Photoshoot of the Week: August 10th-16th 2020 – Kawasaki Ninja 650 & Jessi

The Kawasaki Ninja 650 has been updated for 2020 with a new dash, revised styling, fresh rubber and a better pillion seat: for 2020 the Ninja 650 seems to have reached a milestone in its development, with refined styling that brings it inline with its ZX-6R and ZX-10R siblings, a new 4.3-inch full-color TFT display with switchable background color and ambient light sensor, connectivity to Kawasaki’s Rideology app and the latest Dunlop Sportmax Roadsport 2 tires.
The suspension is firm and the bike feels light, which is great in smooth, sweeping bends but can catch you out on a bumpy B-road. In fact, particularly sharp undulations will compress the horizontal rear shock, before ejector seating the unsuspecting rider into the air. That said, the tarmac has to be exceptionally gnarled before this becomes an issue and, generally, the ride quality is good. It also changes direction like an angry flea, thanks in part to a narrow 160-section rear tyre. The powerful and progressive dual two-piston front brakes biting onto 300mm discs remain unchanged from the previous generation and give plenty of stopping power.
The Ninja’s styling has been updated to look sportier than the previous version, but it’s not really a sportsbike at all. The pegs are low and the handlebars are mounted on enormous risers that mean you sit in an upright position. This also means you get little protection from the screen. There’s not much room on the saddle either and the pillion seat is raised up high, making it tricky to shuffle around and vary your riding position on longer trips to keep comfortable.
The Ninja’s parallel-twin engine sounds throaty and exciting through its revised exhaust. With 67bhp on tap, it’s more than capable of staying ahead of the traffic and has plenty of low-down grunt. The engine is well balanced and you don’t get much in the way of vibes through the rubber footpegs, but you do feel it through the bars at around 60mph. These vibrations disappear almost completely at motorway speed, though, so you can ride further afield without your hands getting fizzy.
Overall this new Ninja 650 is at peak form, representing the new heights of performance and style we can now expect from today’s middleweight motorcycles.