The Kawasaki Z650 is a naked motorcycle produced by Kawasaki Motors. It was introduced in 2016 as part of its Z series and entered production the following year, succeeding the Kawasaki Ninja 650R.
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Manufacturer | Kawasaki |
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Production | 2017–present |
Predecessor | Kawasaki Ninja 650R |
Class | Naked bike |
History
editThe Z650 was presented in November 2016 at EICMA together with the Kawasaki Z900. It is named in reference to the four-cylinder motorcycle of the same name also built by Kawasaki in 1976[1] and was then introduced on the market in Europe at the beginning of 2017.[2] The Z650 was created as a cheaper model than the larger Z900, from which it takes the design and some aesthetic elements.
A renewed version was introduced at EICMA in November 2019,[3][4] characterized by a new saddle, instruments and lights now fully LED instead of the previous halogen headlights.[5] In October 2020, it underwent a further engine update, to meet the Euro 5 emissions standard, which would be fulfilled two years later.[6] In 2022, the Z650 received new traction control, a new LED lighting system, a new ignition lock and new colors.[7]
Z650 RS
editAfter Kawasaki had already offered the original Z650 (with a four-cylinder in-line engine with 49 kW (66 hp) and a mass of 220 kg) in 1976, the machine, externally similar to the 1976 model, has also been available as a Z650 RS retro version since the summer of 2022.[8] The top speed is 191 km/h (119 mph).[9] The RS also has analogue instruments.[8]
References
edit- ^ Möller-Töllner, Jens (22 December 2016). "Niedriges Einsteiger-Motorrad" [Low entry-level motorcycle] (in German). Motorrad. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023.
- ^ Müller, Johannes (18 August 2018). "Wie gut ist das Einsteiger-Bike?" [How good is the entry-level bike?] (in German). Motorrad. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023.
- ^ Niewrzol, Slawomir (5 November 2019). "Updates für das Mittelklasse-Naked-Bike" [Updates for the mid-range naked bike] (in German). Motorrad. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023.
- ^ Praveen M (5 November 2019). "The 2020 Kawasaki Z650 Gets A Sharper Face And Is Geek-friendly Too!". ZigWheels.
- ^ Glück, Stefan (21 January 2018). "Der quirlige Charakter bleibt unverändert" [The lively character remains unchanged] (in German). Motorrad. Archived from the original on 3 July 2023.
- ^ Thilo Kozik/SP-X (2022-10-06). "Kawasaki Z650: Quirliger Allrounder". adac.de. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
- ^ Kratschmar, Jens (9 September 2022). "Mit serienmäßiger Traktionskontrolle" [With traction control as standard] (in German). Motorrad. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023.
- ^ a b Gach, Ingo (19 May 2022). "Fahrbericht Kawasaki Z 650 RS: Leicht nostalgisch". heise.de (in German). Retrieved 6 January 2023.
- ^ "Kawasaki Z650RS (2022) im Motorrad-Test: Preis, PS, Verbrauch". handelsblatt.com. 4 May 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2023.