The 2020 Kawasaki Ninja 650 has been revealed. Kawasaki revised its looks and added some new features to make it an even better value for money.
The biggest news is of course the new 4.3-inch TFT screen. But it is not just a pretty screen as it includes features that could be found on bigger (read: more expensive) bikes. There is the auto contrast feature; Bluetooth connectivity for music and phone calls; GPS navigation via connection to a phone app; and thankfully a gear position indicator.
Also new are the LED headlamps. Kawasaki also revised the fairing to match that of the Ninja 400 and Ninja ZX-6R, for a more familial resemblance.
Since the Ninja 650 is considered a beginners bike and would be used for basically everything, the manufacturer revised the passenger’s seat, too.
Last but not least, there are now sportier graphics, no doubt inspired by the World Superbike race team. The manufacturer and team are still flush from winning their fifth consecutive WorldSBK title.
The engine was left alone. The 648cc, DOHC, parallel-twin still produces 67 bhp and 66 Nm of torque. It still has plenty of low-RPM and midrange punch.
There’s a new teaser video for a supercharged Kawasaki Z model.
It gives further glimpses of the new supercharged naked Ninja H2.
Kawasaki will be a contender in the most powerful supernaked category.
There’s a new teaser video for a supercharged Kawasaki Z model.
This time, we get a small glimpse of how the new model will look like. The footage shows a sharp front with Kawasaki’s “River Mark,” supercharger, air intake, and so forth.
There is also a new TFT screen. We could see that the new bike will include cruise control, besides the required traction control and ABS.
We could only guess how the entire bike will look like at the moment but it won’t be long until the official unveiling on 23rd October. That date happens to be the beginning of the Tokyo Motor Show.
Kawasaki uses the “Z” designation for naked bikes in their line-up. Hence the new supercharged “Z” model is the naked version of the Ninja H2. As the 2019 Ninja H2 produces 231HP, we could only wait with bated breath to find out how much power will this bike make. This is the chance for manufacturer to claim the supernaked title. That honour is currently held by the 2019 KTM 1290 Super Duke R, whose engine produces 177 HP and 141 Nm of torque.
Ducati will also unveil their new Streetfighter V4 on the same date in their Ducati 2020 World Premiere. Based on the Panigale V4 which punches out 214 HP, Ducati is also on the path to introduce a contender for the most powerful supernaked.
Jonathan Rea and Kawasaki has won the 2019 WorldSBK title – their fifth in a row.
Rea won Race Two at Magny-Cours while Alvaro Bautista crashed out again.
Rea is now the rider who has won the most WorldSBK titles.
Jonathan Rea and Kawasaki has won the 2019 WorldSBK title – their fifth in a row.
Rea won Race Two at Magny-Cours, France, enabling him to pull clear of closest challenger Alvaro Bautista on the Ducati V4 R. Rea had entered Race Two with a 100-point lead over Bautista and needed a victory and a hope that the latter does not score to put the title chase beyond contention.
Somehow and true enough, Bautista crashed after tangling with Toprak Razgatlioglu. Toprak had overtaken Bautista but the rear tyre of his bike lost traction and slowed, causing the Spaniard to ram his bike. Both riders went down and out of the race.
But it wasn’t an easy win for Rea as he had to battle Michael van der Mark for the win. Rea fought hard and his determination netted him the win that he needed.
It was his 12th win of the 2019 season. But winning the title fives times in a row set the record as the first rider to do so, besides being the first rider to win the title five times. Carl Fogarty held the previous record of four titles, albeit separated by a seasons in between.
The victory will also become one of the most famous comebacks in racing history. Bautista had destroyed the entire field with 11 consecutive wins when the season began and held a 64-point lead.
But Rea kept up with a metronome-like consistency, finishing second in ten of those races and another in third behind Bautista. Then Rea fought back to post wins in Imola and Jerez. Bautista crashed in Race 2 at Jerez and that was when everything started to unravel.
The Spanish would eventually crash six times in total, first blaming the bike but went quiet about what was actually the problem. Then he inked a deal with Honda, and is now embroiled in a war of words with Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali.
Rea kept up the pressure by winning races and finishing on the podium when he couldn’t, and look at where he is now.
Kawasaki has just released a teaser video for a supercharged “Z” model.
There were no other details provided.
It could be for a new supercharged Z1000.
Kawasaki has just released a teaser video for a supercharged “Z” model.
The announcement is quite a surprise since the “Z” model range consists of standard and naked sportbikes such as the Z250, Z650, Z900 and Z1000, with only one fully-faired model, the Z1000SX sport-tourer.
