New Kawasaki Model Launching On July 7. Which One Will It Be?

Kawasaki has sent out a media invite to the launch of a new major model. While they are tight-lipped about what is incoming and have almost their entire international portfolio here, there are still some gaps in their lineup. 

There is the recently launched Versys-X 300 which could be a strong contender in the small-capacity adventure tourer segment.  This segment is non-existent, with one end having the Royal Enfield Himalayan and the other having the Triumph Tiger 800 xCx at the moment. The Versys-X 300 comes with a 296cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin motor that puts out 40PS @ 11,500rpm and 25.7 @ 10,000rpm. The motor is mated to a six-speed transmission which gets a slipper clutch. The bike is more off-road oriented with spoked 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels. The long-travel front suspension includes 41mm telescopic front forks with 130mm of wheel travel and a gas charged bottom end Uni-Trak rear suspension with 148mm of travel. The bike weighs 175 kilos (kerb). The bike gets a high ground clearance of 180mm while fuel tank capacity is 17 litres. 

The Vulcan S is another bike which Kawasaki has had in their international portfolio for a long time. The Vulcan S is a 650cc cruiser which would make a strong contender against the Harley-Davidson Street 750. The Vulcan S shares the same powerplant as the Z650 but has a milder state of tune. The 649cc liquid-cooled powerplant makes 61PS @ 7500rpm and 63Nm of torque @ 6600rpm. The Vulcan S weighs a substantial 229 kgs (kerb) which shows in its size. It looks a size up on the Street 750. Now, Kawasaki does not have a cruiser in its India lineup so the Vulcan S might just be the one.

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Let's not forget the Z1000SX whose predecessor is being sold as the Ninja 1000 in India. Now, the bike sold here missed out on the 2017 update that the Z1000 got, so it is possible that the new 2017 version will be launched here. For 2017, the bike gets a redesigned front fairing and headlamps that are said to generate better airflow and enhance engine cooling. The new bike features all-LED headlamps, a larger bubble screen, new instrument cluster and a new click-fit pannier system. The 1043cc in-line four-cylinder motor makes the same 142PS @ 10,000rpm and 111Nm of torque @ 7,300rpm. 

So here are three contenders of which one will be launched here on July 7. Which one do you think it will be. Post your replies in the comments section below.