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/128601
2000 KAWASAKI ZX-6R Jl racer becomes a no-hoper, or your streetbike a race-paddock refugee. On the face of it, Kawasaki has achieved the unlikely and delivered the best of both worlds: how come? Well, engine first, and here the same basic DOHC 16-valve motor is retained which, with its 66 x 43.8 mm dimensions, had the shortest stroke in the Supersport paddock until the arrival of the CBR600. Unlike the Honda, though, the ZX takes advantage of this, with the rev ceiling raised to 14,500 rpm, which on the Valencia racetrack delivered two definite advantages. One, there's more power up high: Kawasaki claims an extra 3 horsepower compared to before, making 111 PS/1 08 horsepower at 12,500 rpm - though this is on a static dyno, without the benefits of ramair induction at speed. This power is maintained all the way to your appointment with the rev-limiter, giving 2000 revs of peak poke that makes holding a gear, and screaming the engine between turns to save two By ALAN CATHCART PHOTOS BY TOM RILES/KAWASAKI IJl sk any manufacturer, and they'll L,.;"J all tell you the same thing: the 600cc Supers port class presents a complex set of challenges which, while unique in the world of motorcycling, if met correctly can yield substantial commercial rewards. The catch is to combine real-world rideability with sportbike allure, to find room for a passenger on a bike capable of winning a full-on World Road Race Championship, to develop an engine which can run in low gear through town and idle happily at a red light, yet is still able to kick ass on the race track without any significant extra tuning, and to deliver sportbike handling and performance, in a package that is also reassuring to ride at half race-pace. Not exactly easy, especially when you must concoct this marriage of opposites without undue compromise or over-emphasis in anyone specific area - else your 24 FEBRUARY 23, 2000' c: U c: I B n e _ s gearshifts, an ongoing option. But then in real-world road use, this extra top-end power hasn't been achieved at the cost of making the ZX-6R more peaky than before. Far from it: though it still likes to rev and feels strong and unburstable, the engine seems much more muscular than on the old model - same as the whole bike does, in fact. There's more grunt from as low as 3000 rpm, where the K-TRIC system fitted to the 36mm Mikuni carbs helps deliver a crisp pickup and the beginning of a smooth, progressive power curve that sees engine speed build even more zestfully than before, thanks to the reduced inertia from the lightened engine internals. To enhance power output, the new ZX-6R motor now has a hemispherical combustion chamber developed directly from the factory ZX-7RR Superbike engine, with a higher 12.8:1 compression, a 7mm-shorter inlet port (alone responsible for 1 horsepower in extra power, as well as the 500 extra rpm on tqp), a new ignition map with a fatter midrange, and a straighter ram air hit of cool breeze to the gearbox, which improves cylinder filling at high speed. But it's especially the notable hike in midrange power from 5000 rpm upwards that makes the biggest difference. Where the previous model only pulled hard from 7000 revs up, the hole in the power curve below this has now been filled in. This delivers a big improvement to everyday rideability, and means you don't need to use the gearbox so hard to get decent drive or to maintain momentum. Low rpm roll-on is much better, making the Kawasaki a much nicer all-around bike for regular street use. But get the needle on the analog tach into the five-figure zone (no digi- Alan Cathcart on the _ Kaw.uld ZX-6R during Its press Introduction In Valencia, Spain. He liked It !the bike and Spain).