EICMA 2023: Kawasaki Ninja 500 and Z500 Unveiled

Kawasaki has unveiled two new motorcycles at EICMA 2023, the fully-faired Ninja 500 and the Z500, a naked streetfighter. Built on the same lightweight trellis frame, Kawasaki has confirmed that the motorcycles meet European A2 regulations and can be ridden by A2 license holders. Available in two trims- standard and SE, both bikes are offered with three colour options each.  Although not confirmed, it is possible that Kawasaki might launch both bikes in India later on. 

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In terms of design, the Ninja 500 gets similar styling cues as many other motorcycles in the Ninja range, with the twin headlamp unit up front followed by a full fairing and sleek looking taillamp. The Z500 on the other hand, gets an all-new headlamp unit, with a square LED projector flanked by aggressive looking DRLs. The rest of the Z500 is more or less, visually similar to the Ninja 500. 

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The Ninja 500 and Z500 will be powered by a newly developed liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine, with the brand still yet to officially reveal its displacement and other technical specifications. It is also possible that the motorcycles will be offered with the 451 cc parallel-twin motor from the Eliminator 500 which makes approximately 45 bhp and 42 Nm or torque. However, it is also safe to assume that the engine will be retuned to put out higher power figures. 

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On the feature front, both motorcycles are equipped with a LCD meter along with an assist and slipper clutch as standard. However, opting for the SE (Special Edition) trims will also add many extra features, which will vary according to the market where they are sold. These include a colour TFT meter with smartphone connectivity, radiator screen, crash sliders, pillion seat cover, tank pad plus knee grip pads. The bikes will also be equipped with an ERGO-FIT high seat in their SE guises, which allows the rider to increase seat height by 30 mm.