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.

- Aggressive Ninja styling

- Powerful parallel-twin engine

- Compact size and weight

- Low seat height

Engine

- 649cc parallel twin-cylinder, DOHC engine

- Most compact engine is the in its category, even smaller than the Ninja 500’s, which helps reduce the dimension of the entire motorcycle

- Tuned to deliver smooth, responsive power in the low-to mid-rpm range with exceptional roll-on response for negotiating city traffic

- Triangular crank and transmission shaft layout makes the engine very short from front to back, a semi-dry sump oil system reduces overall engine height, and the narrow pitch of the chrome composite plated aluminum cylinders reduce engine width

- Muffler with 3-way catalyzer and bullet-tip opening is mounted below the engine for a lower center of gravity and better weight centralization

- 180-degree crankshaft plus balancer shaft for extremely smooth engine operation

- Oil jets on the connecting rod big ends spray oil on the undersides of the pistons to aid cooling

Liquid Cooling

- Coolant is routed through the engine cases to reduce external hoses

- Maintains consistent engine temperatures for long engine life and sustained power during hard use

- Allows closer engine tolerances for more horsepower

Digital Fuel Injection

- Sub-throttle valves in 38mm Keihin throttle bodies provide optimum performance and rideability

- Located behind the main throttle valves, the sub-throttles are controlled by the DFI® system ECU to give a precise throttle response, similar to a constant-velocity carburetor

- Automatic fast idle system makes starting and warm-up easy

- Precise fuel injection plus exhaust catalyzer significantly reduce emissions

Digital Capacitor Discharge Ignition (CDI) System

- Microprocessor-controlled timing never needs adjusting and is ultra-responsive to engine requirements

- Spark plug mounted “stick” ignition coils are compact and help reduce weight

Six-Speed Transmission

- Cassette-style transmission with the transmission shafts and shifts in a single, compact layout that’s easily removed from the cases for maintenance

Trellis Frame

- High tensile steel trellis frame is small and light

- Optimum stiffness balance for better handling worked out in three-dimensional computer design analysis

- Narrow at the knees and feet for rider comfort and control

Single-Shock Rear Suspension

- Short, compact frame and engine design allows a longer swingarm and better overall handling

- Braced swingarm and offset, laydown single rear shock supplement the integrated visual flow from the steering head to the rear hub in the frame design

Triple Petal Design Brake Discs

- Petal rotor design –like its Ninja ZX™-6R and ZX-10R supersports brethren - offer improved cooling and warp resistance

Six-spoke wheels

- Six-spoke design uses the same engineering as the Ninja ZX-6R and ZX-10R and requires much less material between spokes for a thinner rim and a lighter wheel

Confidence-Inspiring Cockpit

- Low, narrow seat combined with the slim overall design allows riders to firmly plant both feet on the ground when stopped

- Carefully designed ergonomics present a natural, comfortable riding position

- Textured seat cover helps keep the rider planted

Bodywork

- Stylish full fairing with aerodynamic windscreen cuts through the wind and helps protect the rider

- Integrated front turn signals with clear lenses enhance appearance
 

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