Thousands of Kawasaki fans and enthusiasts near and far came down to the Bulatan Bazarena, Stadium Melawati located in Shah Alam today. As part of an initiative to get closer to the people, Kawasaki Motors (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (KMSB) has organized this very special road show dubbed the Kawasaki “Always Closer to You” Roadshow. (more…)
Berita baik buat para pemilik dan juga penggemar Kawasaki! Kawasaki Motors (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (KMSB) akan mengadakan satu ‘roadshow’ pandu uji serta kempen penyelenggaraan untuk semua penggemar Kawasaki dan juga pemilik. Acara istimewa ini akan diadakan pada hari Ahad ini (14 Mei 2017) di Bulatan Bazarena, Stadium Melawati Shah Alam dari jam 10 pagi sehingga 6 petang.
Calling all Kawasaki owners and fans! Kawasaki Motors (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (KMSB) will be organising a test ride roadshow as well as a service campaign for all Kawasaki enthusiasts and current owners. The special event will take place this Sunday (14 May 2017) at Bulatan Bazarena, Stadium Melawati Shah Alam from 10am to 6pm.
The event is called Kawasaki “Always Close to You” Roadshow, and KMSB will also be showcasing their latest 2017 models, including the new Kawasaki Z650 ABS, Ninja 650 ABS, Z900 ABS and Versys-X 250. Fans, current owners and potential owners will all be given an opportunity to test ride these models to get a first-hand experience.
KMSB will be setting up a specially arranged course designed to allow riders to feel the agility, maneuverability, versatility and light-weight handling of all the new Kawasakis.
As for current owners of Kawasaki motorcycles, all Kawasaki riders will get a chance to get their motorcycle serviced during the event with no labour charge. The service will be carried out by highly trained Kawasaki Exclusive Service Centre (KESC) Glenmarie personnel.
KMSB has also planned other activities with its partners; Nestle Malaysia will be offering free Nescafe drinks for coffee lovers while other participating partners from Alpinestar Malaysia, Shoei Malaysia and Bridgestone Malaysia will display and offer their own range of products. AEON Credit Services and Tokio Marine Insurance will also be on hand to advise and offer their products to potential customers.
The roadshow activity is a part of KMSB program to reach out to their customers and the public. Kawasaki enthusiasts can stay tune for more updates from KMSB as they have planned for more roadshows. This is part of KMSB’s commitment to provide the best customer experience in-line with their roadshow tagline, Kawasaki Test Ride Roadshow “Always Close To You”.
Event : Kawasaki Test Ride Roadshow – “Always Close to You”
Date : 14 May 2017, 10am to 6pm
Venue: Bulatan Bazarena, Stadium Melawati Shah Alam
The Kawasaki Z800 has been quite a darling among those looking for an affordable super naked motorcycle. The awesome edgy design and a smooth powerful engine made it a good bike for the daily commute to the office and to carve up mountain roads on the weekends. But it was far from perfect.
It was heavy which made simple manoeuvres like parking and u-turns feel as difficult as stacking sand bags. Most of the weight felt as if it were centred higher up at the top of the bike, making it a “top heavy” bike – easy to drop into a corner but difficult to pick up again for the next corner. Brute strength and serious muscle was needed to really wring the best out of the Z800, not to mention serious balls. It was a great bike, but needed some improvements.
And so that is exactly what Kawasaki aimed to change with the Z900. Having recently sampled it on a short 150km ride, we are pleased to tell you that the Z900 is leaps and bounds and stars and galaxies better than the Z800. It is also the de facto flagship bike now since the Z1000 is yet to be updated, if there is to be an update at all.
And just in case you were wondering, the Z900 is also a full 21 kilograms lighter than the Z800, which itself was oddly heavier than the then flagship Z1000.
21kg’ lighter does not sound like a lot, but you do feel the difference as soon as you get on the bike and turn a corner. It is more eager, more precise and a hell of a lot more manoeuvrable than the Z800. Heaving it around is a lot more manageable now too.
Making this possible is the new trellis frame that contributes the most to the weight savings. Not only does this frame weigh just 13.5 kilograms, but it also utilises five rigid mounting points, making it a stressed member of the frame, which in turn makes the Z900 a lot nippier than before.
