Kawasaki Z650
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| Manufacturer | Kawasaki Motorcycle & Engine Company |
|---|---|
| Parent company | Kawasaki Heavy Industries |
| Production | 1977-1983 |
| Class | standard |
| Engine | 652 cc (39.8 cu in) inline four |
| Bore / stroke | 62 mm × 54 mm (2.4 in × 2.1 in) |
| Compression ratio | 9.5:1 |
| Top speed | 115 mph (185 km/h) |
| Power | 62 hp (46 kW) @ 8,500 rpm (claimed) |
| Torque | 41 lb·ft (56 N·m) @ 7,000 rpm (claimed) |
| Ignition type | points, then CDI |
| Transmission | 5-speed, chain final drive |
| Frame type | double cradle frame |
| Suspension | Front:36 mm telescopic forks Rear: twin rear shocks |
| Brakes | Front: single or twin 275 mm (10.8 in) discs Rear: 180 mm (7.1 in) drum or disc |
| Wheelbase | 1,420 mm (55.9 in) |
| Weight | 465 lb (211 kg) (dry) 485 lb (220 kg) (wet) |
| Fuel capacity | 16.8 L (3.7 imp gal; 4.4 US gal) |
The Kawasaki Z650 (known as KZ650 in North America) was a 652 cc (39.8 cu in) standard motorcycle made by Kawasaki from 1976 till 1983. It featured a four-cylinder four-stroke DOHC air-cooled wet sump engine with two valves per cylinder and a five-speed gearbox. Designed as a middleweight sibling to the Kawasaki Z1, it competed in the market against the smaller SOHC Honda CB650. The Z650 was the epitome of the "Universal Japanese Motorcycle", or "UJM".
The Z650's project leader was Mr Inamura. In its seven-year history, the Z650 underwent a number of iterations, as follows:
This first Z650 had a single front 275 mm disc brake and a 250 mm rear drum. Although the Z650's engine was based on the 900 cc (55 cu in) there were several differences: the 650 used a plain bearing crankshaft with a HyVo (or "Morse") chain primary drive instead of a gear drive, which necessitated the installation of a third (intermediate) shaft in the transmission to drive the input side of the clutch. Another departure from the Z1 engine design was the use of a shim-under-bucket method of setting valve clearances. (The Z1 engine's shim-over-bucket design caused some mishaps when its camshafts flicked the shims out of position, with consequent damage).
The front brake caliper was resited to the rear of the fork leg and the front master cylinder reservoir shape was changed. A hazard switch was added. Needle roller bearings were fitted to the swingarm instead of the earlier plain bushings. Tuning modifications were made to the carbs to improve low speed operation. The manual operation fuel tap was replaced with an automatic diaphragm unit. A rear disc brake replaced the earlier drum.
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Wikipedia