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The California Air Sources Board has issued an govt order for what we anticipate to be an up to date Kawasaki Z650RS for the 2024 mannequin yr. The replace is anticipated to be comparatively minor, including traction management to the Z650RS.
The replace would convey the retro RS mannequin in keeping with the extra modern-styled Z650 and the Ninja 650, each of which have been up to date with traction management for 2023, in addition to the Versys 650 which acquired traction management in 2022.
Beneath, we current the manager order for 2023 mannequin updates. In previous filings, Kawasaki tends to discuss with new or up to date bikes by its mannequin code for engine certifications as an alternative of its advertising and marketing identify (, to maintain them secret from the likes of yours actually). For the 2023 govt order, Kawasaki referred to the Z650 and Ninja 650 (plus their ABS-equipped variations) by mannequin codes together with the beforehand up to date Versys 650 ABS.
Govt order quantity M-001-0735 was issued final yr for the 2023 Z650 ABS (ER650NP), Z650 (ER650PP), Ninja 650 ABS (EX650PP), and Ninja 650 (EX650RP), in addition to the Versys 650 ABS. As per business commonplace, the P within the evaporative household (EVAP) codes on the correct column and on the finish of every mannequin code, stands for the 2023 mannequin yr.
A brand new 2024 govt order dated March 13, proven beneath, consists of the Versys, Ninja and Z650 fashions by identify, however provides a brand new “ER650RR” mannequin code. The 2023 Z650RS glided by the mannequin code ER650MP and had its personal govt order, because it was not up to date together with its brethren final yr. Seeing as Kawasaki hasn’t acquired a separate govt order for it but, our assumption, due to this fact, is that the ER650RR is for a revised 2024 Z650RS. 
If we’re appropriate that the ER650RR is the Z650RS, then that would go away the Vulcan S as the one member of Kawasaki’s 649cc Parallel-Twin household that has not acquired the identical replace. The Vulcan S (codenamed EN650) has a unique exhaust from the opposite 649cc Twin fashions and is due to this fact topic to its personal govt order, and it has not but acquired one for 2024.
So, why did Kawasaki wait a yr to replace the Z650RS as an alternative of doing it alongside the Z650 and Ninja 650? For one, the Z650RS was nonetheless comparatively new, solely launched for 2022. Updating it with traction management after only one yr could be a nasty look, as prospects that purchased the primary yr of manufacturing would have been neglected. As it’s, introducing it for 2024 would nonetheless go away two years’ value of Z650RS homeowners out.
The opposite concern is the Z650RS’ retro-inspired instrumentation. In contrast to the opposite 650 fashions, which employed a 4.3-inch TFT show, the RS makes use of two analog dials and a small LCD display. Including traction management would require new instrumentation; whether or not which means ditching the analog dials or changing the LCD with a brand new digital show, Kawasaki would have wanted to switch the instrumentation to incorporate traction management data.
As Kawasaki didn’t make every other modifications when it up to date the Z650 and Ninja 650 fashions, we don’t anticipate every other modifications to the Z650RS for 2024 past traction management, a brand new dashboard, and sure new colours. We will’t completely rule it out both, however with the Z650RS nonetheless being comparatively new, we don’t imagine it’s probably. We additionally don’t know whether or not the replace would result in a change to the Z650RS’ MSRP of $9,099.
We’ll know for sure when Kawasaki formally pronounces the ER650RR mannequin later this yr.
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