Kawasaki Z650 RS Neo-retro Roadster Launched in India at Rs 6.65 Lakh

Kawasaki has expanded its middleweight lineup by bringing in the Z650 RS to the Indian market. The Z650 RS joins the likes of Z650, Ninja 650, Versys 650, W800 and Z900 in the lineup of middleweight motorcycles from the Japanese motorcycle marquee. The motorcycle is now open for bookings across all the Kawasaki dealerships across the country, with the deliveries of the first batch scheduled to commence towards the end of November 2021.

Price and Variants

Available in only a single variant, the new Kawasaki Z650 Rs has been priced at Rs 6.65 lakh (ex-showroom, India). This price makes it Rs 41,000 more expensive than the most affordable middleweight motorcycle from Kawasaki, the Z650 naked roadster.

The Kawasaki Z650 RS will take on the likes of other similarly sized neo-retro motorcycles like Triumph Trident 660, Ducati Scrambler Icon and Honda CB650R. The Z650 is also seen as a competitor to the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 by some people, however, the former has much more features, overall better and more premium appeal and a much more powerful engine on offer.

Design and Features

Compared to the Z650 naked roadster on which it is based, the new Kawasaki Z650 RS gets a completely different design language. The classic yesteryear design of the Kawasaki Z650 RS includes a round LED headlamp flanked with slim LED turn indicators, silver-finished handlebar levers, radiator side covers and side body panels, simple-looking fuel tank and side body panels, long single-piece seat, dual pod analogue instrument console with small digital MID, rounded rearview mirrors. and LED tail lamp.

The new Z650 RS is on sale now with two colour options – Candy Emerald Green with golden alloy wheels and Metallic Moondust Grey with black alloy wheels. In terms of safety features, the Kawasaki Z650 RS gets only a dual-channel ABS as standard.

Engine and Transmission

The Kawasaki Z650 RS is powered by the familiar four-stroke, parallel-twin, liquid-cooled, 649cc engine, which powers other Kawasakis like Z650, Ninja 650 and Vulcan S. To suit the urban riding image of the Z650 RS, the engine has been tuned heavily for the motorcycle to extract a better low-end torque and mid-range performance. The final result is a maximum power output of 68 bhp @ 8,000 rpm, while the maximum torque output is rated at 64 Nm @ 6,700 rpm. Even the 6-speed gearbox is retained in the Z650 RS from other 650cc Kawasakis.

Chassis

Sitting on the same trellis frame as the Z650, the Kawasaki Z650 is armed with conventional 41mm hydraulic telescopic forks at the front, while the rear gets a preload-adjustable mono-shock. The brakes are carried forward from the Z650, which are dual 300mm discs at the front and a single 220mm disc at the back. The slightly stiffer suspension setup and an upright handlebar with rear-set footpegs make the Kawasaki Z650 RS promises to be a proper fun-filled street bike.

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