All Tests – The new Green is ripe! – Not really GT, not quite a roadster anymore

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The new Green is ripe !

All Tests - The new Green is ripe! - Not really GT, not quite a roadster anymore

If the old model was unfairly served by a shy pencil stroke, the new 2009 Kawasaki ER-6f takes full advantage of its improvements to gain charisma. And now, the Green is as attractive as it is effective! Test.

Not really GT, not quite a roadster anymore

Recently, in the Kawasaki range, models attempting the big gap between the fun of the roadster and the versatility of a GT met with a rather fresh reception from the three "heavyweights" of European sales (Italy, Spain and France).

Frustrated by the commercial flop of its Z 750 F – quickly withdrawn from the French catalog – Kawasaki also admits to being somewhat disappointed with the results of its Er-6f launched in 2006 (read our). If the ER-6 saga remains undoubtedly a success, the volume of faired models sold is still below the manufacturer’s expectations (in France, less than one in five ER-6 is sold faired).

Not that the ER-6f has to be ashamed of crippling faults or a design flaw, but its lines that may appear flabby and its somewhat confused positioning – between GT and roadster – have confined it to supporting roles. Shunned by European bikers preferring well-equipped roadsters or "toudanlaquiche" roadsters, the ER-6f has not achieved the success it deserves … to the chagrin of the thinking heads of the Akashi manufacturer !

Rolling up its sleeves, Kawasaki has therefore revised its copy by taking advantage of the facelift operated this year on the Naked version (read our) to make some welcome changes to its road roadster. The first (and not the least) concerns the very aspect of the ER-6f: finished the wise lines of the previous version, the 2009 model has gained muscle and traced its front part on the brand’s sports cars. !

A calculated bet on the part of the Japanese, aware of the interest of a strong design in the success of a machine prized by a clientele ranging from the young license (36% of sales in France) to the dynamic quadra. Tight lines, tapered headlights, racy mirrors: the entire front part is more compact and voluntary, cultivating the Ninja spirit dear to the brand.

Clearly, the 2009 ER-6f is much sharper than the previous model: "its lines stretched forward give it the look of a beast picked up on itself, as if ready to pounce", ignite the Japanese designers, always quick to spin the animal metaphor! With its 649 cc twin-cylinder and its modest 72.1 hp at 8,500 rpm, the Kawasaki is however nothing of the wild beast.

But let’s not sulk our pleasure: the sparkling new Kawasaki version marks a marked departure from the old model. And, more importantly, with the Naked version from which it nevertheless takes most of its components.

The careful design of the multi-reflector optics and the pronounced tilting bubble give a real aesthetic boost to the Green. The set blends wonderfully with the more angular lines and sharply improved finish found on the 2009 ER-6n..

Available in black, blue and obviously in green, the Japanese roadster has freed itself from its consensual image and today displays a suitable mixture of curves and drawn lines. The new steel frame also contributes to the impression of compactness, while the grafting of the fairings completes the transformation very nicely..

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