After The Z900, Kawasaki Brings In The Z650 To India

Kawasaki is on an updating spree as it brings the second of its new BS6 products, the 2020 Z650, to India. The new iteration of the 650cc naked will be priced between Rs 6.25 lakh and Rs 6.50 lakh. That roughly equates to an increase of at least Rs 56,000 over the BS4 Z650 which currently retains at Rs 5.69 lakh (ex-showroom India). What changes do you get for the extra half a lakh of rupees?

Unlike the Z900, the difference is not as much from the outgoing bike. It does get a new LED headlight, which keeps in tune with Kawasaki naked’s Sugomi styling philosophy. The new bike also comes fitted with a stylish 4.3-inch colour-TFT screen, which has Bluetooth pairing capabilities for your smartphone.

The 649cc parallel-twin engine has been updated to meet the new Euro 5 and BS6 emission norms. Kawasaki has managed to pump out the same 68PS of power from the engine. But torque has taken a slight hit, going down from 65.7Nm at 6500rpm to 64Nm at 6700rpm. Sadly, the motorcycle remains devoid of electronic aids, aside from the dual-channel ABS unit.

The only other change to report is the new set of Dunlop rubber. Gone are the old Sportmax D214s, making way for, what are claimed to be, more grippier Sportmax Roadsport 2 tyres. While Kawasaki has not changed anything else on the bike, the company claims the 2020 Z650 is 3kg lighter than the older bike, now tipping the scales at 186kg kerb.

Although there is no official communication from Kawasaki India on the launch date of the 2020 Z650, our dealer sources have confirmed that the earliest we could see the bike is in late-January or early-February 2020. We could also be witnessing the arrival of its full-faired sibling, the 2020 Ninja 650, in the coming days. Stay tuned to know when both bikes actually go on sale.