Kawasaki, yesterday announced two brand new bikes ready to be launched in India. The Ninja1000 a super-sport fared bike, and Z1000 a more sport tourer version were launched in an event in Pune last week.
That however was not the only news coming out of the Kawasaki event last week. The company also announced a brand new showroom in Delhi. Right now the Kawasaki franchise has just the specialized showroom at Pune. The new showroom in Delhi, will not only help the company solidify its hold in the north, but will also allow bikers another service center in India. The dates of the opening of the new showroom were not announced, but we expect them to be somewhere in early January as well.
The naked Z1000
The Z1000, is a naked version of the Kawasaki bike family. Z1000 is powered by a 4 stroke in-line 4 cylinder, liquid cooled motor with a displacement of 1043cc which is mated to a 6 speed transmission. Z1000 produces peak power of 142PS at 11,000rpm and maximum torque of 111Nm at 7300rpm. It becomes the third bike in the Z series launched in India, following the ZX-10R and ZX-14R which were launched in September 2013. The bike is a naked variant, and would be appealing to the everyday biker section, who are trying to move up from routine bikes.
The Ninja 1000
The Ninja1000 on the other hand, is to satisfy the insatiable hunger of the Indian bikers for fared bikes. The Ninja1000 uses the same engine as the Z1000 and basically has the same setup as the Z1000, except for the signature fare around the bike. Also the Ninja1000 weighs in at around 230kgs, while the Z1000 clocks 221kgs.
Both the bikes will be sold as CBU (Completely Built Unit) in India. This is standard fare from Kawasaki apart from the Ninja 650 and Ninja 300, so no surprises there. Both the Ninja1000 and the Z1000 will be priced at 12.5 Lakhs ex-showroom Delhi and Pune. The prices may come as a surprise as fared bikes are usually sold at a higher price than their naked variants. Also to note here is the fact that Z1000 is priced at around Rs 3.2 Lakhs lesser than the supersport ZX-10R and Rs 4.4 Lakh cheaper than the maniac ZX-14R. This will make the Z1000 the entry level bike into the Z series.
Look wise, we appreciate how the Z1000 looks, its a futuristic design which is not often seen on the roads, and we are all thumbs up for it. The Ninja1000 on the other hand exploits the classic fared design of a sport bike, something the Ninja excels at doing. So basically, if you have 13 lakhs of cash lying around, I suggest you go and book yourself one of these beasts. The booking has started, and the bikes will being rolling out in early January.
Ever since Kawasaki has parted ways with Bajaj. They have been extremely aggressive in their approach, as far as bikes go. They have launched new bikes consistently, and look set to challenge their earlier partners and the new competitors in the premium and super-sport section. What do you make of the latest Ninja1000 and the Z1000. Do you think they have what it takes to be a force in India?
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