I'm on my third Kawasaki long-term test bike of '24-'25 and it's my favourite one yet!
![Gareth Evans with the Kawasaki Ninja 650 Performance](https://mcn-images.bauersecure.com/wp-images/315246/822x548/kawasaki-ninja-650-performance-01.jpg)
You join me a few hundred miles into life with the third Kawasaki of the long-term test period, and it’s one I simply wasn’t expecting. You see, the firm have taken the high-tech Ninja 7 Hybrid away for the recall work I mentioned last time, and it’s been replaced by this rather fetchingly styled Ninja 650 Performance model.
Read more
- Update one: Does the 650 live up to Kawasaki’s Ninja name?
- Update two: High-mile fish and chip run
Didn’t you run a Ninja 650 at the start of 2024?
Well remembered. But to keep things fresh, this one’s a little different to before, being the ‘Performance’ derivative of the middleweight parallel-twin.
![Kawasaki Ninja 650 Performance Arrow exhaust Kawasaki Ninja 650 Performance Arrow exhaust](https://mcn-images.bauersecure.com/wp-images/315246/820x0/kawasaki-ninja-650-performance-02.jpg)
What that means is it gets a full Arrow exhaust system, smoked screen and a comfort seat option.That little lot costs from £1000 extra over the standard machine. It’s also on upgraded rubber – sitting on Dunlop Sportmax Roadsport 2s as opposed to the earlier versions on my previous 2024 650 – and all 2025 model 650s enjoy this upgrade.
Not a massive amount of difference really, then…
Actually, yes. The Performance upgrade in this case adds up to more than the sum of its constituent parts. The changes have been carefully configured and what they add to the experience really surprised me from the word go.
This bike feels so much more alive underneath me than the stock Ninja 650 ever did. I think the tyres play the biggest part here, because they’re far more advanced in terms of tread design and compound, and the handling of the Kawasaki has been transformed as a result. The 650 genuinely does feel like a different motorcycle altogether.
![Kawasaki Ninja 650 Performance autumnal setting Kawasaki Ninja 650 Performance autumnal setting](https://mcn-images.bauersecure.com/wp-images/315246/820x0/kawasaki-ninja-650-performance-03.jpg)
The engine’s still that same slightly anodyne parallel-twin with its sad-sounding claimed 68bhp, but the new pipe has introduced some much-needed theatre to proceedings, with a throaty burble at low-to-mid rpm and some naughty pops and parps on the overrun. Presumably this Euro5+ compliant system is also slightly lighter, which would help with the aforementioned added litheness, but the bit I like best about it is the aural upgrade.
And finally, the seat deserves a mention. I remember the standard Ninja 650 feeling a little wooden on one’s rear end after a few hours in the saddle, and there’s none of that this time around. It feels much nicer to ride, and as a consequence, I want to do so more often despite the grimy weather. It’s a win/win.
Would you buy one?
Given the choice, I would heartily recommend buying this Performance over a 2024 Ninja 650, based on my initial impressions. The step up is really tangible. It transforms the bike from an also-ran into something that finally matches up with its looks: a sporty, exciting package.
![Kawasaki Ninja 650 Performance tyres Kawasaki Ninja 650 Performance tyres](https://mcn-images.bauersecure.com/wp-images/315246/820x0/kawasaki-ninja-650-performance-04.jpg)
Obviously it isn’t in the same league as the supersports ZX-6R when it comes to handling or endless revs, but considering this bike’s brief as a more road-focused, comfy mile-munching sporty middleweight, I think they’ve finally nailed it.
It also has much more of a ‘big bike’ feel than the Ninja 500 while remaining A2 friendly, which should appeal to newer riders as well as more experienced folk.
Happily, I’ve now got my hands on a bike that’s got me emotionally engaged in a way the Hybrid and the standard 650 didn’t achieve.