No other details were provided so it may go either one of two ways.
On one hand, the new bike may be a supercharged Z1000. Doing so would boost the engine’s horsepower and torque enter the bike into the supernaked category arena. its competitors are the KTM 1290 Super Duke R, Aprilia Tuono 1100, BMW S 1000 RR, Triumph Speed Triple RS, Ducati Monster 1200, Yamaha MT10. Kawasaki had ruled this segment a long time ago with the Z1, although there was no “sportbike” and “naked sportbike” category back then. The current Z1000 needs a reboot since its introduction in 2014.
On the other side of the coin, Kawasaki could supercharge a 500- or 600cc bike and bring it to the Z1000’s level. However, this seem a little far-fetched for us for a number of reasons, chief being very few buyers would pay big money for a 500/600cc bike, supercharged/turbocharged be damned. To them it’s more like overcharged. Besides that, as we mentioned earlier, the Z1000 is five years old and is dire need of a refresh.
But regardless of which direction Kawasaki takes, the new bike will be the fourth supercharged machine in their stable after the H2R, H2 and H2SX sport-tourer.
The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R looks confirmed for the Indonesian market.
It will feature a new 250cc inline-Four engine.
It may also be the most powerful 250cc four-stroke sportbike.
The rumours of a 250cc inline-Four Kawasaki sportbike has been gaining steam over the past months, but now it’s confirmed for the Indonesian market and called the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R.
The present two-cylinder 250-, 300- and 400cc parallel-Twins are relatively new platforms for Kawasaki. The manufacturer had favoured four-cylinder engines for the longest time, up to the ZXR-250 in the late 1990’s.
The ZX-25R ought to be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in October.
Further rumours say that the new engine will produce 59 hp, which ranks it above all other current 250cc bikes in the market. However, do expect to see that gain in the upper realms of the rev range. We can expect a screamer since each cylinder is just bigger than 70cc.
The question now is how much the bike cost in the Asian market will. As for us in Malaysia, it’s also a matter if and when the model will make to our shores. It’s already got a number of points that Malaysian motorcyclists will like i.e. Not needing to upgrade their license to “Full B,” for one. Besides that, we gather, there are many fans of the inline-Four’s exhaust note, compared to that of a parallel-Twin’s.
Wah Motor Superbikes is now the latest addition to the Kawasaki Ninja Shop and Kawasaki Exclusive Service Centre network.
It is the official Kawasaki dealer and workshop to service the Klang community.
It was launched on Merdeka Day.
Wah Motor Superbikes is now the latest addition to the Kawasaki Ninja Shop and Kawasaki Exclusive Service Centre network.
Wah Motor was opened exactly 50 years ago to cater to scooter riders but has since grown to sell motorcycles of all capacities including large capacity ones. But the shop has been transformed to a Kawasaki Ninja Shop.
As an official dealer, it offers the latest Kawasaki models from the smallest capacity to the largest. Indeed, there were the Ninja 250, three Z 900 RS variants, Ninja ZX-6R, Ninja ZX-10R, Versys 650 1000, Vulcan 650, and Kawasaki’s crown jewel the Ninja H2. Customers can also buy accessories and riding gear here.
Additionally, the Kawasaki Exclusive Service Centre is fully-equipped with top range equipment and tools. The mechanics are highly trained technicians. Kawasaki owners can also find the Kawasaki Genuine Oil engine lubricant here (both semi-synthethic and fully-synthetic).
Wah Motor Superbikes is also now the Kawasaki official dealer to serve the Klang community.
The launch was carried out on the 62nd Merdeka Day on 31st August 2019. On hand for the launching were Kawasaki Motors (Malayasia) Sdn. Bhd. Executive Chairman, Ahmad Faez bin Tan Sri Yahaya, Kawasaki Motors (Malayasia) Sdn. Bhd. Managing Director Dato’ Jeffrey Lim, Wah Superbikes Managing Director Lee Chee Hoong, Malaysian Motorcycles and Scooters Dealers Association President Wee Hong.
Alvaro Bautista is now 81 points behind closest rival Jonathan Rea.
There are four rounds left, with eight main races and four Superpole races.
With a maximum of 248 points on offer, it may not be enough for Bautista.
In one – if not the most – remarkable turnaround in WorldSBK history, Alvaro Bautista suddenly finds himself at a disadvantage against his main rival Jonathan Rea.
Bautista had given the Ducati factory and fans to cheer about when he won 11 races in a row on the Ducati Panigale V4 R. It was without a doubt the return of Ducati to dominate the series like it once had in through the 90s and early 2000s. Heck, pundits were starting to say that Bautista could very well win every single race of the season.
