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Kawasaki will start a Retrovolution in 2022 with the introduction of the new Z650RS. Augmenting its already hugely popular retro sport line, the Z650RS will open the mid-capacity class to a wide range of riders. Recognised as being at the forefront of the rapidly expanding retro sport scene, Kawasaki has the unique advantage of close to fifty years of Z heritage and this has been brought to bear on the design of the new 2022 machine.

Targeted at younger riders and those in the early stages of their riding career, the Z650RS is predicted to also appeal to those who fondly recall the launch of the iconic “son of Z1” Z650-B1 in 1977. The delicate balance of old and new, retro and current has been expertly achieved by the Kawasaki design team with clever Z references abounding.

At the heart of the new machine is an updated version of Kawasaki’s venerable 649 cm3 water-cooled, parallel twin engine used in both the current Z650 and Ninja 650 models. With a justifiable reputation for durability and performance, the assist and slipper clutch equipped engine unit has also formed the basis of machines raced to success at the gruelling Isle of Man TT races. Tuned in the case of the Z650RS for low and mid rev response, plus characteristic invigorating high rev performance, the engine is rated at 68 PS (50.2 kW) and will also be available from Kawasaki dealers with a 35kw power down kit fitted creating an A2 compliant machine.

In terms of the chassis, the frame is a tubular trellis type construction providing both lightness and agile response to aid reassuring handling capabilities. Its narrow aspect also allows riders to easily reach the ground at a standstill and manoeuvre the bike on the move with equal ease. The seat height for European models will be 820mm with a low seat accessory option at 800mm.

Focusing on suspension, the front duties are undertaken by ø41mm conventional forks with Kawasaki’s highly rated horizontal link rear suspension acting on a shock that is adjustable for pre-load. Braking is care of dual twin piston front calipers acting on retro-style 300mm round disc rotors instead of Kawasaki’s customary petal style rotors while at the rear a single piston brake acts on a 200mm rotor all assisted by Bosch advanced ABS.

Specification is one thing but the styling of the Z650RS is whole new ball game. Evoking myriad memories of the Z650-B1, the paint and pinstripes are a faithful reproduction of the green version of the earlier machine while the iconic “duck tail” cowling behind the seat and faithfully crafted side panels also play homage to the 1977 machine. Even the seat and its stitching pattern reveal a familiar fastidious attention to detail attention by Kawasaki stylists.

A round, LED headlamp lights the way while the dual analogue style “artillery shell” shaped meters include a digital centre panel for rider information. The adoption of gold multi-spoke type wheels is truly the “icing on the cake” while further embellishment is possible via a range of Kawasaki Genuine Accessories. Without doubt the new Z650RS will ensure that 2022 is the year of “Retrovolution”.

2022 Z650RS – Three Colours & Three Distinct Styles

* Metallic Spark Black – £7,549

* Candy Emerald Green – £7,699

* Metallic Moondust Gray / Ebony – £7,699

AVAILABLE FROM NOVEMBER 2021

With few, if any, rivals, the Kawasaki sport touring Ninja 1000SX has been one of the stand-out machines of recent years. Carving itself an enviable niche as a machine that has supersport handling and DNA combined with the comfort and flexibility to tour solo or with passenger, the Ninja 1000SX has won the highest praise winning countless magazine and web site road tests.

Now in its fourth iteration, the Ninja 1000SX has been gradually refined and features a magical mix of features that combine to create a machine with real pedigree. The recent adoption of a sporting four into one exhaust and more angular cowling combine with radial mount mono-bloc front brake calipers, a radial mount master cylinder and horizontal back-link suspension plus up/down quick shifter to display authentic Ninja credentials.

And from a touring perspective, clever touches abound. In terms of luggage capacity, the combined total capacity of the accessory panniers is an impressive 56l plus a clean mount pannier system means that the supersport style of the machine is not marred by an ugly framework when the panniers are removed. Seat comfort has also recently been upgraded along with greater wind protection from a screen offering a wide range of adjustment to fine tune the ride.

