Middleweight retro bike fans rejoice, for the 2025 Kawasaki Z650RS is now in Malaysia, priced at RM37,300. For the local retro bike market, competition for the Z650RS – built as CKD inn Gurun, Kedah – is primarily the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, with a retail price of RM33,700 and Continental GT 650, priced at RM35,600.
Pricing for the Z650RS does not include road tax, insurance and registration and every Kawasaki comes with a two-year or 20,000 km warranty against manufacturing defects. The Z650RS joins the Kawasaki Ninja 650 sportsbike (RM35,200), Vulcan 650 cruiser, Z650 naked sports (RM35,900) and Versys 650 adventure-tourer (RM43,600) in Kawasaki’s Malaysian lineup.
First unveiled in 2022, the Z650RS follows the styling of its larger displacement sibling, the Kawasaki Z900RS (RM73,300), closely. With the parallel-twin mill used in the range of Kawasaki middleweight machines, the Z650RS gets liquid-cooling, DOHC and eight-valves producing 68 PS at 8,000 rpm and 64 Nm of torque at 6,700 rpm from 649 cc.
The Z650RS gets a six-speed gearbox with assist and slipper clutch, sending power to the rear wheel via chain final drive. Wheel sizing on the Z650RS is 17-inches on cast alloy multi-spoke wheels, wearing 120/70 and 160/60 tyres.
Braking is done with twins 300 mm diameter discs in front with two-piston callipers while the rear wheel gets a 220 mm disc ad single-piston calliper. Telescopic forks, 41 mm in diameter, hold up the front end while the rear is fitted with a preload-adjustable monoshock.
Weight for the Z650RS is listed as 187 kg wet, with 13-litres of fuel in the tank. Seat height for the Z650RS is 820 mm.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
