Kawasaki Z650RS (2022+) Maintenance Schedule

This is the maintenance schedule for the Kawasaki Z650RS, the parallel twin naked bike that Kawasaki has made since 2022, based on the venerable Kawasaki Z650 and the bikes that preceded it.

The Kawasaki Z650RS is the little sibling to the Kawasaki Z900RS. It’s a similar concept — a stylish but modern classic bike that is designed to do anything and look good doing it.

The core of the Z650RS is a 649cc DOHC liquid-cooled parallel twin. It makes peak power of 50 kW / 67 hp at 8000 rpm, with peak torque of 66 Nm / 49 ft-lb at 6500 rpm.

In many markets (e.g., the UK, Europe, Australia, and NZ) the Kawasaki Z650RS is also (sometimes only) available as an A2/LAMS-compliant lower power bike. Maintenance for these is the same.

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Kawasaki Z650RS Service Intervals

Overall, the Z650RS has 7500 mile / 12000 km service intervals. At every service, change the oil and filter, the air cleaner, and the spark plugs.

You also need to change the oil annually, regardless of distance.

There are a number of other things to check in the maintenance schedule, including the absence of leaks, and rubber parts being in good condition.

Every two services (every 15000 miles / 24000 km) do a major service of the Z650RS, including a valve clearance check and change of the brake fluid (which should be change every two years).

Since the Kawasaki Z650RS is liquid cooled, be sure to change the coolant periodically.

What you need to service the Kawasaki Z650RS

If you’re servicing the Kawasaki Z650RS, firstly, you might need these common motorcycle maintenance tools (thinks like an oil filter wrench, catch pan, etc.).

But aside from that, you’ll need these specific items to maintain the Kawasaki Z650RS.

Kawasaki oil grade recommendation — Consumables for servicing the Kawasaki Z650RS motorcycle

Part	Kawasaki Z650RS Spec
Oil	You need 1.8L (1.7 US qt) of SAE 10W-40 engine oil “with API SG, SH, SJ, SL or SM with JASO MA, MA1 or MA2 rating”, preferably Kawasaki 10W-40 Engine Oil, or a high-quality alternative like Motul 7100 10W-40. Don’t over-torque the drain bolt (spec is 30 Nm/22 lb-ft per the manual) — use a torque wrench if you don’t have experience with how much torque is enough.
Oil filter	Oil filter is part 16097-0008, or you can use Hiflofiltro HF303RC. Torque for oil filter is 17.5 Nm (12.9 ft-lb)
Front brake pads	You can get original OEM parts from a dealership, or double-sintered EBC brake pads for better bite and wear. Part numbers are FA226HH (both callipers)
Rear brake pads	As with the front brake pads, you can get original OEM parts from a dealership, or double-sintered EBC brake pads for better bite and wear. EBC part number is FA174HH.
Spark plugs	NGK CR9EIA-9, with a spark plug gap of 0.8-9.0mm (use a spark plug gapping tool), torqued to 13 Nm or 9 ft-lb (use a torque wrench)
Air filter	The air cleaner for the Z650RS is the same as that for the 2017+ Ninja 650 / Z650. The part number is 11013-0745. DNA also makes performance air filters with part number P-K6N15-01.
Cable lubricant	Remember to lubricate your clutch cable (and brake cables if you have them) with a cable lubricant. Protect All Cable Life is a good general-purpose lubricant.
Chain lubricant	The chain needs to be lubricated every 600 km/400 miles (or more, if it gets wet/dirty). Motul chain paste is cheap and well-loved.
Brake fluid	Spec is to use DOT-4 brake fluid like Castrol DOT 4.
Coolant	Use nitrate-free, phosphate-free, ethylene glycol-based coolant with anti-corrosion inhibitors, e.g., Zerex Asian Vehicle Coolant.
Grease	Use a lithium soap-based grease for all the important greasing points.

Maintenance schedule for the Kawasaki Z650RS

Below is the maintenance schedule for the Kawasaki Z650RS.

This is the same schedule as in the manual, just modified a bit to make it easier to read.

