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Kawasaki Eliminator 500 in review (Baujahr 2024)

Cheap cruiser from Japan for only 6,500 euros

18.05.2024

Photos: Motorradtest.de

With the new Eliminator 500, Kawasaki wants to wrest market share from the successful Honda CMX 500 Rebel. The new "Elli" is very inexpensive and correspondingly simple in design. Tanja and Dietmar experienced that you can still have a lot of fun with it during an extensive test drive. Here is our ride report of the new fun bike from Japan.

A little Vulcan?

Kawasaki has had a cruiser in its range for many years: the Vulcan S. However, this has 61 hp and would first have to be throttled for A2 drivers. It is also heavier and also noticeably more expensive (8,600 euros) than the new Eliminator. This costs only 6,500 euros and comes with 47 hp. So it's already an A2 bike by default and looks quite similar to the Vulcan. It is only available in black.
Farben: nur in Schwarz erhältlich

Dimensions and seat test

The Eliminator 500 is a great machine! It is 2.25 m long and has a wheelbase of 1.52 m, which makes it all the more surprising how easy it is to manoeuvre. This is due to the low weight of only 176 kilograms ready to drive. This is a great advantage, especially for people who are not quite so strong!

The seat test is casual. The long tank makes long arms, thanks to the low seat height of only 73 cm, you sit deep in the machine and get your feet on the ground very safely. The footrests are mounted in the middle, untypical for a cruiser. This results in a more naked bike-like sitting posture, i.e. nice and upright and comfortable, but not quite as active. The co-pilot will find a small seat cushion and unfortunately no handles, which can be ordered in the Kawasaki accessories shop. We wouldn't want to drive to Munich as a passenger, but it's enough to get to the quarry pond.

That's what it's like to sit on the Eli 500.

360 degree tour of the Kawasaki Eliminator 500

Technology of the Eliminator 500

The machine has a round LC cockpit with all kinds of displays such as gear, fuel level, temperature, revs and of course the speed. The technical equipment is rather sparse, but in our opinion it fits the bike perfectly. There are no other assistants apart from ABS, i.e. neither riding modes nor traction control. But you don't need that on a motorcycle with 45 hp and would only make the operation unnecessarily complicated.

Surprisingly, the Eliminator can be paired with the smartphone?! What this is all about, probably not even the Kawa people themselves know, but maybe this is supposed to be a tribute to the young target group, which considers such frippery on a cruiser to be indispensable - well....

The light comes completely in LED including the turn signals and a hazard warning light system is also on board. Of course, there is no automatic turn signal reset, cornering lights or coming-home or other light stuff.

The exhaust "visually takes up a lot of space"...

This is how it drives

The sound of the Eliminator is extremely quiet when stationary: the nameplate shows only 87 dbA. The ostentatious exhaust, on the other hand, looks as if a hurricane is about to break loose - but it doesn't. While driving, however, the engine can be clearly heard, at least when accelerating, but overall the soundscape is very neighbor-friendly. Soundcheck at the top right.

So, seat test is done, we walked around the bike once, we checked the sound, now we can go on the road. Already on the first few meters it becomes clear: We are riding a fun bike here! I have never experienced any other cruiser as fluffy as the Eliminator, neither the CMX 500 Rebel and above all, of course, not the big ships from the USA.

The engine is extremely spirited and revving.

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The single disc with 2-piston brake caliper from Nissin has no problems with the lightweight.

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>>> Comparison Kawasaki Eliminator 500 vs. A2 Cruiser <<<

Conclusion - what sticks

Man, Eli is really a lot of fun! As soon as you sit on the bike, you forget about A2 performance, non-existent technology and the simple construction of the cruiser. On the contrary, the reduction to the essentials is even what makes the Eliminator 500 so charming. It rides well and everyone, really EVERYONE - whether small or big, man or woman or anything in between - will feel safe on this machine and get off with a big grin. As I said, a real fun bike!

The test machine was provided to us by Heller & Soltau in St. Michalisdonn . Eli will be there as a demonstrator and is looking forward to lots of test riders. We can only encourage you to do so, even if an A2 bike might not even come to your mind at first. The new Kawa cruiser is really fun! Maybe even as a second machine? Let's go to St. Michaelisdonn to Heller & Soltau!

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