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New Models
BIKES: 2013 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R First Ride
After a 10-year hiatus Kawasaki brings back its 636-powered Ninja ZX-6R...
Kudos to Kawasaki for stepping outside of conventional engine displacement category with the reintroduction of its 636. (Photo: MotorcycleUSA.com)
Kawasaki hopes to stimulate the sportbike world with the return of a cult classic: the 636-powered 2013 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R ($11,699). Team Green’s latest creation overlooks antiquated engine capacity limitations by incorporating a stroked 600cc-based engine to boost acceleration right where you need it whether your ride on the street or track.
ENGINE
The basic architecture of the Ninja’s liquid-cooled Inline-Four engine, including its case and 67mm bore dimension, is the same. Piston stroke however has been increased 2.6mm to 45.1mm. This nets a 37cc increase in engine displacement (636cc). Other key updates include the fitment of pistons with an updated crown design to accommodate the revised high lift valve timing specification. New shorter connecting rods and a new crankshaft were also installed while the engine’s compression ratio was reduced slightly by 0.4 to 12.9:1 due to the bump in engine capacity.
Many of the intake and exhaust components were also modified for improved efficiency. The fuel-injection system now employs only four injectors instead of the previous dual-stage eight injector set-up. The new injectors are capable of delivering a higher, more finely dispersed volume of fuel. The shape of the engine’s intake and exhaust ports were also altered to compensate for the added flow. Since the upper fuel-injectors have been removed, the volume of the airbox could be increased. Lastly, the velocity stacks atop the throttle body were also lengthened for greater engine performance at low rpm.
The exhaust was overhauled and the stainless-steel headers now employ cross-over tubes linking all four cylinders thereby enhancing the engine’s torque output at low-to-medium engine speeds. The muffler has a sleeker and more triangulated shape and both the U.S. and European ZX-6Rs now feature identical states of engine tune and power.
You wouldn’t think a 6% increase in engine capacity would make such a difference on the road—but it does. Bottom-end power is snappier, but it’s the mid-range where the engine’s added ‘oomph’ is most noticeable. At northern California’s Thunderhill Raceway Park, site of this year’s Superbike Smackdown IX Track test, the Ninja drives off corners hard—especially when the tachometer needle is pegged around 8000 revs.
The added grunt allowed us to run the bike a gear high, much like you would a Ducati 848 or a Suzuki GSX-R750. Top-end power was good—on par with the old machine, however it flattened out near redline. Still the engine spools up quick and offers lots of over-rev. We also love how softly the rev limiter intrudes which makes the bike feel like it will never stop accelerating. Equally as pleasing is the roar of the engine. It begins as a racy induction howl and transforms into a maniacal high rpm shriek that will make your eyelids flutter with euphoria. The engine is pretty well balanced though it does transmit a small degree of vibration through the handlebars which was only noticeable during the street ride.
DRIVETRAIN
The Ninja’s drivetrain also received some improvements in an effort to make it friendlier to ride on the highway. The big news is the fitment of a clutch sourced from Japanese company Fuji Chemical Company. The wet-style clutch is similar to the Ninja 300‘s and features a more simple design allowing for fewer mechanical parts and less weight (over 1.5 pounds lighter than the old unit). A cam system pushes the clutch plates together when the engine is loaded (acceleration) and apart during deceleration. This allows for fewer clutch springs (from six to three) and wispy, one finger light lever pull. While this facilitates a degree of back-torque limitation (rear wheel chatter) conversely it can no longer be deemed a true tune-able ‘race-style’ slipper clutch.
We’ve never had an issue with the level of cable tension required to depress the ZX-6R’s clutch lever, but the updated design proves to significantly reduce lever pull, requiring no more than one finger. It also offers a relatively wide range of engagement which makes it easy to get off and running. Out on track the clutch proved to work well under hard deceleration with it keeping the rear wheel inline with zero chatter. On the street we did notice that it didn’t offer as smooth actuation as the old unit under the most extreme conditions when you’re purposely sliding the back tire with the rear brake
For the rest of this article visit MotorcycleUSA.com
Click the picture below to see more images of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX6
ENGINE
The basic architecture of the Ninja’s liquid-cooled Inline-Four engine, including its case and 67mm bore dimension, is the same. Piston stroke however has been increased 2.6mm to 45.1mm. This nets a 37cc increase in engine displacement (636cc). Other key updates include the fitment of pistons with an updated crown design to accommodate the revised high lift valve timing specification. New shorter connecting rods and a new crankshaft were also installed while the engine’s compression ratio was reduced slightly by 0.4 to 12.9:1 due to the bump in engine capacity.
Many of the intake and exhaust components were also modified for improved efficiency. The fuel-injection system now employs only four injectors instead of the previous dual-stage eight injector set-up. The new injectors are capable of delivering a higher, more finely dispersed volume of fuel. The shape of the engine’s intake and exhaust ports were also altered to compensate for the added flow. Since the upper fuel-injectors have been removed, the volume of the airbox could be increased. Lastly, the velocity stacks atop the throttle body were also lengthened for greater engine performance at low rpm.
The exhaust was overhauled and the stainless-steel headers now employ cross-over tubes linking all four cylinders thereby enhancing the engine’s torque output at low-to-medium engine speeds. The muffler has a sleeker and more triangulated shape and both the U.S. and European ZX-6Rs now feature identical states of engine tune and power.
You wouldn’t think a 6% increase in engine capacity would make such a difference on the road—but it does. Bottom-end power is snappier, but it’s the mid-range where the engine’s added ‘oomph’ is most noticeable. At northern California’s Thunderhill Raceway Park, site of this year’s Superbike Smackdown IX Track test, the Ninja drives off corners hard—especially when the tachometer needle is pegged around 8000 revs.
The added grunt allowed us to run the bike a gear high, much like you would a Ducati 848 or a Suzuki GSX-R750. Top-end power was good—on par with the old machine, however it flattened out near redline. Still the engine spools up quick and offers lots of over-rev. We also love how softly the rev limiter intrudes which makes the bike feel like it will never stop accelerating. Equally as pleasing is the roar of the engine. It begins as a racy induction howl and transforms into a maniacal high rpm shriek that will make your eyelids flutter with euphoria. The engine is pretty well balanced though it does transmit a small degree of vibration through the handlebars which was only noticeable during the street ride.
DRIVETRAIN
The Ninja’s drivetrain also received some improvements in an effort to make it friendlier to ride on the highway. The big news is the fitment of a clutch sourced from Japanese company Fuji Chemical Company. The wet-style clutch is similar to the Ninja 300‘s and features a more simple design allowing for fewer mechanical parts and less weight (over 1.5 pounds lighter than the old unit). A cam system pushes the clutch plates together when the engine is loaded (acceleration) and apart during deceleration. This allows for fewer clutch springs (from six to three) and wispy, one finger light lever pull. While this facilitates a degree of back-torque limitation (rear wheel chatter) conversely it can no longer be deemed a true tune-able ‘race-style’ slipper clutch.
We’ve never had an issue with the level of cable tension required to depress the ZX-6R’s clutch lever, but the updated design proves to significantly reduce lever pull, requiring no more than one finger. It also offers a relatively wide range of engagement which makes it easy to get off and running. Out on track the clutch proved to work well under hard deceleration with it keeping the rear wheel inline with zero chatter. On the street we did notice that it didn’t offer as smooth actuation as the old unit under the most extreme conditions when you’re purposely sliding the back tire with the rear brake
For the rest of this article visit MotorcycleUSA.com
Click the picture below to see more images of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX6
2013 Kawasaki ZX-6
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