K awasaki ’ s 2020 Ninja 650 LAMS brings edgy , cool and aggressive supersport styling but with a much less drastic riding position for superior comfort . Cynical older riders often seem to disparage or even dismiss LAMS machines . But , let me tell you , that is a serious mistake when considering the new KRT Ninja 650 . While the performance numbers on paper don ’ t look overwhelming or even particularly exciting , the ride feel is still very healthy and certainly entertaining . This LAMS machine is fun , super capable and it looks fantastic . I seriously doubt any rider of any ability could return from a twisty road blast without wearing a smile and being impressed . Personally , I would have killed for a bike with this level of performance as a young fella .
GREEN BEATING HEART The engine is a double overhead cam ( DOHC ) parallel twin , fed by dual 36mm throttle bodies . The liquid-cooled 650 makes a maximum torque of 59Nm at 6500rpm and 50.2kW at 8000rpm . However , most of that torque figure feels well spread over a wide range from one quarter to three quarter throttle . The gearbox is six speed and the slipper clutch also has ‘ assist ’ making it very light . From stationary the power delivery is very perky with solid torque delivery and a nice twin cylinder beat . The exhaust note is quiet , yet the burble engaging . It ’ s fair to say the engine has decent low-end grunt , but with most of the power in the mid-range - it ’ s a wide , flexible zone that has the Kawasaki thrusting ahead effortlessly . The top-end is not the LAMS 650 ’ s
64 KIWI RIDER