2022 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R Review
Over the past few years, prices for mid-sized sportbikes, like smartphones, have been steadily rising. But Kawasaki took a different route. It updated its Ninja ZX-6R supersport, added electronic aids for riders who want to leave tire marks on public roads or on the track, and lowered its final price ($9,999).
Kawasaki decided not to reinvent the wheel and kept the road-focused 636cc inline-four engine introduced back in 2013. Thanks to this engine, the ZX-6R feels great both on city streets and on the track, unlike some competitors.
Kawasaki hopes to bring the Ninja ZX-6R back into the spotlight with a series of upgrades and cost reductions
This engine has been tuned to deliver smooth power over a wider range with better torque distribution. Yes, the best responsiveness is still at high speeds, but the engine has become less sensitive to gear position. Therefore, the ZX-6R has a certain degree of flexibility, for example when exiting a corner, because the engine does not always need to be revved high to show off its muscles. You can rev the engine to redline or upshift close to the limiter, but you'll still be able to enjoy the broad torque curve of the midsize inline-four.
Kawasaki updated the Ninja ZX-6R for the public road, but it's still a capable track bike.
The electronic quickshifter increases the pleasure of riding the motorcycle, as it allows you to shift up the gears of the 6-speed gearbox without closing the throttle. The 15-tooth drive sprocket reduces the final drive ratio and increases acceleration. However, in top gear, at a speed of 100 km/h, the tachometer needle points to 6000 rpm. The shorter final gear certainly helps with acceleration, especially in the first three gears, but the quickshifter could be faster as there is still a noticeable pause between shifts. A quickshifter is certainly better than a manual shifter, but some aftermarket quickshifters are much faster.
636 cc inline four-cylinder engine. has a wide power range
When using a motorcycle on a track, where you often have to “click” gears, you would like to have a two-way quickshifter on board, but you will have to be content with what you have. It is worth noting that the transmission shifts smoothly from one gear to another with clear and easy clutch operation. The position of the clutch lever, like the brake lever, is adjustable, although there have never been any particular problems with working with non-adjustable levers.
The updated dashboard has a fuel gauge and an ECO indicator, which help monitor the fuel level in the 17-liter tank. The tachometer needle acts as a blinker, helping the pilot choose the right moment to change gear. The timing of the blinker can be adjusted in steps of 250 rpm.
The dashboard has been completely updated. The tachometer needle acts as a blinker
Among other things, the motorcycle is equipped with three-mode traction control and 2 power modes. This allows experienced riders to exploit the bike's full potential, while novice riders can use the Low Power mode to better get to know the character of the new ZX-6R. When testing the motorcycle on public roads, careful use did not trigger the traction control, but it is still nice to know that it is there.
Curb weight of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R is only 196 kg
The new ZX-6R features new fairings reminiscent of its smaller brother, the Ninja 400. The dual LED headlights and other touches, including a new muffler, will certainly be praised, but it's a shame that the bike looks half the price it actually costs. It's nice to see the family touches of the Kawasaki lineup, but I wish KHI would give the ZX-6R a more unique and aggressive look.
Three-mode traction control (plus OFF) allows you to do wheelies in the least intrusive mode 1
Weighing in at 196kg, the ZX-6R is a lightweight bike with excellent weight distribution. This nimble motorcycle goes exactly where you want it to go. The newly developed Bridgestone Battlax S22 tire performs noticeably better on public roads than the S21, which already had exemplary performance.
The front fairing is distinctly reminiscent of the Ninja 400's little brother. The LED headlights are a major upgrade
The ZX-6R's suspension is more efficient than most other sport bikes. The suspension's smoothness is clearly noticeable on public roads, which is one of its best features. Both the front fork and rear shock have damping adjustments, but at high track paces this didn't add much benefit.
An electronic quickshifter is standard on the Ninja ZX-6R. It allows you to change gears up without closing the throttle
The Ninja rides like a Cadillac, cruising smoothly around the track with a high level of control and stability. Changing the suspension damping level made the bike more controllable, but unfortunately had no effect on lap times.
The Ninja ZX-6R's suspension is more street-oriented than track-oriented, but still amazingly tuned, especially for a sportbike.
During the test part on the track, instead of S22 (on which you can freely spend the entire track day), the motorcycle was “changed” to Bridgestone Battlax R11 tires. These tires are an evolution of the previous design with a simplified compound that operates over a wider temperature range. The tires turned out to be flawless and showed excellent stability and grip on the road surface. Most of the session was spent with the traction control system turned off, as the combination of these tires and engine power already provided maximum traction.
The Ninja ZX-6R's standard Bridgestone Battlax S22 tires perform well in both wet and dry conditions.
Mid-sized sports bikes are losing their popularity year after year, but it's important to remember that Kawasaki has been building its motorcycle masterpieces for 35 years. That's why Kawasaki remains committed to the segment, striking a delicate balance between performance, style and value.
It’s snowing outside, -10 C., I have a cold, I’m sitting at home and looking at the mileage of posts from biker posts. I decided a long time ago that I would write my second post about how I bought my first motorcycle, but the motorcycle season happily dragged on, and I only found the time now. In the summer, when I decided that I would buy a motorcycle abroad, namely in Poland, four people planned to share the trip with me, but, as happens in such cases, only one went, and only out of pure solidarity, for which many thanks to him! The day before the trip, with awkward mouse clicks, I accidentally bought a motorcycle via the Internet :), or rather, reserved it, after which I received confirmation of the purchase by email, where my passport details were indicated! As it turns out, there are sites in different countries that are connected to each other. But since the motorcycle suited me in all respects, price and quality, I decided not to refuse the purchase! The seller immediately contacted me and said that the motorcycle needed to be picked up within two days. I, in turn, in broken Polish, clarified something about the condition of the motorcycle and how I could pick it up. On the website, the Pole indicated that he would provide a motorcycle to the border with Ukraine, but in reality, this radish completely refused to transport the bike. According to the plan, everything was like this: I take a bus to Krakow, where I buy a bike, and transport it to the border myself, where I clear customs. In fact, everything broke down already at the first point. And now the long-awaited day of the trip comes. Until the last moment I was sure that I would go myself. But Sasha is a good-hearted man, and he agreed to go with me to Poland + he successfully got into a Vito truck, not his sedan.
