Kawasaki has finally given the Ninja 650 a serious hardware upgrade for 2027, replacing the conventional front fork with a 37 mm Showa SFF-BP inverted fork and the existing two-piston axial-mount callipers with radial-mount four-piston brakes. The changes are top of the list of updates for Kawasaki’s 649 cc middleweight sports bike, which also gets revised rear suspension, a redesigned TFT display, expanded smartphone connectivity and a lower seat.
Up front, the new Showa SFF-BP (Separate Function Fork – Big Piston) replaces the previous telescopic unit. Kawasaki says the fork is designed to reduce damping pressure while delivering greater front-end control and rider feedback.
The braking system gets an equally significant overhaul, with radial-mount four-piston callipers replacing the previous axial-mount two-piston units. Brake discs sizing is still the same with twin 300 mm diameter semi-floating front discs, while the rear retains the current model 220 mm disc with a single-piston calliper.
