When it comes to giving the masses a pretty penny to play with, almost all the major motorcycle manufacturers have come through with sportbikes and their naked alternatives.
For Yamaha, it was the sporty R-series and the more naked MT-series, with the newest addition being the grungy, track-oriented R7; for Honda, it was the CBR and CB series.
Now, Kawasaki’s sporty Ninja and naked Z-lineups are looking at the possibility of a new midweight motorcycle addition – the Z650RS, courtesy of Kawasaki’s current 650cc twin engine.
Used with love and loyalty in the Z650, Ninja 650, Versys 650, and Vulcan S, the liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, DOHC 8-valve parallel twin from Kawasaki sports a healthy 69 bhp, with 64 Nm torquedos.
Should this brainchild take off (as we have heard in recent rumors from Visordown), we would be looking at the potential of a middleweight, cafe-style bike, likely drawing visual inspiration from its elder sibling, the cafe-inspired Z900RS.
As for competition, I think I can safely agree with Visordown that the Z650RS would give the 47 bhp/52 Nm in the wildly popular Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 a run for its money.
The bike would also be a great addition to the European scene, where A2 riders aged 24 and over could enjoy the higher cc’s without having to worry too much about leaving onlookers with a bad case of the zoomies.
2021 Kawasaki Z650Stay tuned for updates. I happen to have an unhealthy obsession with the green company, so I’ll be sure to post anything I find here.
And hey – while you’re here, why not take a look at other midweight contenders in the middleweight category?