Kawasaki Ninja & Z650 | Same Engine 2 Different Bikes, Still fun?

We take a closer look at a couple of the original parallel twins, the Kawasaki Ninja and Z650. How much fun can you have on a £7500 back to basics bike.
#kawasaki #bikeworld #bikeworldtvshow

[PeteAnda]

Ego numbers sell bikes to most men, German marketing teams know this. You show with the skill, you don’t need an ego machine. Thanks Chris for the reminder.

[BlackArroToons]

Positive 650 review by a skilled rider, thanks! I have the '21 Ninja 650 and it's a lot of fun for the roads. There will always be a faster bike, but what this one brings is a smooth, responsive engine, 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds average, fully capable on freeways, on a track top speed of 127 mph+, comfortable position for hours, reliable brand, easy to maintain at home, flickable and fun. Thanks!

[deanodrives]

I definitely agree with you Chris. Having a small use able bike without stupid power is great fun. I am about to start racing a cb500 because I want to improve my braking and corner speed on a bike that can't rely on straight line speed. On the road, having a bike you can thrash about is mega too

[farmoboy]

i still ride a 2004 sv650 so i know the real joy of a simple yet fun and effective do it all bike.

[juliuscarlopoblete]

As an owner of an ER6N, i couldnt agree more.. theres a unique neutral feel with these kawasaki 650s that make it feel easy to use.. and 70Hp is more than enough bike for commuting...

[koniggigih]

It’s funny when you guys consider this bikes as small displacement, whereas in my country (indonesia) it’s a quite big bikes, and the cheapest big bikes on the 2nd hand market.

But gotta love your positivity about these bikes Chris. You can choose to heavily critize these bikes (just like most journalists did), but yet you chose to praise these lovely bikes which i like.

And i have their predecessor (2011 ER6n) which is fun and has very good torque (i once raced the latest CVO Road Glide on a straight line road. I thought i was gonna lose, but turns out i won with a gap about one bike length lol). I very rarely use 5th and 6th gear because she loves to be revved (and our traffic is like shi*). She is a weekend warrior while my ZX25R used as daily ride. That’s my story about this mediocre and yet fun bike i have.

[timothymills]

Great video that puts things in perspective. Bikes like this have plenty of performance for use on the street or track. Riding is about so much more than just whacking open the throttle and hanging on 🙂

[xorbe]

I love my Ninja 650 with 180⁰ crank, and I've been through a ton of bikes.

[ginopavia]

I love my z650. Beautiful bike for commuting. 🏍️

[markoarkaina]

9:40. Now that's just showing off Chris!

[davidbesant]

Actually, I think this concept goes back further than the ER6. The was the GPZ500, ER5 , and the KLE500 in the early 90s. Kawasaki were so ahead of the curve.

[gabrielgonthier]

Excellent! I have the '21 Ninja 650 and I love this bike on any roads. Thanks.

[gmbmedia]

I love this bike I own the 2023 Z650 easy to maneuver during traffic hours installed a full system exhaust. Enough torque and power for my needs. If budget permits next upgrade will be the Z900 for the inline 4 sound.

[arethevan]

Goes even further back than the ER6, my first road bike was a GPZ500s the ER5's older brother!! Cracking bike (at the time!) to learn on 🏍️😁👍🏻

[Unky]

for me, the most memorable thing bout the dented and countlessly crashed er6n at the driving school was the still ever sweet gearbox. shifting into any gears & especially into neutral was absolutely effortless. totally night and day in contrast to the bike i was using at that moment in time.

[tonyh]

I had a basic modified Vulcan 650 and loved it, then I bought a z650 and modified by way of a extra 8hp exhaust which sorted fueling, and its awesome, great quick little 0-200kph, fun bike. Thats all you need! Fun

[nickrider]

Around my area, Dorset/Hampshire, the Suzuki gs500 was the most common learner about 2008 anyway. The gs500 wasn't very fast, but they were tough as hell.

[zefhine]

just acquired a Z650 2024. I'm loving and having fun with it!

[exothermal.sprocket]

I've never complained about parallel twins. I guess as someone coming from a mechanical engineering perspective, I don't get caught up in the emotional controversy about the direction cylinders are pointing. I understand how they work and why they are being used.
My choice would be the GSX-8S or 8R. More physical room for my larger body, a much better sound track, and good enough power to qualify for MotoAmerica Twins cup. Yet, it's not crazy powerful or expensive.

[thebrowns]

Learnt on a Z650 and loved it. After passing my DAS I tried a new SV650 and kind of loved that too but the clutch was heavier and it was more vibey through pegs/seat (a lot more). Having said that the SV sounds and looks better to me. Having a tough time settling on one. I don't need anything more, don't want a true sports bike and dislike 'adventure' bikes.