Kawasaki has been upping their game in the middleweight segment with the likes of the Z900 and the Ninja 650. Although both of them prove enough for the vast majority of bikers, there is the supersport category where apparently bikes are in demand. Considering it’s one of the hottest segments, Kawasaki has brought in the ZX-6R to fill the gap.
The ZX-6R is one of the most sought-after middleweight supersport in the market. Kawasaki was a bit late to the party in bringing an upgrade to the ZX636. However, the ZX-6R is in a different league in terms of how refined and capable it is over the ZX636. 2019 saw the updated ZX-6R hitting the market and it turned out to be an instant success.
Thanks to its breadth of abilities at a striking price point, the ZX-6R is a no brainer for any serious motorcyclist. Starting at $10,199, the 2021 Kawasaki ZX-6R is one of the cheapest and most exciting middleweight supersport currently available.
2021 Kawasaki ZX-6R: A Baby ZX-10R
Kawasaki introduced the ZX-6R in 1995 with much of its styling resembling the ZX-9R. Over the years Kawasaki took the effort to make the design more in line with its product lineup. In the middle of its life cycle, Kawasaki decided to actually bump the displacement to 636-cc where most of its competitors stuck to 600 or less. This was the reason why the ZX-6R got called the ZX636. Back in 2013, Kawasaki brought a design upgrade that stood until 2019 when the brand thought their middleweight sportsbike was getting a bit outdated.
In its present generation, the ZX-6R got some much-needed upgrades to make it stay competitive in an increasingly popular segment. As each generation went by, the ZX-6R got even closer to the capabilities of its much larger and expensive sibling, the ZX-10R. Though the larger ZX got all the latest kit in the form of a 6-axis IMU and bi-directional quickshifter, the ZX-6R encapsulated most of the ZX ethos in an affordable package.
2021 Kawasaki ZX-6R: Looks Like A Ninja 400 With Fatter Tires
Not going to lie but the new ZX-6R has an uncanny resemblance to its much smaller sibling, the Ninja 400. The front section in particular looks very similar to the 400 and Kawasaki could’ve done better in that respect. Although, the similarities end there. Also, the rear section looks more like the ZX-10R which is a rather good thing. Indeed the ZX-6R looks more aggressive than its younger sibling and packs a lot more equipment. For starters, the ZX-6R comes with a uni-directional quickshifter for upshifts and a rather impressive suspension. At the front, you get a 41mm inverted cartridge-type Showa SFF Big-Piston fork with preload and rebound compression while the rear gets a Uni-Trak with similar levels of adjustability.
Though its chassis is largely the same as the 2013 model, Kawasaki didn’t really have to make a lot of changes in the first place. For one, it was already a sublime piece of kit therefore an incremental update was only required. For the 2019 ZX-6R, the seat is narrower at the front and the tank is narrower at the rear. Also, the suspension is tuned for road use than all-out track performance.
Much like its younger sibling, the ZX-6R comes with a rev-happy engine. The motor in question is a 4-pot 636-cc liquid-cooled unit that puts out around 130 horsepower and about 52 lb-ft of torque. The transmission is a slick 6-speed constant mesh unit although the absence of a quickshifter and auto-blipper for downshifts is a bummer. In terms of brakes, you get dual-discs up front with a single disc handling duties at the rear. Kawasaki has provided ABS and KTRC (traction control) but the lack of an IMU means there are no lean-sensitive functions for both.
2021 Kawasaki ZX-6R: Rides Like A Proper Kawasaki
Riding the ZX-6R is more of a civilized affair. Although you have to bear with the aggressive ergonomics it’s not as bad as a Yamaha R6. The ride is supple and largely the bike is tuned to run around roads than say racetracks. Although, you won’t be disappointed if you do happen to track this middleweight supersport. The engine is incredibly tractable thanks to its torquey nature. The 636-cc unit is one of the most if not the most refined four-pot on the market. Power is adequate and never intimidating. Having a lose right hand might give a glimpse of what the ZX-6R is capable of.
While the ZX-6R is incredibly docile, it’s not something we’d recommend to novice riders. The Ninja 400, on the other hand, fits the bill. Kawasaki has very kindly equipped the ZX-6R with multiple power modes which cut down the available power so that a new rider doesn’t feel intimated with all the 130 horses. With such impressive capabilities at an accessible price tag of around $10,000, there’s no other motorcycle in the market that we’d recommend for the sheer amount of excitement and versatility. The Kawasaki ZX-6R strikes a performance balance between performance and value for money.
Sources: Kawasaki, Wikipedia