The 2012 Kawasaki Ninja 650R - Sharper Looking Bike

The 2012 updates for the Kawasaki Ninja 650R. Kawasaki's 650cc sports-tourer, sold in some countries around the world as the Kawasaki ER6F, for Thailand it's just the Kawasaki Ninja 650R, has been given the most detailed makeover for the new year since its launch.

The new Kawasaki Ninja 650R retains the basic front-biased design and the 649cc parallel twin engine, but has many other significant changes worthy of note. To start with, the 2012 Ninja 650R looks much sharper than the 2011 model. It has a new fairing with re-shaped headlights and a three-step, height adjustable windscreen. The new two-piece tank shell looks muscular while the tail section is sleeker and has stepped seats. The Kawasaki Ninja 650R instrument panel gets an analogue tachnometer dial with a white, backlit LCD screen below.

The 2012 Kawasaki Ninja 650R now has a news tubular steel chassis and a boomerang-shaped tubular swing-arm. It is five kilogram heavier than the 2011 model. The wheelbase of the new Ninja 650R remains the same, but the overall length has been increased by 10 millimeters. The seat is 15mm higher, but the overall height of the Kawasaki Ninja 650R has been reduced by 19mm.

Kawasaki claims an improvement in engine performance and greater mid-range torque, though exact figures are not available as of now. The 2012 Kawasaki Ninja 650R is equipped with an ABS system at the front and a petal disc brake at the rear. The best thing about the 2012 Kawasaki Ninja 650R is that you can already see it and buy it from your local Kawasaki dealer.