India Kawasaki Motors has launched the BS VI-compliant MY2021 Z650 at Rs 594,000. At this price, the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer has hiked the sticker by Rs 25,000 over the 2019 model which is priced at Rs 569,000 (all prices, ex-showroom).
The middleweight street naked has undergone a few tweaks and some of them are significant. For starters, while the 649cc parallel-twin engine is essentially the same as on the outgoing model, it is now BS6 VI compliant, thanks to the revised exhaust and airbox.
While Kawasaki hasn’t revealed the specifications of the Indian-spec model, we believe the numbers will be quite close to that of the international bike. For reference, Kawasaki’s UK website lists power and torque at 68hp and 64Nm, while the 2019 model makes 68hp and 65.7Nm.
Visual changes include a sharper ‘Sugomi’ design and a redesigned LED headlight. The Z650 also features Dunlop tyres, and a 4.3-inch full-TFT instrument console that includes Bluetooth, GPS logs and smartphone connectivity.
While all that's new on the Z650 will be good additions, the Rs 25,000 increase in price does seem like much for Kawasaki aficionados.