AUTOCAR ROAD TEST

No 659

Kawasaki Ninja 650R

Can Kawasaki's Ninja 650R cash in on the growing demand

for practical

su

perbikes in lndia?

E@I@
.list
price
Rs

Ninja650R

FORBUIII

P!ne). Topspeed 2t0kplr (n mated)a o.tookph 4.41sec. Kpt (overal) 22.6k p Io an a uprighr. ronriortable riding pogirion AGAII{ST Tachometerdilficu I ro reai on rhe go a inadeqLare brak b(e
4.529r5 (er'rr-row.oom,

I*h,

Detal-rYresoonfi

f ronr

di*s

ar.rloar.nountedi lacksood bh.

Digihl lnsvunentrdenv.df rom Moto GD, ln a booneranr ho!rinr.

Rea.h-adjunabl.doelalev.6
smartlylarhlondf rom bufi edallov.

/,1 _-l3hh.hs

soft p.lm

gipr

and
a

elid-teellns

lnclud

hazard burton.

.l
!n]

:. ,,,,.rDr)rr ,.,. l
:

DE5I6N & ENGINEERING

'1.

, L!!Lir: . .ri , .iLrll

].:l

i. f]r ..1

lr .r.r.,rrI

] rr.:riL

''

r.r'l,r\.r: r,,1" , rr'r

LLrLi ,. L llr.-

.r.nJ.r.'L$!e|i!

r,,l ,: '.i..-r

.lr{l

rr,.

Li.Lr

..

conrers with

Nitrjn65OR5titch5{rr a conf ident alr,

t^\

udiquely nroutrledsingle rear shock

absorber is seven.step adjGrabte,

shi

!51 encer boxsitl underthe Nitrla. keeps(entreolgravity low

ExPosed(harn o leti hclp! laVdo\!n powe., Deta d stonriSlrl rern5 it in,

LighilY6lepDed

5e

lraned hya

sleektailtatrinB,

lotrB grab lratrdle5,

j.!ii 1 :it:l{.+,r BO4g

TEST

No 659

'The Nirya can hold 130-140kph all day long, with a top speed capability in excess of 200kphl
rnd a tJr t)fg|nnn.rnrg. 'r.,dinld,lL!\ ard r..,dr

The Class
HVOSUi/GGT550R Rs5.05,000
(ex.ghowroonr. Ptine)

nlldstil.

loeF
tal

drat
rhe

lit{rF

ENGII{E,GEAREOX
& PERTORMAI.ICE

cap.(iryrrr.i
lorqueo

!,rucrn r riils

L\Ns.d.

rerlrh,riz,f

,r!\e
dr

s\,rg Dtlror{.dnn. r {utl.1 un,lef . un{.\n.rr 1.,'\

r! hehr lnr re.n olrlrenc{

mor,rhl)rkr!{

l he I\.d\ r..rk, \injr6i0ltdetL ! I lJrrnl[l trrn] !Dg, Dr d, rt d isflar$ . l9.c Or.r .q!rre. h"rl r$,rnr
.rlindeN N N,tr S.lDr) rn |0...\trh \D!l,r rerrhfri .ir)Nn,l..L, \ lr'.a..,ehr,il\e f ,tr\.r t,larl m'h Ju.rl olr re.rl
c ixrol,rlL,n

MaxrD.d:0il:ri E.: iar. l o loolph :

z.rri

\r\

.srh lq,l urfiunfrd.

