2006 Kawasaki Ninja 650R Impression

Written by Chris Lynch

Saturday, 17 December 2005 My first dance with the Ninja 650R was unexpected and brief. In the fading light and falling temperatures of a late afternoon in mid-December I found myself with about an hour in which to squeeze in as much riding as possible to form a first impression of this bike.
Kawasaki's debutant Ninja 650R has been all but eclipsed by the lusty ZX-10R and the downright prurient ZX-14. Kawasaki plainly state the 650R is a bike for "ladies" and new and returning riders, thus imbuing the market's perception with characteristics befitting that demographic: diminutive, demure and accessible. They also claim that this allnew bike - which is virtually identical to the semi-faired ER-6n in Europe has the power and handling to keep a seasoned rider satisfied. You know what? I think they're right. Beneath the decorous facade exists a repressed hedonist eager to partake in all manner of improprieties and the only requirement placed on the rider is to provide the appropriate enticement.
Though not a stunner, the Ninja 650R looks quite interesting. The muffler is stuffed beneath the motor and the rear suspension has been squeezed off to the right to make room for the battery and other important bits under the seat. It's all held together by a trellis frame, proudly painted in a contrasting colour to the bodywork. The rear shock and spring are also right out there in the open which not only ads a nice mechanical detail but makes adjusting the preload collar a snap.
There are two colour choices for this year. The Galaxy Silver version has an odd gold-coloured frame that Kawasaki calls "brown". While it works well enough with the silver, the paint on the rear spring and front brake rotor mounts don't match the frame colour. The Ebony Black bodywork with the red frame is far more appealing to my eye. While the horizontal black plastic trim piece below the tank serves to add length to the silver model, it blends with the black's bodywork which makes the bike seem shorter and taller. The flush front turn signals are a nice touch and my sources tell me they are direct replacements for the conventional lights on the current 636 and also look to be common to the new ZX-10R and ZX-14. Coming straight off my TDM850, the most obvious first impression of the 650R is of compactness. At 1410mm the wheelbase is 25mm shorter than the Ninja 500 and 10mm shorter than the Honda 599. Reinforcing the feeling of compactness is the narrow seat-to-tank junction - which makes the seat height seem lower than it is. Hopping off the 650R and onto the Honda 599 that was parked next to it, the Honda seemed to have a noticeably higher seat even though the claimed seat height for both models is 790mm. Straddling the 650R, you'll notice how narrow this bike really is. Your knees and feet are so close together you'll swear this was a single, not a parallel twin. (This bodes well for cornering clearance, though I'll have to wait for a more appropriate time and place to explore those limits.) The toes of my large feet, housed in even larger touring boots, fit neatly under the shifter. The legroom, while not as generous as my current mount, felt about the same as the ST1300 I had been sitting on minutes before. The reach to the handlebar - no clip-ons here - isn't really a reach at all and puts almost no pressure on the wrists. The Ninja's 2-gauge instrument pod is uncluttered and legible - just like they should all be.
The 649cc parallel twin employs a 180-degree crank and a balance shaft which results in a surprisingly smooth, free-revving engine. Fed by a seemingly wellsorted fuel injection system, the motor has decent grunt from 3000RPM and is capable of wheelies in first and second at least, if that's what you're after (which, in case you're asked, I discovered quite by accident okay?). This lowend torque is handy for squirting into occasional gaps in traffic or if you're just too lazy to downshift. The rush of power past 7000RPM was not expected, nor was the wonderful airbox music produced in the process. The low, midshipmounted muffler (which also houses a 3-way catalytic converter) doesn't sound too bad either, but I'm sure the aftermarket will have options very soon. When it was time for the music to stop, up front a pair of 2-piston calipers put the pinch on the pair of 300mm petal-style discs and out back a single caliper grabs a single 220mm disk to bring the whole show to a stop quickly and smoothly.

So to wrap this up, I have to say that I'm certain Kawasaki has a winner on their hands. My first brief tango was thoroughly enjoyable and the Ninja 650R is a fun, nimble dance partner - with bit of a wild streak once you crank up the music. Wrap these capabilities in a tight, attractive body, offer it up for sale at a rather reasonable price ($8700CDN) and what you get is great bang for the buck - something thrifty newbies, women, returning riders and pretty much everyone else can appreciate. (Editor's note: thanks to Jamie at SG Power in Victoria for the offer of a test ride. I just wish I had remembered my camera.)
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