Kawasaki Z650RS

The Kawasaki Z650RS is essentially a Kawasaki Z650, but with retro styling. Kawasaki launched the 2026 model in India, priced at Rs 7,83,000 (ex-showroom).

The 2026 Kawasaki Z650RS comes with the iconic circular headlamp, a streamlined fuel tank, smooth side panels and a sleek tail section. It is currently available in a single ‘Metallic Ocean Blue’ colour scheme, which has a glossy blue finish with golden striped graphics on the fuel tank, and the tail. The bike also has a premium-looking chrome bezel on the headlight and the twin-pod instrument cluster.

The engine has a blacked-out casing, and comes with a metal-finished underbelly exhaust that looks quite nice. It also makes the visual mass concentrated in the middle. Also, the golden alloy wheels look really beautiful, blending in with the retro design well. Apart from the new colour scheme, the 2026 model also has brushed metal side panels just below the fuel tank - a nice retro touch in our opinion.

Safety Features

The 2026 Kawasaki Z650RS gets a basic feature package. It comes with a switchable traction control system which regulates the power to the rear wheel when it detects wheel spin during tricky or slippery conditions. It also gets dual-channel ABS as standard. However, we feel Kawasaki should’ve given multiple riding modes as well. 

Convenience

The Kawasaki Z650RS comes with a twin-pod instrument console with an analogue speedometer and a tachometer. The bike gets an LCD inset between the two pods, which displays information like gear position, fuel gauge, odometer, temperature gauge and telltale lights. There’s no navigation, but we’d rather have the tasteful analogue dials than have a TFT with navigation and other geeky features.

Rider And Pillion Comfort

Unlike the Z650 which has a split seat setup, the Z650RS comes with a single-piece contoured seat. This along with the wide, upright handlebars and the slightly rear-set footpegs should ensure an upright yet slightly forward-leaned riding posture. The pillion seat also appears to be roomy enough, but we’ll reserve our judgment until we ride the motorcycle. 

The 2026 Kawasaki Z650RS is powered by the same tried and tested 650cc, liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine that makes 66.3PS and 62.1Nm. These figures are pretty healthy for a bike of its segment. 

City And Highway Performance

The parallel-twin engine should have enough grunt to cruise at triple-digit speeds comfortably, but the lack of a windshield means it may not be very comfortable to sustain such speeds. As for the city performance, expect it to be tractable enough for easy commutes, although you might have to factor in the engine heat, as it’s a twin-cylinder liquid-cooled motor. 

Gearbox

The Z650RS gets a 6-speed gearbox, and comes with a slip-and-assist clutch. The slip function should make the bike safer when downshifting aggressively, and the assist function should make the lever easy to operate.

Brakes

It comes with 300mm dual discs at the front and a 220mm rear disc brake, with dual-channel ABS as standard. The dual front discs should be enough to bring this 192kg (kerb) motorcycle to a halt.

Handling & Ride Quality

The bike comes with a 41mm telescopic fork and a monoshock. It rolls on 17-inch alloys wrapped in a 120-section front and a 160-section rear tubeless tyre setup. Expect it to be fairly nimble for a 650cc motorcycle, and the suspension should be good enough for urban riding and occasional weekend runs. That said, the 125mm ground clearance is a bit too low, and you may have trouble going over bad patches.

The 2026 Kawasaki Z650RS rivals the Triumph Trident 660, Honda CB650R and the Moto Morini Seiemmezzo 6 ½ Retro Street. Another much more affordable retro alternative in the 650cc segment is the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650.