2019 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R Review:
Track and Road Tested
The 600cc Supersport segment has been the go-to class for riders looking to build up their track chops for many years. Quick, agile, and with more than modest power at the right wrist, 600s are great for refining your advanced skills out on the circuit.
It’s disappointing that these potent track and canyon steeds haven’t seen full revisions as of late, but Team Green has given the 2019 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R a booster shot to keep it up to snuff.
We headed to ride the 2019 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R ABS and non-abs models on the mean streets of Sin City, as well as the road course at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
2. The 636cc inline-4 engine has always been a charmer, and in 2019, it still is. Yep, it’s the same version of the motor debuted in 2013. Kawasaki first went to 636cc on the non-WSS bikes in 2002, mainly to increase available torque, which now stands at a claimed 52 ft/lbs at 11,500 rpm. That’s important for those of us that’ll be tackling the streets aboard our sport bikes, giving a bit more power on the bottom end and mid-range than your typical 600cc Supersport, making it more favorable for use on the road than some of its competitors.
3. From the moment you roll away, the 636cc is smooth and pulls well into the upper regions of the rpm band. Kawasaki representatives did mention revised fuel mappings to meet Euro 4 standard, and we’re glad to hear that it won’t be changing any of the dyno numbers from last year. Still, the ZX-6R has plenty of wallops to hurl you down a track or keep up with anyone in the canyons.
5. Final drive gearing has been shortened to 15/43. Tightening up the gearing is something many canyon carvers have done to the ZX-6R for years. Kawasaki wanted to give the 2019 Ninja ZX-6R a little more pep in its step off the line, as inline-4s can be quite tame at lower rpms. In practice, it’s a good move for anyone that’s going to be spending a lot of time on the streets. I felt like it was spot-on for tight circuits such as Las Vegas Motor Speedway. If you ride tracks with long straights, consider reverting to the previous sprocket combo.
6. Full and Low power modes power modes are available. Full power is self-explanatory, while Low power gives 80 percent of available horsepower and torque, while also taming the throttle response.
7. An up-only quickshifter is now standard. That’s a first for the Japanese 600 supersports, though Euro competitors such as the MV Agusta F3 675 are so equipped. It’s a great addition and comes into its own on track when you’re winging through the gearbox on straightaways. Shifting from 1st to 2nd gear can be rough, though as you make your way deeper into the gearbox, the shifts smooth out. Shorter kill-times would benefit the package overall.
9. We gave the 2019 Ninja ZX-6R the factory treatment and used Bridgestone Battlax Racing R11 tires on the track. When we headed out on track on the non-ABS ZX-6R, we opted for some choice DOT track rubber. As such, the DOT tire is recommended to be paired with tire warmers and will require you to be more conscientious of tire pressure and suspension settings. All that aside, the Bridgestone R11s offer massive amounts of grip with tons of feedback to match—I was grinning ear to ear.
10. Traction control is standard on the ZX-6R. The traction control system offers three levels of adjustment. The Level 1 setting is least intrusive and Level 3 is the most aggressive. On the track, I ran the Ninja in Level 1 without feeling like it was holding me back. With TC turned on, it gave me a bit of a watchful eye on my shoulder when I’d make a mistake.
11. The ZX-6R remains quick on its feet. The 2019 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R handles admirably and is everything that you’d expect from a middleweight sport bike. Thanks to the shorter gearing, the wheelbase has been marginally lengthened to 55.1-inches. This makes the ZX-6R quite stable on the edge of the tire. Because the frame and swingarm remain the same, so too, does the sporty 24.5-degree rake. In fast sweepers on the street, or when tackling some of the technical ascending turns on the Road Course, the ZX-6R responded to all my inputs just as I’d have liked with quick yet predictable turn in rates.
12. Fully adjustable suspension helps you get it right. We tooled about the greater Las Vegas area on the street with the stock settings. The 41mm Showa SFF-BP fork and linkage-assisted Showa shock performed commendably, soaking up plenty of the rough patches while keeping the chassis planted.
