Kawasaki Z650: Same Engine, Different Personalities

From a naked to an ADV, here’s a low-down on the versatile 649cc engine from Kawasaki

Mid-displacement motorcycles are quite the trend now, and when manufacturers like Aprilia and Triumph too want a piece of this pie, you know it is serious. But the one manufacturer who has been acing this game for a long time is Kawasaki. The Japanese bikemaker rolled out its 650cc parallel-twin engine back in 2006 and till date, the platform has been raking in good moolah for the company.

Over the years, the engine saw many revisions, and the latest one came last year, when Team Green’s 649cc parallel-twin engine witnessed a marginal dip in torque. But more than the performance itself, the engine’s easy-going yet engaging nature is what makes it loveable and so versatile that Kawasaki developed four distinctly different motorcycles using the same engine:

Kawasaki Ninja 650
The engine debuted with the 2006 Ninja 650R and six years later, Kawasaki decided to drop the ‘R’ suffix.  In the nine years that followed, we have seen the Ninja evolve from a beefy motorcycle to a sleek sports tourer that can not only be a great highway companion but a capable tool on the twisties. We have extensively tested the BS6 iteration, and though it is tad slower, it definitely felt more enthusiastic. Read our road test review here to know more details.

Kawasaki Z650
Nakeds are versatile-- comfortable for everyday commutes as well as weekend runs. So, a mid-displacement naked to come out of this platform was a no-brainer. After pulling the plug of the ER-6N, Kawasaki introduced its successor-- the Z650. Since then, it has undergone a massive visual overhaul and in the BS6 guise, is a tad sportier, despite losing out on its performance. But is it more desirable now, compared to the previous iterations? Head to our road test review to find out.

Kawasaki Versys 650
The Versys 650 is the oldest name in this platform. Since its debut in 2006, the adventure tourer has matured gracefully. Kawasaki has tuned this engine differently to suit the ADVs nature and it produces 66PS and 61Nm. Factor in the adjustable suspension and the road-spec tyres, the Versys 650 can do some serious mile-munching on the tarmac.

Kawasaki Vulcan S
With a sports tourer, a naked and an ADV already on offer, the next logical move was to come up with a cruiser and Kawasaki has done a decent job with it. In its BS6 iteration not only has the bikemaker been able to extract the same performance from the engine, but also improve its bottom-end grunt. Thanks to its quick-revving nature, it not just feels good on the highways, but apt for uran duties too. Want to know more about this mid-displacement cruiser? Head to our road test review of the most affordable bike from the 650 platform.

Now, with four bikes utilising the same engine, is Kawasaki finally done? We don’t think so. Team Green might be working on something that would satiate the world’s newfound love for neo-retro motorcycles. Head to this story to know what it is.