Announced at Intermot 2016 and unveiled at EICMA, the Kawasaki Z650 has been showcased at the Thai Motor Expo in Thailand. Replacing the ER-6n, the tale of Kawasaki Z650 stretches back to the 70s. The bike is essentially the naked variant of the 2017 Kawasaki Ninja 650.
The sharp and muscular body is a step ahead of the ER-6n. Following the styling of the Z family, the Kawasaki Z650 claims to be nimble and has a low weight (187 kg) and seat height (790 mm). With a crouching stance, the head has been positioned low while the rear comprises of an upswept tail. The signature Z-shaped taillamp adds unmistakable Z family characteristics. The bike also boasts of a strong low range torque. The wide and flat handlebar further helps in making the ride comfortable. Both the clutch and front brake lever are 5 way adjustable.
The Kawasaki Z650 gets an all-new tensile steel trellis frame which weighs just 15 kg. The bike is suspended over standard 41 mm telescopic forks in the front and a horizontal back-link with preload adjustment mono shock in the rear. Front brakes get dual semi-floating 300 mm petal disc with two-piston callipers and a single 220 mm petal unit in the rear with a mono-piston calliper. ABS is present.
Powering the Kawasaki Z650 is a 649 cc liquid cooled parallel twin engine shared with the new Ninja 650. The output comes in at 68 PS of maximum power at 8,000 rpm and 65.7 Nm of peak torque at 6,500 rpm. Mated to this is a 6-speed gearbox with a slipper clutch.