Kawasaki also rid the bike of the subframe, a move that shaved a further 11kg’s off the total weight of the bike.
The light weight frame is further complemented by an aluminium swing arm, which shaves a further 3.3 kilograms off the total unsprung weight.
So the objective of making the Z900 a lot lighter than the Z800 was obviously achieved. But the new flagship is much more than a featherweight boxer, it packs a mighty punch too.
The 948cc, liquid-cooled four-stroke, inline-four-cyllinder is the other major improvement to the Z. The engine was designed to be quick-revving with most of the power stored at the mid and high-rev range.
Of course, power is up from the Z800 and now stands at 123.6hp (a 12.6hp increase from the Z800) and 98.6Nm of torque (a 15.6Nm increase), but because the engine is more rev happy than before, a lot more of that power is accessible much sooner, giving the Z900 some serious pulling power through all six gears.
The engine has a number of internal modifications that help it achieve its livelier character, the internal upgrades include a new crankshaft that is lighter by 700 grams, lighter pistons, a new cylinder head, open deck type cylinder block and a new intake.
But the engine is not the only thing that has been updated, the gearbox too is all-new. The ratios have been completely reworked for shorter ratios and this contributes to the wild acceleration and explains why the Z900 is so rowdy in the first and second gear.
In fact, slicing through traffic was best done in fourth or fifth gear, any lower and it is simply too eager to burst open, but on the highway, the zippy character was brilliant. Power was constantly available in all gears, even in sixth gear it will continue to accelerate towards the 11,000rpm red line. If it is constant power you want, the Z900 has miles and miles of that.
Handling was predictable; the frame is designed to have as little bends and angles as possible, which then disperses stress quickly and evenly, giving the rider the most compliant ride possible. The suspension was at factory setting, and it did feel a tad soft and lumpy in the bends, but both front and rear suspensions are adjustable.
The rebound and compression of the front suspension can be adjustable via a single control on the left fork, where previously you had to adjust both forks separately, risking an imbalanced set up. The rear suspension has been redesigned and now utilises a near horizontally mounted shock that is connected to a linkage system, which in turn is connected to a lighter, stiffer swing arm. The entire rear suspension is arranged in such a way that the weight of the bike and rider is centralised, eliminating the “top-heavy” feel of the Z800. The spring is adjustable for preload by 5.5 inches.
The new engine, gearbox and suspension gives the Z900 a lot more confidence than its predecessor. You can push this bike harder than before and it has what it takes to cope with all you can ask of it. It is lighter and more willing, which means you can carry mega speeds in corners. The combination of the engine together with the slick shifting gearbox ensures you are never starved of power, that I can personally testify to since this bike will still pull when you’re well into the rev-band of the sixth gear.
And just in case you run out of talent and approach a corner too hot, there is a new slipper clutch with assist function that ensures the rear tyre doesn’t lock up as you bang down the gears in a desperate attempt at using engine braking to slow you down. The clutch assist function makes the clutch lever extremely light, about 40-50% lighter according to personal estimates.
Kawasaki was obviously very serious about creating the best super naked in its price category, and it has come really close to doing it. Just incase the increase in power and diet program wasn’t enough, the company even carefully crafted an audible intake sound at about 6,000rpm where the Z900 sounds like it is sucking in some serious air, just like a sprint runner would at full flight.
The intake funnels are of varying length (50mm for the outer pair and 150mm for the inner pair) and this offers a balance of performance and intake sound. The longer inner pair contribute towards the low-mid rpm performance, while the shorter outer pair are the ones creating the whooshing intake sound.
On a personal note, the Z900 is very near perfect but for a guy of my height and size, the package is let down by the Malaysian-spec bike’s low seat height arrangement which made the bike feel too cramped.
It was not very comfortable even when sitting at the edge of the seat and resting on the balls of my feet – in the so called full race mode. I’m about six-foot tall and I could not find a comfortable position on the Z900 sadly. But with such a brilliant all-round package, maybe an aftermarket seat and foot pegs relocaters will do the trick.
