They say sportbikes aren’t for everyone, and I absolutely agree. Motorcycle riding alone is a niche, but riding sportbikes is even niche-er.
I myself have mostly avoided it. I like riding fast every now and then, but the idea of getting on a bike with my feet high on the footpegs, my arms stretched forward, my back hunched, and my belly almost pressing on the tank never appealed to me. I’ve always said this was just because I’m fat, but I believe even if I had a smaller build, I still wouldn’t like getting on a sport bike.
But this is Top Gear Philippines, and it’s part of my job to review motorcycles. That’s why when the opportunity to test a Kawasaki sportbike came along, I just couldn’t pass it up. Originally, though, the plan was to review the ZX-25R. I said yes, thinking the bike was just right for me. Lo and behold, there was a mix-up with the schedules and it turns out it wasn’t available, so I was going to be lent a ZX-4RR instead. “I already said yes, anyway,” I figured, so I gave the go signal to have the bigger sportbike sent my way.
I’ve ridden a few sportbikes before—I did try the Aprilia RS457 and the Tuono 660, to name a few. They’re not nearly as aggressive as the ZX-4RR, but they did give me a glimpse of the life of a sportbike rider.
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A mere glimpse it was, because Kawasaki’s famed ZX series is a far cry from those two. There’s a reason these Kawasakis have a cult following—they’re four-cylinder screamers. Each model a different displacement, the ZX-4RR being the ‘entry-level’ one since it’s the smallest expressway-legal model in the lineup. It was anything but ‘entry-level,’ not with its P499,000 price tag.
It’s powered by a seemingly measly 401cc liquid-cooled, four-cylinder engine, but said engine puts out 76.43hp at 14,000rpm (78.72hp with RAM air) and 39.6Nm of torque at 13,200rpm. Those are quite the numbers and an insane redline for a four-hundred-cc bike. It has a six-speed manual gearbox, though on most rides, I never needed all six gears. See, it gets to nearly 100kph in first gear, which is absurd. If you want to cruise in sixth, you’ll be keeping the revs low. Good for fuel economy, yes, but you won’t hear the beautiful engine notes of the four-cyl underneath you.
Every high rev was like music to my ears, and I somehow understood why some riders like revving their sportbikes. Even with just the stock pipe on, it sounded darn good. With a louder, aftermarket exhaust system, the ZX-4RR can sound better than bikes with bigger engines.
But of course, a good-sounding engine won’t do any good when all it does is roar. In the case of the ZX-4RR, it actually walks the talk, so to speak. Whether on a straight line or through winding mountain roads, it shines. My maiden ride with it was a quick run from Sta. Rosa to Alabang, and I found myself just grinning from ear to ear throughout that short stretch of the expressway. There was just so much power on tap, and there wasn’t any worry of going too hard with the brake system as powerful as it is. In other words, there was plenty of pulling power, but there was just as much stopping power to match it.
I didn’t ride it on track, but I was eventually able to take it to some twisties, and even though I wasn’t the most experienced rider, I found it easy to take corners at speed. I was disciplined with the throttle, so I quickly learned that as long as I kept good control and leaned properly through turns, the ZX-4RR would feel…cooperative. I still felt the raw power at my fingertips, but it wasn’t anything too much for me to handle.
Admittedly, even if I wasn’t the biggest fan of sportbikes (I’m still not), I do wish I could’ve ridden the Kawasaki ZX-4RR on a circuit, assuming I had track experience. That’s how much of an effect it had on me. Whenever I rode it, I’d get body aches and sore muscles each time, but it also kept putting a smile on my face. It’s loud and powerful, but it isn’t too much. It also isn’t too big for my five-foot-six, short-inseam frame. Every downshift and every redline felt like pure bliss. I get why people daily these bikes—they’re just so much fun. I’d even consider owning one even just as a weekend toy.
I wouldn’t say it’s the best-looking bike, though, because I’m still a bit 50-50 on the design. I suppose I feel oversaturated with the sheer amount of Ninjas and ZX bikes I see on the road on a weekly basis. That’s not Kawasaki’s fault by any means, of course—I’m just trying to justify my preferences here.
At the end of the day, though, I still stand by what I said that sportbikes—especially ones from the ZX series—aren’t for everyone. But after a week or so of riding the ZX-4RR, I now understand how and why Kawasaki remains at the pinnacle of this genre. If the ZX-4RR can make a believer out of a cynic like me, it’s no surprise adrenaline junkies and sportbike fans go bananas over this.
More photos of the Kawasaki ZX-4RR 2026:
