CONCLUSION
We were so impressed with the power figures of the 636 that we thought we ought to see for ourselves just what sort of bhp the thing delivers at the back wheel. So off we went to see our mates at Black and White Bikes in search of some real life power and torque figures. Once we had strapped the ZX-6R down to the test bed, and helped Paul locate a pickup for the rev counter on the dynamometer (actually I think we just got in the way while he located it himself), the little Ninja was fired up, warmed up, and then given a right good pasting.
After a few power runs, the best reading we saw was 115bhp, so we asked Paul what he made of it.
“That’s not bad power at all. It seems to step in between about 7,000rpm – 8,000rpm and it looks pretty nice – it’s reasonably flat. That extra 36cc seems to be making itself known, you are going to feel that over the likes of an R6. The speedometer said 165mph when we were on the limiter in top gear but in truth it was only doing 150mph. The rpm was also a little bit out. When it hits its redline at an indicated 16,000rpm, it’s a realistic 15,200rpm. But that is fairly typical of most modern bikes – the manufacturers build them so they always over-read rather than the other way round, so that if you are sat at an indicated 30mph, you are probably doing nearer 25mph than 35mph – the manufacturers would be in and out of court like nobody’s business, paying people’s speeding tickets for them, if that was the case! The Kawasaki is 10% out but that is fairly typical.
In all fairness all the 600s have really similar power these days – if you are buying one because it makes the most power, well you’re buying it for the wrong reason. You’ve really got to take into account what it’s like to ride, how well it fits you, and even whether or not you like the looks of it.
A dyno is a great tool, but peak power figures aren’t the be all and end all.”
While we were there with the bikes, we chucked the GSX-R on too. The Suzuki made 185bhp at the back wheel which didn’t surprise Paul in the least.
“All the modern Superbikes are fairly similar, I haven’t seen the new 2019 BMW S1000RR yet, but with 185bhp the Gixer is definitely on the money, especially as it is completely stock with a standard can.”
Of course, peak power figures are a massive talking point. In fact they are more than that, they are a massive selling point, particularly in the sportsbike market. But Frodo and I learnt something during our epic road trip through sunny Spain. We learnt that you, genuinely, can have as much fun on something with 115bhp as you can on 185bhp. It’s true that the Gixer is a lot more of a motorbike than the Ninja – it has everything the Ninja has, and a lot more besides. If you’re drag racing, the Gixer (or the Fireblade, or the R1 etc.), just like if you were to be trackdaying at a (normal) circuit, would blitz the 600. But on the road, whether we were munching motorway miles or scratching round Spain’s stunning sierras the ZX-6R was more than a match for the GSX-R.
We learnt from our dyno time that the 636 will only manage 150mph, flat out in top, and the GSX-R will do 182mph flat out in top which is only worth worrying about on an autobahn – in real life, be it on the Gixer or the Ninja, if you do make it up to the dizzy heights of 150mph, you are unlikely to be there that long. Flat-out top speed and peak power might be figures that get bandied about but they really aren’t that important, because you are only ever there fleetingly.
What is important is what the bike does when it’s on its way to peak power, and terminal velocity. And how it makes you feel when its doing that. Frodo and I both loved the Suzuki; in fact we will have a hoot on almost any 1,000cc sportsbike you’re daft enough to throw at us. They’re great but they need to be treated with a fair amount of respect, and an even fairer amount of commitment if you want to make one really shift.
And I’m not suggesting that the 636 doesn’t command respect, it does, just not to the same degree. You see, with the 115bhp, you can take liberties with the throttle that you wouldn’t dream of on a thou’. You can ride a 600 like you mean it, stretching the cables and making it sing – and to us, that’s what riding sportsbikes is all about. It’s not a 200bhp superbike, and it might be the other side of £10k compared to anything else in the sector, but the 2019 Kawasaki ZX-6R is a proper sportsbike, and we loved it.