The Kawasaki Z900 is an altogether different animal to the Z800 it replaces, sporting a totally different character but an obvious evolution to the older bike. Priced at just RM50,959, the Z900 seems to have it all. We’ll be spending more time with it soon, so watch this space. Meanwhile, just a note to Z800 owners, it is time to think of trading up, the 900 is really the bike to have now.
It was an interesting day yesterday as we got to test ride two new Kawasaki motorcycles which were first introduced to Malaysians back in January.
The Z650 and the Ninja 650 are almost all-new and are the replacement models to the popular ER6N and the ER6F, both of which were considered to be entry level models to the wonderful world of Kawasaki middleweight superbikes.
So, both the Z and the Ninja may be considered as entry level models, but there is nothing “entry-level” about them.
The test ride route organised by Kawasaki Malaysia began in Nilai and went on to Morib then to Jenjarum through some old country roads. A total distance of about 200 kilometers was good enough for an initial impression of both bikes, and though the Ninja was my personal favourite, the Z was incredibly impressive too.
The size of the Z has somewhat shrunk from the ER6N, in fact it almost feels like a slightly bigger version of the Z250, and it is a lot lighter too, than the ER6N that is.
Shorter riders will appreciate the lower seat height, which is now 15mm lower, as well as the slimmer seat which is designed to help vertically challenged riders to keep their feet flat on the road. Personally, my six foot frame would have preferred a taller seat height as I found both the Z650 and the Ninja 650 a bit cramped for my height. But then again, I am an abnormally in a market where shorter riders make up the majority.
Both bikes are a lot lighter too thanks to the usage of some advanced materials. The Z650 is 17kg’s lighter than the ER6N and the Ninja 650 is 16kg’s lighter than the ER6F. This may not seem like a lot, but you really do feel the difference as soon as you sit on the bike and pick it off its stand. The dramatic weight reduction was achieved through a number of upgrades including an all-new trellis frame which at 15kg’s, is a full 10kg’s lighter than the old frame. And because the new frame allows the engine to function as a stressed member through three rigid mounts, thus contributing to the lightweight feel of the bike, making it easier to put it into a corner and picking it back up again on the exit. Then there is the new rear swing-arm which is now of a gull-arm style and is 2.7kg’s lighters thanks to advanced construction methods.
The engine too has been upgraded and is the best part of both bikes. The 649cc, four-stroke, parallel twin engine is liquid cooled and produces 65hp and 65.7Nm of torque on both bikes. It features a number of updates like the cylinder heads which have been redesigned as have the camshaft profiles which now feature a reduced operating angle and overlap. What this gives you is improved response and more power in the lower and middle part of the rev band. An improvement that we could feel right away – there was more torque which means you do not have to spend precious time downshifting everytime you want to accelerate. In fact, the Ninja 650 feels a lot better because it has a bigger fuel injector with an opening that is 2mm bigger than that on the Z650. Same amount of power and torque, just more accessible lower down the rev band. Also handy through traffic where you can just hold the throttle without having to constantly shift gears.
Both bikes also come with a new slipper clutch with an assist function. What this means is that you get a lighter clutch feel and the rear wheel will not lock and hop during quick downshifts; improving safety and cornering stability. It’s also a lot easier to move off even from a hill start, you have to try really hard to kill the engine during roll out. Also assisting gear shifts is a new gear shift mechanism which has been changed to a link type set up (see below_. With this, you only need to gently tap the shifter for an up or downshift. Particularly useful for clutchless upshifts.
On the move, the first thing you notice about the bikes is the impressive amount of grunt and the linear acceleration with no loss of power. The powerplant is obviously the best part about both the new bikes, absolutely no complaints there. In fact, besides the smaller size of both motorcycles, there really are no complaints. But the suspension could do with a re-tuning once you have bought it. Especially the rear as I found it to be a little too soft. The rear suspension has been updated over the old bike and now uses a horizontal back-link which helps increase sportiness and comfort, but I found it to be too focused on comfort and would dip too much on uneven roads. But it is adjustable for preload, so just a few clicks of the horizontally mounted mono shock should fix that.
