Ninja 650 test: Kawasaki camouflages its road in sport
In 2017 Kawasaki introduces a new Ninja! Not a pistarde just approved for the road, but the streamlined version of the new Z650 roadster, which replaces the ER-6f with very limited success in France. Can the Ninja 650 be a game-changer? MNC test.
Ninja 650 test page 2 – Sporty, road, ZX-650R or Z650SX ?
By continuing its test of this unprecedented Ninja 650, Site seeks more and more vigorously the right lever. Perfect on the Z650 roadster, the braking – scrupulously identical – of the streamlined version lacks a bit of bite to be qualified as "sporty".
Likewise, it requires a bit of grip to effectively slow the bike down, so after a few miles the rider’s forearm ends up heating up a bit. The power of the Nissin system, on the other hand, gives complete satisfaction, as does the ABS which intervenes very rarely and stealthily..
On heavy braking, the pilot of the Ninja 650 feels the fork of his sporty road sinking more generously than on the – real – pistards with large inverted forks. The slider for the sport / comfort ratio was however finely placed by the engineers….
In town, the suspensions – front and rear – of the friend "Kawette" correctly absorb the speed bumps and filter the jolts of the cobbled streets well … for a Ninja! On the road, they give the motorcycle very good heading, even when passing over large bridge connections, rails or other irregularities..
During his many brakes – front – on the angle, MNC appreciated that the bike does not straighten up suddenly: whether he is too optimistic when entering a curve or surprised by a bend which is closing, the rider is always forgiven, or even helped his motorcycle.
Rear brake enthusiasts on curves will love the fine feel of the right pedal. Much better than on the ER-6f, the rear brake is very practical in town to stop your machine calmly at each stop or red light, without even resorting to the right lever.
Note in passing the formidable smoothness and progressiveness of the left lever: the assisted clutch – and anti-dribble – of the Ninja 650 "takes advantage of feedback from the competition", underline the double world champions of Superbike…
At this stage of the test, however, it is clear that this new Kawasaki is not a "ZX-650R". To deserve this name – reserved for 4-cylinders … – Kawasaki would have had to rework the extension of the Twin, reverse the fork, strengthen the braking…
For those looking for more sensations, under acceleration as in braking, the remains available: "no, our" six-thirty-six "is not Euro4 but the manufacturers have sales quotas for Euro3 models in 2017: 10% of the volume sold in 2016 or 100 units ", the Greens tell us.
But by contenting itself with fitting a fairing on the Z650, Kawasaki is able to offer a sporty road at low cost: only 500 euros more than the original roadster! A good deal for those who consider that the Z650 lacked only a touch of sportiness and a ladle of protection ?
Have the managers of the Japanese brand or their European colleagues considered the name Z650SX? "No", replied unambiguously Antoine Coulon, marketing and communication manager at Kawasaki France: "this bike is clearly part of the Ninja family for us".
In France precisely, the integration into the road Ninja clan – as opposed to the track Ninja and the compressed Ninja – aims to give a more attractive image to this 650, even seductive by means of a few accessories … Too wise and isolated within the Kawa range, the ER-6f has always been shunned by French bikers…
"On our territory, there is always a ratio of 1/10 on the sales of ER-6n and ER-6f", reminds us our interlocutor. "But beware, this relationship is reversed in other markets, such as England for example where roadsters sell significantly less than faired models".
For 500 euros more than the Z650…
The name Z650SX evoked by Site would however not have been totally usurped: after all, does the little Kawasaki not inherit the dashboard of the Z1000SX, called Ninja 1000 in the United States, Japan and Australia ?!
More complete than the ER-6f handset, the instrumentation of the new Kawa integrates – finally! – a gear indicator light and an engine temperature gauge. The only thing missing is the air temperature which, when we left the hotel this morning, should not exceed 0 ° C much….
Between the undoubtedly negative temperatures at the top of the passes (up to an altitude of 1800 m, casually) and the dusty roads (recent salting to melt the snow), the Dunlop D214 tires had a hard time. The front did not also give us full confidence: cold, the ABS intervened a few times … Brrr.
To protect against the cool wind, the windshield of the Ninja 650 had to be raised to the maximum: like that of the ER-6f, the adjustment requires the use of a key … Too bad the practical system on board the Z1000SX did not follow the dashboard !
The protection of the Ninja 650 is comparable to that of its predecessor: in the low position, the top of the pectorals and the shoulders are exposed. In the up position (+ 60 mm), the torso is completely relieved, but not the head. The purchase of the "Touring" screen is to be considered by frequent travelers.
Unlike the ER-6f this time, the tank of its replacement offers an almost flat surface, perfect for pressing down on your stomach and submerging the helmet under the turbulence generated by the bubble. You can therefore scroll through the terminals, on the motorway rather than on 4-lanes…
As on the Z650 in fact, the pilot of the Ninja 650 suffers from itching in the crotch if he maintains a cruising speed of 115 km / h for too long. On the last report, the water mill then turns at 5500 rpm and vibrates the saddle and neighboring parts.
Fortunately, these crackles disappear when one hangs 140 km / h ("counter", which can therefore be reached without fear of being flashed). By looking well, we realize that the vibrations migrate towards the extremities (hands and feet) but they remain largely bearable.
Not so sporty as that, the driving position is perfectly endurable on long motorway journeys, as during short urban journeys. The half-handlebars are more inclined than on the ER-6f but are barely lower: with the saddle also lower (-15 mm), there is no more support on the wrists.
Sufficiently wide at the rear, the saddle allowed MNC to cover more than a hundred kilometers without feeling any discomfort. Much thinner at the front, it makes it easier for the feet – both simultaneously – to access the ground. The knees of big pilots are necessarily bent a little (high saddle optional), but they do not butt against the fairing, that’s it already !
By raising the tachometer needle above 7000 rpm, the whole machine begins to shiver but this is no longer penalizing: we reach these speeds to accelerate hard … pilot is therefore riveted on other parameters: a motorcycle which appears in the mirrors, the car which one passes, the bus which arrives in front, etc.
Under these conditions, the potential passenger will have an interest in clinging … to his pilot only, since the passenger handles of the ER-6f have simply disappeared! Always well infiltrated, the little finger of MNC is certain that future buyers would not have refused the handles / luggage racks of the Z1000SX…
Those who will use their Ninja 650 for trips for two and / or away from home will have to be content with semi-rigid 14-liter saddlebags from the accessories section – or other adaptable products – while the owners of ER-6f could offer rigid models of 35 liters … Note in passing that the last copies are on sale on the Kawasaki France site at € 6,499 !
In the end, this Ninja 650 is neither a ZX-650R, nor a Z650SX, but a remarkable road with a sporty look that risks attracting bikers who have just obtained their A2 license (35 kW kit available) , to those who are back on the bike or to those looking for an easy, soothing and peaceful sport…
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