Kawasaki Ninja ZX 6R
It spent two decades at the top of the 600s class – and now the 6R is back, and better than ever
WE ALL KNOW high-revving, four-cylinder sports 600s are just too damn peaky. Riding is tiring; it’s too much like hard work trying to keep their demanding motors fizzing at 16,000rpm. Tractable and easy to exploit? Anything but. Yet folklore and lazy stereotyping is put into question following Andy out of a junction as he canes the Honda. He’s using plenty of throttle and hanging onto gears, and I expect to have to use all the Kawasaki’s giddying revs to stay in touch with the more road-biased bike. Yet the ‘peaky’ ZX-6R glues itself to the CBR’S stumpy rear with little more than half throttle and short-shift taps on the new quickshifter. Kawasaki claim 128bhp for the 636cc engine at 13,500rpm. Might be a little optimistic, as this is essentially the same engine as 2013 when we dyno’d the four at 112bhp at the wheel. Either way, peak power is delivered at eye-watering revs with a definite rush once the motor gets deep into five-figure numbers on its tacho. And because strongest acceleration comes when thrashed, it overshadows the midrange and so makes the ZX feel a bit gutless low-down. In truth the Kawasaki is usable on the road, as our impromptu game of chase shows. The CBR’S torque peaks at 8500rpm, and the ZX is making the same 45 lb.ft or so at the same revs (and goes on to make even more). The ZX-6R weighs 11kg less than the Honda, and this reintroduced version has a lower final-drive ratio thanks to a one-tooth smaller gearbox sprocket, giving shorter gearing and easier acceleration. So there’s none of the ‘waiting for revs’ criticism often levelled at 600s. You zip about in the middle third of the range, scything past traffic – and then when you want a shot of excitement the top-end thrill is just a tap down on the lever and a handful of gas away.
Other perceived issues with a bike such as the Kwak are tiny size and an overly-stiff ride. But even these criticisms don’t hold that much water. Sure, the Ninja is compact; however, dimension-wise there’s bugger-all in it between the 6R and ‘larger’ ZX-10R. Its long seat gives space to get personal parts close to the fuel tank and adopt an upright position – and the ’bars are closer than on Kawasaki’s popular Z1000SX sports tourer. It’s no sofa, clearly, and nowhere near as comfortable for clicking miles as the CBR. But for
spirited summer fun it’s nothing like as intolerable as my creaking 6ft 2in frame expected. Size and weight mean manageability too; it’s 40 bags of sugar lighter than the Z1000SX and so far kinder on the back when being pushed around the garage.
And the chassis is supple enough for half-hearted road riding. Really. Front forks are Showa ‘big piston’, as used on many bigger sportsbikes, with a larger piston surface area giving more accurate damping and a smoother action than regular cartridge forks. Like the CBR, the ZX-6R’S front end is also ‘single function’, for wider adjustment range, lower weight and reduced friction – which means improved ride comfort. Braking over bumps shows that the forks are even plusher than the Honda’s.
On smooth, fast roads the ZX’S steering accuracy is fabulous – just like a supersport 600’s has always been. The precise chassis overflows with feedback, feel and confidence seemingly increasing in sync with the angle of dangle. When another inviting circle of clear tarmac arrives the Ninja’s head-down, bum-up sportiness allows another level of silliness, though requires adjustment after the relaxed CBR. ‘It’s not the position of the clip-ons or the way the ’pegs bend your knees,’ observes Andy after puck-scuffing laps, ‘but the height and ground clearance. You lean, lean, lean some more… and still wonder where the road is. Did we really crank our old bikes this far?’
It’s a shame the pressed aluminium frame doesn’t have the ‘ooh’ you used to get from extruded bare-alloy beams (‘even the steel frame on my FZR was painted silver,’ says Andy). There are pleasing elements, like a deep-section fabricated swingarm, but as with the CBR you don’t notice details or features as everything is black. It’s also a shame the update includes a curious protruding snout. Still, it’s balanced with ‘intelligent’ ABS and switchable traction control (both more sophisticated than the Honda), as well as the standardfit quickshifter. Slipper clutch, riding modes and shift light, too. Before this test I predicted tortured wrists and frustration at the ZX-6R’S power delivery. But while the 636 is obviously a sportsbike, rubbish for dawdling and requiring a certain mindset, it’s easier and more accommodating than expected – while still being every bit as involving and exciting as a sports 600 should be. Class thing.
‘Feel and confidence increase in sync with the angle of dangle’
‘Many thrills, tingly sensations, wide smiles – and the rediscovery of a different type of fun’