Of course there are other updates as well, like the new front brake callipers, brake pads and rotor carriers. Both bikes now offer ABS as standard via the latest Bosch 9.1M unit which is small and compact and tactfully placed under the seat because of its compact size. The fuel tank too has been redesigned an placed lower down the chassis for a more sportier look and feel. Then there is the new instrument panel that now comes with a gear position and shift indicator, three-selectable display modes and also tells you the temperature of the coolant as well.
Both bikes are now more relaxed to sit on as well. The handle bars on the Z650 for example have been placed 10mm forward and 15mm lower, this reduces the bodyweight on your wrists. The handlebars on the Ninja on the other hand are all new and have been placed 25mm forward and 42mm lower. I personally love the sitting position on the Ninja 650, it perhaps has the best sitting position in its class.
The difference between both bikes is limited to the overall weight, the Ninja is 6kg’s heavier than the Z. So if you have to chose one bike between these two, either way you will be making a really good decision. The slim and compact size of the Z650 will be perfect for city use, the nimbleness will definitely come alive in traffic. The Ninja 650 too will be perfect in urban areas, but can double-up as a weekend warrior for those who like to get your knee down.
We will be picking up both bikes at a later date for a more thorough review and will reserve further judgement until we have spent more time with them. The Z650 is priced at RM35,609 inclusive of GST, while the Ninja 650 is priced at RM37,189 with GST as well.
What would be a great way to start of the year? How about getting the surprise of your life by winning a brand new superbike? Well, that’s exactly what happened to a few lucky folks who entered Kawasaki’s Malaysia Day lucky draw contest. The lucky draws were made yesterday at Sunway Putra Mall in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. The prizes? A supercharged H2, the powerful Ninja 1000, a few D-Tracker X 250s and also some Z 125 Pro mini bikes. (more…)
The new Kawasaki ZX10R has been hailed as one of the greatest superbikes of our era by many publications both Malaysian and foreign. But what makes it so damn good?
To really test its limits, we asked our friend Weider Low who races a 2013 spec Kawasaki ZX10R in the Malaysian Superbike Championship (MSC) to review the latest 2016 ZX10R on the newly paved and redesigned Sepang International Circuit. Did we mention that besides his racing talent, he can be quite crafty with words too, the following is his review of the latest Kawasaki:
by Weider Low
There is honor in racing- in competing fairly amongst your peers- which confers glory and recognition upon the victorious. Especially so, in the passion driven world of recreational motorcycling; think of all the storied marques we hold on so dearly to as enthusiasts… They just wouldn’t be the same if they ‘just’ built damn good motorcycles, would they?
A manufacturer that intimately understands this relation between race-wins and marque recognition is, Kawasaki. In 2016, it is fair to say that Kawasaki’s racing efforts dominate production class racing, worldwide. From WSBK/WSS to national championships, you can almost be certain that their respective parc fermes will always contain a couple of Kawasakis!
Thus, as part of the unrelenting development cycle that racing demands, Kawasaki have recently introduced their brand new (Gen.5?) ZX-10R, a successor to the ‘Gen.4’ ZX-10R, which pretty much dominated litre class racing worldwide, even till its last year in production!
But, this time… there’s a catch. This is no update for the sake of Euro emissions standards (though it does meet new stringent Euro 4 standards), this time; the update was dictated almost solely by, and for, THE Kawasaki Racing Team- yes, the one that Tom and Jonathan ride for.
The (unofficial) scuttlebutt is that after a dominant 2013 with Tom Sykes, the WSBK rulebook was revised for the 2014 season to outlaw crankshaft modifications by the teams. That didn’t compliment Tom Sykes’ riding style, and the results in 2014 reflected as much. Though 2015 saw a new Kawasaki champion in the form of Jonathan Rea, development on the new ZX10-R was already in its advanced stages- and guess what was a primary development goal? Yeap- a much lighter crankshaft!
(The above statement is solely hearsay/internet gossip gleaned by your author, and no one in Kawasaki has actually officially admitted as much.)
That this new ZX-10R forms of basis of KRT’s WSBK bike is not in doubt. In fact, in many ways, this 2016 ZX-10R reeks of being a homologation-special; that beloved class of vehicle built purposely to satisfy production requirements of certain race series’. Think Ducati’s ‘R’ models, for example. The difference is that, unlike other manufacturers who produce a small ‘special’/’limited edition’ run of bikes, then charge you an arm-and-leg for the privilege, Kawasaki have incorporated all the race inspired/required stuff for serial production. It’s really impressive and, good value, if you think about it!
