Kawasaki Ninja 650 & Z650

Kawasaki’s long-running 650 sporty roadster range gets a decent upgrade for 2020, with a focus on equipment and a cleaner, gruntier engine retune, for Euro5 emissions compliance. Starting with the fully faired Ninja 650, there’s a new, sharper set of bodywork, featuring LED headlights and the same type of colour LCD dash that the firm’s been rolling out across the range.

Kawasaki’s also added Bluetooth connectivity and compatibility with its new Rideology smartphone app for riding logs, settings tweaks and more. The pillion seat is more thickly padded for extra comfort, and there’s a new, more aerodynamic windscreen.

On the performance front, there are new Dunlop Roadsport 2 tyres, for more grip and better handling, while a new exhaust system reduces emissions and together with intake mods, adds a dollop of midrange grunt.

The Z650 gets the same set of performance upgrades – the same new tyres, updated exhaust and intake duct mods, again for Euro5 emissions regs, and a small enhancement to midrange grunt. Z650 pillions also get a more cossetted rear end thanks to thicker padding on the seat, and the dash also has the colour LCD and Bluetooth connectivity upgrades.

Finally, the small ‘Sugomi’styled headlight cowl has been tweaked for 2020, sharper and more compact, with a distinctive ‘chin spoiler’ and slick lines.

Both bikes stick with the current frame, braking and suspension set ups, which is not at all a bad thing. So there are decent sliding twin-piston calipers and 300mm petal-type discs up front, 41mm front forks and a preload-adjustable rear monoshock, all held together by a steel tube diamond-type frame.

The 650s have a wide new range of official accessories, too – hard and soft luggage, carbon protectors, USB sockets, radiator guards and the like.