mi x 1000	0.6	7.5	15	22.5	30
km x 1000	1	12	24	36	48	Every
Engine oil (Kawasaki 10W-40 engine oil)	R	R	R	R	R	Year: R
Oil filter (HF303RC)		R	R	R	R
Air cleaner element (P-K6N15-01)		R	R	R	R	More often if riding in dusty/rainy conditions
Spark plug (CR9EIA-9)		R	R	R	R
Valve clearances			I		I
Idle speed	I	I	I	I	I
Throttle control system (play, smooth return, no drag)	I	I	I	I	I	Year: I
Engine vacuum synchronization		I	I	I	I
Cooling system	I	I	I	I	I	Year: I
Coolant, water hoses, and O-rings				R		3 years: R
Fuel system	I	I	I	I	I	Year: I
Fuel filter			R		R
Fuel hose						5 years: R
Evaporative emission control system (if present)			I		I
Air suction system		I	I	I	I
Clutch operation (play, engagement, disengagement)	I	I	I	I	I
Wheel bearing damage		I	I	I	I	Year: I
Drive chain wear		I	I	I	I	More often if riding in dusty/rainy conditions
Drive chain guide wear		I	I	I	I
Brake system	I	I	I	I	I	Year: I
Brake operation (effectiveness, play, no drag)	I	I	I	I	I	Year: I
Brake fluid (front and rear) (Castrol DOT 4)			R		R	2 years: R
Brake hose						4 years: R
Rubber parts of brake master cylinder and caliper					R	4 years: R
Suspension system		I	I	I	I	Year: I
Lubricate rear suspension			L		L
Steering play	I	I	I	I	I	Year: I
Steering stem bearings			L		L	2 years: L
Electrical system		I	I	I	I	Year: I
Chassis parts		L	L	L	L	Year: L
Condition of bolts, nuts, and fasteners	I	I	I	I	I

Kawasaki Z650RS Maintenance Schedule

Maintaining the Kawasaki Z650RS Chain

It’s important to maintain your chain on the Z650, as it gets a lot of hard use as a commuter typically. Use a good-quality chain lubricant like Motul chain paste, or a Motul chain care kit which comes with a couple of handy tools to maintain the chain.

Kawasaki recommends you follow the following chain maintenance schedule:

Chain maintenance item	Every
Check drive chain lubrication condition, lubricating if necessary (Motul chain paste)	400 mi / 600 km
Check drive chain slack, adjusting if necessary Standard slack: 20-30mm, measuring from top to bottom of chain at tightest point, moving up and down with finger	600 mi / 1000 km

Chain maintenance — Kawasaki Z650

Notes:

Do these items (checking/adjusting slack, and checking/applying lubrication) more often if you ride your Z650RS in dusty or rainy conditions.
Always lubricate the chain after washing the motorcycle.

About the Kawasaki Z650RS

2022 Kawasaki Z650RS static with guy sitting on it — Guy looking cool on a Kawasaki Z650RS

To be blunt, the Kawasaki Z650RS is the same as a Kawasaki Z650, but dressed up to look cool.

The Kawasaki Z650 already looks cool. But the Z650 looks cool — just to a different segment of riders, those that prefer retro, old-school looks. Nobody’s right, but everybody gets their choices!

Mechanically, the Z650 and Z650RS are identical. Same engine, same brakes, same chassis.

But there are some definite differences, for example in the riding position, that are plain when you just look at the two side by side (you’ll need to zoom out if you’re reading this on a phone, or you’ll see one above the other).

Nonetheless, both bikes are comfortable, easy-to-ride everyday motorcycles. The one you choose will be largely decided by aesthetics.

The heart of the Kawasaki Z650RS is the indomitable 649 cc parallel twin. It’s liquid cooled, has dual overhead cams, and four valves per cylinder. In base trim, the Z650RS make a modest 49 kW / 67 hp, which isn’t too much in the scheme of things, but which is plenty for what the Z650RS is for — everyday riding and casual weekend fun at speeds well into the ludicrous, where the lack of a fairing is the main obstacle, not horsepower.

The Z650RS has a chain final drive and a slip/assist clutch, which isn’t something you should assume the competition has — they don’t all have it, necessarily!

Something that Kawasaki graciously haven’t forgotten is that the Z is a retro-inspired bike. So this is one of the few new motorcycles you can buy with both a modern motor and with twin gauges instead of a TFT display.

Kawasaki Z650RS Twin Gauges. Photography: Kevin Wing, Rider Magazine

Aside from that, the tech on the Z650RS is quite basic.

The suspension is non-inverted at the front, and non-adjustable. You can adjust the monoshock at the rear, but for preload only.

But the braking is quite capable. There are dual 300mm discs and 2-piston calipers, which are more than enough, with great feel and enough stopping power for even fairly active riding (though probably with not enough heat dissipation for a track day, unless you take it easy!)

The Z650RS comes standard with ABS, but from 2024 it also gets standard traction control (which the Z650 got in 2023).

One of the joys of owning Kawasaki naked bikes is that maintenance is both easy and infrequent. The parallel twin in the Z is nearly unbreakable, unless you ride the bike with no oil in it or do something stupid. It’s really an under-stressed, unfussed motor that nonetheless has a nice crackle to it (it has a 180-degree crankshaft) and works well at all rpms.