The versatile and moderately priced Ninja 650R has impressed us since it joined Kawasaki's sport line-up in 2006. It proved to be a worthy competitor to Suzuki's venerable SV650, being both newbie-friendly and capably sporty.
The original 650R's soft lines got an edgier restyling for 2009, plus notable upgrades to increase rider comfort, but we haven't had a chance to sample it until now.
Except for color options, this year's 650R is the same stable-mate it was in 2009 to the ER-6n and Versys, which share Kawasaki's 649cc parallel-Twin DOHC engine, and it remains essentially true to the well-executed design it's had since its introduction.
Kawasaki lists at least 17 areas in which the Ninja 650 was re-tooled or re-designed. Included were revised fuel injection settings that Kawasaki says improve both low-end torque and quick-revving capability. A 40mm wider radiator was selected to improve engine life, while preventing power from fading during hard use.
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2010 Kawasaki Ninja 650R Review on Motorcycle.com
2010 Kawasaki Ninja 650R Review
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