2020 Z650 test: the Kawasaki roadster not all new but all beautiful ?
Launched in 2017 on the competitive medium-displacement roadster market, the Kawasaki Z650 is experiencing its first evolution for the year 2020. Objective: to take back the star Yamaha MT-07 with some retouching… subtle, clever or futile? Responses.
2020 Z650 test page 1: tastes and colors
A new Z650 is currently arriving in Kawasaki dealerships! Is this a brand new model? No … In its smart-video shot during the European press launch, Site was able to identify seven differences with the first little "Zed".
When driving, the 2020 Z650 is no different from the original version released in 2017: logical, since the mechanical elements have been preserved for the most part (read on following pages). However Kawasaki would have been wrong to completely redesign its medium-displacement "roadZter".
- MNC special file :
- Duel MNC Z650 Vs MT-07 :
- Video test :
The replacement for the popular ER-6n is still just as light … or almost: the 2020 Z650 weighs 188 kg fully loaded (15 liters of gasoline in particular), a kilo more than the 2017 model. , the motorcycle newspaper of the Net challenges the finest "Zedists" to feel the difference !
On the small winding and dry roads of Girona and its region – where we had discovered the Z900 2020 a month earlier but in torrential rain! -, the little "Kawette" can be piloted with the tips of the gloves. Very often, small thrusts of the hips are even enough to make the bike dive from one turn to another..
The pilot keeps the impression of being "in" the machine rather than above: the legs enclose a fine twin cylinder and a very flared tank … but above all, the buttocks are placed on a particularly low saddle (790 mm). Riders who are 5 feet tall or less love it !
The pilots who reach or exceed 1.70 m in revache can or should seriously consider the purchase of the high saddle (+30 mm and +162 euros). This Kawa accessory has been tested and approved by MNC (his 1.80 m tester when he stands straight, whose long graceful legs are the pride of the editorial staff).
With this high saddle, the legs are less bent and the attitude on the bike is a hint more sporty, sticking better with the scoundrel spirit of the Kawa. Because the front axle of this Z650 is magnificently successful: stuck to the road (unless you accelerate very hard in first gear), it gives full confidence.
Throwing yourself into the curves without effort or restraint is still fun riding this bike. It is hardly until the approach of rare hairpins that Site benefits from the very good braking of the Z650. To effectively slow down the little roadster, we can count on the front brake that is both dosable, powerful … and not excessively biting? Good for beginners !
By playing a little with the gearbox and its precise and gentle selection – MNC does without the clutch lever – the engine is enough to adapt its input speed. The anti-slip clutch also allows you to benefit from good decelerations without fear of locking the rear wheel..
On a curve, to avoid a big stone, an ugly clod of earth or a beautiful root under the road (!), A simple pressure on the handlebars changes the trajectory. In turns that tighten without warning, the use of the very good rear brake or even the front brake does not disturb the bike. Easy !
At the exit of a curve, the rear end collects without flinching the assault of the cavalry: 68 horses still tumble at 8000 rev / min. On wet portions, MNC moderates its enthusiasm: like the first Z900, the Z650 lacks traction control. It is under these conditions that we realize that the injection is a bit bumpy but perfectly manageable..
Sport without the taste of effort
The remarkable rigor of the Z650 on well-paved roads and its very good behavior on slightly bumpy portions have a – very – slight setback: the fork and the shock absorber – above all – only moderately absorb the retarders..
Less pronounced than on the old ER-6n, the suspension compromise chosen by Akashi engineers still leans towards sport rather than comfort. The colleagues from Iwata have reversed the cursor on their Yamaha "roadstar". It’s up to the biker to choose according to his tastes … or his program: mostly leisure or utility ?
In terms of engine performance, the 2020 Z650 benefits from the services of an almost unchanged twin-cylinder: same maximum power and torque reduced by 1.7 newton-meters or 64 Nm instead of 65.7 … Here again, only the Accomplished Zexperts will feel the difference !
This negligible loss is due to the anticipation of the switch to the new Euro5 standard and to the few modifications it required on the good old ER / Z unit. This is the first of seven differences that distinguish the 2020 Z650 from the 2017…
However, the Twin continues to show appreciable flexibility in town: it accepts to trot at 30 km / h in 3rd or 50 km / h in 6th, just above 2000 rpm. Between 3000 and 5000 rpm, the pickups are sufficient to get ahead of traffic or have fun on the road, to the rhythm of the small pulsations of the short and low pot.
The second half of the tachometer is reserved for a more sporty use of the motorcycle: the revivals are certainly more muscular, but also more marked … Vibrations unfortunately invade the hands, buttocks and feet! We ignore them when attacking on a small bendy road, but we hate them when we travel on a major axis.
