KAWASAKI ZX-6R
With the previous ZX-6R considered the runt of the mid-size sportbike litter, Kawasaki had their work cut out to come up with a bike that would make the industry sit up and take notice. The Green Ones rose to the challenge with a long list of improvements for the latest incarnation of the 600 Ninja, among them a lot of attention to weight and balance.
Having shaved a whopping 10 kg of the Ninja’s curb mass, Kawasaki is justifiably proud of their achievement. The list of components that were put on diet is impressively long, and it seems that very little escaped the eyes of Kawasaki’s weight saving team. In this, Kawasaki firmly espoused the philosophy of the late Colin Chapman of Lotus, who was reputed to have said: “Adding power makes you faster on the straights. Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere.“
A great deal of the weight saving was achieved by making engine components lighter. The camshafts save 400g, and lightweight magnesium engine covers help the Kawasaki shed a further 610g. For track use, noise-reducing pads inside the engine covers can be removed for a reduction of a further 340g, and a revised top injector mounting plate saves approximately 80g. Changes to the gearbox, oil pump and starter gears shave off a further 240g, and monitoring of the inlet pressure pulses allows the camshaft angle sensor to be eliminated.
But just making the bike as light as possible wouldn’t necessarily make it quicker, so Kawasaki went to work to make the Ninja more nimble as well. Most notable in this department is the fact that the new ZX-6R’s exhaust system is no longer under the seat. A pre-chamber under the engine not only enabled them to use a smaller silencer, but also helped in their quest to centralise mass in order to make the Ninja more responsive than its predecessor.
The engine also received a fair bit of attention, and not just from the weight scrutineers. Maximum power for this year’s model was upped to 94.1 kW at 14 000 rpm (98.5 kW with Ram Air), but more impressively (and immediately apparent on the road), the ZX-6R received a very welcome boost in mid-range torque – it now delivers 66.7 Nm at 11 800 rpm. Kawasaki re-profiled the pistons and improved the crown finishing to contribute to the gain in performance.Low friction engine internal coatings and low-tension piston rings, as well as revised camchain guides help to keep mechanical losses to the minimum.
Pulling in the reins on the added power requires authoritive brakes, and in this department the Ninja doesn’t disappoint either. Stopping power comes by virtue of large-diameter semi-floating petal discs. With a thickness of 6 mm, the discs are able to withstand the rigors of circuit riding. Powerful radial-mount calipers on the front brakes give a very direct feel at the lever. I felt that the rear brake pedal lacked feel and required more input than I would have liked, but that’s not all together a bad thing. In all, the ZX-6R’s braking performance is quite impressive.
The ZX-6R is the first production sportbike to boast Showa’s BPF (big piston fork) front suspension. The BPF features a main piston almost twice the diameter of a cartridge-type fork of the same size. This causes the oil inside the fork to act on a surface area almost four times the size of the older units, and allows damping pressure to be reduced without affecting damping force. The nett result is greater control as the fork begins to compress, and more stability as the bike’s weight shifts forward under braking.
A quick walkaround reveals several styling cues inherited from its litre sibling, and the transition to the smaller bike somehow seems to work even better. This is particularly evident in the ZX10-like headlamps and frontal treatment. The smaller Ninja is a handsome bike, and minor touches like the way the pre-chamber cover visually integrates with the fairing does nothing to harm its looks. The review bike was finished in “Candy Burnt Orange”, which helped it to attract a good deal of attention from passers-by during the test period.
When I first saw the new ZX-6R, I cast a dubious glance at the slab-like seat but on the road it turned out to be remarkably comfortable. In fact, ergonomics in general are quite good – I found the distance between the seat (lowered to 815 mm on this model) and the foot pegs to be almost perfect for my 1.78m-torso. The Ninja is surprisingly comfortable for a sportbike and, combined with its more tractable engine, this makes it a viable everyday bike.
However, with its unabashed track bias this is a bike that fairly begs to be thrown at curves with careless abandon – it seems as if everything about the ZX-6R works in harmony to entice the rider to go faster. Most notable among these enticements is its sound: at idling speed the bikes sounds almost unseemly civilized, but the sound thickens to a satisfying growl at mid-range revs. As the tach needle approaches the upper reaches of the dial, the Kawasaki emits a satisfying scream that, I believe, only the most disciplined riders can resist invoking.
The combined effect of all the changes make for a confidence-inspiring bike. Once I became familiar with the Ninja’s handling, I found myself consistently taking corners faster than I usually do, braking later on entry. The bike is remarkably stable, especially under hard braking when the BPF and the slipper clutch join forces to help keep things tidy. In addition, an adjustable Ohlins steering damper does a good job of moderating road feedback during over-enthusiastic cornering on bumpy surfaces.
