KAWASAKI ZX-6R
THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… getting very wet and cold.
Come on then, who can honestly say they love riding and razzing round when temperatures are nudging zero? You know, when the ground is covered in salt, grime and crap and to top things off, there seems to be a constant stream of showers whenever I roll my lovely little Kwak out for a spin. Don’t get me wrong, I always enjoy riding no matter what, but the British winter does ‘en half make it difficult sometimes.
The problem I’ve found though is that the ZX-6R is so bloody good, I really don’t want to leave it tucked up in the garage. I’m genuinely going to be sad to see it go, and unfortunately, we’re coming ever closer into the danger zone of saying goodbye – which means that I’ve been making the most out of the odd few bits of sunshine here and there.
It’s not all been great sunshine and I have been caught out, but when I have been absolutely pissed on, I have managed to learn a few things. For starters, I’m genuinely surprised how well those Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa IIs have looked after me; I’ve spanked them in steaming temperatures on both track and road throughout the summer and they are still in good nick, but even when there’s ginormous, disgusting puddles, I can’t believe the amount of grip they offer. Genuinely, they’re a really good all-round tyre.
While things have been really grim, I’ve also had the chance to play around with the traction control and the second engine mode, but in my humble opinion, I really don’t think they’re necessary.
As far as traction control goes, on mode 1 it’s quite pleasant, but with the TC up a few settings it does cut in, but it tends to cut in quite harshly. To be honest, the ZX-6R is so smooth anyway I really don’t feel like it’s necessary – I mean, If you find yourself having a big fat slide out of a corner on a 600, there’s a strong chance you’re going to end up eating tarmac either way. Same goes for the second engine mode. Honestly, the 636cc engine is the only one of its kind that actually feels more than happy to sit at the bottom end of the rev range – it can be ridden slowly and smoothly, and the second engine mode just kills that gorgeous shove if you fancy opening it up. It’s just a personal opinion mind, and I know a lot of people like having a safety barrier. After a day of messing around with different settings, I ended up back in the high engine mode, with no TC. I reckon it’s the way to go…
Heading into the winter months I am almost ashamed of the number of miles I have put on the CBR650R. In years past under different circumstances, I had a working commute before being based at home, meetings did not necessitate the use of a car and I was far more outward bound – I would have easily completed five times as many miles at this stage as I have on this Honda.
I hasten to add that the low mileage is absolutely no reflection on this cracking bike, and the 2,000+ miles completed so far have been a joy. The truth is that other Hondabased biking commitments have dominated this year with competing in the EMRA CB500 series, which seriously scratched my riding itch. These racing exploits did have a bit of a negative effect on my road work though; I felt myself getting a little over-confident at points, definitely faster where I shouldn’t have been, and liking the roundabout outside my local Tesco to Edwina’s at Mallory Park… late into turns with the hard braking warning indicators flashing – energetically flicking side to side with the occasional knee scrape. That’s no way for a 45-year-old to behave.
All that said, these excitable and not entirely legal bursts did demonstrate the capabilities of the CBR650R. Despite fitting an Akrapovic race system this is not a bike for ragging the hell out of. No, it's an all-rounder that can certainly hold its own on track, but is potentially happier at a more subdued pace, which will just keep eating miles and leave you, the rider, content in your travels. As mentioned, the CBR650R is now sporting an Akrapovic racing exhaust, a great addition that not only saves weight and boasts impressive power gains, but also gives you a pleasing soundtrack even with the baffle in.
Complementing this perfectly is the new set of Dunlop Roadsmart 3s that replaced the OE D214s, which caused many a negative comment from the launch of the CBR650R. At first I had not really noticed the shortcomings of the OE as I nursed the bike to its first service, but my confidence in them dropped as it increased with my riding demands on the bike.
Though I have only just really bedded in the Roadsmart 3s they have already enhanced my ride. An increase in the silicone in the make-up of the tyre aids the grip on even the coldest and wettest of mornings, which was a great comfort when out on my first ‘winter ride’ in deep fog when I had more than enough to concentrate on with a damp, fogged visor and numb hands. The tyres warmed as quickly as I froze in my summer gear with a 6am start in freezing fog. Despite this cold I could enjoy plenty of grip and stopping power as the cars’ fog lights in front repeatedly turned to braking lights in the godawful visibility.
The Roadsmart 3 complements the CBR650R perfectly, a sport touring tyre for a sport touring bike, capable of giving you plenty of grip on the road and on track. Ron Haslam has them fitted to his training fleet, which I experienced this summer where I had no qualms on track braking late, throwing the bike into the corners and driving out feeling plenty of grip throughout my track time. Considering the use these bikes have, the longevity boasts must keep Ron’s bill down too – reportedly 19% more life in the rear and a staggering 82% on the front than its main rivals.
I don’t think I will have the Honda long enough to test the longevity of these tyres, but will certainly try to up the mileage before Honda ask for their bike back. I just hope that the planets align so I can get more time in the seat and give it the mileage that it truly deserves.