THE retro naked sector could be about to gain another stablemate in 2021 as rumours are beginning to come out of Japan suggesting that a Kawasaki Z650 RS will be joining the range.
The source of the whisper is Japanese magazine Young Machine, which is widely regarded to be fed insider info from people within the big four Japanese factories. While the news isn’t cast-iron proof that the factory is working on the bike, it is as close as an official announcement as you’ll get at this early stage.
To accompany the story, the team has knocked up a computer-generated image of how the new machine could look. Unsurprisingly the bike uses the Z650 as a base, borrowing the flowing seat unit and fuel tank from the bigger Z900 RS. The rendering also shows the bike to have retro specific dual clocks mounted above the classic looking single headlight. Other nice touches include the black powder-coated wheels, complete with polished rims for that complete the look nicely.
With no official word on the existence of the bike as yet, we can only muse as to what the performance figures would be, although it’s safe to assume the stock Z650 will be fairly close to this machine on all fronts. The retro sector doesn’t really go for brain-out performance, leave that to the hyper-nakeds and sports bikes. Instead, the focus of the Z650 RS is likely to be more on rideability and engine character, rather than outright speed or power.
A 650cc naked with retro styling would be a welcome addition to the sector, and with only a handful of competitors to take on and the highly capable Z650 as a basis for the machine, the chances of a Z650 RS winning hearts globally are very high indeed.
