Kawasaki has revived the Eliminator in the form of two new cruisers based on the 398cc parallel twin known from the Z400 and Ninja 400. The new Eliminator will initially be marketed only in Japan.
If the name Eliminator doesn’t mean anything to you, Kawasaki introduced the name in 1985 on the ZL900 A1, a rather strange creation that most unusually had the block of a sports bike (the GPz900R to be precise) mounted in the chassis of a cruiser. It was the first cruiser with a four-in-line drive.
The Eliminator was put on the market in different versions. The ZL900 was replaced by the ZL1000 after only two years, while a ZL750, ZL600 and ZL400 were also launched in 1986, the latter powered by the GPz400R’s inline four.
Although a 250, 175 and 125 version of the Eliminator was also released, it never became a success and the name disappeared into the background this century. Until now, because Kawasaki has now announced a new Eliminator 400 and Eliminator 400 SE for the Japanese market.
Unveiled at the Osaka Motorcycle Show, the Eliminator 400 is powered by the 398cc parallel twin of the Ninja 400 and Z400, produced in Japan with a claimed peak horsepower of 48 hp at 10,000 rpm and peak torque of 37 Nm at 8,000 rpm. The Eliminator 400 is the basic model, the Eliminator 400 SE is equipped with some extra parts.
The parallel twin is mounted in a lattice tube frame, with a 41 mm conventional telescopic fork at the front, with concertina rubbers on the SE to protect the fork legs, and twin shock absorbers at the rear. In terms of wheel sizes, Kawasaki has opted for an 18″ front wheel in combination with a 16″ rear wheel.
Kawasaki claims a curb weight of 176 kilos for the Eliminator and 187 kilos for the SE version, which is quite a few kilos more than the 167 the Z400 puts on the scale, but significantly lighter than the 190 kilos of Honda’s Rebel 500, which as its biggest competitor.
Incidentally, the Eliminator 400 is not only lighter than the Rebel 500, but with its peak power of 48 hp, it is also 2 hp stronger than the Rebel, which is quoted in Japan for 46 hp at 8,500 rpm, but on the other hand has more torque. of 43 Nm at 6,000 rpm. With us in Europe, Kawasaki’s 398cc twin is specified for ‘only’ 45 hp at 10,000 rpm, so 3 hp less than in Japan.
The little cruiser also has a seat height of 735 mm and for those who are even that too high, a 20 mm lower saddle offers a solution, in addition there is also a 30 mm higher variant. Kawasaki also claims a consumption of 1:25.7 in accordance with the WMTC mode, even 1:31.6 at 60 km/h, which in combination with the 12 liter tank gives the Eliminator a range of at least 300 kilometers.
In addition to a headlight fairing, harmonica rubbers around the fork legs and a USB-C connection, Kawasaki has equipped the Eliminator 400 SE with another very unique feature, namely a front and a rear-facing camera, the latest gadget in Japan.
The cameras are linked to a recorder that records during the journey. Kawasaki is the first Japanese manufacturer to equip a motorcycle with camera systems. The idea is that the cameras can be used to record trips, to share those images on social media. Furthermore, the bike has traction control and smartphone connectivity.
The Eliminator was launched in Japan as a 2024 model and is sold there for 759,000 Yen, which is € 5,300 at the current exchange rate. It is not yet clear whether the engine will also be marketed outside Japan.
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.