PARTS & SERVICES
territory. The Z650 had the ability to pretty much do anything asked of it on a tarmac road and effectively made every Honda four look old and jaded virtually overnight. Even if the 650 was 10-15mph down on its older, larger brother, few really decried the differences. Nimbler, more agile, easier to live with day-to-day, cheaper to buy and more economical to own/run, there was genuinely really little not to like about the bike. About the only real criticism that stood up to any scrutiny was the slightly muted colour schemes but time had moved on and gaudy decals and in-yourface paintwork were now a thing of the past. A few curmudgeons moaned the 652cc motor put it into the 750 bracket with some insurers, but that was about the sum total of the negatives.
Some 44 years later the Z650 still remains one of the most cost-effective classics of the period with prices generally failing to exceed five grand even for the best examples. Parts supply isn’t as good as that of the Z1 but there’s still sufficient New Old Stock, quality used parts and aftermarket stuff to keep one on the road. A decent Z650 will take you to wherever you want go in both style and comfort without issue.
With servicing costs as good as any equivalent air-cooled four of the period, there’s really not a lot to dislike. However, hubris and ego, machismo and pride have consistently seen the Z650 variously ignored, derided, scorned or overlooked in favour of the Z1 and its offspring. Some even go so far as to accuse the Kawasaki Z650 of being the root of all subsequent UJMS (Universal Japanese Motorcycles). Is it such a bad thing that certain bikes can accomplish all that’s thrown at them without being the fastest, biggest, quickest or most expensive? Sometimes a backhanded compliment is actually begrudging praise!
Z-power www.z-power.co.uk/z650
Zedrider www.zedrider.co.uk/
Kawasaki Heaven www.kawasaki-heaven.co.uk
Wemoto www.wemoto.com