Kawasaki Z650

Overview

The Kawasaki Z650 is one of the most stylish and light-handled motorcycles, launched by the Japanese brand in the Philippines. The naked looks and the surplus amount of raw power offered by the super sports bike put it in the competition with the Benelli 600i, being very affordable at the same time.

The 2018 Z650, which will be getting some new variants and colours, belongs in the middle-weight bike section, offering a naked look that alone is a threat to all its competitors. The bike promises to offer a great amount of power and a very worthy transmission which puts the bike in the list of the best sports motorcycles. After succeeding its predecessor, the ER-6n, the Z650 remains one of the most affordable sports bikes with this amount of power. It will be a perfect choice for the buyers looking for a power-packed bike, along with superb looks and gadgetry.

Design

The Kawasaki Z650 is a treat to the eyes for the admirers who crave for raw looks on a sports bike. Designed to be super lightweight and easy to handle, the Z650 has boosted capabilities of riding on off-road as well.

The bike, with a new lighter trellis frame and swingarm suspension setup, offers a better geometry stress management and weight distribution of the bike. This will make the bike stable in the most difficult handling situations. The Z650 features a brand new set of instruments and gadgetry, like the new digital gear indicator, which its predecessors didn’t have. The bike has a total curb mass of 185 kilograms which makes it lighter than most of its competitors. The new exhaust system gifts the bike with a pleasant throaty roar and grunt which owners will surely dig.

Ride & Handling

The Kawasaki has quite a premium handling to offer with its immense power and smooth transmission. The wheels are 17-inch alloys which help a lot with the handling and ride experiences and a great road grip overall.

The fronts suspension is done by a 41 mm telescopic fork and the rear has an offset laydown single-shock which comes with an adjustable preload. The perimeter chassis is made of high-tensile steel that makes the ride comfortable with its superior handling prowess in the most extreme off-road. The extreme power offered with the combination of the transmission gives the rider a very powerful riding experience on bad roads along with safety and comfort offered at the same time.

Engine & Fuel Consumption

The engine capacity of the Kawasaki Z650 is 649cc, which is a four-stroke liquid-cooled parallel twin motor. This powerful engine promise to churn out 67.3 horsepower at 8,000 rpm and the maximum torque of 66 Nm at 6,500 rpm. The power delivery from the engine to the wheels is very smooth and linear. The immense amount of power generated is handled very conveniently by the assistance of a slipper clutch.

The Z650 serves a 6-speed manual transmission with a Wet multi-plate clutch, which makes the shifting very smooth. This is sure to help with handling such a huge amount of raw power on city roads full of traffic and also on off-road.

Braking & Safety

The Kawasaki Z650 offers front and rear dual disc brakes to make the powerful rides safer. To be precise, the front disc size is 300 mm and the rear disc size is 220 mm, which will have no difficulty with its stopping power when applied at high speeds.

The ground clearance is 130 mm and the seat height is 805 mm which will make it easier for shorter people to ride it comfortably, and also give all the ride and pillion a very safe and convenient grip.

Verdict

The Kawasaki Z650 is an immensely powerful bike which also offers a great deal with a smooth transmission, handling, and safety features. The 650cc engine, which offers great power, makes the bike perfect for both straight as well as off-beaten roads. The transmission and the handling make the bike very capable of rocking the highways and city streets. The safety features are taken care of with much attention given to the requirements of the riders. The suspension and the tyres make the most uncomfortable rides feel like nothing. However, the ABS offered is quite standard and not up to the expectations, but still works fine.