Initial riding impressions are excellent. The adjective that keeps coming back to me is: smooth. Litre bikes tend to be beasts; they boast power-to-weight ratios that make supercars blush, and in days of yore, were considered to be the reprieve of the highly skilled or… the reckless. Well, not anymore.
The electronics on this 2016 ZX-10R are a clear generation ahead of the previous one; to borrow a cliché, it’s like watching a movie on Blu-ray vs. VCD- all the ‘jagged edges’ that one would feel on the old bike when the electronics intervened are now all smoothened away in glorious Blu-ray resolution. With the new Bosch 6-axis IMU, there’s now sufficient data that every single aspect of the riding experience can be electronically regulated to the degree that you desire. From standing starts, to wheelies, to braking, to corner entries and exits, to flat out down the straights… All aspects of riding the ZX-10R are reliably tamed by its accompanying K-acronym.
Or, you could turn everything ‘off’.
However, if that has you thinking of the Kawasaki as a one trick electronic pony, please turn your attention to the race ready componentry and tweaks that adorn the ZX-10R: from those fancy Showa forks, M50 Brembo calipers and master cylinder, aforementioned lightened crank, lengthened swing-arm and, refined chassis geometry.
That, in a nutshell is what’s remarkable about this motorcycle- never before has a Superbike level performance been so configurable, so accessible, so safe.
So, who’s afraid of the big, bad wolf?
Kawasaki Malaysia has a unique way of providing some fun for owners of Kawasaki motorcycles.
Every Sunday, the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer encourages its owners to meet up at the Kawasaki headquarters in Glenmarie Shah Alam.
There are no pre-planned rides, nothing glamorous. Riders just meet at the HQ and decide what they want to do on that day. They decide where to ride and what to do at that point itself.
The bike maker works with various Kawasaki clubs like the Z250 club, Z800 club and the Versys club to bring owners together. But that doesn’t mean only owners of a certain bike are allowed to come; every Kawasaki owner is encouraged to come together.
We had a chance to witness this camaraderie for ourselves last Sunday. About 30 Kawasaki riders came together at about 830am not knowing where they were going or what the plans were, they just showed up.
After everyone showed up, it was decided that the group was going to ride to Sungkai, Perak for lunch and return back before 3pm.
From the HQ, the group rode to a nearby ‘mamak’ restaurant for breakfast, which was paid for by Kawasaki Malaysia.
On the safety front, Kawasaki Malaysia provided marshalls to help ensure everyone’s riding within limits.
All riders were encouraged to bring full riding and safety gear, but those who did not were not turned away, just advised on the need for proper riding gear especially for long distance rides.
Kawasaki Malaysia is one of the few manufacturers that actively engages its owners and customers to go on weekend rides. Kudos to the company for this amazing effort.
Want us to feature your story or go riding with you and your group? Email us at info@bikesrepublic.com and we will try to be there. Ride safe.
The Kawasaki J300i is an export model scooter built by Taiwanese based motorcycle manufacturer, Kymco. It is built for long commutes and is perfectly comfortable and adapted to life on the move in vibrant cities. We covered 160 kilometres with it during the test ride organised by Kawasaki Malaysia, but hardly felt the distance, and I am not even trying to sugar coat anything here. The J300 is a handsome looking scooter and tops that off with plenty of party tricks.
If you have heard that the new J300 is based on a Taiwanese scooter that is already on Malaysian roads, you would have heard correctly. Kymco first introduced the Downtown 300i in 2011, and that is what the Kawasaki J300 basically is, but redesigned and repackaged of course.
Kawasaki has re-engineered the design of the J300 to keep it within the Ninja design family, but the platform, engine, brakes and suspension are all from Kymco. This rebranding exercise is not a bad thing as some would imagine. The updates to the J300 to keep it unique from the Downtown 300i are all brilliant, but most of all buyers will benefit from Kawasaki engineering and know how, as well as its well-known aftersales service.
