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The Ninja 400 ABS puts down respectable power without feeling overwhelming for new riders.

Welcome to my first motorcycle review after I recently earned my M1 license at California's Motorcycle Safety Program. Obviously, my expertise in the world of motorcycles now needs to expand but for the moment, I hope my experiences can help other new riders learn a bit more about what they can expect while honing their riding skills.

I received this Ninja 400 ABS as a recommendation from Kawasaki—and not just because of the anti-lock brakes, which do make the bike safer for beginners—but because they believe it offers an excellent platform for amateurs hoping to hop on and start riding better. The bike's low weight, simple chassis, and straightforward controls also specifically fit well for me, because I need to overcome everything I'm accustomed to as a road cyclist used to riding on the finest lightweight carbon-fiber bicycles. And over the course of the past two months, the Ninja 400 ABS did just that.

Jumping onto a motorcycle with overwhelming power sounded pretty risky to me, but even a quick yank on the Ninja 400's throttle unleashed respectable, if not overwhelming, power from the 399cc parallel twin. Kawasaki doesn't publish official power specs but general consensus places output near 43.3 horsepower and 24.6 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheel, all in a bike that weighs around 370 pounds with the fluids topped up.

Only 43 horsepower might sound puny in the modern era but keep in mind that power-to-weight relationships are exponential, not linear, so the Ninja 400 can hit 60 miles an hour in just over four seconds, which will definitely feel quick to new riders unaccustomed to hard acceleration.

I needed to acclimate not only to the acceleration potential of the Ninja's 12,500-RPM redline but also to the controls and gauges of a motorcycle. Even coming from a career driving many manual-transmission cars, switching up to operating a clutch with my left hand and both the throttle and front with my right required an adjustment period—especially because on my road bikes, the left lever operates the front brakes while the right engages the rears.

Luckily, the Ninja 400's gauges keep everything simple, with an easy-to-read tachometer and a digital display that shows which gear is selected. To that extent, I just swung my leg over and started riding, even heading to some residential neighborhoods with fewer cars and more stopsigns where I forced my brain and muscles to get used to accelerating from a stop, upshifting, braking, downshifting, and coming back to a stop repeatedly.

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Once I began to feel a bit more comfortable, I headed up into the hills for a first time carving canyons on the Ninja 400. Probably the biggest surprise—and I'm still not quite used to the sensation—comes with every hard squeeze of the brakes, which causes a dip in the nose due to the relatively soft suspension. In reality, though when I say relatively soft, I mean compared to a rigid carbon-fiber bike with only a tiny road tires able to compress.

Compared to other motorcycles, the Ninja 400's unrefined suspension actually feels somewhat stiff—which I liked, since each time the nose dipped, I felt a faceplant coming on. Those 310-mm dual-piston front brakes do a good job hauling the Ninja to a stop, though I never even approached using the ABS out of fear that I might launch over the handlebars. Baby steps felt like the prudent process, even if my friends urged me to really clamp down on the front and rear to experience a bit of tire-slip. But even using the right-foot rear brakes still felt foreign, so I largely ignored their goading.

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Luckily, at 370 pounds wet, the Ninja 400 slots in as a featherweight. And I actually (somewhat surprisingly) grew to like the size and looks more than expected. The handlebars still felt a bit upright compared to my bicycles but that allowed for a more upright position when not riding hard. At six-foot-one with long legs, the pegs sat a bit closer to the seat than I might prefer if I bought a bike for myself, but a bit of stretching at each stop loosened up my college athlete knees just fine. Moving the Ninja around my neighborhood and garage at low speeds, I never came close to feeling tippy or out of control.

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Maybe the biggest surprise when I first picked up the bike came as I drove away—the exhaust system almost completely muffles any engine sound, to the point that my ears, even through a helmet, picked up some chain noise. Perhaps Kawasaki thinks most buyers will just go out and install an aftermarket setup anyway, but I think a bit more grumble might sound nice. Here, my riding friends agreed with me, saying that in addition to the spirit of a louder exhaust, louder bikes also alert other drivers best and make a motorcycle safer. Whether that's true, I can't say at this point, but at least my upstairs neighbors don't hate me yet.

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All in all, I definitely agree that Kawasaki built a great bike for beginners—though I also believe that experienced riders can learn a ton from hopping on an underpowered, lightweight motorcycle and honing the forgotten skills that big power and excellent suspension might mask. Hustling through the canyons, I learned so much about weight transfer (front-to-rear and side-to-side) and how to keep my body position relaxed, smooth, and confident. Plus, the slipper clutch helped me avoid lurches while shifting,

At Radford Racing School earlier this year, the instructors constantly preached the importance of eye placement and my on-track performance proved their words of wisdom. And yet, taking a motorcycle for even a brief spin reveals the importance of purposeful vision much more powerfully. As I leaned over, hugging the seat and tank with my outside leg, I once more felt my eyes searching past apexes once I felt the flow state setting in.

That sense of flow hits home on a motorcycle, without a doubt, but wearing the right gear also contributes greatly to my sense of confidence on a ride. Despite armor below abrasion-resistant materials in a set of Motor Jogger Tex Pants and an Evorider 2 leather jacket from Spidi, my body movement never felt restricted. And 6D's ATS-1R helmet provided much better peripheral vision than the dirt-bike helmets and goggles I wore at the CMSP course. In fact, when I get back on my road bike now and ride on the same roads, I find myself wishing for a bit more protection since my cornering form has radically changed after spending a bunch of time on the Ninja 400—and my descending speeds improved noticeably, as well.

Only rarely do I feel sad to see a press loaner go, since something to distract me usually arrives at the same time. And yet, I'll definitely look back at the Ninja 400 ABS fondly as my first real riding experience. As much as I loved honing my skills with it, though, I definitely also look forward to a bit more power, more refined suspension, and better brakes on the next bike I test. Although almost anything on the market will undoubtedly tip the scales much heavier, which once again proves just how excellent of a teaching tool a simple, lightweight bike like the Ninja 400 remains, all at a reasonable price point for anyone considering buying a bike new.

Sources: kawasaki.com, youtube.com, spidi.com, and 6dhelmets.com.

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Michael Van Runkle grew up surrounded by Los Angeles car culture, going to small enthusiast meets and enormous industry shows. He learned to drive stick shift in a 1948 Chevy pickup with no first gear and currently dailies his 1998 Mitsubishi Montero while daydreaming about one day finishing up that Porsche 914 project. He's written in various media since graduating from UC Berkeley in 2010 and started at HotCars in February 2018.