Kawasaki is almost ready to take over the Superbike category with their effective local production plans and reduction in total cost of products. The manufacturer is planning expansion in the South Asian market, considering India as its future hub to produce and export models into Latin America and Africa. The process will take less than 2 years in total, hinting Kawasaki’s indirect plans of bringing almost entire lineup to India before 2020.
5 Upcoming Kawasaki Bikes (Expected)
# Ninja 250SL / Z250SL
Kawasaki Ninja 250SL is the only hope for single-cylinder Kawasaki motorcycle lovers of India. It will be a CBR250R rival, partially rivaling bigger products like TVS Apache RR310 and KTM RC390. Those looking for a premium KTM 250 Duke rival will love getting the upcoming Z250SL. Both these products have a niche fan following in India. Expecting under INR 2 lakh price tag will not be wrong at all.
# Ninja ZX-6R
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R is practically a ZX-10R with limited power for lesser experienced riders. Buyers will get 599cc, liquid cooled and fuel injected motor, creating enough power to overtake a Ninja 1000 in a drag race. It is lightweight, agile and available with a long list of segment-first components and electronic options. If locally produced, it can be placed under INR 9 lakh.
# Vulcan 900
Kawasaki can rule the cruiser segment with Vulcan 900 Classic, Custom, and Classic LT variant. This typical low slung motorcycle is powered by a 903cc, twin cylinder engine producing 79 Nm at 3500 rpm. The custom version looks street focused while LT is for touring lovers. The smart cruiser can challenge Harley Iron 883 in India. Pricing will depend on their choice of import route or local production plans.
# Vulcan 1700
Vulcan 1700 is the flagship cruiser from Kawasaki, available in Voyager and Vaquero variant. The Harley Davidson CVO rival is priced at a much effective point, saving almost half the money and bringing a relevant amount of power. The engine used on Vulcan 1700 is good for 145 Nm at just 2750 rpm. It looks super cool and brings 3-year warranty with itself. If locally produced, it can be placed at a much lower point (approx INR 12 lakh).
# Versys 1000
The flagship adventure tourer was discontinued due to low sales in India. Still, the best for this segment is the high demand, which will benefit the Versys 1000, if bought through local production route. It can share parts with the younger Versys model and help them exploit the area that’s currently under Triumph’s control.
Apart from these models, Kawasaki may also consider bringing Z300 with the same engine as Ninja 300 in India. They can even plant the 399cc motor from Ninja 400 into a Z bike and offer Z400 for more power. Ninja 125 and Z125 are two upcoming models to challenge the smallest possible sportbikes around the world. Concours is another popular variant internationally, based on the ZX-14R and carrying the same engine with touring friendly aesthetics.