Credible performance in an efficient and affordable package.


Kawasaki’s Ninja® 500R strikes a perfect balance between function, form and budget that is rarely achieved in the sport bike world. This practical sportbike is ready to rip, but friendly enough for beginners to feel confident in its manners.


At the heart of this excellent platform is the Ninja 500R’s 498cc liquid-cooled, inline twin-cylinder four-stroke engine. Its dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, make for a robust motor that is both beginner-friendly and rousing to expert riders. No slouch, this half-liter engine has enough gusto to let novices expand their skills and keep even the most seasoned riders quite happy exploring the upper end of its rev range.


Letting the high-performance engine live to its full potential is a lightweight and compact design. One of the major selling points for the Ninja 500R, its great-handling is aided by Kawasaki’s UNI-TRAK® rear suspension system, with a progressive linkage similar to the larger-displacement Ninja models. With the motor and chassis combo, the bike begs to be taken out on twisty back roads.


And the Ninja 500R also shares the same sporty styling of its bigger siblings, with an aerodynamic half-fairing that provides wind protection for the rider and is stylishly complemented by a lower fairing.