Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128198
2003 Kawasaki ZX6R ZX-6R CHASSIS The rear tall section has the unique spoiler-like lip on the back edge leading into the new taillight assembly that features LED bulbs for better illumination. anced our checkbooks in our heads before guys like Tommy Hayden even start to ponder the thought of applying the brake. If he says the brakes are the best, believe him. All I can say is that the brakes are good, really good. To steal Tommy's torque that will make the 636 one hell line, they're the best I've ever ridden of a streetbike. Think of it this way - with. The radial-mounted calipers this thing is a motorcycle with all the provide excellent stopping power positive attributes of a 750 packaged while also giving good feel through the lever. Trust me, and Tommy, into a little 600. The perfect streetbike? Perhaps so. these things work. The bike also feels small, much smaller than the previous Kawasakis. Not only was the engine significantly changed for 2003, but the chassis was updated as well. Ti'le frame is new this year in an effort to improve handling. Duh! It is a pressed aluminum perimeter frame in which sheets of aluminum are formed and then welded together for optimal strength and weight savings. The sub-frame is new as well and is a lighter design that should be easier to repair in case of crash damage. The steering head bearings are now ball bearings for lighter, more responsive steering. The aluminum swingarm is new as well, featuring internal ribbing for additional strength. The swingarm is longer on the new bike to compensate for the pivot point to the frame being moved forward for improved handling. The rear shock is a fully adjustable nitrogen-gas charged Kayaba unit with a new top·out spring for improved action. Ride height is adjustable via the use of 1mm shims that can be inserted between the frame and the shock mount in various combinations to achieve the desired height. The Kawasaki ZX-6R features new Kayaba 41 mm inverted forks that are, of course, fully adjustable. The forks feature top-out springs that help keep the front tire in contact with the road while under heavy acceleration. One of the biggest changes to the bike is the new brakes. Radial-mount calipers - on which the bolts that connect the calipers. to the forks mounts attach from the rear (in the same plane as the discs mount) - are nothing new in racing, but the ZX-6R is the first middleweight sportbike to use 1he ~r_ali\'.2. in a product!on application. Additionally, the four-piston calipers use four individual pads per caliper (one for each piston). to improve wear and reduce the heat generated by friction. The new discs are 280mm in diameter and are no longer offset by the carriers because of the new radial-mount calipers - this in tum reduces weight and flex. The ZX-6R has been dramatically restyled for '03. Thank you. Kawasaki - it was looking a tad long in the tooth. The new bodywork gives the bike a more modem and racy look, aU the while improving l'erodynamic efficiency. The centrally located ram·air duct gives the front of the bike an 'atlgressive, menacing look, while the new headlights add to the theme. Only the left 55-watt bulb is lit in low-beam mode, with both lighting up in the . high-beam mode. The taillights are new as well and now feature LED bulbs for much brighter illumination while using less wattage. The instrument cluster on the ZX-6R really stands out. especially in contr~st to the old analog cluster it replaces. The new duster has to be one of the slickest that we've ever seen. It includes an LCD tachometer, speedometer, programmable shift light, and gg-Iap timer. Also included in the cluster are a temp gauge, clock, tripmeter and the normal array of idiot lights. The second thing you notice with the 6R is its torque. There's plenty of it, a fact that becomes even more apparent after you ride the 6RR, In fact, it feels as small as the Yamaha R6 - though that claim can't really be substantiated until we compare which ends up feeling kind of punch- them back to back in our upcoming drunk and anemic in back-to-back Middleweight Sportbike Shootout. rides against the torquier 636. The radialmounted front calipers are the first of their kind ever fitted to a middleweight sportbike and offer exceptional stopping power. One thing is certain, the days of It's that torque that will separate somewhat portly Kawasaki mid- this one from the herd, and it's the dleweight sportbikes appears to be history. By now you may be thinking that since the bike is smaller and more compact, the days of the ultra-comfortable Kawasaki are also history. It's hard to tell just how comfortable a motorcycle is when you're flying around a racetrack, so comments on the bike's comfort will have to wait for another day and our shootout and subsequent street rides on the newest ZX-6R. If it is uncomfortable, it wasn't noticeable at Pahrump. It definitely has a racier feel than its predecessors, but everything seemed wellplaced, and comfort, or lack thereof, wasn't an issue at the track. At no point during the day did my arms and wrists fatigue any more than normal. I also couldn't find fault with the transmission on either bike, though neutral was a bit difficult to locate If you're a street guy and not a racer, the bike you want Is the ZX·6R with the bigger (read: torquler) 636cc motor. 16 JANUARY 29,2003' cue I e n e _ s