While it feels as though we’re still waiting for 2020 to get going - or at least get better - in motorcycling terms we are now hurtling throttle pinned towards 2021 and that can only mean one thing… new models, which in Kawasaki’s case is upwards of six fresh machines.
Though we mourn (temporarily at least) our annual jaunt to EICMA to touch and study them with a magnifying glass, we’re still heading into so-called launch season, which in many ways is better because it allows manufacturers to create their own stage and dominate the news cycle for one day.
That day for Kawasaki is November 23, when it pulls the wraps off these six shrouded models, which inevitably begs the question, what are they?
Given Kawasaki UK has released a modest trickle of update announcements recently - not least today, in fact - we can be sure these hush hush machines are more than simply a few more paint options (shades of green).
Accompanied by a video which doesn’t give much away beyond the fact they are motorcycles that will tackle the open road, head off the beaten track and pound the race circuit, we can nonetheless begin to make some approximations.
Top of the tree is anticipated to be an update to the Kawasaki ZX-10R and Kawasaki ZX-10RR ranges, even if we may not quite ready to see a brand-new generation just yet.
However, while the Jonathan Rea-armed Kawasaki Racing Team continues to brush the competition away in WorldSBK as he powers towards a sixth consecutive title, recent updates from Yamaha and Honda - plus the incoming BMW M 1000 RR - could prompt it to sharpen the ZX-10RR at least.
It was already rumoured a more honed ‘RR’ was in the works last year when Rea came up against Alvaro Bautista’s temporarily all-conquering Ducati, before being quietly put on the backburner when the pendulum swung. Moreover, it is believed Rea’s condition of re-signing for three years was on the proviso Kawasaki was bringing something new to the fight, so we expect to see something fresh...
With the bombastic Kawasaki H2 set to fall foul of upcoming emissions regulations, while we’re not expecting a direct replacement, especially now we have the Bimota Tesi H2 to take on that mantle, the supercharged line could continue beyond last year’s big reveal, the Z H2. What remains to be seen is whether this takes the form of a more touring-focused SE variant or emerges as an entirely fresh take on the platform, such as the rumoured Z Vulcan.
Perhaps the most interesting question mark hangs over what Kawasaki has in-store for off-roading enthusiasts. While we can expect one of these models to be an updated KLX 250, we wonder if the manufacturer has heard cries for a mid-to-large displacement ADV a because, as versatile as the Versys is, you’re not going to crack rocks with it.
As such, our wilder ambitions suggest a Kawasaki KLR 650 or KLX 700 is potentially in the works, one that would place it directly head to head with the Yamaha Tenere 700, a model that has captured so many positive headlines since its launch that Kawasaki surely can’t have ignored it.
Speaking of the Versys, it’s getting a little long in the tooth in its current guise and could well be in line for anything as subtle as a facelift or a complete overhaul to help it cope with the arrival of the production Honda CBX.
Anyway speculation is just that, but we’ve marked our diaries and (impatiently) wait in anticipation
