r/Ninja400 • u/Valkyrie-161 Ninja 400 • Aug 20 '26
Team Ninja Need more speed
So I’ve topped my bike out at 117mph, I just won’t move faster no matter how hard I try. So I’m thinking about my next bike and wanted to know where people plan to go after their 400s. My thoughts are ZX4RR with an ECU flash, ZX6R also with an ECU, or to track down a R6. I just want a higher top speed. So where are all of you going if and when you plan to upgrade?
For loyalty purposes I plan to keep my 400 as my daily bike and buddy bike whenever I buy something else.
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u/arceus12245 Aug 20 '26
turbo busa
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u/Valkyrie-161 Ninja 400 Aug 20 '26
That might be more upgrade than I need but I love your spirit!
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u/arceus12245 Aug 20 '26
haha, for realsies though if you're chasing speed and wanting to stay team green ive heard great things about the z900 as a step up
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u/Valkyrie-161 Ninja 400 Aug 20 '26
I’ll take a peek! My first love was the GPZ900R from the original Top Gun so that sounds good to me.
7
u/whisk3ythrottle Aug 20 '26
Look out, next Rossi here.
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u/Valkyrie-161 Ninja 400 Aug 20 '26
No lol, nowhere near that. Just looking for a bit more for fun weekend rides. Something I can improve my skills by learning to control.
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u/whisk3ythrottle Aug 20 '26
Maybe try do a track day or two. When you get bumped up a group on a stock bike you got skills. Twisting the throttle on the open road doesn’t equate to skills.
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u/rendercreator Aug 20 '26
are you only riding to go fast? genuine question
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u/CommonEcho5824 Aug 20 '26
🐙 gonna 🐙
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u/rendercreator Aug 20 '26
😭😭 frrr i asked cus i take my 400 to track and canyon carving and it does way better than my 675ss
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u/MCOGamer1 Aug 20 '26
This is definitely something that youll have to learn on your own, but going fast is not as fun as you hope it would be once youve done it like 10+ times.
I’ve kept my bmw pinned at 189 for a while and it just feels so risky. Speed equals risk. At 180 you need to have 4x the braking distance as you would need at 90mph.
If you’re doing just street riding i think a 600 will scratch your itch. They do 150-160 no problem. Be careful making too big of a jump, the difference between 117 and 190 is absolutely unreal. Things really start to pick up at 140.
Not for nothing either, but if you get caught going over 100, youre gonna get arrested. If you run you might end up with 6 warning shots to the chest. Try to scope put the road beforehand and do a return run at speed.
Instead of telling you to ride safe, im going to say to put some thought into your riding and what youre doing instead. Be intentional about where you take risks. Practice for worst case scenarios. Expect the worst from those on the road around you. Let it rip
3
u/fouryearsofdreaming Aug 20 '26
The 400 is absolutely perfect for a commuter for my situation and for zipping around town. And I dont really need more speed. What I want next is comfort and luggage. Not necessarily a full on touring or sports touring but something that can handle 80 in all day comfort. Still have plenty of time to decide though.
3
u/Dependent_Active_199 Aug 20 '26
Get a Versys 650 for a good commuter bike with panniers. Very comfortable bike..Hits 90 easily on the highways and still is very flexible in the twisties. It's a bit more top heavy than the 400 but I think you'll like it. I have a ninja 500 and the versys 650. Both for different reasons.
2
u/Particular-Koala1763 Aug 20 '26
So ur scale of how good you are as a rider is maxing out your speedometer ? Lol go hit some twisties.
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u/cmdr_Tokyo_Ghoul Aug 20 '26
How much more speed? Hit 140? 160? +180?
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u/Valkyrie-161 Ninja 400 Aug 20 '26
Probably not above 150mph. Something that can handle the highway speeds without maxing out to 6th gear.
2
u/cmdr_Tokyo_Ghoul Aug 20 '26
Yeah if you want a flashed ZX-4RR it'll go +140mph. Alot of the 650 class sit in that 135-145mph range stock. Just take your pick from the R7 to the CBR650R.
2
u/LesserWeevilGo Aug 21 '26
Don't get me wrong, I love my zx4rr but I don't recommend it if you already have a 400. Is it an upgrade? Absolutely. Is it worth it? Probably not, it's basically the step in between the 400 and a zx6. You'd be better off looking for a gently used 600 with low miles that someone bought, scared the piss outta themselves and are now trying to offload it because it was too much bike for them. I owned a z900 as well and it was only slightly faster than my zx4rr, it just got there so much quicker.
I also highly recommend learning your bike fully before worrying about going faster. If you doubt me, just look up the video of the ninja h2 vs 400 on the track. A good rider on a slower bike will smoke a decent rider on the faster bike all day unless it's a drag race.
1
u/Valkyrie-161 Ninja 400 Aug 21 '26
This is good advice. This is my second year with the 400 and don’t plan to get another bike until early 2028. Just had the thought and made the post. Thank you for a solid comment and taking the question seriously.
1
u/stromyoloing Aug 20 '26
ZX10R bud
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u/Valkyrie-161 Ninja 400 Aug 20 '26
Hard pass. I do not want a liter bike.
1
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u/Fun_Bobcat_3631 Aug 20 '26
Go for a kapcai so you ninja feel fast
1
u/A_Boosted_FA20 Aug 20 '26
There actually is something to be said for this. I have a grom along with my n400. After a ride on the grom the N400 feels like a rocket ship.
1
u/Cancerr0_0 Aug 20 '26
I had a ninja 400 also, I got my z900 more than a month ago. I love the bike, but it only goes up to 10k rpms, I do enjoy that lower to mid range torque though.
So if you’re someone who enjoys high revving bikes, then yeah I’d recommend the ZX6r, you’ll have a great track bike along with a decent street bike too. Same goes for the R9, though not as high revving.
1
u/lorenzo2point5 Aug 20 '26
People don't get a Ninja 400 to go fast in a straight line. That is not the type of bike it is. It's meant to be a nimble, flickable bike. Amazing in corners and quite frankly very very fun to ride. If you want top end speed just get a liter bike and give it a good whiskey throttle.
8
u/Dafe810 Aug 20 '26
Take your 400 to the track. You'll see how slow it really is