2020 Kawasaki z650 ABS

After a same-old, same-old appearance in last year’s street lineup, Kawasaki’s Z650 middleweight naked gets some minor updates for 2020, including styling nips and tucks, a new LED headlight, new Dunlop tires, and a full suite of advanced rider support features. A Z650 ABS model also returns for 2020.

The Z650 may be coming back to Kawasaki’s 2020 lineup wearing a few new bells and whistles, but it carries the same basic underpinnings. Kawasaki is calling it a “fresh iteration” of a popular model, which sounds about right, given the noticeably sharper styling which draws on “sugomi” philosophy—a tenet that proposes to match every engineering addition with a styling benefit—placing the Z650 firmly in the middle of a Z class that extends the same design language from 125cc all the way to 1,000cc.

The chassis of the Z650 remains relatively unchanged but the LED headlight, headlight cowl, and new shrouds are edgier and sharper, upping the menace a couple of notches—in a good way. The compact LED headlight is complemented by a centrally located LED position light with angular edges and the headlight cowl also gets a new compact two-piece design, with new wide shrouds and radiator covers down below to carry through the theme of sugomi styling.

Despite the newly boosted attitude though, the middleweight naked remains extremely user friendly, with a narrow chassis profile and willing, predictable engine that makes for a great steppingstone toward a larger Z or, for many, just a solid commuter or urban bike. The plain-vanilla suspension still features the same right-side up nonadjustable fork but the dual 300mm brake discs are said to haul you down from speed with plenty of power. The confidence-inspiring and flexible twin-cylinder mill still makes for a solid commuter in town or a weekend getaway machine whether you’re rolling solo or with a passenger.

The bigger news for 2020 is the Z650’s new multifunction color TFT display which replaces the previous gauges with items like a gear position indicator, shift lamp, fuel gauge, and Economical Riding Indicator, plus other innovations that finally include a Bluetooth function for smartphone connectivity, like we’ve all become accustomed to at this point. A chip built into the instrument panel enables riders to connect to their motorcycle wirelessly, and if they use Rideology The App (yep, that’s the name), they can share info with others. They can also access vehicle info, log their routes, and record riding conditions. Telephone notifications can also be set to appear on the dash when a call or mail is received.

Wrapping up the updates for the 2020 Z650 is the addition of Dunlop Sportmax Roadsport 2 tires, as well as a restyled and more comfortable saddle for both rider and passenger. Kawasaki is also bringing in an ABS version of the bike for 2020.