Oh, but how the mighty have fallen.
Rea put in stunning rides in Imola and Jerez, by winning both races in those two rounds. Bautista’s streak started to unravel, and he crashed in the second race in Jerez.
He crashed again in Race 2 at the next round in Misano (although he finished 3rd in Race 1 and 1st in Superpole). He remounted to finish 14th for 2 points.
Moving on to the British round at Donington Park, Bautista crashed in Race 1. He finished 4th in Superpole and 3rd in Race 2.
The next round in Laguna Seca was the worst. He crashed in Race 1 and was classified as 17th. The crash hurt his hand and he opted to stay out of Superpole. Then he fell again in Race 2.
That’s 5 non-scoring races in 10 races. Rea on the other hand, picked up seven wins, one 5th place, and two 2nd places.
Jonathan Rea – Photo credit WorldSBK.com
As a result, Jonathan Rea on the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR now leads Bautista leads by a massive 81 points.
There are four rounds left with 12 races to go, including Superpole. Each win gets 25 points, while a Superpole win is awarded 12 points. As for finishing second, the rider is awarded 20 points in the Race and 9 points in Superpole.
So, Bautista will obtain 248 points if he won them all. Adding to his current points haul of 352, will result in a total of 600 points. If Rea finished second all the way to the end, he will earn 196 points. Add that to his current accumulation of 433 points and you will have the 2019 and Five-Time WorldSBK Champion.
Bautista could only hope that Rea somehow finish lower than second place in a few races.
Ducati’s lead in the manufacturers’ championship is under threat, too. They are now just one point ahead of the Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK.
Yes, the adage, “To win, you must first finish” is still very applicable.
The 2019 Kawasaki Z250 ABS is a lightweight naked sportbike.
It demonstrates the fun in lightweight bikes.
Launched earlier this year, it’s priced from RM 21,998.
Ah, lightweight bikes. Forget about power, about techno wizardry… it’s all about fun. Fun from the rider’s skills. Fun from the rider’s right hand which pins the throttle to the very last moment. Lightweight and fun, like from the 2019 Kawasaki Z250 ABS?
Launched together with the Z400 SE ABS just earlier this year, the new 2019 Kawasaki Z250 ABS is the naked variant of the lightweight Ninja 250 lightweight sportbike.
They are mechanically similar, if not alike but the naked version ought to be a little lighter.
Highlights:
Following the Sugomi design concept, the bike has multiple slated panels.
The fuel tank is now more muscular.
New steel trellis frame that’s 4kg lighter, and inspired by the Ninja H2.
Wider handlebar for better leverage.
Raised tail section.
New LED taillight.
New LED headlight.
Semi-digital instrument panel (meter) inspired by the Z650.
Single front petal brake disc and petal rear brake.
Dual-channel ABS.
The engine is a 249cc, fuel-injected, liquid-cooled, DOHC, 4-valve, parallel-Twin.
It produces 37.7 hp (38.2 PS) and 23.5 Nm of torque
The engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox with assist and slipper clutch.
Offered in Green colour scheme.
Okay, Kawasaki says its styling is heavily inspired by the Z650, sharing the Sugomi DNA that’s prevalent in the manufacturer’s line-up. While the Z250 looks distinctive, the design may not be everyone’s cup of tea. However, that’s just our personal observations and owners will sure not to mind.
Straddling the bike after getting off a heavyweight adventure tourer was a bit of a shock. The Z250 is slim, narrow and short from front to back. The seat is low so even this writer could stand over the bike and rock it from side to side.
Sticking the right thumb into the starter button and the bike comes alive to the signature sounds of the Kawasaki parallel-Twin. It needed more throttle twist to sweep the tach needle.
Riding
Out on the streets, the engine had an appetite for revs. Just as the Ninja 250, it needed at least 6,000 RPM to make it accelerate harder. But everything started happening quickly once the needle went past 8,500 RPM.
Having the slip and assist clutch was great because you don’t lose too much speed when slowing down. The assist function kept the lever soft with just one pull of the index finger. The transmission shifted with authority, letting you know you’ve got the next cog in.
But what truly impressed us was the suspension.
It seemed that Kawasaki had chosen the test ride route with the purpose of highlighting the suspension’s performance.
The bike was so easy to flick over into a lean. From there, it’s about pinning the throttle as much as you dare through the turn. Remember, this is a small engine which thrives on revs so slowing down too much mean you have to row through the gearbox to find the right gear, so forget it. Just pin it.
