Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R

Manufacturer	Kawasaki
Production	Since 1995
Class	Sport bike
Related	Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6RR Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R

The Ninja ZX-6R is a Kawasaki 600 cc class sport motorcycle. It was introduced in 1995, and has been constantly updated throughout the years in response to new products from Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha. The ZX series is what was known as the Ninja line of Kawasaki motorcycles in the 1980s and still carries the name today.

History

When Kawasaki introduced the ZX-6R in 1995, it was the first middleweight sport bike with an aluminum frame since the 1992 GSXR600. It had a dry weight of 401.2 pounds (182.0 kg), wet weight of 454 pounds (206 kg), and was capable of accelerating 0 to 60 miles per hour (0 to 97 km/h) in 3.6 seconds.

1997 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R

There was a major revamp of the ZX-6R in 1998 with the Launch of the G series. The G series saw no increase in displacement but power went from 100 bhp to 108 bhp thanks to the newly designed airbox. Fairing was revamped, but retained a similar design as far as the headlight, air intakes and screen were concerned. In 2000, the first J series replaced the G, increasing power to 112 bhp by increasing the compression ratio from 11.8:1 to 12.8:1. The J series sported a couple of modernisations including a 180 section rear tyre, second headlight, uprated generator and stick coils (coil on plug) replacing the traditional coil with HT lead.

With competition from Honda's CBR600F4i, Suzuki's GSX-R600, and Yamaha's YZF-R6 getting more aggressive, Kawasaki decided to make an unusual move for the late 2002 models. They increased the capacity of the traditional 600 cubic centimetres (37 cu in) motor to 636 cubic centimetres (38.8 cu in) with the ZX-6R A1P. This version used the J series bodywork with the only notable differences being the "636" stickers on the fairing. For riders who needed bikes for displacement-restricted racing, Kawasaki also made available a limited production 599 cubic centimetres (36.6 cu in) version called the Ninja ZX-6RR, but the 636 cubic centimetres (38.8 cu in) ZX-6R would be their main mass production middleweight sport bike.

2002 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R

In 2003, there were a number of changes to the ZX-6R, or ZX636 as it is often referred. The engine was fuel injected and engine speed was raised around 500 rpm which resulted in a slight gain in power. Radial-mounted four-piston brakes replaced the previous six-piston brakes and the front forks were now inverted. Chassis improvements resulted in higher rigidity and less weight. An all digital instrument panel was also introduced and a larger ram air inlet moved to the center over the headlight, running through the headstock. The bike, designation B1H, carried over to the 2004 model year with just color scheme changes. The ZX-6RR won the Supersport category award for Masterbike 2004 and placed third overall.

2005 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R

In 2005, Kawasaki again revamped the ZX-6R. Engine speed increased again by 1,000 rpm resulting in 113 horsepower (84 kW) at 12250 rpm. The frame and swingarm were updated, but the main changes from its predecessor lay in the design. The aluminum frame was now painted flat black, fairings were more round, and integrated turn signals were used (euro model). The exhaust was now centrally under the seat (a configuration commonly referred to as an undertail exhaust). Most of these changes were mirrored in the 599 cc ZX-6RR. For the second year in a row, the ZX-6RR again won the Supersport category award for Masterbike 2005 and placed third overall. The bike carried over to the 2006 model year with minor suspension changes and new color schemes.

2007 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R

After four years of offering their 636 cc ZX-6R for street use and an entirely separate 599 cc ZX-6RR for displacement-restricted racing classes, Kawasaki offered only one ZX-6R for 2007, and it displaced 599 cc. Previous years of the ZX-6R's engines were all built from the same basic design, but the all-new engine for 2007 was redesigned from the crankcase up. In following with what their competitors had already been doing, Kawasaki's new engine featured a stacked gear arrangement in which the crankshaft, primary drive and countershaft are placed in a triangular format for a shorter, more compact powerplant. Now about 40 mm smaller in both length and width and it is said to yield greater cornering clearance. By using a former 125 cc Grand Prix racer as the ZX-6R’s chief development rider, Tomomi Manako, Kawasaki claims a focus has been put on track usage. Frame, swingarm, suspension, brakes, and body were completely redesigned and the bike shares very few parts from the previous model. The ZX-6R was carried over to the 2008 model year with just color scheme changes.

For 2009, Kawasaki dramatically changed the appearance of the ZX-6R to match the more angular look of the ZX-10R. The frame was lightened albeit with the same basic construction resulting in 191 kilograms (420 lb) wet as opposed to 205 kilograms (450 lb) in 2008.^{[citation needed]} Kawasaki claims the new ZX-6R is 10 kg lighter than the previous model. The greatest changes for 2009 were the redesign of the exhaust, now carried low and not requiring the thick under-seat construction of 2008 and especially the introduction of the BPF (Big Piston Fork) suspension from SHOWA for a more progressive brake-dive. The 2010 ZX-6R is changing once more with an improved engine and slipper clutch. The exhaust pre-chamber has more space and also limits exhaust noise giving the rider a smoother ride. New double bore intake funnels features two available heights which gives performance upgrades in both high and low engine speeds. The front seat is now lower.

