All Trials – The Ninja sharpened her blade! – The opinion of a speed pilot on the Ecuyers circuit!

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The Ninja sharpened her blade !

All Trials - The Ninja sharpened her blade! - The opinion of a speed pilot on the Ecuyers circuit!

In 2009 the ZX-6R loudly proclaimed its desire to return to business in the Supersport category! Site therefore subjected him to an archi-complete program: road, track, city, duo and even a racing retest at the hands of a pro pilot.. Yum !

The opinion of a speed pilot on the Ecuyers circuit !

The Écuyers circuit

Built by two motorsport enthusiasts, the Ecuyers circuit is located near Beuvardes (02), about 85 km from Paris. In a magnificent setting of some 55 hectares, this technical route, equipped with an Alfano loop, gives pride of place to piloting throughout its 3.5 km. Physical and fast, it offers wide clearances, long turns with a lot of downforce, tight sequences, but also tricky curves on slopes! Open since autumn 2008, the circuit offers once a month "Open" days at 105 €, reserved for motorcycles. A big thank you to the friendly managers of the site for their welcome and for graciously opening the track for us for a few hours! Contact: 03 23 70 98 61 and on

Homogeneous and easy on the road, the 2009 ZX-6R appeared just as efficient on the track. Certainly, the Green has progressed badly and now competes with the stars of the Supersport category! The fact remains that if these beneficial developments will undoubtedly satisfy the lambda driver, Akashi’s thinking heads are also aiming for a return to the podiums in competition. !

Whether in the national or world championship, the new version also has a lot to do to convince of its ability to chew CBR, R6 and other Daytona 675. In order to find out if the ZX-6R has the means of its – high – ambitions, Site therefore proposed to Fabrice Auger, driver in the French Supersport and Endurance championship, to come and "shake up" the machine on the Ecuyers route….

Fast, the guy is able to play in the Top 5 in French Supersport. He also finished 7th at the 8 Hours of Oschersleben in 2008 with his AM Moto Racing team. And above all, he has a solid track experience combined with a very detailed analysis, developed by teaching the practice of the circuit with his association Marne Moto Sport (see box below).

Hit the track with Marne Moto Sport

Recognized in the general interest and approved by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Marne Moto Sport association (read) organizes various courses on circuits during which the Reims pilot Fabrice Auger makes bikers aware of the limits of their machines.

  • May 18 and July 15, 2009 on the Écuyers circuit (02130 Beuvardes)

  • June 15, 2009 at the Lorraine mechanical sports center (Chenevières circuit – 54112 Chenevières)

  • August 27 and October 12, 2009 on the Croix-en-Ternois circuit (62130 Croix-en-Ternois

  • September 21, 2009 on the Aerosphalte site (LFG circuits – 77320 La Ferte Gaucher)

    • The opportunity was therefore too good to compare our impressions with the feeling of a "real" speed pilot, delighted to find a machine with which he signed a place of vice-champion of France Promosport in 2005! To really decide on the potential of the Green, the test took place with the settings and the original tires, just to see if really, the Green has a good base to conquer the podiums … Ready? On the track … Fabrice tells !

    At first glance, the bike has "melted" and this impression is immediately valid once in the saddle: the agility and the reduced weight are obvious compared to the previous versions! The grip is instantaneous and despite my size (1.85 m), I immediately felt at ease: an important factor in setting good times! Standard of living on board, the presence of a gear indicator engaged is appreciable, especially when you are used like me to drive in a reverse gearbox! The same goes for the steering damping and the recess of the tank, which allows it to fit perfectly behind the small bubble. Compared to my R6 with which I run in French Supersport, the position is less tiring, because less carried on the front.

    "A lot of original potential!"

    Once on the track, the front axle really blew me away, especially with the "cash out" settings! The feeling is very good, the bike "reads" the track well and does not stiffen too much when entering curves on the brakes (very powerful, but progressive). The chassis is precise and efficient, but although the front has won me over, the rear of the bike seemed more blurry and above all at odds with the front. In my opinion, the rear suspension must imperatively be raised and stiffened on the circuit, while the standard fork settings will allow an experienced rider, practicing the circuit regularly, to have fun quickly in complete safety ".

    Afterwards, when the pace picks up – or during a race – it is obvious that the bike requires adjustments on the front which lacks rigidity at full load. Above all, the Kawa has a trim not tilted enough on the front: it is certainly an asset on the road where the bike should not be too brittle (we confirm, Editor’s note), but on the track and at high pace, the pilot lack of downforce on the front, which affects the feeling and efficiency. The front end is really a success, but the rear requires adjustments to go very fast !

    Special mention for the gearbox: I remember the previous versions where the gears slammed and did not always lock well, there it is velvet and we go up the gears on the fly without any problem! When downshifting, even by drastically releasing the clutch in first, the bike does not flinch: there is certainly a limited slip clutch on this version (indeed, Editor’s note) and it is formidably effective !

    At the end of the curve, the bike pumps a bit because of its original set-up to be reviewed for the track, but I appreciated the very fine and instantaneous throttle management. Too bad that this restricted version suffocates at high revs, because the bike is rather soft at low revs – in a flanged version in any case – and it is only really expressed from 10,000 revolutions! Finally, I admit that the original tires (BT-016, Editor’s note) pleasantly surprised me: the grip is very good and already allows you to take advantage of the potential of the bike! In conclusion, I would say that once set for the race, it must be formidable !

    Fabrice AUGER –

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