The Kawasaki Z650 and the Z900 have made their debut at the 2016 EICMA Show in Milan, Italy. The 2017 MY updates for the ER-6n and Z800 respectively, these bikes are expected to go on sale in India in early 2017.
While the Kawasaki ER-6n was a conservatively designed motorcycle, the Z650 gets aggressive styling cues to align it with the rest of the ‘Z’ range. At the heart of the Z650 is a 649cc parallel-twin unit that has been tuned to improve efficiency and make it Euro IV compliant. Though the power output has been reduced marginally to 68bhp, the 19 kilogram lighter Z650 is sure to be quicker than the ER-6n. While the ER-6n featured an offset monoshock, the Z650 gets a conventional centrally mounted unit.
The Kawasaki Z900 is built around a new lightweight trellis frame. It is propelled by a new 948cc inline-four engine based on the litre-class Z1000 engine, and delivers 126bhp. Tipping the scales at 210 kilograms, the Z900 is lighter than the Z800 by 21 kilograms. The Z900 rides on 41mm inverted front forks with adjustable preload and rebound. The rear gets a monoshock with adjustable preload and rebound.
Kawasaki is offering a host of optional accessories for the Z650 and the Z900, including 14-litre panniers and a 30-litre top box. While the Z650 will compete with the Benelli TNT 600i, the Z900 will rub shoulders with the likes of the Ducati Monster 821, Yamaha MT-09 and the Triumph Bonneville T100.