On the last report, the crackling is bearable under 90 km / h and beyond 120 km / h. Between the two, however, we bitterly regret that Kawasaki has not reworked more deeply on its water mill … The weights placed under the footrests reduce the inconvenience a little, but not those installed at each end of the handlebars..
MNC, which generally leaves two fingers on each lever (constant vigilance!), Avoids doing so on the Z650. Note in passing that if these two controls are adjustable, the left one will remain a little too far away for small hands, even set to the shortest. To review for 2023 ?!
In the end, the most annoying vibrations are at the level of the seat: impossible to get rid of it, whether you are small and / or used to wedging in front against the tank, or tall and / or used to wedge against the rear seat. This second saddle precisely, let’s talk about it.
Kawasaki heard complaints from the passengers of the first Z650 and agreed to increase the thickness of their saddles. The effort is commendable… but insufficient: the “co-pilots” would no doubt have appreciated – even preferred – that handles were made available to them… as was the case on the ancestor ER-6n! On this point, "it was better before", clearly.
Modernity has good sides, however: the 2020 instrumentation of the Z650 clearly surpasses that of the 2017 thanks to its color TFT screen much more stylish than the black and white LCD display … still used on the blue rival, by the way. by the way !
Kawasaki sends all colors ?
The Bluetooth mention will also appeal to the youngest and trendy bikers. Be careful, however: the test carried out by MNC was not fully convincing.
We were indeed able to adjust the shiftlight intervention regime when leaving the hotel … But on our return, the data of our ride was not accessible (0 km and 0 min of driving!) While the route of our route on the map included many inconsistencies: to improve therefore !
Similarly, Site would have liked to take advantage of controls on the handlebars, as on the Z900 2020. The transfers between the 900 and the 650 are nevertheless numerous…
The original tire fitment on the 2020 Z650 is the same as on the big sister: Dunlop supplies its RoadSport 2 (also fitted to the Katana) instead of the specific – and disparaged – D214. Tested and approved in the rain with the Z900, the new compounds have fully satisfied us in the dry with the Z650.
Besides the tires, the cosmetic of the Z650 also evolves in 2020: the little "Zed" again brazenly copies its big sister! In fact, Kawasaki has accentuated the family resemblance between its two roadsters. A clever decision based on the simple fact that the Z900 is its "best-zeller" in Europe … The new Z650 should further flatter the ego of its future owner.
"The fork crown has become sleeker and more compact, with a two-part design (distinct from that of the three-part Z900)," explains the manufacturer. "The new windshield and the more forward sloping lines help accentuate the Sugomi design"…
Do you know the "Sugomi"? But yes, this Japanese symbol which represents a person with character and whose power can intimidate. This reference to the predator lurking in the shadows – the MT-07, in this case – and ready to pounce … to bite its market share !?
Small regret about the colors: like the Z900, the Z650 is satisfied with three extremely classic colors (green with black frame, black or white with green frame). Kawa had known how to be more original with his yellow, orange, blue or red ER-6n. The "fault" to the customers very consvertasoeur preservatives !
Another change in 2020: the Z650 switches to LED lighting! Not "Full LED" however since unlike the new Z900, the small "Kawette" retains incandescent lamps for its indicators. An LED turn signal kit is available at 143 euros in the Kawasaki catalog. Indecent, nah ?
Stimulate the pilot, boost sales
The slogan chosen by Kawasaki when launching the 2020 model of the Z900 last month was "#dominate", in reference to the number one position it must maintain in its segment. For the Z650, the leitmotif was "#energize". Understand: this bike is designed to stimulate its rider …
However, Site imagines a second reading level, this time in relation to the sales of the Z650: tied with the 900 in France, the 650 is very far behind the MT-07, best selling "over 125 cc" since its launch in 2014.
It is to get back on this formidable rival that Kawasaki has slowly evolved its bike, retaining its main strengths of 2017. But MNC believes that to overtake the Yam ’, the redesign – of the engine! – should have been more thorough while conversely, the price increase should have been limited !
Recall that according to INSEE, the minimum wage increased in France by + 4.0% between 2017 and 2020 (1,539.42 euros gross monthly this year). Over the same period, the green Z650 increased by + 4.2% (7,299 euros instead of 6,999), but the black and white climbed by + 5.7% (7,399 euros). Negligible, really ?
The 2020 Z650 starts with a slight handicap: it is a little more expensive than the Yamaha reference (gray and red, blue or black) currently displayed at 7,099 euros on the official Yamaha website. Kawasaki is aware of this and is offering an introductory price (-200 euros until March 31, 2020) to attract the first customers, then let word of mouth act … "Tavu the instrument of the new Zed? She claks grav! " Response in the next MNC market reports.
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