In terms of electronic rider aids, the assistance is myriad thanks to the adoption of an IMU that, along with the ECU, measures inertia in six axis plus electronic cruise control as standard. Alongside this, selectable integrated riding modes and a cornering management function are standard as well as power mode selection, KTRC traction control, supersport level ABS and smartphone connectivity between the all-digital TFT colour meter and the riders’ smartphone via Kawasaki’s Rideology App.

Default choice for a legion of riders who want their machine to multi-task and excel at whatever it is asked to do, the 2022 Ninja 1000SX will deliver a truly unique combination of competencies.

Colours for 2022 will be:

Metallic Diablo Black/Pearl Robotic White
Emerald Blazed Green/ Metallic Diablo Black/Metallic Graphite Grey
Metallic Matte Graphenesteel Grey/Steel Grey/ Metallic Diablo Black

Re-energising one of Kawasaki’s most lusted after paint schemes from the 1970’s, the new Z900RS SE model for the 2022 season will be available in the classic “Yellow Ball” livery of the original 1972 Super Four, model Z1.

Although the most obvious sign of this new variation on the stunningly popular Z900RS theme, the modifications do not stop there. Again, reminiscent of the type of tuning performed by enthusiasts back in the day, the Z900RS SE comes equipped as standard with an impressive array of other quality specification upgrades including changes to suspension and braking components.

An easy spot at the rear of the machine, the SE model features an Öhlins S46 rear shock with preload adjuster. Featuring an aluminium body with single-tube construction, the large ø46 mm piston plus internal oil and gas chambers separated by a floating piston result in a superior sense of grip and handling.

And up-front changes have also taken place with the 41mm inverted front fork not only resplendent with gold-coloured outer tubes but with standard settings refined to create an ideal balance of front/rear poise and reaction across the whole range of suspension travel.

Braking too has seen a change with the adoption of a Brembo caliper and rotor package for the front end. The twin ø300 mm Brembo front discs are gripped by Brembo M4.32 radial-mount monobloc calipers served by a smaller-diameter Nissin radial-pump master cylinder (down to ø17.5 mm from the ø19.1 mm on the standard model) activating braking action through stainless-steel braided lines delivering greater stopping power while offering linear progression when operating the lever.

Cosmetically, the Z900RS SE, which features the “RS” letters of the model logo on the side covers finished in red, is differentiated even further via black alumite radiator side covers and FI cover plus gold coloured multi spoke wheels. The “icing on the cake” of course is the so-called “Yellow Ball” paint scheme pulling on the heart strings of dedicated Z1 fans plus legions of new riders attracted to the ever-growing retro sport scene willingly immersing themselves in Kawasaki’s decades of unique Z heritage.

The legendary Ulster Grand Prix might have been postponed again for 2021, but the iconic Dundrod circuit just outside of Belfast in Northern Ireland has been the scene of success for many Kawasaki riders over the years.

First held in 1922 on the older 20.5. mile Old Clady Circuit, the current 7.401 Dundrod course was introduced in 1953. Since then, it has established itself as the world’s fastest road race, with the current record an incredible 136.415mph average lap!

With such an illustrious history, the event has seen lots of success for Kawasaki-powered riders. In recent years, Dean Harrison has taken his Ninja ZX-10R to the top step in the Superbike class while the likes of Christian Elkin, Dan Cooper, Derek McGee and Ivan Lintin have all taken honours in the Supertwin category.

Prior to that, victories across the Superbike, Supersport and Superstock races came at the hands of Ryan Farquhar, Connor Cummins, Michael Dunlop and Ian Hutchinson. A number of these wins came from the McAdoo team, and with no race for 2021, we thought we would catch up with McAdoo Kawasaki Team Manager Jason McAdoo

“The McAdoo team has a long history with the Ulster Grand Prix, first racing there in 1983 – our first year as a team – with Paul Cranston.

It’s a special circuit – so fast and flowing but with all the hallmarks of a real road race. The event was originally Northern Ireland’s world championship round and always had that special feel about it. The legendary Joey Dunlop won his five F1 world titles with the Ulster GP as one of the rounds, as did Brian Reid in his F2 championships years, who later raced for the McAdoo team in 1993 and 1994.