Comfortable, a delight to ride but a little cramped for long legs. Other than that it is brilliant. The ride began in Putrajaya to Sungai Pelek to Morib, Teluk Panglima Garang then back to Palm Garden hotel. A 160km loop with a good mix of bad roads, curves, highways and traffic – all of which are situations the J300 is designed to excel at.
And excel it did. The big seat is plush and comfortable with a tad bit of back support from the heightened rear seat; the pillion sits taller than the rider. Handling is swift and nimble thanks to a 13-litre fuel tank that is placed at the bottom of the frame, and a seat height of just 775mm from the floor, which lowers the centre of gravity, giving better low speed control at the same time.
But space is cramped, as it is on the Kymco Downtown 300i – which is fine if you are only going to be running around town, but it could be a pain if you want to munch some distance with the J300.
However, the scooter makes up for that with some nifty storage space. There is a cubbie hole near the handle bar that lets you store your phone (an iPhone 6 Plus can fit in there), house keys and a fat wallet at the same time. The under seat storage area is capable of holding a few loose items like gloves or a water bottle, and a full face helmet together with a half shell helmet as well, so there is no lacking in storage space.
The J300 is powered by a 299cc, liquid-cooled, SOHC with four valves engine which gives 27.2 hp at 7,750rpm and 28.7Nm of torque at 6,250rpm. And the whole package is connected to a CVT transmission with a centrifugal clutch.
Scooters usually suffer from a lag in power delivery, like an elastic band that first has to be coiled before releasing its power, but not the J300. Power is surprisingly instant and smooth, but some more torque would have been nice for accelerating away from about 120km/h, though I doubt many J300 riders will find themselves in such a situation.
Yes! Very! Too comfortable perhaps because it was difficult to stay focused on the road ahead, though I suspect I could have had too much coffee before getting on the bike. The suspension is managed by a 37mm telescopic fork up front, and a twin shock, 5-way adjustable with preload at the rear.
It does a beautiful job at soaking up the bumps and combine that with a plush soft seat, you get perfection.
Easy peasy. The braking system consists of a single 260mm petal disc with a dual-piston caliper up front, and a single 240mm petal disc with a dual-piston caliper at the rear. It comes standard with ABS and having tested the ABS system, I must say that it is not one of those systems that violently shakes the brake lever, rather it sends gentle pulses to your fingers to tell you that the system is working, and that it is okay to take an evasive manoeuvre if you have to. ABS is for the rear brakes only.
RM31,489 with GST is a lot of money considering that the Kymco badged version of the same bike is priced at around RM24,000 before GST. But then again, it comes backed up with Kawasaki’s aftersales service which is available throughout Malaysia. Can’t say the same about the Kymco though.
Being so comfortable and with a cruising speed of around 110km/h, it is the perfect scooter for those who live around the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, or any other city for that matter, and have to commute to the city and back daily.
There are other pleasant touches like a 12V power socket to charge your electronics, a foldaway cargo hook for when you want to “bungkus balik” your food, and plenty of cargo space.
It is not the most athletic in terms of size for when you want to squeeze past traffic to get to the traffic lights, but it makes up for that in so many other ways. So if you are looking at something to beat the traffic with and want something reliable and comfortable, yes you should buy the Kawasaki J300.
Kawasaki has discreetly taken the wraps off two new variants of the Vulcan S, called the Vulcan S Café and Vulcan S SE at the ongoing American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo) in Orlando, Florida.
The Kawasaki Vulcan S Cafe adds a new tinted wind deflector, an exclusive color scheme, as well as deflector mounts over the headlight. Besides the wind deflector, the Café variant adds a Matte Carbon Gray color scheme with a Candy Lime Green stripe running down the middle of the bike. ABS comes standard on the Cafe.
And then, there is the Vulcan S SE which features a two-tone Metallic Imperial Blue and Metallic Spark Black color with matching blue striping on the wheels. The SE model also comes standard with ABS.
While additions on these special variants go only as far as the cosmetics are concerned, they are expected to further boost the model’s sales.
Speaking of sales, there has not been any official announcement on whether the Kawasaki Vulcan S SE and Cafe will arrive on local shores, but looking at how successful it is here, the chances are quite high, we must say.
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