Anyhow, the test road has so many potholes and those patched over, and the majority of these were in the middle of corners. With nowhere to go, I just gassed the bike over hard over the bumps with the bike on its side, fully expecting the bike to buckle like a wild mare or go wide.
Except that it didn’t. It held the chosen line and trajectory.
I tried again on another bump and the same thing happened. It got almost so unbelievable that I actually sought out bumps and ran over them on purpose. The bike shook off the insults.
Lightweight bikes would usually get kicked around when hitting bumps but not this one.
Conclusion
The 2019 Kawasaki Z250 ABS is a simple, lightweight and fun bike to have around. It’s no slouch for the daily commute while still being a nice bike to chuck into corners during the weekend.
Jonathan Rea and Kawasaki finally ended Alvaro Bautista and Ducati’s WorldSBK 2019 winning streak.
Rea won in Race 1 at the Imola circuit in Italy.
Bautista finished second after winning the first ten races of the year.
Four-time and reigning WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea and his Kawasaki team ended Alvaro Bautista and Ducati’s winning streak in Race 1 at Imola, Italy.
Bautista and Ducati have scored a perfect ten out of ten races in five rounds prior. However, Rea proved the spoiler when Bautista tried to adapt to the tricky Imola circuit. It was the latter’s first race there. Rea had been strong throughout the practice sessions only to be pipped by Bautista’s teammate Chaz Davies in Superpole for pole position.
Come race day, Rea took the lead as soon as the lights went out, but passed by Davies soon after. It looked like the pair was going to resume their hard battles and rivalry through the last few seasons. Unfortunately, Davies’s bike encountered a problem and forced the Welshman to retire. In so doing, he handed second place to Bautista.
A battle soon erupted behind them.
Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) sat in third, while Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) fought up to 4thfrom 8thon the grid. Van der Mark’s teammate Alex Lowes followed in 5th, ahead of Rea’s teammate Leon Haslam. Independent rider Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Purcetti Racing) moved in 7th.
At the front, Bautista had no answer to Rea’s pace. The Kawasaki man began to pull away at 0.7s per lap.
Photo credit Visordown
On a day of seeing front runners suffering bike problems, Tom Sykes’s BMW started to slow and eventually retired. At the same time, Lowes started to slip backwards.
With the final position suddenly available, van der Mark and Razgatlioglu battled tooth and nail. The pair swapped paint and traded blows on the penultimate lap to the stage of colliding twice. But it was the Turkish rider Razgatlioglu who presevered to cross the line in 3rd.
There was no problem for Rea, conversely. It was his eighth win at the track and 72ndin WorldSBK. It was Kawsaki’s 128thwin in the series.
Race 2 continues today at 8pm Malaysian local time.
A Kawasaki Ninja ZX25R prototype was spotted testing in Indonesia.
It was reported to feature a 250cc inline-Four engine.
It may be officially unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in October.
There’s a tasty rumour that a Kawasaki Ninja ZX25R with an inline-Four engine is being developed.
A prototype was recently spotted undergoing testing at a facility in Indonesia. The report also stated that it was equipped with a racing exhaust system.
Remember the Kawasaki Ninja ZXR250 which appeared in 1997? It had a screaming inline-Four engine with an astronomical 18,000 RPM redline. But most of all, it looked a lot like a ZXR400, or better yet, the ZXR750 (better known as the ZX-7) superbike racer. It even had those iconic “washing machine drain pipe” air intakes. Oh, those were the days (wiping off a tear).
So, a 250cc inline-Four should spark the interest of many enthusiasts. It not only covers those who reminisce the old machine but also new fans who favour the sound of an inline-Four over parallel-Twins that currently flood the market.
However, we wonder how a current 250cc inline-Four will fare against a parallel-Twin of the same capacity. Sure, an inline-Four sounds better while producing more horsepower but Twins are better at producing low- and midrange power. For comparison, the current Ninja 250 produces 38.2 hp, making it the most powerful 250cc production four-stroke.
Anyway, the new bike should be equipped with LED lighting, assist and slipper clutch, in addition to up-to-date chassis and electronics.
The Kawasaki Ninja ZX25R could be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in October.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. has increased their stake in Modenas.
Their current purchase will see them hold a 30% stake, up from 11%.
But converting the upcoming CPS will bring KHI’s stake to 48%.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (KHI) otherwise known as “Kawasaki Japan” increases their stake in Modenas from 19 to 30 percent.
KHI and DRB-Hicom Bhd. entered an agreement for KHI to purchase and additional 14.3 million shares which equals an 11 percent stake. The shares were valued at RM 40.3 million cash.
