Kawasaki Ninja 500, Eliminator Could Be Discontinued In India Soon

Kawasaki's Ninja 500 and Eliminator may exit India as stricter E20 fuel rules come into effect.

Kawasaki might soon stop selling its Ninja 500 and Eliminator motorcycles in India. These bikes are imported into India through the CBU (Completely Built Unit) route, which makes them quite expensive. Because of their high price and strong competition, they have remained low-volume models in India.

New Fuel Rules Cause Issues

The Indian government has new rules for E20 fuel, which is petrol mixed with 20% ethanol. Reports say that the Ninja 500 and Eliminator do not meet these new fuel standards. Instead of changing the bikes to meet the rules, Kawasaki might choose to stop selling them.

It costs a lot to update motorcycles to meet new fuel rules. Since these 500cc models do not sell in large numbers, Kawasaki may not see enough value in investing in these updates. This could be why the company is thinking about pulling them from the market.

Bike Details and Prices

Both the Ninja 500 and Eliminator use a 451cc liquid-cooled twin-cylinder engine. This engine makes about 44.7 horsepower and 42.6 Nm of torque. It works with a 6-speed gearbox.

The Eliminator costs Rs 6.16 lakh (ex-showroom), and the Ninja 500 costs Rs 5.66 lakh (ex-showroom). These prices are high partly because of taxes on imported vehicles.

Local Production and Competition

Kawasaki has a factory in India where it puts together other models like the Ninja 650, Vulcan S, and Versys 650. These bikes were updated last year to work with E20 fuel. However, the 500cc models face tough competition from rivals offered by brands such as Royal Enfield, KTM, and Honda. Kawasaki has not officially confirmed this yet, more details about the future of both motorcycles are expected soon.