We’ve competed there with many riders over the years and got our first podium with Alan Irwin. Our first wins at the Ulster GP came with Bob Jackson in 1997 and it was a special feeling to say the least. Bob was fantastic around Dundrod winning many races on the circuit – another highlight was pushing Philip McCallen all the way on our ZX-7RR Kawasaki in the 1997?Superbike race before an exhaust problem saw him settle for second.

We went on to have success at the circuit with Ryan Farquhar but perhaps the most exciting days came in 2006 when Ian Hutchinson was riding the McAdoo Kawasaki bikes.

‘Hutchy’ rode superbly all week and smashed the 600cc lap record at 125.433mph on the McAdoo Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R. This achievement was eclipsed though when he went on to set a new outright world record lap of 130.828mph on the McAdoo Ninja ZX-10R – a speed which labelled Dundrod as the fastest circuit in the world.

This record had been broken before we returned to the Ulster in 2009, this time with Manxman Conor Cummins riding for the team. Conor was flying and with TT podiums that year was confident of more success at?Dundrod. His confidence was well-founded when Conrod again gave the team a new world record lap of 133.28mph, going on to win two Superbike races on the ZX-10R. It was a brilliant event for us, especially as Kawasaki were celebrating 25 years of the ‘Ninja’ brand and leaving there again as world record holders was a fitting celebration.

The circuit lends itself to fantastic racing with so much slipstreaming and high speed corners. We’ve been involved in some fabulous races there including Michael Dunlop and more recently the late James Cowton who scored another podium for us on the Kawasaki 650 Supertwin in 2016.

Adam McLean won the Supertwin race at Dundrod in 2018 and, hopefully, we can have more success there in the future. The event has so much history and support always attracting huge crowds – we can’t wait to get back there in 2022.”

We can’t wait for the 2022 Road Racing season to get underway and we can’t wait to return to the Ulster Grand Prix to see how our Team Green riders and teams get on!

OLYMPIC MEDALIST DECLAN BROOKS VISITS SUZUKI GB

Tokyo Olympic medalist Declan Brooks visited Suzuki GB last week to meet the team, show off his medal, and collect his new SV650.

Brooks claimed bronze in the freestyle BMX at the 2020 Olympics, the first time the sport has been included in the Games, but when not performing backflips and bar spins in mid-air the 25-year-old can often be found swapping pedal power for horsepower.

After passing his test in 2019 but being confined to an A2 licence, Brooks was finally able to graduate to a full A licence earlier this summer, and last week arrived at Suzuki’s UK headquarters to swap his restricted SV650X for a full power SV650.

While on site, the Team GB athlete was warmly welcomed by Suzuki’s motorcycle division, and spent the morning recounting tales from the Olympic Games while posing for photos with the team.

He said afterwards, “It was great to get up to see everyone at Suzuki and to pick up the new bike. They laid on a bit of breakfast, which was nice, and it was good to chat about BMXing, the Olympics, and just talk bikes. I don’t think it matters if it has an engine or not, if you’re into two wheels then you can get into any type of bike sport, and they spent a lot of time asking about BMX, the sport, and how we do what we do.

“It was good to swap to the full power SV as well. I’ve had to spend a couple of years on the restricted one but obviously rode the unrestricted version for my test, and we went out for a bit of a ride after I’d picked it up as well. I definitely think I’m going to like having a bit more power and I'm looking forward to getting some miles in before the end of the summer.”

Suzuki GB head of motorcycle marketing, Ian Bland, added, “It’s not every day you get to hold an Olympic medal, so we’re very grateful for Declan for coming in and meeting the team and sharing his experiences. It’s an incredible achievement and one he should be proud of. It’s also great to see he enjoys bikes with an engine in the middle as well as pedals, and has now passed his test and is embarking on his own motorcycle journey.”

SCOTLAND'S FOUR CORNERS CHALLENGE FOR CHARITY

Gordon Stuart is no stranger to motorcycle endurance rides, having completed various challenges previously, from John O’Groats to Lands’ End in 2016, to crossing the Arctic Circle in 2018, all in aid of UK brain injury charity Cerebra and special care babies’ charity Tiny Lives. Originally, Gordon intended his next challenge to be much further afield, until the Covid-19 pandemic had other ideas. Forced to look closer to home, he settled on riding his V-Strom 650XT between the four corners of mainland Scotland: 800 miles – with less than 50 miles of motorway – in under 24 hours.

