Motorcycle specifications KawasakiNinja ZX-6 R 636 2024 The last Supersport?

What's our track record today? Plenty! S 1000 RR, R1, Panigale, Norton V4 sv, CBR 1000, RSV4, etc... They're all big choppers with a minimum of 200 hp in the tank; except for the English one, but it doesn't have the same punch.
Uh, but what if you want something softer, like something-other-than-superbike-on-the-road?!? Easy: an R7, a CBR 650 R, a Ninja 650....

No, no, you don't get it... A sportbike with a good but reasonable layer of watts, something that screams in the revs, that goes on the track and (a little) on the road, that you have to work hard to ride. Just like a ZX-6R! Fans found it hard to console themselves when this Kawa deserted the dealerships in 2020. But surprise! The Akashi firm is not abandoning it, and is relaunching it in a new version in 2024.

This new version builds entirely on its lineage to remodel its face. The headlamps are more discreet, giving priority to carefully integrated aerodynamic appendages. Kawasaki also works on winglets for its sports bikes, but in contrast to the competition. From MotoGP to hypersports, winglets have been used on fairing sides. Not so with the ZX-R. The 1000 inaugurated a very special arrangement, directly in the fork head. The ZX-6R follows suit, with aerodynamic channels inlaid under the corner of the headlights.

Small alterations to the panels and hoof, a few black-painted elements, a new bubble, hybrid LED projector/reflector headlamps - these will be the main design evolutions. For the rest, the 636 ZX-6R is largely based on the design of its predecessor. But to earn the right to ride on our roads, the in-line 4-cylinder had to accept certain conditions. And to do so, it had to go back to the drawing board.

What's happened to this good old boiler?! It's been given the tools of good behavior: reworked ACT cam profiles, revised intake and exhaust manifolds. The aim wasn't to gain power, but to limit the impact of Euro5.
The ZX-6R 636 loses 6 horsepower in the process. Its block now delivers 124 hp at 13,000 rpm, or even 129 with forced air intake. Torque also takes a beating, but still delivers 7 mkg at 10,800 rpm. Kawa has worked on improving low- and mid-range efficiency to compensate for this loss of power. A coincidence of genesis: this 636 cm3 displacement was chosen in 2002 to give this engine more response than its monozygote sister 600 block, and to give the other 600s on the market a run for their money.

this engine was the successor to the 6R, and its exhilarating philosophy is in short supply. The aluminum perimeter frame and large swingarm have been renewed to accommodate this engine, with no need to upgrade. Ditto for the 41 mm Showa SFF-BP inverted fork and its rear shock-absorber sidekick, both of which can be adjusted from anywhere. The only change is in the brakes. The 310 mm discs are no longer petal-shaped (kawa started the trend in the 2000s) but perfectly round, with no rough edges. The calipers remain Nissin 4-piston radial calipers, controlled by a radial master cylinder. They'll have no trouble keeping the Ninja's 198 kilos in check. Two more than the previous generation. Not bad, but.... The more time passes, the fatter it gets. It was 7 kilos lighter in the '10s.
Oh, I forgot. The tires have changed too. The Italians are on board, with Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV wraps.

To keep up with the industry trend, Kawasaki couldn't do without a color TFT instrument panel. Virtually all latest-generation motorcycles now have one. The 109 mm dashboard follows the now well-established green graphics. It's pleasant, clear and precise; it connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth, and allows you to supervise your riding modes.
This is THE electronic innovation finally adopted by the ZX-6R. Up until now, it had power modes (2) and 3-level traction control. All this is now modulated by the 4 Driving Modes: Sport - Road - Rain - or Rider (customizable). A shifter (for upshifting) and ABS with anti-stoppie function complete the electronic aids.

It's not the bike's efficiency that's the cause of anxiety, but its price. The last model was designed to be affordable, with a choice of price cuts. Given global inflation and the dance of torment on price tags, the ZX-6R is obliged to ask for more euros. 900 to be exact - but there's no doubt that had it not been for the turbulent times we're living through, the price wouldn't have budged...

To market a 600 Supersport in Europe these days, you simply have to have faith. The E4 and E5 standards, along with a climate of obsessive repression, have destroyed the sports bike market. (except at Ducat's). But not the market for sensational machines (cf. fire-pump roadsters). While you can still find 600 GSX-Rs and all the rest of the gang on other continents, old-timers are only entitled to R6s limited to track use; until this year, when Honda puts a smile back on your face with the return of the CBR 600 RR, and the revival of the ZX-6R! Yamaha's best enemy is back in the fray with a new look, more electronics and an almost extinguished sporting spirit. Let's salute, let's dream, let's dare; and as Fox Mulder would say: "I want to believe".

M.B - Manufacturer's photos