Kawasaki has unveiled the Ninja 500 and Z500 at EICMA 2023. The EICMA is a yearly trade show that takes place in Milan, Italy. For two-wheeler manufacturers, EICMA is the perfect stage to unveil future motorcycles and concepts. Kawasaki has also showcased two of its middle-weight motorcycles at the trade show. Both the Ninja 500 and the Z500 use the exact same engine. The bodywork of both of these motorcycles is different. The Ninja 500 and Z500 will be available in two variants: Standard and SE. For now, the Japanese manufacturer has not disclosed whether the 500 lineups will be launched in the Indian market or not.
Kawasaki Ninja 500
All the faired motorcycles manufactured by Kawasaki have a similar front face. The new Ninja 500, too, gets the same front face along with a split headlight design. The Kawasaki Ninja 500 comes with split seats, telescopic forks, clip-on bars, a side-slung exhaust, a monoshock, and 17-inch alloy wheels.
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Kawasaki Z500
The Kawasaki Z500 has no fairings since it’s a street-naked version of the Ninja 500. The Z500 gets a new headlight setup along with three LED units. The design of the Z500 is very similar to the other Z lineups, like the 900, 1000, and 650. It has similar components, such as brakes, wheels, and suspension. Instead of a clip-on, the new motorcycle has a one-piece handlebar. The 650 and other Kawasaki models come with twin brakes, while the Kawasaki Z500 lineup utilizes a single front disc brake setup. It features a double-channel ABS setup and an LCD dash.
The Z500 and Ninja 500 are expected to be powered by a 451cc, parallel-dual liquid-cooled engine. Kawasaki has not disclosed the power and torque outputs of the engine. However, the Eliminator 500 is powered by the same engine. The 451-cc liquid-cooled engine churns out 45.4 bhp at 9,2000 rpm and 42 Nm of peak torque at 6,000 rpm. It is mated to a six-speed gearbox along with a slip-and-assist clutch. The Z500 and Ninja 500 both have trellis frames that are suspended by a telescopic fork in the front, and at the rear, they have an adjustable monoshock. For brake duties, they get a disc brake both at the front and rear.
Both the Z500 and Ninja 500 will come equipped with an LCD instrument cluster and a double-channel anti-lock braking system. The higher-spec SE variant gets a USB Type C charging port and Bluetooth connectivity utilizing the Kawasaki Rideology App. As a standard, the SE variant also gets KIPASS keyless ignition, a TFT meter, and a USB-C outlet.