Kawasaki rocked headlines last year with the announcement of the Ninja ZX-4RR. The return of the small-bore inline-four resurrected memories of Japanese manufacturers competing in the All Japan TT-F3 championship. This all-new model from Team Green takes inspiration from the unattainable racebikes of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s and applies it to a roadworthy sportbike in an accessible package. The 2023 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR won Cycle World’s Ten Best Lightweight Streetbike for 2023. And for good reason. Its 399cc DOHC liquid-cooled inline-four offers something literally no other lightweight motorcycle does: a class-leading rev range of 16,000 rpm (just over 15,000 rpm in the US).There are four ride modes present: Sport, Road, Rain, and Rider. The first three have preset power and traction control settings whereas Rider is customizable between full power, low power, and three levels of traction control as well as off. Standard equipment also includes a bidirectional quickshifter. The chassis consists of a high-tensile steel trellis frame, 37mm Showa Separate Function Big Piston fork with spring preload adjustability, and a fully adjustable Showa Balance Free Rear Cushion shock. Before hitting our in-house Dynojet 250i dynamometer, the 2023 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR tipped our automotive scales at 418 pounds.Related: Why Do Motorcycles Make More Power Than They Did 40 Years Ago?

On the Cycle World dyno, the 2023 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR produced 56.3 hp at 11,700 rpm and 25.8 lb.-ft. of torque at 11,300 rpm. For reference, the 2022 KTM RC 390 (Cycle World’s 2022 Best Lightweight Streetbike) produced 40.2 hp at 8,900 rpm and 24.4 lb.-ft. of torque at 6,900 rpm, but has a lower wet weight of 365 pounds. The 4RRs linear power delivery and flat torque curve offers a flexible package for commuters and trackday enthusiasts alike. But like many small-displacement inline-fours, to get the most out of the engine requires keeping the rpm singing past the midrange and beyond.