The middleweight motorcycle segment is on the rise in the Indian market. While the Kawasaki Ninja 650 has been updated through 3 generations now Honda is not lagging much behind. The Big Red recently introduced the second-gen CBR 650R with a BS6/Euro5 compliant engine. Kawasaki updated the Ninja 650 to BS6 standards back in 2020. Here we compare the Ninja 650 with the CBR650R in terms of technical specifications.
Powering the Kawasaki Ninja 650 is a liquid-cooled 649cc parallel-twin cylinder engine. The 4-stroke powertrain features an 8-valve DOHC distribution system and a dual throttle valve electronic fuel injection system. The engine produces 68 PS of power and 64 Nm of torque. The power is transmitted to the wheels via a 6-speed return-type gearbox. The Honda CBR650R liquid-cooled 649cc in-line four-cylinder engine. The 4-stroke engine comes with a 16-valve DOHC distribution system and PGM-FI electronic fuel injection. Thanks to the two extra cylinders the CBR650R makes 86 Hp of power but only 57.5 Nm of torque. The engine comes with a 6-speed gearbox and an assist/slipper clutch for easier clutch operation and to prevent rear-wheel lock-up during aggressive downshifts.
The Kawasaki Ninja 650 features a high-tensile steel trellis frame for balance between stiffness and comfort. The motorcycle rides on 41mm right-side-up hydraulic telescopic front fork suspension and horizontal back-link suspension with adjustable preload on the rear. The Kawasaki Ninja 650 come with 300mm dual semi-floating petal discs on the front and a single 220mm petal disc on the rear. The Honda CBR650R features a twin-tube type frame enabling a downdraft intake layout. The motorcycle comes with a 41mm upside-down Showa Separate Function-Big Piston (SSF-BP) on the front and a monoshock suspension on the rear. The Honda CBR650R comes with 310mm dual floating discs on the front and a 240mm single disc on the rear.
The Kawasaki Ninja 650 comes with features such as a new 4.3-inch digital TFT colour display with ‘Rideology The App’ integration, GPS data logging, twin LED headlamp units and a single Lime Green colour option. The Honda CBR650R features a digital LCD instrument cluster, Honda Ignition Security System (HISS), ESS (Emergency Stop Signal), full-LED lighting and two colour options – Grand Prix Red and Matte Gunpowder Black Metallic.
The 2021 Kawasaki Ninja 650 comes with a price tag of INR 6.54 lakh ex-showroom, India. The 2021 Honda CBR650R comes with a price tag of INR 8.88 lakh ex-showroom, India.
The Honda CBR650R BS6 costs around INR 10.32 lakh on-road Mumbai.
The Kawasaki Ninja 650 BS6 costs around INR 8.10 lakh on-road in Mumbai.
While Kawasaki has not revealed the top speed of the Ninja 650 BS6, the motorcycle is likely to do around 210 kmph indicated on the speedometer.
The Honda CBR650R is likely to do around 240 kmph indicated on the speedometer.