Kawasaki ZX6R review

Kawasaki’s brand new mid-capacity sports bike brings a breath of fresh air to the dying 600cc sports bike market. Packing a revvy 129hp engine with a lightweight and agile chassis with modern rider aids. This is the new 2019 Kawasaki ZX6R 636. 

Back in the ’90s and ’00s, the 600 class was a fiercely fought area with most manufacturers offering one. Enter Euro 4 and these pocket rockets are in steep decline, and sales numbers are dwindling. Purse strings are tightening on R&D budgets, and sales margins are tightening. All this means it’s getting incredibly hard for manufacturers to develop bikes, hit regulations and still get sales, and the consumer viewpoint that power and capacity is best. Despite this, the 600 class is popular ever still with Supersport class racing, and aside from the track, these machines are still joyous fun on the road. It is a massive shame to see them fall into oblivion.

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The missing piece of the jigsaw

I have longed for a roadgoing 600 with all the bells and whistles most modern 1000cc’s have. A Quickshifter and LCD shod 600 would be mega. Complete with adjustable rider modes, traction control, some tarty suspension and a good set of anchors, this combination would make for a fantastic road bike. It seems that the smart people at Kawasaki were on the same wavelength as me.

The previous iteration of Kawasaki ZX6R 636 ninja was a massive success. Seen endlessly lapping UK race tracks up and down the country, why change the formula? Being honest it hasn’t, a free-revving engine, lightweight and agile chassis, and some sticky rubber to keep it all in check. It has the same powerplant from the last generation 636, albeit forced to meet the latest Euro emission standards which does sadly mean it has dropped in power, by only a tiny 1HP.

Not much revs past 16k these days!

To counter the slight drop in power the gearing is slightly shorter, nothing really to worry about. In typical 600cc fashion, the revs climb the gauge at ballistic speed up to the 16k redline. It’s this that makes small capacity bikes fun, you rev and ride them hard, and it just feels so much more rewarding than larger bikes. As you are accelerating, the revs build and the only thing that runs through your mind is how much longer you can go before either the limiter strikes or your mechanical sympathy gives in and changeup.

While fuel economy isn’t the first thought when buying a sports bike, I can say the new Kawasaki ZX6R 636 was good on juice. The ninja has a 17-litre tank so theoretically good for 180 miles when taking it easy. It might be small if you are doing long motorway distances, as the revs sit high at motorway speed so that could gobble some extra juice. Kawasaki’s new addition to the ZX6 of ECO mode leans out the fueling when on a low or closed throttle, aiming to be extra frugal and get some extra miles range. The average readout when I picked the bike up was sitting around the 30mpg mark, pretty low, but it must have been sitting around idling for a while to lower it. Even with me riding hard for a morning I returned it with a figure north of 40mpg and still climbing, very impressive.

A slight blip on the radar

With the ZX6 meeting the latest euro standards, we get niceties such as Adjustable rider modes, traction control, and ABS and because it has gone to a ride by wire throttle, we also get an up the box quick shifter. I would have liked it to have a down blipper too, Kawasaki wouldn’t tell me if the standard mechanism would work on the way down also with some ECU tweaks.

The chassis itself has had a styling revamp with fitting touches from other models, like the fairing lights from the H2SX, and the paint job from the ZX10 KRT edition which looks fab. The new ZX benefits from a full LED light upgrade over the previous model. The Big piston forks from Showa has their trademark hollow knock at low speed over big bumps. I have had this issue before on other bikes and can’t seem to pinpoint what the problem with it is. It doesn’t seem to affect performance at all.

The latest rubber for the 2019 ZX6R

Kawasaki has chosen Bridgestone’s brand new Battlax Hypersport S22 rubber encompassing a new compound, boasting more dry and wet grip. Warm up is quick and feeling on the Ninja through the corners is fantastic. Turn in is sharp, and predictable and inspires confidence. Typically with 600’s with the lack of power and grunt compared to others the but immense joy comes through carrying the speed. This combination certainly gives that smug satisfaction. Feeling from the front is unreal. I had a good play with the front brakes. From various speeds and squeezing it on as hard as possible, I couldn’t get abs to kick in despite it melting my face off trying.

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When it comes to spaciousness, 600’s have never been the most comfortable places to sit, the new Kawasaki ZX6R 636 is no exception. It’s no ZZR, but the positives do outweigh the negatives. The seat height is low, allowing the vertically challenged riders like myself to get flat-footed. I am 5’7, and I didn’t find it uncomfortable. If you are 6ft+ then yes you might find it a bit cramped. The riding position is quite far forward, and it does add weight to the wrists, but not in an uncomfortable way. Adjustable brake and clutch levers make things easier for the hands. The clutch is assisted, with a featherlight feel.

Knees feel quite high up on the tank. I quite liked it as I could get a very excellent grip with my knees. The windscreen only works if you are in full tuck mode, no doubt aftermarket double bubbles will be available soon. The only very slight gripe was the position of the gear lever. I did forget to see if it’s adjustable. I think rotating it a spline over on the shaft would make it feel a lot better on the foot. The standard position for me just felt a little off.

Range of accessories available for the Kawasaki ZX6R 636

Genuine accessories are available, through Kawasaki. Including, Ohlins steering damper kits, crash protection, rear seat covers, and the Akrapovic can fitted below. It looks fantastic and oozed quality from its carbon and titanium construction; however, the baffle wasn’t removable. I did find it a bit too quiet for an aftermarket can although it did still have the cat fitted.

The baffle is not removable from dealer fitted cans. With them having to abide by Euro regulations on noise and other legalities. Best bet would be to get one from an Akrapovic dealer which should allow the baffle to be removed.

Overall the new Kawasaki ZX6R 636 is a beautiful place to be. Initially, it did feel quite small and compact even for my small frame. It soon became comfortable, also quite an enjoyable riding position. It feels sporty as you would expect, the engine is an absolute peach. Despite it being “only” 130 horsepower it certainly feels much quicker than it is. The joy comes not from flat out straight-line speed but carrying the speed through the corners. This is why 600’s are fun. The ZX6R does fun in bucket loads, I had a ball, and I didn’t want the morning to end. The inlet symphony is mega. It makes up for the lack of exhaust noise and if I could record that soundtrack and play it on a loop to sleep to that would please me forever.

But what is the downside?

The only problem comes down to the reason why 600’s are dying in the first place. A list price of 9.5K for the standard black or an extra 200 hard earned for the KRT looking one. It IS a lot of money. You can pick up an older ZX10 for that price, and there are more comfortable bikes for less money. To buy one you really, really, really have got to want one. Saying that two people I know have bought one, so could this be the revival of the 600’s? I hope so!

Want to know more? Check Kawasaki UK Information here!

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