Kawasaki Ninja 500 Vs Aprilia RS457, Yamaha R3 And KTM RC390 - Specifications Compared

Updated: Thursday, March 7, 2024, 13:23 [IST]

Kawasaki updated its model lineup in India with the launch of the new Ninja 500 motorcycle. This newly launched Kawasaki Ninja 500 is expected to gradually replace the older Ninja 400 motorcycle.

To completely replace the Ninja 400, the new Kawasaki Ninja 500 must fare well against its primary rivals such as the Aprilia RS457, Yamaha R3, and KTM RC390. That being said, here's how the new Ninja 500 stacks up against its competition.

Kawasaki Ninja 500 Vs Aprilia RS457 Vs Yamaha R3 Vs KTM RC390 Spec Comparison

	Kawasaki Ninja 500	Aprilia RS457	Yamaha R3	KTM RC390
Engine	Liquid-cooled, 451cc, parallel-twin	Liquid-cooled, 457cc, parallel-twin	Liquid-cooled, 321cc, parallel-twin	Liquid-cooled, 373cc, single-cyl
Power	45bhp at 9,000rpm	47.6bhp at 9,400rpm	43bhp at 10,750rpm	43.5bhp at 9,000rpm
Torque	42.6Nm at 6,000rpm	43.5Nm at 6,700rpm	29.5Nm at 9,000rpm	37Nm at 7,000rpm
Gearbox	6-speed	6-speed	6-speed	6-speed
Fuel Capacity	14 litres	13 litres	14 litres	13.7 litres
Ground Clearance	145 mm	150 mm	160 mm	160 mm
Kerb Weight	171 kg	175 kg	169 kg	172 kg
Suspension (Front & Rear)	Telescopic fork/Monoshock	USD fork/Monoshock	USD fork/Monoshock	USD fork/Monoshock
Brakes (Front & Rear)	310mm disc/220mm disc	320mm disc/220mm disc	298mm disc/220mm disc	320mm disc/230mm disc
Tyres (Front & Rear)	110/70-R17 (front)/ 150/60-R17 (rear)	110/70-R17 (front)/ 150/60-R17 (rear)	110/70-R17 (front)/ 140/70-R17 (rear)	110/70-R17 (front)/ 150/60-R17 (rear)
Price (ex-showroom)	₹5.24 lakh (introductory)	₹4.10 lakh	₹4.65 lakh	₹3.18 lakh

Kawasaki Ninja 500

The Kawasaki Ninja 500 uses a 451cc, parallel twin engine and puts out 45bhp at 9,000rpm and 42.6Nm of torque at 6,000rpm. The model weighs 171kg, and the power-to-weight ratio stands at 263bhp/tonne. Pricing-wise, the Ninja 500 is the most expensive at Rs 5.24 lakh (ex-showroom).

Aprilia RS457

The Aprilia RS457 is the most powerful motorcycle in this comparison with 47.6bhp at 9,400rpm from its 457cc, parallel-twin engine. This engine also puts out a healthy 43.5Nm of torque at 6,700rpm.

However, the Aprilia RS457 is a heavy motorcycle, tipping the scales at 175kg. As a result, the power-to-weight ratio stands at 272bhp/tonne. Also, the fuel tank capacity is slightly smaller than the Ninja 500 at 13 litres. Prices for the Aprilia RS457 starts at Rs 4.10 lakh (ex-showroom).

KTM RC390

The KTM RC390 uses a 373cc, single-cylinder engine. Despite missing one cylinder on its rivals, it still puts out 43.5bhp at 9,000rpm and 37Nm of torque at 7,000rpm. However, despite the single-cylinder setup, the KTM RC390 weighs 1kg more than the Ninja 500 at 172kg.

As a result, the power-to-weight ratio stands at just 253bhp/tonne. Like the Ninaj 500, the KTM RC390 can hold 14 litres of fuel in the tank. KTM RC390 is also the most affordable bike in this comparison with a price tag of Rs 3.18 lakh (ex-showroom).

Yamaha R3

The Yamaha R3 with its 321cc parallel-twin engine is designed to scream with a peak power of 43bhp arriving at 10,750rpm. As a result, torque is on the lower side at just 29.5Nm at 9,000rpm.

The power-to-weight ratio for the Yamaha R3 is the lowest in this comparison at just 248.5bhp/tonne despite having the least kerb weight at 169kg. Also, the model is the second most expensive in this comparison with a price tag of Rs 4.65 lakh (ex-showroom).

Thoughts About The New Kawasaki Ninja 500

From this comparison, we can see that the Aprilia RS457 is the Ninja 500's closest rival. However, despite the similarities in specification figures, the Aprilia RS457 is more than Rs 1 lakh cheaper than the Kawasaki Ninja 500. This keeps the new Kawasaki Ninja 500 on its backfoot