Continuing with tradition, Gordon would complete this ride to raise money for Tiny Lives, a Newcastle-based charity supporting the Neonatal Unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary. The charity supports over 750 babies and their families annually, and aims to raise £250,000 a year to maintain this support. Gordon and his wife received this support on two occasions, for their daughter Isla born in 2014 and then again with son Hugo born in 2017, with both spending time on the Neonatal Unit following premature births.

“Tiny Lives holds a special place in my heart,” he explained, “and with this ride I wanted to raise money and give back as a way of saying thank you for their care.”

In the run up to completing the four corner challenge, Gordon prepared by riding in the evenings around Northumberland and doing day routes of a few hundred miles, with limited motorway use. The challenge would be Gordon’s first long trip on the V-Strom 650XT, the do-it-all middleweight adventure machine, equipped with Givi Outback Trekker panniers and camping equipment on the pillion seat.

But at midday on Friday 16 July, Gordon set off from the Mull of Galloway, the southernmost point in mainland Scotland.

“The Mull of Galloway was stunning,” Gordon described on reflection. “I was lucky to visit on a lovely morning where from the top of the hill, where a lighthouse sits, I could see the Lake District to the east, Isle of Man to the south and Northern Ireland to the west.

“From there I headed north into Dumfries and through to Galloway and Ayrshire, following the coast between Stranraer and Girvan, before turning northeast towards Glasgow and then onto Stirling, which I reached at around 15:00, and had a brief stop.

“The ride between Stranraer and Girvan along the southwest coast was unexpectedly fun; sweeping bends, large rolling hills, with the terrain of Argyll and the Isle of Arran in the distance across the water. This made me pleased I’d ridden a route that wouldn’t have been on the list.”

After Stirling, it was onto Perth and the motorway section of the ride, which took Gordon past the imposing 220ft National Wallace Monument to the north of Stirling. On this stretch of the ride on the M9, Gordon found his V-Strom was comfortably keeping up with the traffic despite being loaded up, admitting he, “wouldn’t want to do a tour like this on a different bike.”

From Perth, Gordon headed east to Dundee through rush hour before turning north towards Montrose, Aberdeen, and then onto Peterhead where he made his next pit stop at 19:00. While there, he visited the most easterly point in mainland Scotland at Keith Inch, part of the Port of Peterhead, utilising the 650's nimbleness in town when looking for the port. From Peterhead the route headed west towards Inverness where Gordon stopped again, briefly, at 22:00.

Once back on the road, Gordon turned north to follow the NC500 route up the North East Coast to Thurso, then onto Dunnet Head, the northernmost point in mainland Scotland. It was at this point that the temperature dropped but Gordon powered on assisted by his heated vest (and an Alan Partridge audiobook!), arriving there for a scheduled stop at 01:00.

“At Dunnet Head I had a much needed, 90-minute rest in my pop-up tent, which, weirdly, was one of the most normal experiences on the trip: I was no stranger to solo camping, but social-distancing and masks was still very much out of the ordinary.”

Following the closest thing he'd get to a good night's sleep, he headed south from Thurso to Inverness before moving south-westerly along Loch Ness to Fort Augustus, where he stopped briefly again at 07:30am, before continuing onto Fort William.

“Riding south from Thurso towards the NC500 coastal route at sunrise was a delight,” Gordon recounted. “The road rides high over the plains of Caithness with unspoiled views of the northwest Highlands in the distance. And the route following the Great Glen from Inverness down to Fort William is something to behold. Again, I was lucky to ride in nice weather and doing so early in the morning meant, apart from a few deer, I had the road to myself.”

At Fort William, Gordon headed west towards Mallaig before turning south into the Ardnamurchan peninsula. This brought him on to the home straight towards the finish line at the most westerly point of Scotland’s mainland, Ardnamurchan Lighthouse, where he arrived at 11:21am, 23 hours and 21 minutes after setting off.

