KAWASAKI NINJA® 650R

A middleweight that’s capable, practical, strong and fun to ride

With its cutting edge design and astonishing versatility, it is no surprise the 2008 Kawasaki Ninja® 650R excels in real world riding. Mating sportbike performance levels and a comfortable seating position –something rare in the same sentence as sportbike –the Ninja 650R is well-suited for slicing through commuter traffic, running errands and hitting the back roads or a track on weekend days.

This versatility is good, because the more time a rider spends with the Ninja 650R, the stronger their desire to just ride –for any reason –will become. Part of the charm of this sportbike is its design clarity. It blends an innovative engine and chassis into a package that doesn’t truly project its intended engineering outcome until the motorcycle a rider is melded into it. Kawasaki’s development team began with a unique posture –focusing on the rider, not the motorcycle –and thus developed the 650R to have broad rider appeal. Narrowing the distance between the footpegs and striving for a low seat height and minimal effort controls all played into the design effort.

A major component in the achieving the size-efficient nature of the Ninja 650R is its compact liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, DOHC, 8-valve 649cc parallel twin engine. Featuring a confidence inspiring power delivery for new motorcyclists, the engine possesses a smooth responsiveness that is tuned for rider-friendly low and medium rpm ranges. The excellent mid-range characteristics make the 650R a natural in commuting environments, and slipping in and out of traffic will be a cinch thanks to its lightweight trellis frame and responsive steering.

The 650R’s engine may be tuned for manageable delivery, but it also has excellent roll-on response for highway passing and more than enough power to be an entertaining trackday companion.

Kawasaki engineers applied their vast experience building Ninja supersport machines to develop a motorcycle with the performance abilities that will be a match for anything currently available in the middleweight arena, including those with larger displacement. Exceptionally well-proportioned, the Ninja 650R is a motorcycle both novice and experienced riders can be at home with and one that is equally comfortable in daily commuting situations as well as back-road-blasting on the weekends.

MSRP $6,499