Back in the 90s when 400cc four-cylinder sportsbikes were the thing, I was busy avoiding homework and school detention. Then when I got my licence in 2002 I was too busy putting road tyres on my XR600 to get involved with sportsbikes. Looking back, it was a golden age of racing and tearing up twisty mountain roads. The 400s were weapons on a tight track or road but then they sadly went the way of the Dodo.
When the re-invented Kawasaki ZX-4R and higher-spec ZX-4RR were released, I was keen to get my butt on one to see what I had missed out on all those years ago. AMCN had already tested it on the racetrack, so it was time to see how it handles life on the road.
Rolling into Kawasaki HQ, I spotted a nice ZX-10R out the front. I parked next to it and as I took my helmet off I spied the ZX-4RR sticker on the side fairing. I couldn’t believe that I had been fooled by the big bike looks. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill LAMS 400cc twin or single cylinder; it is a real-deal four-pot screamer that is not LAMS approved and its appearance reflects that.
