2019 KAWASAKI NINJA ZX-6R
FIRST IMPRESSION
P94
Ergonomically, the ZX-6R feels
the same as before even though
the seat is a touch narrower. The
rider still gets a decent slant for-
ward, so you'll start to feel it on
your wrists after 45 minutes on
board. It's a supersport bike, af-
ter all, so if you want long-range
comfort you might want to look at
something like a Z900.
The Showa SFF-BP fork is
easily one of the best on the
market when it comes to street
comfort. It's a soft action to begin
with, only ramping up as you
really start to hammer the brakes
from high speed. The ZX-6R,
coupled with the Bridgestone
S22 rubber, will carve and hold
lines beautifully at speed. This
is an excellent tire with plenty of
grip for dealing with the various
changes in pavement and cam-
ber and helps the suspension fil-
ter out many of the micro-shocks
before they hit the rider.
On track
Transferring to the racetrack at
Las Vegas Motor Speedway,
the ZX-6R—now in non-ABS and
costing that magic $9999—is
still as potent a weapon as it
was before Kawasaki lopped the
price off it.
We traded the Bridgestone
S22 for the company's track-
special DOT race R11 tires we
used on the Yamaha YZF-R1M
and YZF-R6 test earlier this year
and tires that are firmly in the top
three of our favorite track hoops
available to the public.
What stands out on the track
is how user friendly the ZX-6R
chassis is, rather than the quick-
ness of the engine. At a claimed
curb weight of 428 pounds, the
Kawasaki is not the lightest su-
persport machine out there and
as such doesn't turn with quite
the speed of some class rivals,
but through the wicked fast turn
seven right hander, taken at mid
throttle in fifth gear, the ZX-6R
was as solid as a rock. High-
speed stability has often been a
ZX-6R strongpoint, and this one
is no different—simply because,
mechanically speaking, this is
the same bike it was before.
Through tight sections of track
the ZX-6R doesn't love changing
lines at the last second—it's more
a case of pick your line and stick
with it, especially compared to
something like an MV Agusta 675
F3 that feels like you can change
lines just by thinking about it.
The ZX-6R's stability is one of its
strongpoints, and will reward a
smooth rider that thinks of the line
early, sets up and powers through
it, rather than changing his mind
on his line at the last second.
Repeated hard track use will
see a bit of fade creep into the
braking system as the ZX-6R
doesn't have steel brake lines, but
overall the power is good. Kawa-
saki has not changed the braking
system for many years on the ZX-
6R, so you'll get the same conven-
tional master-cylinder that doesn't
have the quite precise feel at high
speed offered by some class com-
petitors. Still, for a bike costing
under $10K, the braking package
is more than up to the task.
It's hard to argue with the extra
37cc on track, especially in slow-
speed squirts from one corner
to the next as the extra low and
midrange performance gives it a
distinct advantage over the rest
of the four-cylinder Japanese
supersport contingent. You can
be a little lazy with the ZX-6R and
it'll soak it up and drive you for-
2019 KAWASAKI NINJA ZX-6R
($9999/$11,699 ABS)
ENGINE: ....... Liquid-cooled, inline 4-cylinder,
4-stroke
DISPLACEMENT: ....................................636cc
BORE X STROKE:........................ 67 x 45.1mm
FUEL INJECTION: ..... Electronic fuel injection
system
TRANSMISSION: ................. 6-speed cassette
CLUTCH: ...... Wet, Multiplate, slip and assist
CHASSIS: ....................... Twin spar aluminum
FRONT SUSPENSION: ............... 41mm Showa
SFF-BP, fully adjustable
REAR SUSPENSION: ....... Showa monoshock
FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL: ......................... 4.7 in.
REAR WHEEL TRAVEL: ........................... 5.9 in.
FRONT BRAKE: ........................... Dual 320mm
discs with 4-piston radially-mounted Nissin
caliper; ABS optional
REAR BRAKE: ......... Single 220mm disc with
2-piston caliper, ABS optional
FRONT TIRE: ......................... 120/70 ZR17 in.
REAR TIRE: ............................ 180/55 ZR17 in.
WHEELBASE: .........................................55.1 in.
SEAT HEIGHT: ...................................... 32.7 in.
FUEL CAPACITY: .................................. 4.5 gal.
WEIGHT: ..................... 428 lbs; 430 lbs. ABS
COLORS: ...........Lime Green, Ebony, Metallic
Graphite Gray KRT Edition
