KAWASAKI Ninja 650R (2006-Present) Specs, Performance & Photos

The Kawasaki Ninja 650R was a motorcycle in the Ninja series made by the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer Kawasaki and sold since 2006. The bike featured a unique look and feel with cutting-edge design and excellent versatility.

The motorcycle exceeded in the rear world riding with a comfortable seating position and performance seen on sports bike machines but was also suited for freeway commutes, city ridings, and weekend track days.

In 2009, Kawasaki released an updated version that included several changes, such as new bodywork, mirrors, gauges, lighting, and a tuned 649cc engine.

In 2012, the bike was released without the R designation and intended as a middleweight, parallel-twin powered motorcycle designed for normal use on paved roads that also featured minor tweaks a new bodywork design, a new two-piece seat assembly, 20 mm wider handlebar, and a new tachometer located above an LCD.

For 2017, Kawasaki released another updated version that came with a new trellis-steel frame in a lightweight package that enhanced handling, with sharper styling, a slipper clutch, and the replacement of the distinctive side-mounted rear shock absorber with a more conventional one.

As for power, the first released Kawasaki Ninja 650R was powered by a 649cc four-stroke parallel twin-cylinder liquid-cooled engine that delivered an output power of 70 hp with a peak at 7,000 rpm and 66 Nm (49 lb-ft) of torque available at 7,000 rpm.