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Cruisers

1980Kawasaki Z 650LTD

22 fields on record

The 1980 Kawasaki Z 650LTD is a Japanese cruiser powered by a 652cc air-cooled inline four making 62 hp and 55.8 Nm. It weighs 215 kg dry.

Capacity: 652.0 ccm
Engine: In-line four, four-stroke
Gearbox: Not on record
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Dry weight: 215.0 kg
Seat height: 795 mm
Power: 62.0 HP (46.2 kW) @ 8000 RPM

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How it rides

Editorial estimate from the spec sheet - not lab tested

Off-road & trail5%

Cornering25%

City riding40%

Daily riding45%

Touring55%

Two-up50%

Track10%

Best for: Cruiser built for its class - everyday, practical use.
Built for: A cruiser from Kawasaki, built around a 652cc engine - a real production model, but this profile is formula-generated from its class and spec sheet rather than individually reviewed.
Not ideal for: Not for serious performance or off-road use.

Scores are derived from the spec sheet using the same model across every bike, so they compare like for like.

Will it fit you?

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Your height

Inseam (optional)

Units

At 795mm, a rider of 68.9" with a 31" (estimated) inseam will reach the ground with both feet flat on the 1980 Kawasaki Z 650LTD, with a relaxed knee angle of around 120 degrees and an upright riding position.

Assumes about 30mm of suspension sag once seated. This is an approximation from category-typical geometry, not a measurement of this bike or of you - sit on one before you buy.

More bikes at 751-820 mm — Middle Ground →

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Reliability & safety

Bike Reliability score, safety recalls and owner complaints

Bike Reliability

How the score works →

out of 100Below average

The Kawasaki Z 650LTD passed its annual roadworthiness test first time 82.1% of the time, 2.5 points below expected for bikes of the same age and mileage. That beats 38% of models.

This covers every year of the model.

Test records don't say which version a bike is, so this covers Kawasaki Z 650LTD / Kawasaki Z 650 SR together.

82.1%Passed first time

8.4%Failed outright

9.5%Fixed during test

35,000Typical miles

2,476Tests

Pass rate by miles ridden

0-10k

81.9%

10-20k

82.7%

20-30k

83.8%

30-40k

83.8%

40-50k

81.6%

50k+

79.1%

All years of this model.

Against its rivals · ranks 4 of 6

#	Model (all years)	Score	Tests
1	Honda VF 750 C	64 Good	4,019
2	Honda VT750C Shadow	59 Average	1,598
3	Kawasaki KZ 750 CSR (kz 750 M1)	57 Average	109
4	Kawasaki Z 650LTD	38 Below average	2,476
5	Honda CB 650 C	26 Below average	122
6	Yamaha XV 750 SE	18 Poor	326

Rivals are the most-viewed bikes on MotorcycleDB in the same category and engine size, from within three years of this model.

From British annual roadworthiness tests, 2005-2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (DVSA MOT test data, Great Britain). How Bike Reliability works.