EICMA 2019: Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX breaks cover, Z650 and Z900 get updates

Kawasaki didn’t have anything too radical to showcase at EICMA 2019 this year. The big news is the addition of the Ninja 1000SX to their portfolio, though what this motorcycle actually is is an updated Z1000SX with a new name. Z650 and Z900 get a few cosmetic updates and are now Euro 5 compliant, while the 2020 Ninja 650 which was unveiled earlier this year was also on display.

Ninja 1000SX

The Z100SX was always the odd one out in the Z line-up of motorcycles — it was the only one with a fairing. Kawasaki has fixed that by stripping the sports-tourer of the Z badge, and putting it under the Ninja umbrella. The model isa already called the Ninja in the USA, and will carry the name to other markets now as well. Visually, the biggest and most apparent change is to the exhausts. The older four-barrelled exhaust with two on each side has been replaced by a unit with a single end can, only on one side. There are subtle changes to the bodywork and the front mudguard as well, along with the new LED headlamps and seats that are now more comfortable. The electronic suite has been upgraded as well, it now includes an up-down quickshifter, cuise control, new riding modes and traction control settings and now gets Bluetooth integration as well. In terms of output, the Ninja 1000SX makes 140bhp and 111Nm, that is identical to what it made before despite new throttles and tweaked cam profiles.

Z900

The changes to the Z900 are far less than the Ninja 1000SX. For starters, it has the same name. For starters, the new motorcycle is now Euro 5 compliant. The bike gets a larger catalytic converter and increased silencer volume as well, and Kawasaki claims this has given it a better exhaust note too. Other changes under the skin include a stiffer chassis with strengthening around the swingarm pivot and new suspension settings as well,

Visually, the front end has been given a redesign — a new LED headlamp with a refreshed, more aggressive looking cowl around it. The side panels and the fuel tank seem to be updated as well. The electronics suite has been bolstered as well, the bike now gets three TC modes, two power modes and four rider modes. The Z900 gets the same 4.3-inch display that the Ninja 1000SX gets. In terms of performance, it remains the same with 123bhp and 98.6Nm.

Z650

A lot of the changes on the Z900 filter down to the Z650. Visually, it gets the same updates with the updated headlamp, cowl, panel and tank. It also gets the updates to make it Euro 5 complaint, with a larger catalytic converter and revised silencer. The seat has been given an update to make it more comfortable, it also gets the new pillion pad that was shown on the Ninja 650 earlier this year. In terms of performance, the Z650 makes the same amount of power at 67bhp but makes slightly less torque at 64Nm (it used to be 65.7Nm).

In addition to these three new updates, the new supercharged hypernaked, the ZH2, would have drawn loads of eyeballs at the Kawasaki stand. You can expect all these motorcycles to make their way to Indian shores over the next year.