2017 Kawasaki Z650 - FIRST RIDE REVIEW

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“The naked bike customer is completely different than the sportbike one,” says Kawasaki Motor Corps. Product Manager Croft Long. “They don’t cross-shop, so if riders are looking at naked bikes, they’re not looking at a bike like the Ninja 650 too.” The point? If Kawasaki wanted to sell a mid-displacement, entry-level bike to lovers of all things naked here in the States (the naked ER-6n hasn't been available here for some time now), it better offer something other than the fully faired Ninja 650, and something bigger than the lovable little Z125 Pro.

Enter Kawasaki’s 2017 Z650.

All-new and at the same time all-not (sometimes that’s a good thing), the Z650 shares nearly the same parallel-twin engine as the Ninja 650 of year’s past, as well as the same trellis-style frame as the 2017 Ninja. It’s nipped, tucked, and from a spec-sheet perspective, fully ready to go head-to-head against Yamaha’s FZ-07 and Suzuki’s SV650.

And how about in real life? We headed into the Santa Monica Mountains with Team Green to get a better idea.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, let’s circle back to that chassis update and the other various tweaks, because they’re important ones. And moving from a double-pipe perimeter frame to a full high-tensile steel trellis frame was a big one. Not only does that trellis frame add something to the looks and handle stress well, but it also keeps weight down and helps form a distinctive tie to Kawasaki’s own H2 and H2R, which used the trellis frame for identical reasons (stress management and light weight).

Rake and trail are a little more aggressive than they were on previous-generation Ninja 650s, the new chassis configuration contributing to a 24° rake and 3.9 in. trail (versus 25° and 4.3 in.). Wheelbase, meanwhile, stays the same at 55.5 inches. And again, all of this is the same as it is on the equally new, 2017 Ninja 650.

Where the Z sets itself apart from the Ninja is in the styling and plastics (or lack thereof). And while I’ll admit to not at first understanding why Kawasaki put such great emphasis on the topic during the Z’s unveil, I started to “get it” when looking over the bike in person. One of the things that’s made the FZ-07 such a big hit since day one is its overall fit and finish, which is way higher than you’d expect for a bike at its price point. And the Z is right there with it; wires and cables are routed nicely, hardware doesn’t feel cheap, and the fairings perfectly butt up against one another—a testament to the bike’s high-quality build and design.

Components are meant to keep the price down, but don’t have someone shopping in this category wanting much more. There’s a non-adjustable 41mm KYB fork, preload-adjustable shock, and four-piston Nissin calipers clamping on 300mm petal-type rotors up front.

Other major talking points include an all-new swingarm design that saves weight, the addition of a gear-position indicator (which necessitated new cases, Kawasaki says), and new exhaust, which I think looks pretty good when compared to a lot of the rather horrid units manufacturers have been resorting to in an attempt to meet new emissions regulations. Add an assist & slipper clutch, new styling, and sweet new instrument up front, and you have a bike that Kawasaki refers to as, “Refined Raw”—polished and bare, all at once.

Throw a leg over the Z650 and you'll notice that the seat is low. At 30.9-inches, that contributes to a user-friendly feel and enables shorter riders to feel in control the instant they throw a leg over the bike, but also for me (6-foot-3-inches) to feel a bit cramped after 30-some-odd miles. Ergos are otherwise a comfortable balance between sport and upright, with the handlebar coming back a good amount and keeping you from having to hunch over the front of the bike. My back liked it. Wrists, too.

Fueling and power delivery is smooth as it needs to be, with an easy on/off throttle transition and faultless transmission adding to that user-friendly feel. Perhaps the only downside to the package is the new clutch, which offers only moderate feel as you get into the friction zone and led to me stalling the bike more than once during our ride. Interestingly, this was a similar complaint I had with the Kawasaki Z125 Pro's clutch, which felt much the same.

Kawasaki has turned to 36mm Keihin throttle bodies (from 38mm on the 2016 Ninja), and says that the camshafts have been designed for improved overlap. It also says that it's made the intake ports slim for good throttle response and better performance in the low-mid rpm range. Now, it doesn’t say exactly how that varies to previous-generation engines, but from the saddle, I’ll say that the engine feels nice and punchy through the midrange. The twin still pulls well up top, but it’s that nice hit of power at around 4,000 or 5,000 rpm that you’ll enjoy most when picking the throttle up at the apex of a corner in tighter sections of canyon road.

The Z650's rather boisterous intake makes for a good soundtrack when you're hard on the gas, too.

As for the brakes (complete with adjustable lever—a nice touch), they're strong enough to get things slowed down and have good feel through the middle of the pull, but without that overwhelming initial bite that would otherwise have anti-ABS folks constantly testing front tire traction limits. You might want a little more pad bite, but as a whole the stoppers are solid as they need to be.

Having raced a Ninja 650 in the past and fallen in love with its chassis, I was curious as to what to expect from the new trellis-style frame. Worried, even. Fortunately, the new frame is even better than I expected it to be and felt very stable/planted under load, mid-corner. Suspension damping felt more taut than I expected and was balanced front to rear, though the bike is very clearly sprung for lighter-weight riders and had a tendency to spring back when all of my 200 lbs. pushed it through mid-corner dips on the road.

That soft feel in the back limited front-end confidence, but I think a bigger part of that confidence was lost somewhere deep in the treads of the new Dunlop Sportmax D214 front tire, which felt like it slowed the steering down just a little bit as well. I have to wonder how something a little more sporty might change the ride, as otherwise the Z650 feels lightweight, nimble and overall well-sorted.

2017 Kawasaki Z650

Speaking of weight, the Z650 weighs 406 lbs., while the FZ-07 weighs 397 lbs. and the SV650 a claimed 430 lbs. (add more to each for ABS models). It’ll sell for $6,999, versus $7,199 for the FZ-07 and an identical $6,999 for the SV (again, add a few hundred dollars for ABS).

The Z is right there in terms of fit and finish, and it’ll be interesting to get the trio together for a better understanding of how each compares in terms of handling and engine performance.

As it stands, the bike is a great addition to the Z family, and proof of what Kawasaki has learned from years spent with the Z1000 and Z800 (both of which will be replaced by the Z900 for 2017). And it's a great option for those naked bike lovers who've been waiting for a mid-displacement twin with Team Green badges on its side.

Sourcehttp://www.cycleworld.com/2017-kawasaki-z650-first-ride-review-new-motorcycle#page-7

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