Kawasaki To Launch Eliminator 450 At India Bike Week 2023

Kawasaki has provided a glimpse of an upcoming bike on their instagram post. From whatever that is visible in the post we expect it to be the Eliminator 450. This is going to take place at IBW 2023 on December 8-9.

The Eliminator nameplate has a rich history dating back to 1985, featuring various engine sizes like 900cc and 1,000cc. Kawasaki introduced different versions over the years, ranging from 750cc to 125cc, maintaining its presence until the late 2000s. After a break of over two decades, Kawasaki has revived the Eliminator name, marking its return to India. Initially introduced in 2001 in collaboration with Bajaj, it was later rebranded as the Bajaj Avenger. The current Avenger continues to thrive with a larger engine in a modern avatar. 

The new Kawasaki offering, likely the Eliminator 450 from international markets, is anticipated to be the brand's most affordable cruiser. Positioned above the Kawasaki Ninja 400 and below the Kawasaki Z650 and will rival bikes like the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 and the Keeway V302C. 

The upcoming cruiser will draw styling inspiration from the Kawasaki Vulcan S, featuring a laid-back cruiser design with a slightly more angular and sharp tail section.

The upcoming Kawasaki Eliminator 450 will be powered by a new 451cc twin-cylinder liquid-cooled engine, anticipated to produce 45.4 bhp at 9000 rpm and 42.6 Nm at 6000 rpm. To put things in perspective the Royal Enfield Super Meteor makes 47 bhp and 52 Nm of torque from a 648 cc air-cooled parallel-twin engine.

Kawasaki Eliminator 450 is expected to feature a telescopic fork at the front and twin shocks at the rear and they are expected to be tuned for a comfortable ride. Braking is managed by a 310 mm front disc and a 240 mm rear disc, complemented by dual-channel ABS. The bike will ride on 18-inch front and 16-inch rear alloy wheels, paired with 130-section front and 150-section rear tubeless tires. With an anticipated weight of just 176 kg, the Kawasaki Eliminator 450 is expected to be one of the lighter cruisers in its segment.

The Kawasaki Eliminator 450, also known as the 'Eliminator 500' in the United Kingdom, is set to make its Indian debut, though the official name has yet to be confirmed. It is expected to be priced around ₹ 5.5 lakh (ex-showroom). It will compete in the same category with the Royal Enfield Super Meteor Twin 650 which is priced at ₹ 3.6 lakhs (ex-showroom). For comparison in the Kawasaki lineup, the Kawasaki Ninja 400 costs ₹ 5,24,000 and the Kawasaki Z650 costs ₹ 6,59,000 (both ex-showroom India). Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to cover IBW!