14. Go-fast bikes need to stop-fast brakes, and that’s just what they do. Up front is the same dual 310mm floating rotors with four-pot radially mounted Nissin calipers doing the heavy lifting, as well as a radial master cylinder. In the rear, a single 210mm rotor gets the job done. Feel at the lever is good, allowing for excellent feedback when trail braking and sending the ZX-6R into corners. When on track and after a few healthy laps, a little fade began happening due to the rubber lines, but it seems to level out without reducing braking power too much — toss those in the scrap heap and swapping for some steel braided lines should fix that up instantly. Adjustable levers are now standard.
15. ABS is an option. Setting you back a cool $1000 for ABS might sting a bit, but here’s where we’ll soothe you—you’re still coming in several hundred dollars lower, if not a couple thousand, against every comparable competitor. On the street, the ABS was never engaged unnecessarily, so the system works properly.
16. The 2019 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R gets a change in ergonomics. Though the rider triangle has gone unchanged, a shorter seat length from the front to back is noticeable, while the height remains the same 32.7-inches. This means you are more forward on the motorcycle. Also, the seat has been narrowed where it meets the tank, slimming the bike a bit and helping those with shorter inseams get their boots to the ground.
18. LED lighting is now standard on the 2019 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R. As part of the updated looks, the Ninja will shine brighter in the night. It’s a small update, but a welcome one, as standard bulbs are dull in comparison.
19. A new dash for a new Ninja. Reminiscent of the previous middleweight Ninja, the updated dash displays several new items of information in the form of a fuel gauge, remaining range, current and average fuel consumption, intake air temperature, clock, and more. On a 600-class Supersport, my only requirement is an analog tach that needs to be sent flying. Luckily, that’s just what we have on the ZX-6R.
20. Pricing on the 2019 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R begins at $9999. We haven’t seen a track-ready Supersport motorcycle coming in below 10k in a long time. The ABS model comes in at $10,999 and the sweet KRT livery adds $330 to that. If you don’t want ABS, the base ZX-6R is $1400 less expensive than the Suzuki GSX-R600. As the Honda CBR600RR and Yamaha YZF-R6 cannot be had without ABS, we’ll compare their MSRP to ZX-6R ABS price—the Honda is $800 more than the ABS-equipped ZX-6R, and the Yamaha $1100 more. With this pricing structure, Kawasaki is hoping to reinvigorate the class.
RIDING STYLE
- Helmet: Shoei X-Fourteen
- Suit: Spidi Warrior 2 Wind Pro (track)
- Base layers: VnM Sport Compression Top and Pant (track)
- Jacket: Spidi Super R (street)
- Gloves: Racer High Speed
- Jeans: Spidi J-Track (street)
- Boots: TCX RT-Race Pro Air
2019 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R Specs
ENGINE
- Type: Inline-4
- Displacement: 636cc
- Bore x stroke: 67.0 x 45.1mm
- Maximum torque: 52 ft/lbs @ 11,500 rpm
- Compression ratio: 12.9:1
- Fueling: EFI w/ four Keihin 38mm throttle bodies
- Transmission: 6-speed w/ upshift-only quickshifter and neutral finder
- Final drive: Sealed chain
CHASSIS
- Front suspension; travel: Fully adjustable 41mm Showa Big Piston SFF-style cartridge-type inverted fork; 4.7 inches
- Rear suspension; travel: Linkage-assisted fully adjustable Showa shock; 5.9 inches
- Tires: Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S22
- Front tire: 120/70 x 17
- Rear tire: 180/55 x 17
- Front brakes: 310mm petal discs w/ 4-piston Nissin calipers
- Rear brake: 210mm petal disc
- ABS: Optional ($1000)
DIMENSIONS and CAPACITIES
- Wheelbase: 55.1 inches
- Rake: 24.5 degrees
- Trail: 4.0 inches
- Seat height: 32.7 inches
- Fuel tank capacity: 4.5 gallons
- Curb weight: 428 pounds (ABS: 430 pounds)
2019 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R COLORS
- Pearl Storm Gray/Metallic Flat Spark Black
- Metallic Flat Spark Black (non-ABS only)
- KRT Edition Lime Green/Ebony/Metallic Graphite Gray (ABS only)
2019 KAWASAKI NINJA ZX-6R PRICES
- Non-ABS: $9999 MSRP
- ABS: $10,999 MSRP
- ABS KRT Edition: $11,299
2019 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R Review | Photo Gallery
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