Last year, Kawasaki reintroduced the Eliminator name to its lineup as a 451cc lightweight cruiser. Based heavily off the already existing Z400 and Ninja 400 platform, the Eliminator utilizes the same engine but with a 6.8mm increased stroke (to 58.6mm) giving it a larger 451cc displacement. Since the introduction of the Eliminator in late 2023, Kawasaki also announced the new 2024 Z500 and Ninja 500 that will feature the same larger-displacement parallel-twin engine.
The 2024 Kawasaki Eliminator SE ABS ($7,249) features a 451cc liquid-cooled DOHC four-valves-per-cylinder parallel-twin engine. A lightweight steel-trellis frame derived from the Ninja 400 has been revised to achieve a shorter 28.9-inch seat height and longer 59.8-inch wheelbase. An aluminum swingarm bolts to the back of the engine, utilizing the powerplant as a stressed member. Suspension components include a nonadjustable 41mm telescopic fork providing 4.7 inches of travel and twin shocks with preload adjustment offering 3.1 inches of travel. Contributing to the Eliminator’s cruiser stance is an 18-inch front wheel, 16-inch rear wheel, and a 3.4-gallon tapered fuel tank. Braking components include a single 310mm disc with a dual-piston caliper up front and a 220mm disc with a single-piston caliper at the rear. The 2024 Eliminator SE comes standard with ABS, but Kawasaki offers the base-model Eliminator without ABS for $6,649.
Kawasaki’s Eliminator SE utilizes all of the same hardware as the base models, but features exclusive color and graphics as well as a headlight cowl, fork boots, a USB-C outlet, and a two-pattern seat cover.
Before hitting our in-house Dynojet 250i dynamometer, the 2024 Kawasaki Eliminator SE weighed 395 pounds on our automotive scales. On the Cycle World dyno, the Eliminator produced 47.22 hp at 10,430 rpm and 29.03 lb.-ft. of torque at 7,510 rpm. For reference, the 2019 Kawasaki Z400 produced 44.08 hp at 9,830 rpm and 25.12 lb.-ft. of torque at 8,250 rpm.
The increased stroke of 6.8mm in the small-displacement twin was in an effort to increase low-end torque, according to Kawasaki, and that is clearly demonstrated in our testing. The 2024 Kawasaki Eliminator offers more horsepower than the previous iteration of this engine as well as providing riders with more available torque at a lower rpm. But despite the changes in displacement, the now 451cc parallel twin still maintains the smooth and linear power delivery as before.
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