Kawasaki Z800 launched at Rs 7.9 lakh

Apart from opening its second dealership in our country at Delhi, India Kawasaki Motors rolled out its Ninja Z800 streetbike today. The Z800 will be brought in to our market via the CBU chaneel as opposed to the CKD route, which was speculated. Owing to this factor, the bike has been priced at Rs 7.90 lakh (ex-showroom Pune) and Rs 8.05 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). At the heart of the Z800 sits an 806cc, liquid-cooled, in-line four mill producing 113 PS at 10,200 rpm and 83.0 Nm of torque at 8,000 rpm, which is mated to a six-speed transmission. The bike features 41 mm inverted fork upfront and Piggyback-reservoir-equipped rear shock. 

Braking is done by dual semi-floating, four-piston, 310 mm petal at front and single 250 mm petal disc, single-piston at rear. The Z800 weighs 229kg and has a fuel tank capacity of 17-litres. Bookings for the middle-weight naked bike had started before its launch and the Delhi dealership has got 14 orders for the Z800 till now. Kawasaki is currently present in the Indian market with CBU offerings like the Ninja ZX-14R, ZX-10R, 1000 and Z1000. 

The Z800 is the second naked bike in its portfolio after its elder sibling the Z1000, which was launched recently. Kawasaki has set itself a sales target of 400 for its CBU units and 1,400 for its CKD units, whether it will meet its expectations only time will tell. The Z800 doesn’t have any direct competition in the Indian market as its only rival, the Ducati Monster 796 isn’t on sale currently due to dealer issues, and it sits between the Triumph Street Triple and Speed Triple in terms of price and engine specifications. The Kawasaki Z800 is a suitable offering for a buyer looking at a all-round middle-weight street bike.