Active seating position
You never quite understand a bike until you ride it where it’s not supposed to be , like the Kawasaki Eliminator 500 on the rugged, oxygen-thin, and cold-winded Leh-Manali Highway. And what caught me first, before the engine even warmed up, was how naturally I sat on it. At 73.5 cm, the seat is so low I could easily flat-foot both boots, and that adds a strange kind of confidence, especially when you’re staring down a gravel-covered turn with a cliff just beyond. This isn’t a cruiser that asks you to sprawl like a lazy cat. Instead, it seats you upright. The slightly pulled-back handlebars sit tight in your hands, the pegs are mid-set, and your posture is almost neutral. It’s not “lounging through Ladakh,” it’s “active cruiser touring.” My knees weren’t screaming for relief, even after a 200 km run between Sarchu and Leh. That stretch is bumpy, unpredictable, and brutally scenic , and the Eliminator kept me locked in, literally and figuratively. For riders on the shorter side, this seating layout will feel like a personal invitation. But if you’re over 6 feet, you’ll likely feel the pinch on your knees after long stretches. I found myself adjusting more frequently than usual during descents near Tanglang La. Still, the wide saddle and intelligently curved tank give you enough room to move around and stay engaged with the bike instead of just being planted on it.
Easy to handle
Cruisers usually come with the reputation of being heavy and stubborn in corners , like they’d rather go straight through a wall than lean into a bend. The Eliminator 500 doesn’t carry that gene. This bike handles with the lightness of a naked and the comfort of a low-slung cruiser. The 176 kg kerb weight is one of the big reasons. Somewhere around the Keylong region, I found myself rolling through a series of S-curves. The road was half-paved, dust-laced, and flanked by melting snowbanks. I wasn’t pushing it, but the Eliminator felt eager to dive into corners. The 18-inch front wheel keeps things confident while the fat 16-inch rear sticks well, even when you’re standing on your pegs trying to hop a rock. It runs on a basic suspension setup , telescopic forks up front, twin shocks at the rear , but it’s surprisingly composed. It isn’t plush like an ADV, but it doesn’t bottom out either. Where other bikes bounced and rattled, the Eliminator absorbed rough patches with a well-mannered shrug. And it’s incredibly stable. Even on long stretches at 90–100 km/h where crosswinds tried to push me sideways, the frame held its line without needing any major corrections. The brakes too deserve a quiet nod of approval. They’re not race-spec, but they’re progressive, predictable, and paired well with the bike’s overall rhythm. The ABS works in the background and doesn’t intrude unless you really hammer the lever , something I tested descending Rohtang Pass, where I was feathering the front brake constantly.
In the test: 45 hp engine
Now to the heart of the matter , the brand new 451 cc parallel-twin engine. It’s compact, it’s willing, and in the hills, it proves itself more capable than its 45 horses suggest on paper. Out of Jispa, there’s a climb that feels never-ending. It’s cold, the oxygen is thin, and every vehicle begins to feel like it’s choking. But the Eliminator didn’t gasp. Torque kicks in early , 42 Nm of it , and it kept pulling steadily through all gears. You don’t need to wring its neck; the grunt starts low and stays flat through the midrange. I could cruise in third at 30 km/h and still have enough to overtake a tourist-laden tempo. The 6-speed gearbox is geared smartly. First is short, which helped when climbing switchbacks that demanded low-speed throttle control. On flats, fifth and sixth give you just enough overdrive to stretch your legs, though the bike feels most alive between 4,000–6,000 rpm. The slipper clutch is butter. On steeper slopes where I had to downshift aggressively, it prevented rear wheel chatter and let me stay composed. No electronic trickery here , no riding modes, no traction control. Just raw, analog power. And that’s what made it feel so honest. The throttle response is linear, crisp, and forgiving. On dusty, gravelled tracks with minimal grip, the bike felt obedient rather than unpredictable. I never missed the absence of ride-by-wire or fancy electronics , which says a lot.
Spartan equipment
There’s a minimalism to the Eliminator 500 that’s not accidental. It’s a philosophy. From the blacked-out finishes to the single-pod LCD display, everything is designed to do just enough and not a bit more. The cockpit gives you what you need , speed, gear position, fuel, trip meters. The display is basic but readable, even in full Himalayan glare. The mirrors work fine at lower speeds, but past 80 km/h they start to blur. A bit more length on the stalks would fix that. There’s no windscreen, no USB ports, and no traction wizardry, but strangely, I never found myself wanting more. I was more engaged with the road, the bike, and the ride itself. The SE variant, with slightly more pizzazz , fork gaiters, a unique headlight cover, an embroidered seat , wasn’t available here, but some of those accessories can be retrofitted easily. Personally, I’d stick to the stock look. The Eliminator wears its simplicity like a badge of honor. And that price? €6,495 (or around ₹6 lakh in India), for a twin-cylinder cruiser that weighs less than most commuters and handles better than expected? That’s a serious deal. It may not have alloy levers or high-tech suspensions, but everything it does have feels well-finished, sturdy, and thought through.
Kawasaki Eliminator 500: Technical data, price
| Manufacturer information | Specifications |
| Motor | 2 cylinders, in-line engine, 451 cc displacement, 33.0 kW at 9000 rpm, max. torque 42.6 at 6000 rpm, 4 valves/cylinder, injection system, liquid |
| Assistance systems | n/a |
| chassis | Tubular frame/steel; 41 mm telescopic fork, 120 mm travel; double-sided swing arm at the rear, 90 mm travel; |
| Mass | Unladen weight approx. 175 kg, gross vehicle weight 357 kg; length/width/height 2250 / 785 / 1100 mm, seat height 735 mm; fuel tank capacity 13.0 l |
| Brakes | individually operated, front disc, 310 mm, rear disc, 240 mm |
| Performance / Consumption | Top speed kA km/h, 4.5 l/100 km |
| Price | 6495 euros |
Conclusion
We crossed 400 kilometers of some of India’s most treacherous high-altitude terrain. From the sun-kissed flats near Tandi to the oxygen-starved switchbacks of Baralacha La, the Kawasaki Eliminator 500 held its own. It didn’t protest, didn’t throw tantrums, and never felt out of place. Sure, it’s not built for off-roading or for serious touring, but it did both with a kind of calm resilience that’s rare in its segment. This bike is for those who want to get back to the roots of riding , no distractions, no gimmicks, just a good engine, a balanced chassis, and that unmistakable joy of movement. The Eliminator 500 isn’t loud, but it speaks volumes. And up there on the Leh-Manali Highway, with the snow walls towering beside us and clouds drifting across our path, it wasn’t just a test ride. It was a reminder of how less can be more.
