Kawasaki ZX-6R

NOT SO MUCH

RATINGS
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0
Engine/chassis: 4.5/5.0
Price, packaging and practicality: 4.0/5.0
Behind the bars: 4.5/5.0
X-factor: 4.5/5.0

Kawasaki has been through the latter with its 2007 model ZX-6R, which has failed to cast a long-lasting spell on the road or the racetrack. In a number of media shootouts, the ZX-6R has finished well down the pecking order against its Japanese opposition, with Triumph's Daytona 675 also getting its measure.

It's been a difficult period, although Kawasaki's sales have been rocketing upwards in Australia thanks to a great mix of bikes in other market segments, such as the all-conquering Ninja 250.

But it's in the sportsbike classes where real excitement is generated, and Kawasaki wasn't prepared to face the ignominy of a couple more barren years in supersport without doing something.

Hence it's basically wiped the slate clean - save for brakes and wheels --  to produce the brave new 2009 model ZX-6R.

While the new bike still has the top end hit of the previous model, Kawasaki's brief also included producing a bike that was more controllable, inspired more confidence, had a meatier midrange - and produced quicker lap times.

On that last score, Kawasaki had made an encouraging start, with its new world supersport rider, talented Spaniard Joan Lascorz, setting the fastest time in a recent three-day official test session at Portimao in Portugal. That's right - he outpaced the likes of Andrew Pitt and Kenan Sofouglu on their already well set-up Honda CBR600RRs and a number of other big guns.

And back home, Kawasaki Racing Team's new recruit, Ben Attard, has been setting some scintillating lap times in practice at Eastern Creek.

Of course, the real measure of success will be in the races, but it's an ominous sign the 2009 ZX-6R could well be the new yardstick.

The ZX-6R retails for $15,990.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
With everything new or changed in a big way, there is a lot to talk about on the new ZX-6R. Weight and power are always the centrepiece sportsbike issues, and Kawasaki has managed to shed a whopping 10kg off the old model - three of that from the engine and seven elsewhere.

For example, the engine now has magnesium covers and steel camshafts, which have contributed plenty to the weight loss, and pud has also been shed on the bodywork, frame, sub-frame, brackets, guards and handlebars.

The engine has been rotated backwards so the cylinders sit more vertically. The steering head is also 10mm higher than before, and the combination of the two is said to improve steering and balance.

The engine now produces a claimed 128hp at 14,000rpm, and you can add another 6hp to that with Ram Air. Torque is also up at 67Nm, produced at the lowest revs since the first ever ZX-6R - 11,100rpm.

The engine features dual intake funnels, which create two pressure 'waves' instead of one, all to smooth out the torque curve and provide a boost to mid-range and top end power. The set-up is different to electronically controlled variable length intakes, and at only a fraction of the cost.

Kawasaki has also jettisoned the underseat muffler in favour of a side-mounted one, which helps out with mass centralisation - a common theme on the new ZX-6R.

But other than the weight loss, the biggest thing on the new Kwaka is the Showa Big Piston Fork (BPF), which is the first streetbike to use it - until the K9 Suzuki GSX-R1000 goes on sale in a few months.

The BPF is also commonplace in MotoGP, and it works on the basis that the bigger piston runs directly against the slider's inner wall, eliminating the need for a cylinder and sub-piston found in a traditional cartridge fork.

The new ZX-6R has a 37mm piston against the old model's 20mm. A massive difference - and there are fewer internal parts too, which cuts down on unsprung weight.

The BPF is said to make use of the suspension's full stroke, provide better feedback, and offer better damping on the first portion of the suspension travel ie the fork won't dive as much under brakes.

Showa has been playing around with the BPF for a while now, and it's a significant advance in technology. Visually, there isn't a lot of difference between the BPF and standard design, although you can tell by the position of the clickers.

The rebound and compression adjustments are now side by side on top of the fork caps, and preload is at the bottom.

The tough-looking swingarm closely mirrors the ZX-10's, while the rake and trail are both more aggressive - down to 24 degrees/101mm from the 25/109 on the 2007 model.

An Ohlins steering damper is standard fitment, and the awesome Nissin radial brakes are one of the few carry-over items, as are the seven-spoke cast aluminium-alloy wheels and slipper clutch.

The clutch is via cable actuation, and the instrumentation includes all the regular information (odometer, trip meter, coolant temperature, clock, and fuel injection, oil pressure and immobiliser warning lamps) plus a lap timer and counter activated via a button on the right-hand switch block. There is also a gear position indicator.

There is an ECU-controlled key recognition immobiliser.

Colours are green, black, orange, or ebony with Monster Energy livery.

ON THE ROAD
Wow - this is not how I remember four-cylinder supersport machines, which were always thorny propositions on the road because you had to work them so hard with almost non-existent mid-ranges.

That's why I've enjoyed a number of forays on the three-cylinder Daytona 675 over the last couple of years, as it's got plenty of mumbo from 3000rpm. Good, strong, useable power.

The ZX-6R doesn't quite bear its teeth at those low revs, but there is still quite a hit until about 8000rpm before it takes off into the stratosphere, which ends at around 18,000rpm with an intoxicating sportsbike howl - the type of which Kawasaki has always excelled at producing.

That 4000-8000rpm area is certainly enough to keep things entertaining (as reflected in a white zone on the tachometer), but it's above that (the green zone on the tacho) where the sports set will be frothing at the mouth.

I immediately felt comfortable on the ZX-6R, which is not something you can say about all supersport machines. It helps that I'm fairly short, so I don't really have a problem with arms and legs trying to fit in a compact space, but the comfort factory is more than a function of that.

The seat's certainly no plank, and the seat/pegs/handlebar 'relationship' is on the money - not overly restrictive or awkward. The handlebars are pushed back more on the new bike, which eases the strain on the wrists, and the fairing and new cowling provide decent coverage from the elements - although some more buffeting would have been nice during Melbourne's recent heatwave!

Kawasaki also reckons the new aerodynamic package withstands side winds better, but that will be something to gauge on another test.

The close-ratio cassette-type six-speed gearbox is really schmick, so surfing through the gears is a joy. In top gear, the engine ticks over at about 5750rpm at 100km/h, so there is enough venom to accelerate reasonably hard on demand. I haven't ridden the 2007 XZ-6R, but my guess is the response time in such a situation would have been a lot slower.

The Showa BPF is a gem -- although it can't perform miracles in isolation. It's got to rely on other hardware such as the engine and chassis to underwrite the whole operation.

I didn't take the ZX-6R onto a racetrack, but it certainly felt like I could push really hard into turns, all in a stable and controlled manner, and then worry about washing off speed to complete the process.

Those kinds of fast-entry shenanigans wouldn't happen with a limp chassis and unresponsive suspension, as the bike would tie itself in knots mid-corner and under acceleration.

So it's clear to see that Kawasaki hasn't lost ground with handling in the model changeover, but the real arbiters of that will be the prospective buyers who put bums on seats for test rides. Hitherto, from the musings of the motorcycle commentariat at least, that talk has been all positive.

And the bike looks top notch too, especially in the green in concert with the black wheels and chassis.

The ZX-6R is one trick machine, and it definitely has the cojones to vault it back up the supersport pecking order. Whether that's to the top is another matter, but it's going to be fascinating to see how it all plays out.

But I wouldn't be surprised if it's a world and Aussie supersport champion by the end of 2009.