Ihl

eni

j tnlr. nirh r

.ii,r Srd,.ail: !f n.sr)Flr.but

li|crin! lrilriirinr.

clean,.latsicrtylinBnarestheNinja

(\'erill.laucRninriih{\ ;r.ninng xlrour rlns \ nrlr leeli .rhlh l,uihrndiura,,.:f rntr!sn\tto| qL rhh loel

l,ulJ.l..f rt',

hs

rnLlsid.\.$hledl l8i)leg rrrnli:hix 6. i nte, i..rl,ntr'r.l r! irl,r.ur\ 1).! \m.,nhn,* i.

r

(,!:'11.,{h f isrf

.sobr,5tilldlrtin(ivebigbite,
rr

4..+a

.
l

irJitrN!llraidedbrrubber
rheengine. hr $m1,i.,.lquid coolednroror

n,unhtrrerearof

h$Dinnn !\tcrnalpllnrbnrs.
rlrNrIs L,,..ohntp.singrhriush

unrc..led n,ures

{idin

the

bodies

()ch.'il. rhr rl.rd.rirs pefecd\

I t)rirdl.l8!m Keihjn Llrotdr Iid rh." Ninj!650Rils,n r-.

D ihe or

d,rrisurdr rdBlled
Lr

bf (lu,trL. r.spon\..drehorde

:a 1!r,hcr \moothlt .l.|knng all tlk-ir l.in\ n I 8500.FDr. \\hile tlni

r \ ,{!N d nr.h0n pAp{ rfLrrrv.L (hr hre{lass

n,tJ.

6ii)R \irt.t^J,.{1. i\.r

bike! ro.:.rrfroidt. serioush quick

ln.

r!{,rlrde.l.l.r$inS .tr'!.d It nril.mnse

rhrough a lDn er. rh.si,i.

mti: i

l),^\.rbrnd raNlDqoil orh arhigll

l'Iln

Ir

hk.:1.\s

tinrc dran

one\.u

d-".::
E

inr.!!rn( r'orrrf lc drgtr.F!d.ro nde q'..iJ iorbolh nrd.h,ncan,l

E

NGIN

Tvt

6EARBOX
6iaeed.
]

nrr{.r !'
BRA
K

bt eilo.dAJ! propelled duoush nre

E5 'I-l,r

c.\{r']

up

\irir b]l{t
nr

rLUIllr Dil0

lst2.4l3/74
2ndl.7l4r'10.6

3rdL.l33/r3.6 4th I LlvL6.3 sth0t66,rr3.3

rOO-Okph ao-Okph 60-okph

BRAKING

41.t3r113.52s

!.onnnendable 12 9l sr.onds. f rssing l60kth rn oni\ I:.or,\rr. l h. a)50Rcxrniadnoan.

2749fr/2.lqs
r,1.63n,r1.73s

!1,,irF !\hr,stnot.udils rl.;rr

oD,rf cssj,D,rtioensuresy.uqill ,,1n!rh(.r.ellenrengine d((ler.' .r $hen buging do$r th!

Prlm.ryrdu.tion
se.ondary rdurtlon

61h0.352/21.1 2.095
3 067

SPEEDO IRROR
20/18. 40/39, 60/5S.

80/77

si\sr)rt{l .issefte{vpe geLubol.Th.

loo/97 120,,u6,so/ll5

SUSPENSION

ITTTIIINTifI
ECONO]\4Y TEST

l1.l I Mad.ot Eeclronr!,Kerhrn whel5l2.(tu)

oerqrndeldoh(

WHEELS & TYRES

ipokea
17incrs

.r
I.st rala. l00lirooetreg

iuelrnJecr

on

ryr.ri!.(f.r)

120/70i t7 160?60i LTin.lres

[,14X

(KpH,/RPr,4)

II,4 U 14

SPEEDS

ACCLERAT ON N GEAR

6ih210lPsi r'P.) srh il 4thl7l :060! 3.d tJt, !030!.

lnd

ltr la8!lt5t

30, t1ls0a

t.13 3,67 La2

ACCELERATION FROII4 REsT (SURFACE DRY)

2.21 2.)\ l.r3 393 t,9

'

