Kawasaki is bringing back the Eliminator 450 moniker after 2 decades.
Kawasaki is bringing back the Eliminator moniker after two decades.
While there were rumours that Kawasaki might launch the Eliminator 450 at the 2023 IBW festival in Goa, the cruiser has finally made its way to the Indian market.. Although it is a middleweight offering, it is an entry level product from Kawasaki in the cruiser lineup. It has been officially launched at an introductory price of ₹ 5.62 lakh (ex-showroom), which is significantly higher than the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650. Here’s all you need to know about this bike.
The Kawasaki Eliminator 450 derives its inspiration from the popular Kawasaki Vulcan S. It features a laid-back cruiser design with a slightly more angular and sharp tail section. It has a neo-retro design philosophy. The rider’s triangle is relaxed with handle bars pulled towards the rider and forward set footpegs. The round LED headlight with an integrated DRL is a nice blend of retro and modern feel and it gets LED tail lights too. The all blacked out design makes it look a bit muted but also sets it apart among the shiny crowd of other cruisers in the market. It's got a split set and a side mounted exhaust.
Powering the Kawasaki Eliminator is a 451 cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine, generating 45 bhp of power and 42.6 Nm of peak torque. This is 2 bhp less and 10 Nm less than the RE Super Meteor at 47 bhp and 52 Nm. It gets a 6 speed gearbox with slip and assist clutch.
Kawasaki Eliminator 450 sits on a tubular trellis frame. It rolls on 18-inch (front) and 16-inch (rear) alloy wheels fitted with wide tyres. The suspension comprises of a 41mm telescopic fork and preload-adjustable dual shocks. Stopping power is courtesy disc brakes at either ends and dual-channel ABS comes standard.
Kawasaki Eliminator 450 features a circular TFT instrument cluster. This fully digital component is integrated with smartphone connectivity capabilities, supporting the brand's Rideology App. Users can leverage the app to display turn-by-turn navigation directly on the motorcycle's screen.
The Kawasaki Eliminator is another classic case of a great motorcycle at a terribly wrong price. We can understand that the premium pricing is courtesy the fact that the cruiser comes via the CKD route. However, when there is homegrown competition such as the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, the above pricing and positioning doesn’t make too much sense. The Eliminator could have been a better alternative to the Super Meteor 650 as an urban cruiser but not at this price point.