Specifications

	2003/2004 ZX-6R	2005/2006 ZX-6R	2003/2004 ZX-6RR	2005/2006 ZX-6RR	2007/2008 ZX-6R	2009/2010 ZX-6R
Engine type	4-Stroke, Liquid-Cooled, DOHC, 4 Valve Cylinder Head, Transverse In-Line 4-Cylinder
Displacement	636 cc (38.8 cu in)		599 cc (36.6 cu in)
Bore/stroke	68.0 × 43.8 mm (2.68 × 1.72 in)			67.0 × 42.5 mm (2.64 × 1.67 in)
Power (crank)	87 kW (117 hp) @ 13000 rpm 91.5 kW (122.7 hp) @ 13000 rpm with ram air	95.5 kW (128.1 hp) @ 14000 rpm 100 kW (130 hp) @ 14000 rpm with ram air
Horsepower (rear wheel)	111.4 hp (83.1 kW) @ 12,750 rpm	113.8 hp (84.9 kW) @ 14,000 rpm		105 hp (78 kW) @ 12,250 rpm	101.6 hp (75.8 kW) @ 12,700 rpm	107.7 bhp (80.3 kW) @ 14,100 rpm
Torque (rear wheel)	47.1 lb·ft (63.9 N·m) @ 11,000 rpm	48.1 lb·ft (65.2 N·m) @ 11,500 rpm		44.1 lb·ft (59.8 N·m) @ 11,750 rpm	43.5 lb·ft (59.0 N·m) @ 11,900 rpm	42.9 lb·ft (58.2 N·m) @ 12,000 rpm
Compression ratio	12.8:1	12.9:1		13.9:1	13.3:1	13.3:1
Fuel injection	EFI with Keihin 38 mm (1.5 in) Throttle Bodies	DFI with Keihin 38 mm (1.5 in) Throttle Bodies (4)			DFI with four 38 mm (1.5 in) Keihin throttle bodies, oval sub-throttles, two injectors per throttle body
Transmission	6-speed	6-speed with back-torque limiter (slipper clutch)
Final drive	X-ring Chain
Rake/trail	23.5 deg / 3.7 in (94 mm)	25 deg / 4.2 in (107 mm)		25.5 deg / 4.3 in (109 mm)	25 deg / 4.3 in (109 mm)	24 deg / 4.0 in (102 mm)
Front wheel travel	4.7 in (120 mm)
Rear Wheel Travel	5.3 in (130 mm)			5.3 in (130 mm)	5.2 in (130 mm)	5.3 in (130 mm)
Front Tire Size	120/65-ZR17			120/65-ZR17	120/70-ZR17
Rear Tire Size	180/55-ZR17
Wheelbase	55.1 in (1,400 mm)	54.7 in (1,389 mm)		55.1 in (1,400 mm)	55.3 in (1,405 mm)	55.1 in (1,400 mm)
Front suspension	41 mm (1.6 in) Inverted Cartridge Fork with Adjustable Preload, Stepless Rebound and Compression Damping			41 mm (1.6 in) Inverted Cartridge Fork with Adjustable Preload, Stepless Rebound and Compression Damping, TiSiCN Coating	41 mm (1.6 in) inverted cartridge fork with top-out springs, stepless rebound damping, stepless compression damping, fully adjustable spring preload	41 mm (1.6 in) inverted Showa Big Piston Front fork with top-out springs, stepless compression and rebound damping, fully adjustable spring preload
Rear suspension	Bottom-link Uni-Trak system with gas-charged shock, stepless rebound and compression adjustability	Uni-Trak with Adjustable Preload, Stepless Rebound and Compression Damping		Uno-Trak with Adjustable Preload, Stepless Rebound, High and Low Speed Compression Damping, and Ride Height	Bottom-Link Uni-Trak with gas-charged shock, top-out spring and pillow ball upper mount, dual-range (high/low-speed) stepless compression damping, 25-way Adjustable rebound damping, fully adjustable spring preload
Front Brake Type	Dual 280 mm (11 in) Discs with 4-Piston Calipers	Dual 300 mm (12 in) Floating petal-type rotors with Radial Mount, Opposed 4-Piston Calipers		Dual 300 mm (12 in) Floating petal-type rotors with Radial Mount, Opposed 4-Piston Calipers	Dual 300 mm (12 in) petal rotors with dual radial-mounted, four-piston, four-pad calipers
Rear Brake Type	Single 220 mm (8.7 in) Disc				Single 210 mm (8.3 in) petal-type rotor with single-piston caliper	Single 220 mm (8.7 in) petal-type rotor with single-piston caliper
Fuel Tank Capacity	4.8 US gal (18 l; 4.0 imp gal)	17 L (3.7 imp gal; 4.5 US gal)	4.5 US gal (17 l; 3.7 imp gal)
Seat Height	32.5 in (826 mm)	820 mm (32 in)		32.3 in (820 mm)		32.1 in (815 mm)
Dry Weight (manufacturer quoted)	161 kg (350 lb)	164 kg (360 lb)			368.0 lb (166.9 kg)	368.0 lb (166.9 kg)[citation needed]
Dry Weight (tested)	389.0 lb (176.4 kg)	404.0 lb (183.3 kg)		403.0 lb (182.8 kg)	401.5 lb (182.1 kg)
Wet Weight (manufacturer quoted)						191.0 kg (421 lb)
Wet Weight (tested)	418.0 lb (189.6 kg)	431.0 lb (195.5 kg)		430.0 lb (195.0 kg)	428.5 lb (194.4 kg)

External links

• 2007 ZX-6R preview from Motorcycle Daily
• 2007 Kawasaki ZX-6R – First Ride from Motorcycle USA
• First Ride: Year 2000 Kawasaki ZX-6R from Motorcycle.com
• Kawasaki ZX-6R reviews Road tests of every Kawasaki ZX-6R model since 1995