2014 Kawasaki NJA 650 ABS, The Kawasaki Ninja 650 is one of those rare sportbikes that wears a lot of hats. It encapsulates the passion and performance of an elite modern sportbike while also delivering the efficiency and value of an urban commuter. Equipped with high-performance hardware such as petal-type brake rotors and grippy Dunlop Roadsmart II tires, it definitely has the skills to compete with any sportbike on the road.But the Ninja 650 also appeals to the senses of the sensible. Easy-to-read analog and digital instrumentation, responsive and user-friendly engine performance and a comfortable tapered seat that isnt too tall for shorter riders, enhance its utility while an attractive perimeter-style frame and striking angular bodywork camouflage all this common sense. With its brilliant combination of performance and practicality, its no wonder that the Ninja 650 can hold its own at any sportbike gathering, from track days to bike nights.It all starts in the engine bay, where an advanced, highly compact, liquid-cooled 649cc parallel twin works its magic with help from a Digital Fuel Injection (DFI) system featuring 38mm throttle bodies with sub-throttles for precise fueling and optimum response. This ultra-narrow engine produces substantial power with plenty of character especially down low and in the mid-range from an impressive array of technology, including double overhead camshafts acting on eight lightweight valves. Lightweight pistons run in plated, linerless cylinders, while a 180-degree crank assembly coupled with a balancer shaft maintains a surprising level of smoothness.This has always been a brilliant streetbike engine torquey, smooth, and happy to rev, with enough satisfying low- and mid-range oomph to please novices and experts alike. Figure in the Ninja 650s estimated 50-mpg* fuel economy, precise fuel injection and its pleasing twin-cylinder throb, and youre looking at what just might be the most flexible and satisfying streetbike engine on the planet.Wrapping around that wonderfully usable engine is a twin-pipe perimeter frame that offers balanced rigidity, and a narrow-waisted design for a comfortable reach to the ground. The frame is slim, light, compact and aesthetically pleasing, while a swingarm with forged axle holders lets the rear wheel arc through its suspension travel in style. A backbone-type subframe offers excellent carrying capacity.Combined with the front and rear suspension settings, the overall chassis setup which includes Dunlops Roadsmart II tires amplifies the sporty-yet-comfortable ethos thats won so many fans for the Ninja 650 over the years.Both the handlebar and saddle are rubber-mounted, along with the footpegs, vibration-free comfort. And while enjoying all that ergonomic goodness, youll gaze upon an instrument panel featuring an analog tachometer situated above an LCD info-center that displays speed, fuel consumption, remaining range, trip meters, etc., plus a swath of info-lights to the right.Fo