Kawasaki ZX6R 636 motorcycle test

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The bomb

The Kawasaki ZX-6R, which became ZX-6R 636 in 2001, has long been
one of the most versatile sports cars in its category. In 2002,
it has fundamentally changed to become more exclusive, and
give birth to an even more extreme little sister with the ZX-6RR.

Discovery

Kawasaki ZX-6R 636The
new ZX-6R appears smaller than its previous version.
The line has changed from top to bottom with tighter lines;
the previous curves giving way to triangles,
and in particular for the front and rear headlights. The air intake goes up
now on the fairing. We admire the aluminum frame
and especially the inverted fork with golden tubes.

In the saddle

We have the impression of climbing on a toy. Is it really a 600 cm
3? Looks like a smaller displacement. Everything seems small,
except the saddle height and the feet barely touch the ground despite
my 1.70m. The whole body falls down tilts forward to lean on
the half-handlebars. The position is definitely exclusive.

Kawasaki ZX-6R 636Under
eyes, we find the digital counter shared on many
models and in particular the Z 1000: everything is focused on
a single dial, the gears in the center and the rev counter around with a
red zone at more than 15,000 rpm. On the coast,
we find the traditional witnesses of neutral point, oil, passage
in reserve, indicators and full headlight. Less traditional the
shift light – used to signal the change of gear -, and the
lap stopwatch, allowing 99 laps to be recorded. On the other hand, only one
partial trip.

The mirrors are easily adjusted and always offer
good visibility, whatever the driving position.

Contact

Kawasaki ZX-6R 636The
sidelamps and dipped beam headlamps come on automatically, new
European standard requires. The four-cylinder roared away. Clutch,
start … The motorcycle here seems a featherweight, while the head
seems to land above the bubble, to no longer see the counters.
The feet are found particularly raised but the
knees perfectly enclose the tank. And it is undoubtedly
one of the most pleasant motorcycles to squeeze against you.

The first turns out to be short, like the second,
while the motorbike literally leaps with each pass
of speed. Each gear change requires a skilful dosage of the accelerator.
Only the strongly tilted forward position makes it possible to accentuate
the weight on the front without ever shifting. We are here at
antipodes of a GSX-R 600 which would appear soft in comparison.
And the braking is up to the performance, particularly
biting even from the back. Strong braking from the rear
will lead to a quick dribble, easily mastered but surprising.
When braking before, it gives the impression of crashing into
a wall with each braking a little supported. Sensations
guarantees…

City

Kawasaki ZX-6R 636The
ZX6R accepts all plans. She purrs two miles away
laps in sixth, begins to chomp on the brakes as soon as
the four thousand laps, sets off from the six thousand laps
and then does not stop until you offer your maximum to
12,000 rpm. Suffice to say that in town, it is unusable and the engine
heats up quickly, constrained by intermediate speeds.
On the other hand, it is light, handy and it sneaks everywhere.

If the gearbox is a bit hard on the first two reports,
all the other reports are of an absolute softness which leads to
change gear on velvet. The only difficulty encountered
is based on the difficulty of finding neutral when stationary,
which will regularly require at least two tests before there
to arrive.

Highway

Kawasaki ZX-6R 636Exit
from Paris, the ZX6R rages and takes its turns. The position quickly becomes
dab to protect against turbulence and the bust sticks to the tank,
arms folded. There, the protection becomes perfect, even
with a rather "floating" jacket. Even at
speeds largely prohibited, the motorcycle seems not to know
limit than a screaming engine in the towers. In fast curves, he
just push the handlebars lightly so that the motorcycle
fits perfectly in curves, without any effort.

Departmental

The ZX-6R, far from its usable highway limits, becomes more
nice on departmental where it becomes possible to
to make it go up in the towers on the small roads. Agile, she has
never need to be forced. On the contrary, knees tight
against the tank and buried in its bubble, the handlebars stand
with two fingers and the slightest light pressure with the tips of the
fingers allows the bike to enter the curve with ease
disconcerting. The cycle part is stable and never seems to be able to
be put in default. It quickly becomes a real treat,
to push the four-cylinder into the towers. Once again, I will not have
failed to push it to its limits. She seems
always accept everything, without taking it unawares.

Comfort

Kawasaki ZX-6R 636We
arrives there at the angry subject. It is a hypersportive, regulated
hard and without passenger, this allows you to feel all the faults
of the road. So much so that one might wonder if there is really
a shock absorber somewhere! Kawasaki does not fail here in its
reputation, and since the first model I tried
in 1998, comfort is still at the same level: hard and spartan.
In return, the course is absolute and the bike does not come apart.
never. So do not hesitate to work on the suspensions
which also offer the maximum possible settings: relaxation
and compression both on the fork and the rear shock absorber and
from 12 to 17 adjustment steps possible. So this allows
really fine-tune all the settings.

The duo does not change much, quite the contrary. The passenger is
will place on the jump seat, but will not resist for long.

Kawasaki ZX-6R 636Braking

Biting, violent. Braking is so effective that it requires
excellent control in the dry, and absolute fingering in the wet.
Is it the fact of the new radial calipers? In any case, the feeling
is extraordinary and if the dosage is mandatory, the sensations of
feedback is immediate and precise.

Convenient

The saddle opens to reveal a tool kit and
enough to place a disk block. The passenger handle has disappeared and
"of course", there is no central stand on this
type of motorcycle. We regret the absence of warning, admittedly of little use on
circuit, but unfortunately we are not always on the circuit with
machines of this type.

The idle is on the other hand very easily accessible on the side,
more besides than on certain roadsters.

Kawasaki ZX-6R 636Consumption

With six liters per hundred on average, the injection continues to make
miracles. This leaves a range of 300 kilometers, but
in any case, the stop will have been compulsory
long before. Here, it is humans who consume their strength.

Conclusion

Kawasaki ZX-6R 636The
Kawasaki ZX-6R 636 is a great machine, which has become even more exclusive
in 2003. It’s a real bomb, unusable on a daily basis,
and that we dream of taking on the circuit to hope to exploit it
a few percentages. Responsive, sensitive, lively … it provides
unforgettable sensations and driving pleasure by an engine and
braking responding to the hundredth of a second at the
even the slightest stress. She has
undeniably a sanguine temperament. Suddenly, she must
be reserved for experienced pilots,
having already dabbled in at least one sportswoman or
of a Sport-GT before.

Strong points

  • motor
  • braking
  • consumption

Weak points

  • comfort

User point of view

Kawasaki ZX-6R 636Damien

Motorcycle very stable and manoeuvrable solo or very loaded
(passenger, tank bag, topcase, all on the
roads of the Tarn!) without touching the original settings. Motor very
full for a 600 and above all very powerful in the towers; a real
happiness! Very reasonable consumption. Maybe globally
the best of all I have had (10).

Competitors: Honda CBR 600,
Suzuki GSX-R 600, Triumph Daytona
600, Yamaha R6

Datasheet

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