | 298 mm disc |
| Rear Brake | 220 mm disc - two piston calliper | 230 mm disc with floating calliper | 220 mm disc with single-piston calliper | 220 mm disc |
| Front Tyre | 110/70-R17M | 110/70-R17 | 110/70-R17 | 110/70-R17 |
| Rear Tyre | 150/60-R17M | 150/60-R17 | 150/60-R17 | 140/70-R17 |
The European motorcycles have a bigger 320 mm disc up front, while the Japanese models get smaller discs up front. The R3 gets the smallest front disc. All four motorcycles get a 220 mm disc at the rear. Again, the Yamaha gets skinnier tyres than the rest of the motorcycles.