Kawasaki practically went back to the drawing board in their attempt to turn the Ninja into a credible contender in its class, and in my opinion they have been successful in upping the ante. Barring a dramatic response from the competition, Kawasaki might well have a class leader on their hands.
Having shaved a whopping 10 kg of the Ninja’s curb mass, Kawasaki is justifiably proud of their achievement. The list of components that were put on diet is impressively long, and it seems that very little escaped the eyes of Kawasaki’s weight saving team. In this, Kawasaki firmly espoused the philosophy of the late Colin Chapman of Lotus, who was reputed to have said: “Adding power makes you faster on the straights. Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere.“
A great deal of the weight saving was achieved by making engine components lighter. The camshafts save 400g, and lightweight magnesium engine covers help the Kawasaki shed a further 610g. For track use, noise-reducing pads inside the engine covers can be removed for a reduction of a further 340g, and a revised top injector mounting plate saves approximately 80g. Changes to the gearbox, oil pump and starter gears shave off a further 240g, and monitoring of the inlet pressure pulses allows the camshaft angle sensor to be eliminated.
But just making the bike as light as possible wouldn’t necessarily make it quicker, so Kawasaki went to work to make the Ninja more nimble as well. Most notable in this department is the fact that the new ZX-6R’s exhaust system is no longer under the seat. A pre-chamber under the engine not only enabled them to use a smaller silencer, but also helped in their quest to centralise mass in order to make the Ninja more responsive than its predecessor.
The engine also received a fair bit of attention, and not just from the weight scrutineers. Maximum power for this year’s model was upped to 94.1 kW at 14 000 rpm (98.5 kW with Ram Air), but more impressively (and immediately apparent on the road), the ZX-6R received a very welcome boost in mid-range torque – it now delivers 66.7 Nm at 11 800 rpm. Kawasaki re-profiled the pistons and improved the crown finishing to contribute to the gain in performance.Low friction engine internal coatings and low-tension piston rings, as well as revised camchain guides help to keep mechanical losses to the minimum.
Pulling in the reins on the added power requires authoritive brakes, and in this department the Ninja doesn’t disappoint either. Stopping power comes by virtue of large-diameter semi-floating petal discs. With a thickness of 6 mm, the discs are able to withstand the rigors of circuit riding. Powerful radial-mount calipers on the front brakes give a very direct feel at the lever. I felt that the rear brake pedal lacked feel and required more input than I would have liked, but that’s not all together a bad thing. In all, the ZX-6R’s braking performance is quite impressive.
The ZX-6R is the first production sportbike to boast Showa’s BPF (big piston fork) front suspension. The BPF features a main piston almost twice the diameter of a cartridge-type fork of the same size. This causes the oil inside the fork to act on a surface area almost four times the size of the older units, and allows damping pressure to be reduced without affecting damping force. The nett result is greater control as the fork begins to compress, and more stability as the bike’s weight shifts forward under braking.
A quick walkaround reveals several styling cues inherited from its litre sibling, and the transition to the smaller bike somehow seems to work even better. This is particularly evident in the ZX10-like headlamps and frontal treatment. The smaller Ninja is a handsome bike, and minor touches like the way the pre-chamber cover visually integrates with the fairing does nothing to harm its looks. The review bike was finished in “Candy Burnt Orange”, which helped it to attract a good deal of attention from passers-by during the test period.
When I first saw the new ZX-6R, I cast a dubious glance at the slab-like seat but on the road it turned out to be remarkably comfortable. In fact, ergonomics in general are quite good – I found the distance between the seat (lowered to 815 mm on this model) and the foot pegs to be almost perfect for my 1.78m-torso. The Ninja is surprisingly comfortable for a sportbike and, combined with its more tractable engine, this makes it a viable everyday bike.
However, with its unabashed track bias this is a bike that fairly begs to be thrown at curves with careless abandon – it seems as if everything about the ZX-6R works in harmony to entice the rider to go faster. Most notable among these enticements is its sound: at idling speed the bikes sounds almost unseemly civilized, but the sound thickens to a satisfying growl at mid-range revs. As the tach needle approaches the upper reaches of the dial, the Kawasaki emits a satisfying scream that, I believe, only the most disciplined riders can resist invoking.
The combined effect of all the changes make for a confidence-inspiring bike. Once I became familiar with the Ninja’s handling, I found myself consistently taking corners faster than I usually do, braking later on entry. The bike is remarkably stable, especially under hard braking when the BPF and the slipper clutch join forces to help keep things tidy. In addition, an adjustable Ohlins steering damper does a good job of moderating road feedback during over-enthusiastic cornering on bumpy surfaces.
Kawasaki practically went back to the drawing board in their attempt to turn the Ninja into a credible contender in its class, and in my opinion they have been successful in upping the ante. Barring a dramatic response from the competition, Kawasaki might well have a class leader on their hands.