Ninja 650 has the hallmarks of sports pedigree despite not being a bike with aggressive styling
An easy and forgiving ride this Ninja has a sportier feel but its real aim is to be accessible to a A2 licence holder stepping up or someone stepping down
CASTING an eye over the Kawasaki Ninja 650, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s an odd looking ZX6R.
But the new Ninja is actually a revamp of the ER6F. With its aggressive, angular styling and the X-shape rear light, the Ninja 650 has the hallmarks of sports pedigree while not being a sports bike.
The 649cc parallel twin puts out 64bhp at 8,000rpm, less than the ER6F, but it’s got more torque and is 19kg lighter.
With a lower seat and handlebars that sit slightly more forward, the Ninja has a sportier feel but its real aim is to be accessible to an A2 licence holder stepping up, or someone thinking of downgrading from a larger beast.
The bike has been designed as an easy and forgiving ride. With a slip-assist clutch it’s a breeze to knock through the gears and there’s no concern during aggressive downshifting that it might cause engine lock on a wet day.
What might please the purists is the Ninja has no electronic rider aids or gizmos other than ABS, although the components are fairly basic. Nissin twin caliper non-adjustable brakes are up front, working on standard front forks.
Preload adjustable only on the rear but it is central mounted now. Suspension is soft and braking is about the same.
As budget upgrades go, the new Ninja is far nicer than its outgoing ER6F but at £6,349 in black or orange, and £6,549 for the KRT we rode, it has got steep competition from its closest (albeit naked) rival the MT-07.
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