Retro done right
Fancy a trip back to the ‘70s but without the power cuts, strikes and Bay City Rollers? Kawasaki have it covered…
‘The new RS just had to be glittery green’
Someone at Kawasaki knows how to create the perfect blend of then and now. First they turned the Z900 semi-supernaked into the desirable Z900RS, and now they’ve carried out a credible RS makeover on the perky middleweight Z650 too.
Behind the Seventies-tastic costume it’s all regular Z650. And this is good, as you get a free-revving 649cc side-by-side twin with an eager 67bhp, a lightweight trellis frame, plus straightforward-but-capable running gear that’s the equal of anything competing in the mid-size bunfight. The difference with the RS is that instead of shapes and colours seemingly used to target 12-yearolds, you get the classy period style of the 1976 Z650-B1. This means a round headlight nestling beneath twin analogue dials, thin-spoked wheels, a tank (questionably small at 12 litres) and tail unit shaped to instantly shout 1970s Zed, plus the best bit – sparking Emerald Green paint. When the original 652cc inline-four Z650 was launched in 1976 its glittery hue was a real hit, with the later dark blue, red and silver being far less popular. The new RS just had to be green. Kawasaki probably hope the Z650RS will have the sales success of its 45-year-old ancestor, too. While the Seventies was the era that brought us the first superbikes, the B1 was as much of a hit as the legendary Z1 thanks to better handling and having the most power-per-cc of any bike 500cc or above. Clearly the new RS can’t make such a boast (especially as there’s a kit to drop peak power to 47bhp for A2 types). But with Kawasaki’s recent hike in build quality and spot-on looks, the 650 might not just ruffle the feathers of Yamaha’s XSR700 and the Triumph Trident 660, but also outshine its underrated Z900RS stablemate.
Especially as it’s keenly priced. Pay the £150 premium for must-have Emerald Green and the Z650RS is £7699 – almost identical to the XSR700 and three grand cheaper than a 900. Pop along to your dealer in November.
Because Ducati’s Multistrada V4 is such a formidable bit of kit, it’s easy to overlook the smaller – but astonishingly good – V-twin version. Ducati are hoping to remedy the situation with this, the new Multistrada V2.
At 199kg, it’s 5kg lighter than the old 950, and despite the V2 name gets the latest 937cc Testastretta V-twin rather than the 955cc motor from the Panigale V2. That’s no bad thing – the Testastretta powers the Monster, our Bike of the Year, and is a superb road bike engine.
Though the new motor makes the same 111bhp as the old one it’s 2kg lighter, and has new con rods, a new eight-disc hydraulic clutch and an updated gearbox. Other weight savings include the Multistrada V4-derived mirrors (which work brilliantly on the V4, so here’s hoping the V2 vibes don’t muck them up), front brake discs and new spoked rims from the V4. The rims alone shed 1.7kg and because they’re unsprung weight could make a noticeable improvement to the steering feel.
‘Ducati are pretty good at these refreshes,’ says Jon Haley, who runs Ducati Cambridge. ‘They tend to change things based on what people have asked so I think it will work well for us. Are we going to sell a million? No, but they’ll find customers.’
Part of the sales problem is the excellent V4, which grabs the headlines and snares customers who would perhaps be happier with a V2 and £4000 in their pocket. ‘We learned a lesson early on about selling Multistradas,’ says Jon. ‘Customers would come in saying they wanted one, so we’d send them out for a test ride on the 950 and, back then, the 1260 to help them choose. And they’d always buy the 1260 because they’d get carried away with the emotions of bigger is better.
‘But when we got them to ride the 950 one week, and the 1260 the next, they usually bought the 950 because that time gap allowed them to realise the
950 did everything they wanted for £4000 less. It helped them buy the bike that was right for them, which is what we actually want.’
The base version of the new Multi V2 costs
£12,495 while the S comes with Ducati’s latest Skyhook EVO semi-active suspension and costs £14,495. If Jon’s experience with the V4 is anything to go by, there won’t be many sales of the base model occupying his order book.
‘We have yet to sell a standard Multistrada V4,’ he says. ‘And nearly every single one we’ve sold has been full spec with the radar. I guess that will be similar for the V2 – people want the best version. We sold lots of 950s when they came out in 2017. But when the 950S came out in 2019, lots of those 2017 customers came back and swapped it for the S for that reason.’
Electronic gadgetry installed on both versions includes cornering ABS, hill hold control, traction control and four riding modes – all customisable. The S then goes one step further with cruise control, cornering lights, an up and down quickshifter, a mobile-connectable 5in TFT dash, and backlit controls. The S also has a ‘Travel’ package on offer that comes with side bags, heated grips and centre stand, costing £15,295.
‘It’s easy to overlook the V-twin version’