#Top8

Nothing excites motorcyclists – who are often in a forced staycation from riding this time of year – like new model season. The manufacturers have revealed their new mounts, but most are not yet in show rooms. So, all we’ve got is highly produced photos, minimal specifications, and our fantasies to go on. This is the time of year that we motojournalists live for. Not only do we get to pad our frequent flyer miles, but we also sample the latest and greatest that the manufacturers have produced so that we can come home to tell you all about what the upcoming model year has in store for all of us.

In case you haven’t figured it out by now, we – err, at least I – really love the Kawasaki Ninja 400. Ryan came off the bike at its press intro and was happy as could be. He’s such a fan that he pointed out the 10 things he specifically likes about it. Then, once we stacked it up against the KTM RC390 and Honda CBR500R in our 2018 Lightweight Sportbike Shootout, the Ninja 400 came away a winner, yet again. As far as lightweight sportbikes go, this one is sweet. It’s a great entry-level motorcycle for the new or returning rider, but has plenty of performance for the experienced rider to exploit.