The arrival on the market of the new Aprilia RS and Tuono 660 has awakened a segment that had been at a standstill for several years. It seems Yamaha is working on an R7, while Kawasaki's plans are still shrouded in mystery even though many enthusiasts dream of a Ninja 700.
The bike is rumored to be an evolution of the current Kawasaki Ninja 650, with an increase in displacement to allow it to compete with the Yamaha MT-07 and Aprilia RS 660.
The veracity of this rumor remains to be verified, but there is some logic to the idea, if it turns out to be true. Indeed, the medium-displacement twin-cylinder category has long been a segment forgotten by the motorcycle industry, in which the Suzuki SV650 dominated, which has only experienced modest changes during its 20 years of good and loyal service.
When the Yamaha MT-07 entered the scene, it became a serious contender for budget-conscious riders, thereby shifting some of Suzuki's sales into the Yamaha camp, but it can hardly be said that the MT-07 did advance the segment. The arrival of the new Aprilia RS 660 has given a boost to this segment, with a chassis and quality parts, can give a lot of satisfaction.
There was a time when the Kawasaki Ninja 650 was the go-to choice for riders, but that category has lost steam. Likewise, the 650cc engine capacity has given way to 700cc and above. Many fans believe that Kawasaki would have the right weapons to fit into the group, although at the moment there is nothing official on this subject. However, interest is strong, which is why designer KarDesign created a Ninja 700 equipped with the twin-cylinder of the Ninja 650. The rendering skillfully mixes some details of the 10 ZX-2021R, such as the exhaust, brake discs, and others from the current Ninja 650.
This would require Kawasaki to increase the displacement of its twin-cylinder 650cc to reach 700cc, which could bring the Ninja 700 to reach around 95 hp, power which could be exploited by more advanced electronics derived from that of the big sister 1000 Will it really arrive? To find out more, just wait…