236

lo 0.112007 30l !a 40 I 4

501.75 602.1 702.53 aOl2! 903 74 tOO4.,]l llo 5.4,] 120rir6

u,,

130744140t:rl50l0.rl
15012.0517014.15

AUTOCAR ROADtESf rri l.,rl

L,ii

L!i; j :r,.,,,,,:.:rLrr...r, i,ri

:i.,

Seds shift wiih

wighly, yer

it"sen_wa,\.drusbbre.o,
snocx aDerDer

positire.nd pftcis feel, each .ado tuling prfecdy sp.crd. Hoslter,

the ble-dnven clutch gives

pEr@d

sr

b d'e

6ngsan
AI

ulsted

you

$orkout,

6pcialy in Indiar cityriding

seid, the Ninja 650R

Supelb, confi dence-inspiring c,' b &ten for granted on the Ninja 650R. qen when plshin8 in qcess of150l<ph, speeds

stabilty

.,'* $troGAR ROAD TEST No 659 Kawasaki Ninja 650R

AUTOCAR VEHDICT

ofieB

''gble performance tu. evn dE more se4oned rider. Tli! bike can hold
l3Gl.rokph aI day lonA*ith
s?ed cspdbiliry in

po*d,with enoud

rhai th riddleweight Klvasa}j fels comfortably capable ot Forgilingr predictsble handling ir rhe norm. Altlough ftis is not the

*********rt
a

dcs

top

of2oolph.
-

pe.fet mororlde ro F]!h arcud raedlck, it dG tun wirh esse,

and holds
a

t(onl. t{lnla 650R nakes

itabl. big blk. for dtlly use,

line weli

tlmugh

RIDE, HAXDLlf, G& BRAKTXG

**ttttt*

comers!

enolgh pois. Tubels Bridg6ton

do fel rhe duql piston,3oomh Ftsl-tlF mont di!.bnkes should

toirt

dound thm

witl

The Njnja 650R is held togthe! by a didmd-tyF,elded stel ft ane and D-lhape singarn. Ita

re

trs

provide

acellsttaction, but

r6my ud 6rDly ps.lded

this
a

lo\

ofshetrerbite. OuIbmking t6rs

se8t

nale6

@mfort2ble bike foi e!n e sholt ridcr to lilot Theriding positior is upnght and meeB a wide hrndleba.r that provids sellenr leenge for meuEring jn city limit!. And tl,e tlrning circle is decnr too. All this combins to make

saw haul the Ninjr 65oR ro stoP from 10ol?h in oedit{ble

FUEI ECOt{OltY

l(AEassli one ofth btr big bik$ ardlable in Indis to live

tbe

ns

The

flet-footed Ninja 65oR rctumd 21.6kpl in city ridins @dirios, this

impding narginally to 23.6lql

Phen

mising

ar speds upto 120kph

susFmion is conretuion4 4hm tetslpic fork.

The ftoDt Ride
oD

qulity though ws a tad stitr ou test bike, which came with

hishmy. Thebis bik clms with a 15.5-lirre tuel ranl, wNch rneas you @ exp.cr a range of 350hn for every tr!}nd ofpeFol.
on lhe

hile the Kawasaki Ninja 650R doesn't look as contemporary as some modern motorcycles, you won't however tire of such classic lines and it does offer excellent build quality. This is a genuinely quick motorcycle, its refined engine delivering a useable power spread all the way up to a 20Okph-plus top TESTEH'S NOTES whack. Factor in comforl and Gea6shiftrtnadrun*y, smart handling and you're vet posltive and Drlci! f1, staring at an appealing r{inja 65oR ourpu!9 baspackage, f urther sweetened ch, tnrulnSodaurttone. by a rational Rs4,57915 (ex-showroom, Pune) price tag. aacked by Probiking, Bajaj's and lndia's largest big bike support system, the Ninja 650R is one ol lndia's most sensible big bikes to live with. E

TESTSCORECARD
OEslq
SENOINEERINC

BIDE,HANDUNG6BFAKING

HMdsohe Ninja650R bualtto lasra generation, with tood overall quallry.

ENOtilq 6EABSOX

slifi

de qualitx forgiving handlinsand ade!uate brakes,

FUELECONOMY

rwin<ylinder Nlnja providei

Ref ined Xawa9aki engin
in the

strong

overall milerge ot22.6kpl,

mid{ange, preciee tealbo(

fairforthi5quicka notorcyrle. L,rLr?!rrAuro(rR olr L9