Kawasaki Ninja 650 BS6 Launched. Costs Rs 34,000 More

The 650cc sports tourer gets a new bodywork and a whole lot of goodies

• The design is similar to the Ninja 400 and Ninja ZX-6R.
• It gets a LED headlamp and TFT instrument console.
• BS6-compliant motor delivers 68PS and 64Nm.
• Gets more premium and stickier radial tyres.

Kawasaki has launched the Ninja 650 BS6 in India. The mid-capacity sports tourer now costs Rs 6.24 lakh (ex-showroom, India). That’s a premium of Rs 34,000 over the BS4 model. For the price hike, it gets new bodywork, new features, a cleaner motor and minor upgrades to its underpinnings. 

The generational update has resulted in the new Ninja 650 looking more like the new Ninja 400 and Ninja ZX-6R. It gets a redesigned visor which now sits lower but at a more upright angle to offer better wind protection.  The new Ninja 650 is available in two dual-tone colours -- Lime Green Ebony and Pearl Flat Stardust White. Its new twin headlamps get LED lighting and the instrument console is now a 4.3-inch colour TFT unit. The console offers smartphone connectivity via Bluetooth and Kawasaki’s Rideology smartphone app. 

The Ninja 650’s liquid-cooled parallel-twin motor retains the same 649cc cubic capacity but gets updates in the intake and exhaust department. Kawasaki claims that the new BS6-compliant motor not only has cleaner emissions but also offers more mid-range torque. The updated motor delivers 68PS at 8000rpm and 64Nm at 6700rpm. It continues to use a 6-speed gearbox. 

Updates to the underpinnings include new and more premium Dunlop Sportmax Roadsport 2 radial tyres instead of the previous Dunlop Sportmax D214. These are expected to offer better grip. The other change is in the pillion seat that has been tweaked for better comfort. Rider seat height remains the same as before at 790mm while fuel tank capacity remains unchanged at 15-litres. The updated Ninja 650 BS6 continues to use a trellis frame with 41mm conventional forks and linked monoshock. For braking, it continues to get dual 300mm discs up front and a 220mm rear disc brake with dual-channel ABS. Even the 196kg kerb weight remains unchanged. 

The Kawasaki Ninja 650 competes with the CFMoto 650GT and Honda CBR650R. Kawasaki has already unveiled the Z900 and Z650 in February and will launch them soon.