23:00. I took the helmet, gloves, and jacket I had purchased in advance and we went to the border. 23:40. We refill for 700 UAH. full tank, since gasoline is more expensive in Poland. 23:50. We're on the border. There is a queue, there is a shift change. While in line, we remember that we don’t have a Green Card to cross the border. The purchase costs 250 UAH. We stood in line for an hour and a half, and after a detailed inspection, they let us through. 01:20. Gas to the floor, you still need to drive less than 300 km. We must be at the indicated place at 6.00 We turn on Nokia maps, they perfectly show the speed of movement, local rules, speed limits. The route passes through populated areas, there are cameras at the entrances to them, as warned by corresponding signs, the speed drops to 50 km/h. 03.30. The speed limit began to not suit us, and the maps did not lead us onto the highway. Having looked manually, we see that the A4 motorway is nearby. We turn right, although the maps strongly recommend turning back. We drive through dark streets, lose 30 minutes of time and realize that the highway is under repair . 04:00. Terribly tired, since two of us had not slept for more than a day, we returned to the route. We understand that we have time to finish, and we won’t be able to sleep. We remember that in Poland the time is -1 to ours, the mood lifts a little. 05:10. We park at the designated spot and try to sleep. It's still quite dark and cold outside, and we have to turn on the stove. On the way, my eyes closed, and upon arrival I could not sleep, probably I was nervous.
06:00. After sleeping for 30 minutes, I go out and wait for the Pole. 06:10. Had arrived. He says something to me, but I don’t hear it, let’s go look at the bike. In the first seconds I am pleasantly surprised, it is better than in the photo. I’m a little scared... Either because it’s cold outside, or maybe I’ve been waiting for this for so long.
We examined it for a long time and saw the disadvantages that the “radish” did not show in the photo. Since I didn’t understand motorcycles at all, before the trip I read a lot of literature about inspecting a bike. I will say right away that as a person who did not have his own motorcycle, almost none of this was useful. Fortunately, Sasha went to sports at one time and was good at something about it. Test drive. I'm putting on my helmet, let's go. The Pole unscrewed the handle, and in an instant we were flying 170 in a smooth turn. Afterwards, I didn’t have time to see anything, because the helmet was completely fogged up.
We arrive at the place, I pretend that it didn’t make the slightest impression on me, but in my heart I realized that this is my bike! But at this moment I understand that I will fail to ride it on my own.
The Pole bargains greedily, everything refers to the fact that he posted a photo, and I clicked buy, and not “before negotiations.” Offers a discount of 100 euros + gives away a helmet. - “150 euros and keep the helmet.” We agreed, signed the paper (deed of sale), signed and no notaries. He gave me the documents. The Pole, having heard that I have no experience, and I personally am going to ride it to Ukraine, strongly recommends not to do this. This is where the Vito cargo truck came in handy for us. We tried it on, everything seems to fit, and it makes me feel better.
...... a lot of text
We reached the border with Ukraine. The queue was huge, about 3 hours long. We decided that I would go separately, and during this time Sasha would stand in line. They pulled out the bike, I put on a helmet, took the documents and rode off. This was my first experience of driving a vehicle. Already in the first minutes of driving the bike, I realized that motorists were simply jealous of me. A minute later I was already first in line. We stand and wait. Those who are the first to advise me where to go for customs clearance. The first problem was not long in coming. To clear a vehicle through customs, you must first deregister it in Poland. I assumed such a plot, since before the trip I didn’t learn much about the rules. The man standing behind me advised me not to show any documents other than my passport at the Polish border, otherwise I would be turned around and forced to deregister. I pass the checkpoint, the Pole asks something, asks for documents, I present my registration document and international passport. He mumbles something about how I drove the wrong way. I’m putting pressure on ignorance of the rules, and the fact that I just want to finish buying a bike. It works, I'm passing. Further worse. Ukrainian border. Here, after standing for a decent amount of time (I’m missing a lot of things at once), I find out that I had to fill out a declaration at the regional customs before purchasing + the moment with the bike not deregistered popped up. They suggest leaving the bike in the parking lot and going home. I decisively said that I would only leave on it, and without options! Having paid the brokers for their work, and convincingly “asked” to let me in without deregistering the vehicle in Poland, I paid a deposit for customs clearance of 1000 euros, and, after standing at the border for 6 hours, tired but happy, I went home. It just so happened that Sasha could not wait for me, and went himself.
The street is +5, the asphalt is wet, the roads are not lit (not like in neighboring Poland). This is my first time sitting on a bike with 636cc and 130 horses under me. It’s scary, even old Golf cars overtake me, but after half an hour I was already driving cruising 140.
And yes, I really rode to Ninja several times on Bandit, and never rode other vehicles, including cars, mopeds (I didn’t have my own bike either). I received my license a week before purchasing the bike.
Before the season closed, I managed to drive 1000 km. Closed seasons filmed on GoPro...
