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Gloves Off
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Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R
Jeff Buchanan
03/01/2006
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Photography by Mike Quindazzi
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Of all the classes and categories that exist in
motorcycling, none is as hotly contested among manufacturers as that of the
supersports. Middleweight sportbikes represent the cornerstone of street-going
product in the United States, with bragging rights and consumer demand driven
directly by success on the racetrack. Winning an American Motorcyclist
Association (AMA) Supersport Championship is a coveted and essential element to
earning a piece of this all-important market share. As a result, the title chase
has become a gloves-off affair to create the best production-based 600cc sport
machine. The clear winner in this annual gambit is the consumer, benefiting from
the mercurial technological and engineering advancements that drive motorcycle
manufacturers to win.
 RIDING STYLE
Helmet: AGV TiTech
Leathers: Kushitani
Gloves:
Kushitani GPR
Boots: Sidi Vertigo Corsa. (Click image to enlarge)
Kawasaki currently holds the AMA Supersport
Championship title (as well as the runner-up position) with its supreme ZX-6RR
599cc machine. In addition to the one-two punch on the track, Kawasaki—clearly
marking its intentions to own the middleweight class—offers consumers an
incremental edge over the competition with the ZX-6R 636. The addition of those
37cc, combined with 20 years of Ninja pedigree, have made the ZX-6R Kawasaki’s
best-selling motorcycle.
Like its racing sibling, the ZX-6R is clearly aimed
at hardcore sport riders, while providing a more user-friendly street machine
with the added bump in engine displacement and a wider-ratio transmission. The
machine radiates confidence with striking good looks—born from the aerodynamic
sensibilities of the wind tunnel—and extraordinary performance which come
together to deliver a visceral wallop that is impossible to dispute.
To allow
the ZX-6R a proper forum to divulge its racing roots, we spent two full days as
guests of Takeit2thetrack.net, screaming the machine around Spring Mountain
Motorsports Ranch in Pahrump, Nev. Delivering crisp yet smooth throttle
response, the in-line 4-cylinder engine performed extremely well at low
rpm—where its ample torque impresses for a supersport—but it prefers to be wrung
out and really starts to sing at the higher rev range, coming into its own well
above 11,000 rpm. (Click images to enlarge)
Dual-stage fuel injection smoothes out the all-too-familiar
hiccup encountered when rolling the throttle on from the fully closed position,
and helps take the jerkiness out of getting back on the gas mid-corner. This
makes negotiating a series of turns, which requires continual on-and-off
throttle action—especially at lower speeds—a much easier experience that
should not be underestimated by the track day novice and which will be equally
appreciated by experts.
Inverted 41mm, fully adjustable Showa forks and
Kawasaki’s patented Uni-Trak rear shock linkage absorb the potholes and uneven
pavement of real world street riding as well as provide top level performance
for track day outings. A dry weight of 362 pounds, combined with a short
wheelbase and a long, braced swingarm (a design borrowed directly from
Kawasaki’s GP bikes), results in nimble handling. Whether under hard
acceleration or during seriously aggressive braking, the machine stays composed,
without any twitching or chatter from either the front or rear end. The ZX-6R is
a solid, stable motorcycle.
The dual 300mm front brake discs—as well as the
single rear 220mm unit—have a petal-shaped perimeter that adds not just a
styling cue taken directly from the race bike: The front 4-piston calipers are
radial-mounted for positive, incremental feel at the extremely high braking
forces encountered at racing speeds, yet they also deliver smooth, confident
braking for everyday street riding.
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