2024 Kawasaki Eliminator 450 Certified by CARB
Could the new 451cc engine find its way to more models?
Last month, Kawasaki announced a new Eliminator for Asian markets, a 398cc model that essentially serves as a smaller Vulcan S. Equipped with a version of the Ninja 400's Parallel-Twin engine, the Eliminator looks to be a potential rival to the Honda Rebel 500. While we were waiting to hear whether Kawasaki would import it to the U.S., we've uncovered evidence that the Eliminator will be coming as a 2024 model, and with a larger engine to boot.
The new Eliminator announced in Japan uses the code name EL400A, with an SE variant going by EL400B. The latest data from the California Air Resources Board lists four new 2024 model codes: EL450A, EL450B, EL450C, and EL450D. Naturally, this suggests that Kawasaki will offer four Eliminator 450 models to the U.S., likely the regular model and the SE model, each with ABS or non-ABS variants.
What's really interesting is that the 2024 Eliminator won't have the same displacement as the Japanese model, with the CARB certifications indicating a 451cc displacement. The documentation does not tell us the bore or stroke, or even how many cylinders the engine has, but our assumption is it will remain a Parallel-Twin like the existing 400 engine.
A 451cc engine would bring the Eliminator closer to the Honda 500's displacement of 471cc. The 400 engine claims an output of 49 hp at 10,500 rpm, which is already more powerful than the Rebel's claimed output of 45.9 hp at 8,500 rpm, so it's not like the Eliminator needed more power. When it comes to torque, however, the Rebel claims 32 lb-ft. at 6,000 rpm compared to the Ninja 400's 28 lb-ft. at 8,000 rpm. A jump up to 451cc should be enough to give the Eliminator more torque than its prospective rival, which is probably more important than peak horsepower for these small cruisers.
Of course, this leads us to wonder whether the 451cc engine will also find its way to the Ninja and Z models. Neither model has received its 2024 engine certifications from CARB yet, so it's entirely possible. Those of you hoping for a larger Versys-X, however, will be disappointed to learn that CARB has already certified the model for 2024 again with the existing 296cc engine.
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Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.
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A Z450 could be very enticing, a Versys 450 even more so. More competition for KTM..
Can't beat this push for entry level bikes that are enough to keep riding for years. We currently have a Ninja 300 and Z400 in the garage. The 300 is fine. The 400 is a real motorcycle. I'd have one of these.