Kawasaki says its new front cowl and dual headlight design, for example, are reminiscent of its sportier brothers (or sisters, you decide), the Ninja ZX-6R and ZX-10R. And the digital instruments, complete with bar-graph tach, are modeled on none other than the baddest Ninja of them all, the ZX-RR MotoGP racer.
The digital instrument cluster is inspired by the ZX-RR MotoGP bike but provides data for street riding.
Unlike the steroidally-enhanced four-cylinder Ninjas, the Ninja 650 gets its motivation from a twin-cylinder engine that, while potent, offers 30 fewer ponies than the ZX-6R while offering a powerband more suited for daily riding.
Its over-square 83mm bore x 60mm stroke engine employs an 11.3:1 compression ratio, and “chrome composite” plated aluminum cylinders. Oiling is handled by a semi-dry sump to reduce engine height, and jets on the connecting rod big ends aim cooling oil to the undersides of the pistons.
The liquid-cooled, fuel-injected mill also routes coolant through the engine cases, thus minimizing external hoses and further enabling it to be narrow and short. Kawasaki says this engine is “the most compact in its category,” and its dimensions are smaller than the older EX500 engine, and as MO’s writer observed in 2006, this is not a mere over-bore.
Its 180-degree crankshaft utilizes a counter-balancer to allow for “extremely smooth operation,” but 2008’s rigid rear engine mounts were replaced with rubber mounts, so apparently Team Green’s engineers figured it needed even more smoothness
The digital instrument cluster is inspired by the ZX-RR MotoGP bike but provides data for street riding.
Unlike the steroidally-enhanced four-cylinder Ninjas, the Ninja 650 gets its motivation from a twin-cylinder engine that, while potent, offers 30 fewer ponies than the ZX-6R while offering a powerband more suited for daily riding.
Its over-square 83mm bore x 60mm stroke engine employs an 11.3:1 compression ratio, and “chrome composite” plated aluminum cylinders. Oiling is handled by a semi-dry sump to reduce engine height, and jets on the connecting rod big ends aim cooling oil to the undersides of the pistons.
The liquid-cooled, fuel-injected mill also routes coolant through the engine cases, thus minimizing external hoses and further enabling it to be narrow and short. Kawasaki says this engine is “the most compact in its category,” and its dimensions are smaller than the older EX500 engine, and as MO’s writer observed in 2006, this is not a mere over-bore.
Its 180-degree crankshaft utilizes a counter-balancer to allow for “extremely smooth operation,” but 2008’s rigid rear engine mounts were replaced with rubber mounts, so apparently Team Green’s engineers figured it needed even more smoothness
