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Sportbikes

1990Kawasaki ZX-R 400-SP

29 fields on record

The 1990 Kawasaki ZX-R 400-SP is a Japanese sports bike with a 399cc liquid-cooled inline four making 59 hp and 40 Nm. It weighs 160 kg dry and has a 6-speed gearbox and a 16-litre tank.

Capacity: 399.0 ccm
Engine: In-line four, four-stroke
Gearbox: 6-speed
Dry weight: 160.0 kg
Seat height: 765 mm
Power: 59.0 HP (44.0 kW) @ 12000 RPM

⇄ Compare with another bike ＋ Add to garage All model years

How it rides

Editorial estimate from the spec sheet - not lab tested

Off-road & trail5%

Cornering80%

City riding25%

Daily riding20%

Touring10%

Two-up25%

Track75%

Best for: Sport bike built for its class - everyday, practical use.
Built for: A sport bike from Kawasaki, built around a 399cc engine - a real production model, but this profile is formula-generated from its class and spec sheet rather than individually reviewed.
Not ideal for: Not for serious performance or off-road use.

Scores are derived from the spec sheet using the same model across every bike, so they compare like for like.

Will it fit you?

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Your height

Inseam (optional)

Units

At 765mm, a rider of 68.9" with a 31" (estimated) inseam will reach the ground with both feet flat on the 1990 Kawasaki ZX-R 400-SP, with a cramped knee angle of around 65 degrees and a forward-leaning riding position.

Assumes about 30mm of suspension sag once seated. This is an approximation from category-typical geometry, not a measurement of this bike or of you - sit on one before you buy.

More bikes at 751-820 mm — Middle Ground →

Find bikes that fit your height →

Reliability & safety

Bike Reliability score, safety recalls and owner complaints

Bike Reliability

How the score works →

out of 100Poor

The Kawasaki ZX-R 400-SP passed its annual roadworthiness test first time 68.0% of the time, 12.3 points below expected for bikes of the same age and mileage. That beats 15% of models.

This covers every year of the model.

68.0%Passed first time

22.4%Failed outright

9.6%Fixed during test

35,000Typical miles

802Tests

Pass rate by miles ridden

0-10k

65.8%

10-20k

75.6%

20-30k

70.5%

30-40k

67.1%

40-50k

65.2%

50k+

65.6%

All years of this model.

Against its rivals · ranks 6 of 6

#	Model (all years)	Score	Tests
1	Yamaha RD 350 F	76 Good	141
2	Gilera Saturno 500	64 Good	208
3	Yamaha TZR 250	59 Average	3,338
4	Suzuki RGV 250 Gamma	39 Below average	2,632
5	Kawasaki ZXR 400	24 Below average	14,183
6	Kawasaki ZX-R 400-SP	15 Poor	802

Rivals are the most-viewed bikes on MotorcycleDB in the same category and engine size, from within three years of this model.

From British annual roadworthiness tests, 2005-2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (DVSA MOT test data, Great Britain). How Bike Reliability works.

Full specifications

Engine

Capacity: 399.0 ccm
Power: 59.0 HP (44.0 kW) @ 12000 RPM
Torque: 40.0 Nm (4.1 kgf-m) @ 10000 RPM
Engine type: In-line four, four-stroke
Power/weight ratio: 0.3688 HP/kg (dry)
Compression: 12.0:1
Cooling system: Liquid
Fuel system: Carburettor
Starting: Electric
Ignition: Transistorized

Transmission

Gearbox: 6-speed
Transmission type: Manual
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: Wet multi disc

Dimensions & weight

Wheelbase: 1395 mm
Seat height: 765 mm
Dry weight: 160.0 kg
Wet weight: 177.0 kg
Fuel capacity: 16.00 litres

Chassis & suspension

Frame: Aluminum diamond tubular, double cradle
Front suspension: 41mm Upside down Showa forks. adjustable preload with rebound damping.
Rear suspension: Uni-Trek adjustable preload with rebound damping.

Brakes & wheels