Kawasaki ZX-6R - Mossy Rides

Words/pics by Chris Moss/Mike Weston

Back in 2002

Kawasaki

made one of the most simple performance-enhancing modifications to its ZX-6R. By boring out its cylinders by a couple of millimetres, to create a 636cc engine capacity, it gained both power and torque.

The increase in the latter gave the ‘600’ its real advantage over the competition. By not having to rev it so much to produce the goods, the 636 became more flexible and easier to ride. Ultimately, it wasn’t any faster than its rivals, but getting it to accelerate to any given speed needed appreciably less effort than it did on other 600s.

There was a problem with this basic engineering tactic though: In supersport racing, four cylinder motors have a 600cc capacity ceiling, so the 636 was ineligible for competition. As Kawasaki was more than keen to compete in the class, it was forced to produce a 599cc homologation-special in limited numbers to run alongside the 636.

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This year however, the firm abandoned the roadbike/racebike idea and introduced the two-for-one ZX-6R fitted with a 599cc motor. That way the ‘07 bike could be used on the road, and form the basis of a supersport bike in one go, no doubt saving Kawasaki time, effort and some of that all-important commodity - money.

But the big question, of course, is has the new bike lost some of the famed flexibility of the 636? The answer is, of course, yes it has. But to quantify by just how much, the answer needs more than one word. That’s what we’ll now explain further.

There’s no doubt the ‘07 ZX-6R has lost none of its aesthetic appeal. Even on its side stand it looks like it’s going flat out. Yamaha’s R6 might win the ultimate beauty award, but the Kawasaki isn’t too far behind and can’t be described as anything other than racy.

The bike’s face underlines this, with the hungry-looking ram air intake and piercing headlights screaming ‘you want some?’ whenever you look into them. Sleek, moulded-in front indicators and a compact underseat exhaust also serve as reminders of the Kawasaki’s quest for speed. As does the aero-efficient, wind-tunnel assisted bodywork.

Once aboard the bike, its intentions come in to even sharper focus. Canted forward to reach the low bars to stay out of the wind and hunched onto high footpegs to keep your feet from dragging along the road, you instantly realise that touring was not at the top of the ZX-R6 designer’s priority list. In saying that, the set-up isn’t as extreme as it is on some sportsbikes, and longer runs are possible without making too many sacrifices, even if they’re never going to be Gold Wing-plush.

Commitment is needed with the new engine though. The combination of that missing 36cc and a very tall first gear mean getting off the line requires a fair few revs and enthusiastic throttle twisting. And it’s a similar story after you’ve changed up through a few more of the bike’s six gears.