Kawasaki could soon have some real competition for its Ninja ZX-4R from Honda in the form of a new CBR400R. Recent trademark paperwork shows Team Red is looking into making the bike, and I’m all for more good sportbikes at this displacement.
Can’t Wait for a Honda CBR400R
The application was filed on August 27 with Japan’s intellectual property office. This suggests that Honda may be developing a new small-displacement inline-four sportbike, potentially to compete with Kawasaki’s recently announced Ninja ZX-4R.
The document notes that while trademark filings don’t guarantee a finished product, they do indicate that the project has progressed enough for Honda to reserve the name.
The document also mentions that the CBR400R is currently sold in Japan as a 399cc version of the CBR500R, with a reduced stroke to fit a different license class.
However, it’s unclear if a potential CBR400R Four would be imported to North America or if Honda would neuter the power output like they have done with other models for the US market.
This news came from Motorcycle.com.
