GREEN LIGHT
In 1972, Kawasaki re-wrote the rules for sportsbikes by bringing racebike double-overhead cam performance to the masses. The cult following for Kawasaki’s Z900 began and it’s still alive and kicking today, 50 years later.
And much like in 1972, when the Z900 was the first bike of the family to be released, the Z650 original came a few years later. So with the modern Z900RS doing well, there is no better time like the present to introduce the brand-new learner-approved Z650 Retro Sport.
The Z650RS is welcomed into a family of other well-established motorcycles sharing the same parallel 650cc twin-cylinder engine configuration. The Z650 naked, Ninja 650, Versys and Vulcan all share a similar platform. But I think the RS is the pick of the bunch.
At first glance it is easy to recognise the classic Z family resemblance and, once you look a little more closely, you can see the details like dual analogue dials, single round headlight, round taillight and the retro-styled fuel tank are all modelled off the classic Z bikes of the 70s. The Z650RS in candy emerald green with gold wheels looks amazing and stands out in a crowd of fairings and modern nakedbikes.
One part definitely not modelled off the old bikes, however, is the engine. The fuel-injected parallel twin is
