Take a good look at this bike here because it’s said to replace the ER6-F. Don’t worry; it’s still the same quirky parallel-two underneath that Ninja-inspired fairing, so this is just a renaming scheme.
The 2017 Kawasaki Ninja 650 is said to be all-new, but look it down right into its eyes, and you’ll see the ER-6 series buried deep down. Although it’s built on a trellis-type steel frame, the new bike still uses the same 649cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin, the underbody exhaust, and that gull-style swingarm.
However, you won’t see the rear side-mounted shock that drove OCD people mad seeing it. The new one is now placed in the center while the front gets a conventional 41mm RWU fork with no adjustment whatsoever.
Brakes are provided by new Nissin calipers munching on 9.1M ABS discs from Bosch so beginner riders won’t have to bite the dust when panicking and grabbing a handfull stop-lever.
The engine has been tuned for more economy to meet Euro 4 regulations, thus lost about 3 hp in the process. Still, Kawasaki claims the Ninja 650 is also lighter than the ER6-F, so power shouldn’t be a problem. To be precise, the bike is 19 kg (48 lbs) lighter than the previous model and offers a 6.8% improvement in fuel consumption.
There’s also a new assist and slip clutch which reduces the amount of force the rider has to use on the lever, making the bike feel more comfortable in heavy city traffic.
Speaking about the rider, he or she will be shielded by a new height-adjustable screen and will be able to look at a new instrument cluster. This has an analog rev counter and a black LCD screen. You also get a gear position indicator as well as a programmable shift light.
The fairing is inspired by the Ninja family and comes in three colors - Lime Green KRT Edition, Metallic Spark Black, and Candy Burnt Orange.
Google News