2017 Kawasaki Z900 and Z650 previewed at INTERMOT

The 2017 Kawasaki Z900 is a big change over the existing Z800. It gets an all-new steel trellis frame and a new 948cc engine.

Along with revealing the updated Ninja H2 and the next-gen Ninja 650, Japanese bike maker Kawasaki previewed two of its completely new models at the INTERMOT fair in Germany. Labelled the Kawasaki Z900 and the Z650, the new bikes will be officially revealed at the upcoming EICMA event next month in Milan, Italy. The new Z900 could replace the existing Z800, while the Z650 can take the place of the ER-6n., after they are launched.

The 2017 Kawasaki Z900 is a big change over the existing Z800. It gets an all-new steel trellis frame and a new 948cc engine. The new 125PS motor has been derived from the bigger Kawasaki Z1000 that also contributes to the aggressive design lines of the upcoming Z900. The company has worked on the motor to make this bike more nimble and accessible with a reduced seat height to 794mm and an overall weight of 210kg (more than 20kg lighter).

The bike will offer a slightly aggressive riding posture and it will get Kawasaki's assist and slipper clutch for easier up-shifts and trouble-free down-shifts. The front inverted forks also get stepless rebound damping and pre-load adjustability whereas it currently comes with the rear monoshock only. Along with the new alloys, the dual 300mm front discs in combination with four-piston calipers from Nissin are also new. Moreover, the new Kawasaki Z900 will be offered with ABS as standard.

The parallel-twin powered 2017 Kawasaki Z650 will replace the existing ER6-n. The Z650 also gets a new trellis steel frame while the 650cc parallel-twin engine remains unchanged, the same engine which powers the Ninja 650. However, the peak power output has been reduced by 3PS in order to make it Euro-4 compliant. The bike also gets assist & slipper clutch along with the ABS, while the brakes come from Tokico. Visual changes on the bike include a well-designed underbelly exhaust, restyled headlamp and dashboard, banana-shaped swingarm and side panels.

Source: BikeDekho.com