2024–2025 · Cruiser · Buyer's Guide
The Easiest Cruiser Entry
The Eliminator 500 puts a 451 cc liquid-cooled parallel twin in a long, low chassis and asks it to do two jobs at once. It makes 46 hp and 31 lb-ft, numbers that read modest on paper and feel entirely adequate on roads where you actually stop at lights. The stance is drag-bar lean: stretched proportions, blacked-out hardware, an 18-inch front wheel and a fat 16-inch rear. Seat height is 28.9 in (735 mm), wet weight 390 lb (177 kg). ABS, a slipper clutch, LED lighting and smartphone connectivity are standard, so the equipment list reads honest rather than showy.
It behaves the way Kawasaki builds things when nobody is chasing headlines: predictable, unfussy, tuned so the rider is never caught out. Accessible handling is the standout on my scoring sheet, closely followed by how little it costs to keep on the road, and it holds a line at highway speed better than its size suggests. That makes it the cruiser for a rider who wants the look and the low seat without a heavyweight's demands, and it should age cheaply. The honest caveat: the fork takes no adjustment at all, only the rear shock offers preload, and the 3.4 gal (13 L) tank keeps your stops frequent.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 46 hp (34 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 31 lb-ft (43 Nm) |
| Displacement | 451 cc500cc Motorcycles → |
| Engine | Parallel twin |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Telescopic |
| Front brake | 310 mm |
| Front tire | 130/70-18 |
| Rear tire | 150/80-16 |
| Seat height | 28.9 in (735 mm)Motorcycles With a Seat Height Under 30 Inches → |
| Wet weight | 390 lb (177 kg)Cruisers Under 550 Pounds Wet → |
| Fuel capacity | 3.4 gal (13 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Lighting
Safety
What follows isn't my own test ride. It's what I've heard over years of listening to riders: conversations in the paddock, chatter at club nights, owners cornering me at bike meets, and the messages that land in my inbox after someone has lived with a machine for a season. On the Eliminator 500 the pattern is unusually consistent. Riders praise how easy it is to get along with, and the reservations they raise are about character rather than competence.
The most repeated compliment is how manageable it feels. Riders describe it as nimble and steady, quick to turn in and settled once leaned over, and they consistently mention how relaxed the riding position stays over long days, with both feet down at a stop. The 451 twin gets the same steady approval: clean pull from low revs, happy to spin out toward the top. The recurring gripe sits alongside that praise. Riders wanting cruiser rumble say the engine sounds smooth but flat. Some also mention visible cables and hoses spoiling the blacked-out look, and a few find the pegs touch down early when they push a corner.
Fuel gauge inaccuracy
Some owners report that the fuel gauge does not display correctly, showing incorrect levels or empty when fuel remains.
LCD display shadow with polarized glasses
A dark shadow may appear across the LCD screen when viewed through polarized sunglasses, though it does not affect functionality and may be a characteristic of the panel.
Where this Kawasaki Eliminator 500 pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Eliminator 500 is actually built for.
You get the low stance and blacked-out look for rally-town cruising, and it costs almost nothing to run. What you do not get is big-twin thunder or the tank range for long legs between stops.
Made for Florida State Road A1A · Black Hills · Main Street, Daytona Beach
It holds a steady line at highway speed and asks little of you. With 3.4 gal, no cruise control and no luggage system, though, big loaded days turn into work you will feel.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
Small-town loops and unhurried two-lane miles suit the 46 hp twin and the low seat, and running costs stay low enough that you ride more often.
Made for Park Loop Road · Handbuilt Motorcycle Show · Blue Ridge Parkway
The Kawasaki Eliminator 500 also comes in these variants, models and special editions. Each has its own page covering only what differs from the standard Eliminator 500 — equipment, electronics, specs and used price.
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Kawasaki Eliminator 500. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Compare it with every bike that shares the same spec or equipment.
