As the latest superbike and hyper naked technology trickle down to the smaller classes, today’s middleweight sportbikes and naked bikes continue to gain advanced features. Up to this point, Kawasaki’s Ninja 650 and Z650 have gone without such rider aids, but both models will gain one industry standard in 2023: traction control.
The two twins will offer riders three different KTRC (Kawasaki TRaction Control) settings to suit changing road and weather conditions. In mode 1, the system preserves purchase by measuring wheel spin. Without an IMU, the function isn’t lean-sensitive, but it should still enhance safety while optimizing corner-exit drive.
