Kawasaki Z650

The updated middle weight from Kawasaki puts the rider in charge of the fun.

In 1976 Queen with Bohemian Rhapsody topped the charts, it was the second warmest summer on record, and Kawasaki launched their very first Z650. Kawasaki was already dominating the big bike market with the legendary Zl-derived Z900, but now hoped to appeal to a new audience with a lighter, but still powerful, Z650. Back in 76, when Stallone first wore his Rocky shorts, the motorcycle market was very different, and the fourcylinder Z650 was still regarded as a big bike, but essentially the virtues of the original bike are used by

Kawasaki today.

Kawasaki wanted the Zed to have 'nimble handling, compact style,

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Z-family appeal with incredible poise and performance'. It's strange how history repeats itself. Over 40 years on and Kawasaki delivers a revised Z650 with a similar design brief - nimble, compact with a noticeable Z-styling. The revised Z650 now sits as bike number three in the Zed family. If you removed the badging and logo, it would still be easily identifiable as belonging to the Zed brand, which is one of the most recognisable on the market.

In 2005 Kawasaki launched the hugely successful ER-6N. It was an entry-level commuter designed to be robust, which explained its popularity with riding schools and commuters alike. However, the ER-6N also

established1962 appealed to a new young audience who enjoyed the fun and sporty appeal of the middle-weight

Kawasaki. Some ERs were even transformed into race bikes for the Lightweight class at the TT, which was introduced in 2012 and was won by a Kawasaki.

Over the years the ER-6N was tweaked and polished, but in 2017 it received a major overhaul and was re-branded as the Z650, an evocative name given how much the original Z was loved in the 70s. The new Zed 650 was a huge step forward in development over the old ER-6N. Although the engine layout remained the same - a parallel-twin with 649cc capacity - everything else was