KAWASAKI ZL400 (1987-1994) Specs, Performance & Photos

In 1986, the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer launched the Kawasaki ZL400, a cruiser motorcycle manufactured until 1994, packing a GPZ400R four-cylinder engine with a milder tune and a final shaft drive like all versions of the Kawasaki Eliminator.

The bike was part of the Eliminator series of cruiser-style motorcycles that debuted in 1985 with the Kawasaki 900 Eliminator. The first two models, the 1985 Eliminator and 1986 ZL900, were street replicas of a drag-styled bike with a forward riding position, a close-ratio gearbox, and a final shaft drive.

In the visual department, the 1986 Kawasaki ZL400 was fitted with standard features, such as a round headlight, a teardrop-shaped fuel tank, a one-piece dual seat with a passenger grab handle, side-mounted rear shocks, fat silencers, and three-spoke aluminum wheels.

In the suspension department, the ZL400 packed a conventional telescopic fork on the front and dual-side-mounted shock absorbers on the rear, offering optimum suspension performance and handling.

As for the braking performance, the bike was fitted with a single disc tied to a hydraulically operated caliper on the front wheel and a drum braking unit on the rear wheel, providing optimum stopping power.

The 1986 Kawasaki ZL400 had installed underneath its fuel tank a 398cc four-stroke liquid-cooled four-cylinder engine fed by four Keihin carburetors, delivering an output power of 54 hp at 12,000 rpm and 33 Nm (24 lb-ft) torque at 10,500 rpm.