Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R

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Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R

Manufacturer:	Kawasaki
Production:	1995-present
Class:	Sport bike
Related:	Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6RR Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R
Similar:	Ducati 749 Honda CBR600RR Suzuki GSX-R600 Triumph Daytona 675 Yamaha YZF-R6

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R is a Kawasaki middleweight sport bike. 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 1980's and still carries the moniker in North America today.

1 History
2 Specifications
3 References
4 External links

[edit] History

When Kawasaki introduced the ZX-6R in 1995, it was the industry's first middleweight sport bike with an aluminum frame. It had a dry weight of 401.2 lb (454 lb wet) and was capable of accelerating 0-60 mph in only 3.6 seconds.

1997 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R

With competition from Honda's CBR600F4i, Suzuki's GSX-R600, and Yamaha's YZF-R6 getting more agressive, Kawasaki decided to make an unusual move for the 2002 model year. They increased the capacity of the traditional 600 cc motor to 636 cc. For riders who needed bikes for displacement-restricted racing, Kawasaki also made available a limited production 599 cc version called the Ninja ZX-6RR, but the 636 cc ZX-6R would be their main mass production middleweight sport bike.

2005 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R

2003 brought many new changes to the ZX-6R. The engine was now fuel injected and engine speed was raised around 500@nbsp;rpm which resulted in a slight gain in horsepower. Radial-mounted 4-piston brakes replaced the previous 6-piston brakes and the front forks were not 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. The bike carried over to the 2004 model year with just color scheme changes. The ZX-6R won the Supersport category award for Masterbike 2004.

In 2005, Kawasaki again revamped the ZX-6R. Engine speed increased again by 1,000 rpm resulting in 105 hp at 12,250 rpm.^[1] The frame and swingarm were updated, but the main changes from its predecessor lied in the design. The aluminum frame was now painted flat black, fairings were more round, and integrated turn signals were used. The exhaust was now centrically 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-6R again won the Supersport category award for Masterbike 2005. The bike carried over to the 2006 model year with just color scheme changes. The 2005/2006 models has a MSRP of $8,699 USD.

2007 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R

After several 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 offers only one ZX-6R for 2007, and it displaces 599 cc. The all-new engine was redesigned from the crankcase up for the first time in ten years, now joining the rest of the class in using a stacked gear arrangement in which the crankshaft, primary drive and countershaft are placed in a triangular format for a shorter, more compact powerplant. It's now about 40 mm smaller in both length and width, said to yield greater cornering clearance. Kawasaki put an emphasis on track performance by appointed a former 125 cc Grand Prix racer as the ZX-6R’s chief development rider. Frame, swingarm, suspension, brakes, and body are completely redesigned making is a completely new middleweight sport bike from its predecessor. The 2007 model has a MSRP of $8,999 USD and is expected to carry over to the 2008 model year with just color scheme changes.

[edit] Specifications

All specifications are manufacturer claimed.

	2005/2006 ZX-6R^[2]	2005/2006 ZX-6RR^[3]	2007^[4]
Engine Type	4-Stroke, Liquid-Cooled, DOHC, 4 Valve Cylinder Head, Transverse In-Line 4-Cylinder		Four-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC, four valves per cylinder, inline-four
Displacement	636 cc	599 cc
Bore/Stroke	68.0 mm x 43.8 mm	67.0 mm x 42.5 mm
Maximum Torque	52.0 lb-ft @ 11,500 rpm	0.8 lb-ft @ 12,000 rpm	TBD
Compression Ratio	12.9:1	13.9:1
Fuel Injection	DFI with Keihin 38 mm Throttle Bodies (4)	DFI with Keihin 38 mm Throttle Bodies (4)	DFI with four 38 mm Keihin throttle bodies, oval sub-throttles, two injectors per throttle body
Transmission	6-speed
Final Drive	X-ring Chain
Rake/Trail	25 deg/4.2 in	25.5 deg/4.3 in	TBD
Front Wheel Travel	4.7 in		TBD
Rear Wheel Travel	5.3 in		TBD
Front Tire Size	120/65-ZR17
Rear Tire Size	180/55-ZR17
Wheelbase	54.7 in	55.1 in	TBD
Front Suspension	41 mm Inverted Cartridge Fork with Adjustable Preload, Stepless Rebound and Compression Damping	41 mm Inverted Cartridge Fork with Adjustable Preload, Stepless Rebound and Compression Damping, TiSiCN Coating	41 mm inverted cartridge fork with top-out springs, stepless rebound damping, stepless compression damping, fully-adjustable spring preload
Rear Suspension	Uni-Trak with Adjustable Preload, Stepless Rebound and Compression Damping	Uni-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 300 mm Floating Discs with Radial Mount, Opposed 4-Piston Calipers		Dual 300 mm petal-type rotors with four-piston, four-pad calipers
Rear Brake Type	Single 220 mm Disc		Single 210 mm petal-type rotor with single-piston caliper
Fuel Tank Capacity	4.5 gal
Seat Height	32.3 in		TBD
Dry Weight	362 lb		TBD
Colors	2005: Lime Green/Flat Stoic Black, Metallic Raw Titanium/Flat Stoic Black, Candy Plasma Blue/Flat Stoic Black, Pearl Magma Red/Flat Stoic Black 2006: Lime Green/Flat Sonic Black, Ebony, Candy Flat Raw Plasma Blue/Flat Sonic Black, Titanium Silver with Tribal Graphics	2005: Lime Green 2006: Lime Green	Lime Green, Lime Green / Flat Stoic Black, Ebony, Passion Red
Warranty	12 months