22 March,2017 02:31 PM IST | | Bikedekho.com
Kawasaki will ride in the new Z900 Streetbike, which will replace the Z800, into our two-wheeler market on 25th March. It is also speculated that the Japanese bikemaker may spring a surprise and launch the 2017 Ninja 650 and Z650 too
Kawasaki India has sent out an invite for an official ride weekend and mentioned that it will launch "important for 2017 models" at the event. When we contacted Kawasaki for more details about the upcoming motorcycles they were tight-lipped but through our sources we have found out that Kawasaki will launch the new Z900 in India on March 25. The Kawasaki Z900 is the replacement for the Z800, which is among the most popular motorcycles for the Japanese bikemaker in India. The new motorcycle was unveiled at the Intermot motorcycle show in Germany last year and will be brought in via the CBU route from Thailand. Our sources also indicated that Kawasaki might have a surprise in store for us and that we can also expect the new Kawasaki Ninja 650 and Z650 to be launched in India. Both the bikes are very important products for Kawasaki and they will be locally assembled in India.
Coming back to the Kawasaki Z800, the bike has received a complete design overhaul based on the Kawasaki Z100. The bike sports sharper and sportier lines with an edgy looking headlamp while the contrast green finish on the trellis frame looks cool. The new frame has been instrumental in the Kawasaki Z900 shedding 20kg in comparison to its predecessor. Kawasaki engineers also claim that handling of the bike has also improved thanks to the new chassis and loss of weight.
The new 948cc inline four-cylinder motor is based on the Z1000's engine and it churns out 125PS of power and around 99Nm of peak torque. The engine is coupled to a six-speed gearbox, while the gear ratios have been revised to improved low and mid-range performance of the motor. The new motorcycle also features slipper clutch as standard fitment. Suspension duties are handled by 41mm inverted front forks and horizontally mounted monoshock at the rear. Braking is done by disc brakes at both ends while Nissin ABS is standard. We expect the new Kawasaki Z900 to carry a premium of Rs 1 lakh over its predecessor, and likely to be priced between Rs 9 lakh and 10 lakh.
Talking about the new Kawasaki Ninja 650, the fairing design has been made sharper and the new motorcycle gets twin split headlamps similar to the Ninja ZX-10R which makes it look aggressive. Among the most important changes on the 2017 Kawasaki Ninja 650 is the adoption of a new multi-tubular aluminium chassis and new swingarm. According to the Japanese bikemaker, the new trellis frame weighs just 15kg and also has improved the handling dynamics of the sports tourer. The power figures haven't increased but the parallel-twin motor is now Euro 4-compliant and Kawasaki engineers have improved the mid-range performance of the bike too. Braking hardware has also been improved as it gets revised calipers from Nissin and Bosch 9.1 ABS system.
Kawasaki has redesigned the Z650 and we must admit that the new motorcycle looks much better than the Kawasaki ER-6n. The chiseled tank -- which now gets similar mirror-paint finish like the Ninja H2 -- tank extensions, contrast colour on the frame and sharper-looking headlight are all enticing to look at. However, the engine is the same unit as seen on the new Kawasaki Ninja 650 and the cycle parts are also identical.
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