The year was 2003, and Kawasaki smacked the middleweight world upside the head with its amazing new 636cc version of the ZX-6. Sure it was a "cheater" by a measly 37cc, but the difference those cubes made was undeniable. Many magazines went so far as to test it against the venerable Suzuki GSX-R750 simply to do battle with an equal opponent.
And then there was the sleek new design-those sharp lines opened up a trend that set the standard for the angularly designed bikes to follow. Add in the world's first radial brakes on a production bike, and it was hard not to recognize the importance of the little Ninja.
Jumping ahead four years, we find that there's been another overhaul from the ground up, and this time Kawasaki has returned to the race-legal 599cc motor-but claims to have a faster overall package.
That might be true on the racetrack, but for serious street riders, we'll miss those extra horses that the bigger engine offered. The power hits nicely above six grand, but building up to it required a fair amount of clutch slippage. Granted, my 240 pounds might be a bit on the "you're-too-big-for-a-600" side, but it's nothing a one-tooth drop in the front sprocket couldn't clear up anyways. We hoped to do just that, but struggled to locate the proper part in time. D'oh.
We did, however, install a Two Brothers slip-on pipe that made the Ninja scream-it was seriously loud. The pipe's added racket certainly made it seem faster (particularly to police), but down low there was a bit of gurgling-a fuel-management box should sort it and grab a few extra horsepower as well. As part of the exhaust package, a fender eliminator kit and turn signals were included, which made sourcing parts a bit easier.
From the cockpit there's a new dash that is a nice step away from the older bar graph nonsense. Now a standard analog tach and digital speedo make quick glances easier (and safer) to get an idea of how many clicks you're breaking the speed limit by. Another welcome addition is the digital gear indicator, but frankly it was hard to read during daylight hours.
Getting to the canyon roads was done in comfort, and after 40 minutes in the seat none of my body parts had gone numb. The rearsets don't seem as high as other 600s (which is a good thing for those of us over six feet tall), and the bars have a nice, wide and sturdy feel without being too low.
Once in the thick of the twisty mountain roads, the bike really worked, but working the slick gearbox was a must. Several times oncoming traffic forced dramatic line changes, and the bike cooperated perfectly. The slipper clutch keeps the rear end straight regardless how hard you tug on the brake lever. Our test roads were far from racetrack conditions, but in terms of general hard road riding, we pushed enough to know that the ZX-6 turns perfectly and keeps its composure.
Do be careful on the front end, though. If high-speed stoppies are your thing, the front will flap and force you to abort. We dropped the tire pressure, and it calmed down a bit. But even over certain rough street sections, the bars were still a bit flighty. The movement was predictable, but a steering damper should be high on the mods list if you plan to ride intensely.
I'm a huge fan of the small projector-style headlights-and the bike's new styling is dead-on-but oddly enough that's been the biggest complaint from the bike-night gallery. To each his own, I suppose, but overall the new Ninja is a tidy package that only needs some minor mods to not only be a better performing bike than its predecessors, but also the best-looking one on the lot.
The new engine components were made stronger, stiffer and more compact, resulting in a motor that is about 40mm smaller in both width and length than earlier models. The compact engine allowed for a slimmer chassis as well, which increases ground clearance and improves handling.