Bike Files: Kawasaki Z650/Ninja 650

Kawasaki’s middleweight twin is such an all-rounder they’re coveted by everyone from racers to riding schools

Racers to riding schools? That’s quite diverse…

Kawasaki pretty much invented the modern middleweight parallel twin class with the ER-6, which first appeared around two decades ago. Designed to replace the aging 500cc ER-5, it was a humble machine well liked by commuters and riding schools. It even got picked up by club racers, looking for some cheap and cheerful alternatives to the old Suzuki SV650.

One thing led to another, and today we have the Supertwin and Sportbike classes for this kind of bike. In more recent years, Kawasaki relaunched and renamed the ER-6, with the unfaired version called the Z650 and the faired version known as the Ninja 650. In (heavily modified) race trim these bikes put out around 100bhp and can lap the Isle of Man TT course at over 120mph during the Entire Cover Supertwin TT Race.

100bhp! That’s a lot for a riding school bike…

It has to be said that the race bikes are highly modified and highly tuned. They’re fast, but they’re also quite unreliable when pushed to the limit. The bikes we can buy in showrooms put out the order of 70bhp and are pretty bullet proof.

So what are the standard bikes like?

They’re good, no frills bikes with sporty styling. They’re popular with riding schools for putting students through direct access course but they also make a lot of sense as practical day-to-day bikes. Kawasaki were arguably well ahead of the curve when they launched their 650cc twin, as most of their competitors now have a similar bike in the category. Yamaha, for example, have the R7/MT-07.

Triumph sell the Trident/Daytona 660 and Suzuki has its GSX-8 in faired and unfaired versions. The Kawasaki feels a little dated compared to these models, but it’s still a great bike and in most cases not quite as expensive as the competition.

What’s the spec like?

It’s decent enough. The chassis and engine are basic, but you get traction control, a colour TFT dashboard and smartphone connectivity. They have a big bike presence as well. The styling is in line with the more powerful (and expensive) Ninja and Z models, although details like conventional ‘right way up’ forks and steel frame give the more budget nature of the bike away.

What is the Kawasaki Z650 like to ride?

It’s very easy to ride. The 650 motor has loads of torque and bottom end power. Combined with the excellent ‘assist and slipper’ clutch, which is very light to operate, you get a machine that’s brilliant around town. On the open road it’s got more than enough power, without having too much to get you into trouble, and while expert riders used to high end bikes might find the ride a bit choppy and the brakes a bit lacking, in truth it’s got more than enough for most of the riders, most of the time.

What’s cool is that while it’s a novice friendly bike, it’s still big and powerful enough to have presence. The 790mm seat height offers a happy medium for most riders, with the narrowness of the saddle helping shorter riders to get their feet firmly on the ground. It’s a great choice as a first big bike.

And what’s the difference between the Z650 and Ninja 650?

Not much. The Ninja has a fairing and race replica styling, and it costs a bit more because of that, but it’s built on the same platform and underneath the bodywork lies the same engine and chassis. The ergonomics are a bit sportier, less upright than on the naked Z, but fundamentally they’re the same bikes – which is why we’ve covered them together.

Anything else to know?

In recent years Kawasaki has offered a ‘Performance’ version of both the Z650 and Ninja 650. These come with typical modifications as standard. In the case of both models, you get a smoke windscreen, TFT dashboard protector, tank pad, colour coded pillion seat cover and an upgraded stainless steel exhaust courtesy of Italian tuning company Arrow Special Parts. 

What other bikes should I consider?

We’ve already mentioned the competition from Suzuki, Triumph and Yamaha, but you can also count Honda’s 750cc Hornet as an alternative – not to mention the many Chinese made bikes which have copied the Kawasaki engine design over the years.

Say what?

Yep, such is the simplicity and reliability of the venerable Kawasaki parallel twin engine, a number of Chinese manufacturers have used the design for their own motorcycles. Benelli, CF Moto, Moto Morini… the engines on many of their models are direct copies of the 650 Kawasaki. They say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery, and the Kawasaki (or at least its engine) is one of the most imitated pieces of engineering on sale today.