Kawasaki launches 2017 range of motorcycles

Including the new Z650, Ninja 650 and Z900. BS IV update to the Ninja 300 and a new colour option for the Versys 650

After unveiling their new range of motorcycles at INTERMOT and EICMA last year, Kawasaki has finally brought in their new range to India. The Ninja 300 has been priced at Rs 3.64 lakh. The Z650 and the Ninja 650 carry a sticker price of Rs 5.19 lakh and Rs 5.69 lakh respectively. Replacing the Z800, is the newly launched Z900 will cost you Rs 9 lakh including accessories. The additional accessories include, a radiator guard, seat cowl, crash bobbins and a windscreen. The price of the Versys 650 has been revised and now stands at Rs 6.60 lakh.

So, what's new in these motorcycles? While the Ninja 300 remains largely unchanged, it gets the mandatory BS IV update and a new colour option. Similarly, the Versys 650 has been launched in a new shade of green. When it was first launched in India, the Versys 650 was only available in black.

Meanwhile, the Z650 and the Ninja 650 are new-generation models that sport a new light weight chassis, that helps both shed some weight. The naked offering loses 19 kilos over its predecessor ER-6n while its fully faired sibling is now 15 kg lighter. At the heart, both these motorcycles come with the same 649cc parallel twin motor. Both these motorcycles are now Euro IV compliant due to which there has been a minor loss in power. The Z650 now makes peak power of 68bhp and max torque of 65.7Nm. The Ninja 650 on the other hand produces 1bhp less than its naked sibling, while the torque output remains the same. Unlike their predecessors, these 2017 iterations come equipped with slipper clutch and ABS. The naked 650 now looks part of the Z family and the Ninja 650 also borrows some of its design cues from the larger ZX-10R.

The Z800 has now been replaced by the new Z900. Kawasaki says its design has been inspired from the iconic Z1 and the GPz900R but it looks every bit muscular and sharper than its predecessor. The Z900 makes 126bhp and peak torque of 100Nm from a 948cc inline four engine. The motorcycle comes mated to a 6-speed transmission which is assisted by a slipper clutch. Like all the other models launched today, the Z900 too weighs a lot lesser than its previous-generation model – 21kg to be precise. The Z900 will lock its horns against the Ducati Monster 821, Triumph Street Triple S and the Yamaha MT-09.