“The A830 from Fort William to Lochailort via Glenfinnan – and its famous viaduct – was possibly one of the best roads I’ve ever ridden on a bike; sweeping bends, dips and peaks, it was like the best rollercoaster I’ve been on with good views of the road ahead, long lochs, and mountains to the side. Great fun.”

Gordon had done it: 800 miles, all four corners of Scotland in under 24 hours.

“I was absolutely shattered but it was an amazing feeling to have completed the challenge,” Gordon said on reflection. “I was a little bit emotional actually. It was been beautiful the whole time, and it was amazing knowing I had so many people behind me.

“The bike was really comfortable, and it handled the twisty A and B roads of Scotland sublimely and was really confidence-inspiring. You can just throw it into the corners, and you know it will come out the other side where you want it to, it’s just easy to ride. It just seems such a workhorse. You can pile it high with gear and it just doesn’t care.”

Despite this ride not being part of Gordon’s original plan, he was glad he was able to make something positive out of the Covid-19 pandemic. Looking ahead to his next adventure, Gordon hopes to complete a multi-country Arctic ride to Russia (with no-less than 13 border crossings) to complete his years long ambition of riding a motorcycle across the Arctic Circle.

To donate to the Tiny Lives charity, click here.

BRAND NEW KATANA FUEL TANKS NOW IN STOCK ON VINTAGE PARTS PROGRAMME

Brand new, genuine Katana fuel tanks are now in stock and available on Suzuki’s Vintage Parts Programme, after the Japanese firm remanufactured a limited run.

With an RRP of £746.76 including VAT, the brand new fuel tanks fit GSX1100SD and GSX1000SZ Katanas and are finished in the glorious silver and adorned with the same red Suzuki lettering.

Suzuki GB aftersales co-ordinator Tim Davies, said, “We’re really excited to have these new Katana fuel tanks in stock, in the UK, and that the factory have been able to reproduce this limited run.

“No one needs me to point out how iconic the Katana is and how they’re still so sought after, and we see so many restorations or custom builds based on the bike. Of course, over time, bikes left to stand can suffer from all sorts of problems with stale fuel or water and moisture in the tank, so being able to replace it completely for a brand new, genuine item is a great thing to be able to do for a bike that is 40-years-old.”

Designed by Hans A. Muth and Target Design, the Katana was like nothing before it. It was a radical departure from current motorcycling fashion and was a sales success for Suzuki.

Other parts still available for the Katana include centre stands, brake and clutch levers, clock surrounds, sprocket covers, con-rods, pistons, and piston rings, an array of gaskets, valves, cotters, seals, and springs, and even the carburettor intakes pipe rubbers.

The new fuel tanks and other parts on the Vintage Parts Programme can be ordered through authorised Suzuki dealers.

CLASSIC SUZUKI SUNDAY FINALLY RETURNS TO THE SUPER SAUSAGE CAFÉ

After a year’s sabbatical following the Covid-19 pandemic, the Classic Suzuki Sunday is set to return the Super Sausage Café on 19 September.

Previous years’ events have seen packed crowds at the biker-friendly café off the A5 near Towcester, as Suzuki – through its popular Vintage Parts Programme – and Team Classic Suzuki display a range of 1970s, 80s, and 90s road and racing machinery.

Displayed at this year’s event will be the Team Classic Suzuki Katana endurance racer, which John Reynolds and Pete Boast raced to victory at Oschersleben. Sticking with the Katana theme, the outfit’s project Katana, based on world superbike underpinnings, will also feature.

Added exotica comes courtesy of a factory RGV250 racer from the 1997 Japanese championship, as ridden by Noriyasu Numata in its orange Rizla Suzuki livery.

Suzuki GB will also show off the GSX-R1100 and Bandit 600 rebuilt by apprentices on its Apprenticeship Programme, plus an RGV250 and the 1985 GSX-R750F restored at Motorcycle Live in 2015, as part of the model’s 30th anniversary celebrations.

Aftersales marketing co-ordinator, Tim Davies, said, “We are so incredibly happy that we’re able to put this event on again. It’s not far from Suzuki HQ and feels something like a home event, and after the year we had in 2020 we’re really excited to get back to the Super Sausage Café and bring our vintage fleet along with us. As well as the bikes we’re bringing, however, we are always keen to see what other people bring to the event, from GSX-Rs to GTs and everything in between. Traditionally there has always been a fantastic turnout, and being an outdoor event we’re hoping to see the bike park filled again this year.”

