Kawasaki has updated the Ninja 650 for the 2027 model year, bringing significant changes to its suspension, braking hardware and connected features. The new middleweight motorcycle has been announced for global sales and is priced at £7,499 in the UK. It will be available there from December 2026.
The most significant changes are related to the front end. A 37 mm Showa SFF-BP telescopic fork is replacing the traditional Kawasaki telescopic fork, and the front brakes have been upgraded to 4-piston radial-mounted callipers. The parallel-twin 649cc engine, however, remains unchanged, maintaining the everyday drive-friendly character of the Ninja 650.
The 2027 Ninja 650 gets a 37 mm Showa SFF-BP (Separate Function Fork-Big Piston) inverted front fork. The larger piston provides lower damping pressure in the chassis for enhanced stability during braking and corner entry, says. The rear suspension is also freshly sprung for the new front set-up.
A significant improvement has also been made to the braking equipment. The motorcycle gets twin 300 mm front discs, while the previous twin 2-piston callipers have been removed and replaced with two sets of opposed 4-piston callipers mounted radially. Kawasaki claims that the configuration enhances the lever response and provides more linear braking modulations. A wider front mudguard has also been added.
The Ninja 650 has a 4.3-inch colour TFT instrument display, which receives a new layout. Adding to the Kawasaki’s Rideology app’s smartphone connectivity, navigation and voice command are added to the list of options. Availability of voice commands may differ by market and is dependent on a separate licence, says .
Additionally, the bike has a motorcycle-friendly feature called Kawasaki Quick Shifter (KQS). It will permit clutchless upshifts when accelerating and is not a standard feature. The bike still has Kawasaki Traction Control in two modes for the rider to choose.
The engine is the same 649cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin found on the previous generation of the bike. It has approximately 68 bhp and 64 Nm with a 6-speed gearbox. The engine’s low and mid-range focus has not departed from Kawasaki, as they have opted to retain the engine.
The 2027 model gets a 785 mm seat height, while international specifications list the kerb weight at around 194 kg. They come in Lime Green, Metallic Flat Spark Black/Metallic Carbon Grey and Metallic Matte Graphene Steel Grey/Metallic Spark Black options.
Kawasaki has yet to reveal an India date for the 2027 Ninja 650. The current India-spec version costs ₹7.91 lakh (ex-showroom), according to Kawasaki India, while the price and specification of the updated version for India remain to be confirmed.
