Kawasaki Eliminator 400 now in the PH, starts at ₱360,000

Ever since it launched, the Honda Rebel 500 has dominated the entry-level cruiser segment, partially because it was just that good of a bike and because there aren’t many cruisers that can come close.

But in 1985, Kawasaki had a winning formula for a great cruiser with the Eliminator 400. It was powered by the GPZ400 Ninja’s inline-four engine and transmission, and it drove the rear wheel via a smooth-as-silk shaft drive.

Thankfully, Kawasaki launched the all-new Eliminator 400 in Japan earlier this year. It marked the return of the legendary Eliminator nameplate and the return of Kawasaki to the entry-level cruiser segment.

When it launched in Thailand and Japan, we eagerly anticipated its arrival on our shores and for the Green Machine to finally give Honda a run for its money in the entry-level cruiser market because what’s a free market without competition?

Kawasaki Philippines agrees as well.

Anytime now

A recent post on the Kawasaki Leisure Bikes Facebook page showed a teaser of an all-new cruiser that will launch “soon.”

Naturally, all eyes turned to the all-new Eliminator, as it’s the only Kawasaki cruiser not sold here yet. We were all pretty excited when the teaser came out, and that excitement only grew when Wheeltek posted on their Facebook page that it was already available in dealerships.

The new Eliminator is powered by a 399cc parallel twin in Thailand and Japan, while a larger 451cc engine powers international models found in other countries like ours. Both engines make somewhere in the region of 50PS and 42.6Nm of torque at 7200rpm.

On top of this, the Eliminator offers riders smartphone connectivity, ABS, and a 6-speed transmission with assist and slipper clutch.

Cruiser-compliant

Dimensions-wise, the Kawasaki Eliminator is a classic cruiser bike. With a seat height of 735mm, it’s right in the sweet spot for even the shortest riders, while the 1520mm wheelbase makes it very stable on highways.

Moreover, with a 30° rake and mid-mounted controls, the rider’s position is the definition of comfort. And if riders still doubt the Eliminator’s credibility as a cruiser, it comes with an 18-inch wheel up front and a 16-inch wheel out back – textbook cruiser style, folks.

And like a textbook cruiser, the Eliminator also comes with a sizeable fuel tank - 12 liters, to be specific. While local fuel consumption figures have yet to come out, other countries put it at around 30 to 40 kilometers per liter, which gives the bike a potential range of 400 kilometers on a single tank. That much range makes the Eliminator a competent long-distance motorcycle, with the only thing missing being saddle bags.

Hm po?

The best part of the entry-level cruiser is its reasonable price. It gives riders all this style and substance for ₱360,000 for the Standard model and ₱380,000 for the SE model.

It's pretty cheap, especially considering the average price for Japanese big bikes is ₱1000 per cubic centimeter range. It even undercuts its main rival by ₱5000, which is still a big factor.

So, while we no longer need to wait for the new Eliminator to arrive on our shores because it’s just so unique, it will still be a bit of time before we can compare it to others in the segment.

One thing is for sure: if you’re in the market for an entry-level cruiser bike, you might want to stroll over to your nearest Wheeltek dealer and check out the Eliminator.