The Super Sausage Café can be found off the A5, between Towcester and Potterspury, Northampton, NN12 7QD.

SUZUKI'S MAGNIFICENT SEVEN ON DISPLAY AT MOTORCYCLE LIVE

With Motorcycle Live 2020 cancelled due to the global pandemic, Suzuki is celebrating its Grand Prix world titles a year later to make up for it. With Joan Mir winning last year’s MotoGP world championship for Team Suzuki Ecstar, Suzuki is marking his – and its other six – world championships at Motorcycle Live 2021.

Mir’s title-winning GSX-RR will be displayed in its resplendent anniversary livery, alongside Kenny Roberts Jr’s 2000 title-winning RGV500, Kevin Scwantz’s 1993 RGV500 in its famous Lucky Strike colours, Franco Uncini’s 1982 RG500, Marco Lucchinelli’s 1981 RG500, and Barry Sheene’s 1976 and 1977 world championship-winning machines.

Suzuki GB’s Tim Davies said, “Joan may have won last year’s championship but with the way of the world we never really got to celebrate it with fans and customers. So this year we’ve assembled all seven of our world title-winning Grand Prix machines for show-goers to see and look around, and it’s the first time ever all of these bikes will be displayed together.”

Away from the race bikes, Suzuki will display its current model lineup, including the newly-launched GSX-S1000GT, which blends sporting performance with touring practicality, thanks to a lightweight, agile chassis and a 152PS, superbike-derived engine, a comfortable riding position, and a suite of electronics that includes cruise control, traction control, a bidirectional quickshifter, selectable power modes, and smartphone connectivity all controlled through a colour TFT dash.

Also displayed for the first time will be the third generation Hayabusa, the latest iteration of the iconic hyperbike that gets the most comprehensive suite electronics of any Suzuki, ever, plus updated styling that remains faithful to the original and an engine that delivers turbine-like, creamy power throughout the rev range.

Other new-for-2021 models making their Motorcycle Live debut will be the GSX-S1000 naked and the A2-friendly GSX-S950, plus the refreshed Burgman 400.

From on-road to off it, the latest RM-Z450 motocross machine will feature, along with an SR75 Suzuki-prepared RM-Z250, while a DF350 marine engine and a KingQuad will even showcase Suzuki’s capabilities across its divisions.

From the Vintage Parts Programme stable, a GT250 EX7 that started life as one of Suzuki GB’s original press bikes will front a display of classic road and race bikes that will also include an original GSX-R750F and a 1999 Hayabusa, plus fan-favourite and three-time British Superbike champion John Reynolds will be present over the show’s two weekends.

Suzuki can be found on stand 3E15 in hall three.

For show information and tickets click here.

Kawasaki Motors UK is pleased to announce that it is returning to Motorcycle Live on December 4th – 12th 2021. After the cancellation of the physical show in 2020, this year will mark the return of fans to the NEC Centre and Kawasaki will be showcasing the full range of 2022 models alongside a host of features and activities.

For 2021, Kawasaki will be located in Hall 2, and will have the full suite of soon-to-be-announced 2022 models for fans to get up close and personal with. The Kawasaki UK staff will also be on hand throughout the nine day event to help visitors understand the latest innovations and discuss the many features and benefits of the new model range.

In addition to the latest models, Kawasaki will also have a host of British Superbike riders in attendance on the stand over the event, holding interviews and meeting fans for autographs. Having turned green for 2021, the California Superbike School will also be featuring on the stand, giving visitors the chance to book their place for the 2022 season.

For those visitors looking to get on two wheels for the first time, there will be a dedicated Kawasaki Rider Training Services area as well as a fleet of Z125s in the MCIA Try Ride Zone. The Kawasaki shop will have the latest official clothing and merchandise on sale, while Club Kawasaki members will be able to take advantage of their discount and again be able to access the exclusive member’s area for a break from the hustle and bustle of the show!

Tickets for the 2021 show will be available soon from www.motorcyclelive.co.uk.