Did the reveal of the Kawasaki Z650RS get you hyped for the local arrival of this retro-naked bike? Well, Kawasaki Motors Philippines has finally brought in its new middleweight offering into our market.
This little brother unit to the popular Z900RS is based on the Z650 and is powered by the same 649cc parallel-twin cylinder engine as the Ninja 650, the Versys 650, and the Vulcan S. Peak power is 67.3hp at 8,000rpm while maximum torque is 64Nm at 6,700rpm. Power is transmitted to the rear with a six-speed manual gearbox and a chain final drive.
The biggest difference between the standard Z650 and the RS version is styling. Retro is the name of the game for this naked bike, as several design cues have been taken from the 1977 Z650-B1. Classic Kawasaki styling elements have been incorporated into the Z650RS’s design, such as paint schemes, pinstripes, stitched leather for the seat, multi-spoked wheels, artillery shell-shaped analog meters, and a classic round headlight.
A conventional telescopic front fork and a horizontal link rear shock hold the bike up. Nissin brake calipers bite onto round rotors for current-gen braking performance with old-school style. ABS comes as standard, just like with most big bikes these days.
The Z650RS is priced locally at P469,500—a P54,500 premium over the standard Z650. Only the Metallic Moondust Gray/Ebony color option has been spotted on official local listings so far, but you can contact your nearest Kawasaki big bike dealership to make sure.
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopBikes.ph. Minor edits have been made.
