Kawasaki Ninja 500 vs Ducati Panigale V4 S
Side-by-side comparison for used motorcycle buyers
Kawasaki Ninja 500 vs Ducati Panigale V4 S. Kawasaki Ninja 500: 45 hp hp, 418 lbs (wet) weight, top speed ~112 mph, Motoryk rating 8.0/10. Ducati Panigale V4 S: 215.5 hp (at the crank) hp, 436 lbs (198 kg) weight, top speed ~199 mph (320 km/h), Motoryk rating 8.5/10.
Performance at a Glance
Green = winner per metric · Bars are relative to the higher value
Kawasaki Ninja 500
Ducati Panigale V4 S
Horsepower (hp)
45 hp
215.5 hp
Torque (Nm)
29.5 Nm
91.5 Nm
Top Speed (km/h)
112 km/h
199 km/h
Weight (kg) — lower is better
418 kg
436 kg
Type
Sportbike
Sportbike
Horsepower
45 hp
215.5 hp (at the crank)
Torque
29.5 lb-ft
91.5 lb-ft
Top Speed
~112 mph
~199 mph (320 km/h)
Weight
418 lbs (wet)
436 lbs (198 kg)
Fuel
—
—
Fairing
Yes
Yes
Individual Reviews
Kawasaki Ninja 500
8.0/10
"The smartest $3,500 you'll spend on two wheels, period."
Pros
+Bulletproof reliability when maintained
+Excellent power-to-price ratio
+Forgiving yet genuinely capable
Cons
−Wind protection basically nonexistent
−Fuel range embarrassingly short
−Seat comfort degrades fast
Ducati Panigale V4 S
8.5/10
"The greatest used superbike buy if you respect the maintenance."
Pros
+Otherworldly V4 engine character
+Best-in-class electronics package
+Stunning depreciation from new
Cons
−Expensive desmo service intervals
−Brutal urban heat management
−Crash damage risk high
Top 10 Accessories
Picks that work on either bike.
