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With its exposed steel trellis frame and blacked out hardware, the Kawasaki Eliminator puts a modern twist on the classic cruiser formula. Its neutral riding position and low weight of 176kg suggest that there is more to this cruiser than meets the eye, but it’s a late entrant into the now competitive 400cc market. Will customers bite?
Power comes from a 451cc liquid-cooled eight-valve DOHC parallel-twin with a 180-degree crank going through a 6-speed box featuring a slip-and-assist clutch. The engine is adapted from the Ninja 400 and retains the same 70mm bore, but gets a longer stroke of 58.6mm resulting in increased bottom-end torque as is befitting of a cruiser. Peak power of 47bhp comes in at 10000rpm and peak torque of 37Nm at 8000rpm, with the redline set at 12000rpm.
The Eliminator comes in at a tight 176kg kerb weight, measuring 2.25m long with a 150mm ground clearance. Seat height is 735mm, which should make it accessible for shorter riders. Taller (765mm) and shorter (715mm) seat height options are also available. Rake angle is 30-degrees. The Eliminator has a rider triangle more akin to a standard street bike, with the mid-position foot pegs providing a neutral riding position.
Between the 41mm telescopic fork with 120mm travel is an 18-inch alloy wheel wrapped in a 130/70 tubeless tyre. The 16-inch rear wheel wearing 150/80 rubber is suspended with twin-shocks with 79mm wheel travel. Stopping power comes from a 310mm front disc with a twin-piston calliper and a 220mm rear disc with a single-piston calliper. Dual-channel ABS is standard.
Gadgetry is limited to a monochromatic LCD instrument cluster. The circular dial displays speed, revs, gear position, time, and fuel level. It also allows for toggling between dual trip metres, current fuel range, and average fuel consumption. The Eliminator 400 is compatible with the Kawasaki Rideology app, which includes useful features like ride recording, maintenance log, and general bike information.
The Kawasaki Eliminator comes in at an ex-showroom price of Rs 5.62 lakh. Its 451cc capacity pits it against the Triumph 400 twins and the newly-launched RE Himalayan, but its performance figures bump it up to RE 650 territory, where it isn’t the only one with a parallel-twin. Where exactly it fits in remains to be seen.