Additionally, KHI is also subscribing to 52 million convertible preference shares (CPS) that will be issued by Modenas. KHI’s stake in the company will rise to 48% upon conversion.
KHI’s larger equity means that will actively participate in Modenas’s operations, rather than just being a bystander. The two entities have been partners for more than 20 years and KHI has been a 19% shareholder in Modenas since the latter’s inception in 1995.
The first Modenas motorcycles were based on Kawasaki’s models, including the Jaguh 175 lightweight cruiser. Apart from producing motorcycles, Modenas also machines components for KHI.
Their production facility is based in Gurun, Kedah and has a capacity of 130,000 units per year.
It’ll be interesting to see what KHI has in mind for the Modenas-Bajaj partnership.
The Kawasaki Z900RS Café caters to the classic café racer look.
Changes are cosmetic while everything is shared with the naked Z900RS.
However, the riding experience was rather different.
“Café racers” originally bikes modified from stock which owners bring to cafés to show off. There were no Starbucks in the 60s and 70s but restaurants and cafés such as Ace Café were the haunt of modified motorcycle riders. That’s in London, but we have plenty of mamaks here, intead. However, are bikes the Kawasaki Z900RS Café factory fads to milk the nostalgia?
First off, the Z900RS Café is the factory café racer variant of the Z900RS modern classic. Kawasaki calls the latter the soul successor to one of the most iconic bikes of all time, the 1972 Z1.
Conversely, the Z900RS Café is the tarted-up version with a headlight cowling, windscreen, forward handlebar and stepped-up seat. Kawasaki has (officially) called it the soul successor to the Kz1000R which dominated the AMA Superbike series in the hands of Freddie Spencer, Wayne Gardner, John Pace and of coure, Eddie Lawson.
1982 Kz1000R
The Z900 RS Café shares everything else including the engine, suspension, chassis and electronics. The 948cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC, 16-valve engine produces 110 bhp at 8,500 RPM and 98.5 Nm of torque at a low 6,500 RPM.
The new handlebar puts the rider in a sportier riding position, hence more weight on the front wheel.
Firing up the engine let loose stirring “vroom” from the exhaust. To recap, Kawasaki made the exhaust system to mimic the note from the Z1. It even has that sound of a tuned inline-Four… “vroom… pause… vroom… pause”. Blipping the throttle returns a howl mixed with a growl.
The clutch take-up and throttle are still “eager.” Well, that’s a diplomatic way to say snatchy. You have to be vigilant otherwise the bike will just take off with your brain still sitting in the parking lot.
However, the sportier riding position lent a much better control over the front wheel. On the “standard” Z900RS, the front went light with hard acceleration.
Similarly, charging into corners was much easier on the Café. Now it’s not just sweeping corners but also those pesky sharp ones at intersections.
The suspension felt harsh and uncompliant at first, but it turned out that the previous tester had dialed in all the wrong settings. Imagine riding a bike with close to the forks adjusted to full compression damping and full rebound damping!
If that’s not enough, the rear shock had its preload set to the lowest (which gave the bike a low rear and high front akin to a cruiser). The shock’s rebound damping was also almost fully dialed all the way out. WTF!
Readjusting the suspension yielded a bike that’s easy to flick into corners and maneuver around traffic. Unfortunately, the rear suspension still hopped over sharp bumps. However, that wasn’t meant to say the bike’s suspension was bad. Instead, it as what we’ve always said that some Malaysian roads can be kidney-busting.
The inline-Four based on the naked Z900 is tuned for low-down and midrange torque, hence it shows especially when riding in heavy traffic. Filtering through at 60 km/h in fourth gear still leaves plenty of acceleration.
Blasting away was just a small throttle’s movement away, leaving everyting else to reverberate in the exhaust’s howl and burnt hydrocarbons.
Bad points? The fuel tank is old school as per the Z1 so it’s plenty wide between the knees. The uptick, though, it’s easier to grip it with your knees during hard braking and cornerning.
So, is the Kawasaki Z900RS Café merely a prettied-up bike? Well, depends on how you look at it. In our books, however, the revised riding position has made the bike much better. The snatchy throttle took lots of concentration at first, but you grow to manage it.
But its looks were definitely a head-turner. The headlamp cowling, plus the classic lime green paint with white stripe gave it that real old school Kawasaki look.
Just wished I had a Bell classic full-face and bomber leather jacket when I rode to Starbucks…
It’s priced from RM 72,372 (basic selling price inclusive of 10% SST).
