The Kawasaki Ninja 500 SE Performance Akrapovic is the most completely equipped version of Kawasaki’s A2 friendly sports bike, taking the higher specification SE and adding the exhaust and finishing kit that riders most often fit themselves. It is the Ninja 500 for someone who wants the full package from day one, with the sharper look and sound already sorted.
Underneath sits the 451cc liquid cooled parallel twin that has made this class so appealing, an engine designed to feel eager and rewarding at the speeds you actually ride. It drives through a six speed gearbox and delivers its performance in a way that flatters a newer rider while staying genuinely enjoyable for an experienced one. The Akrapovic titanium exhaust fitted here cuts weight from high on the machine and gives the twin a harder, crisper note as the revs rise.
The chassis is the familiar Ninja recipe of accessibility and control. Suspension is tuned for real world roads, keeping the bike settled over the poor surfaces that make up most of a British ride, and the brakes are matched to the bike’s weight so that stopping is confident without ever feeling sudden. The riding position strikes the balance the Ninja range is known for, sporty enough through a series of bends but nothing like as extreme as a full supersport machine, which is why so many riders keep one for years.
The Performance kit completes it. Beyond the Akrapovic system, a single seat cover gives the tail the stripped back racing profile, a large smoke windscreen improves protection at speed while darkening the front view, and a tank pad plus a dashboard screen protector keep the bike looking new through daily use. A Kawasaki tag keyring finishes the set. The 451cc twin also makes this an A2 licence friendly machine, so a newer rider can own one from the start and keep it long after the restriction lifts. It is a thoroughly specified sports bike that needs nothing else adding, and it makes a compelling first big bike or a rewarding step back into riding. See it at GT Motorcycles in Plymouth, your Kawasaki dealer for Devon and Cornwall, where we can talk through finance and arrange a test ride whenever it suits you.
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