Just few weeks ago, we got you a scoop story about India Kawasaki Motors is planning to launch the Z800 in early 2014. Now we have got confirmed news from a source, that the Japanese manufacturer will launch the Z800 in the Indian market next month.
During the launch of the Kawasaki Z1000 and the Ninja 1000 recently, a top company official hinted that a new motorcycle will be launched in January but didn’t disclose any information on the bike. However, the Pune showroom has one Z800 kept for display, a clear indication of its sales in India.
The Kawasaki Z800 is powered by the 806cc liquid-cooled inline-four engine that churns out 113PS of peak power at 10,200 rpm and 83Nm of torque at 8,000 rpm. The engine is mated to a six-speed gearbox and the motorcycle has a top speed of 233 kmph. It gets full digital instrumentation displaying tons of information. Even with the aggressive front cowl and a sharp under-cowl, the motorcycle doesn’t look as mean as the 2014 Z1000, but is a looker that will attract many enthusiasts in the country.
At the time of the launch, the Z800 will be a completely-built-up (CBU) model but if the Japanese manufacturer sees good demand for this model, they will consider going for the completely-knocked-down (CKD) route. Currently, the Ninja 300 and the Ninja 650 are the only two CKD motorcycles that are sold in India. We are hoping the Z800 to join this bandwagon, as assembling a bike in its Akurdi plant will attract less custom duties and a very competitive pricing.
We are expecting the Z800 to have an ex-showroom price of around Rs 8 lakh. Just like the Z1000, Kawasaki India will offer the Z800 in only one colour - Candy Flat Blazed Green. Stay tuned to BikeWale as we get you more details on the Kawasaki Z800.
