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The 2019 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R has been unveiled and it seems like a visual refresh and whether it is for the better or the worse, we cannot say. The motorcycle is going to be available in Europe too and this is surely getting our hopes up as the engine is now Euro4 (and consequently BS IV) compliant. Also, the model being tested for homologation in India seems more like the 2019 model rather than the older one.
The motorcycle appears ‘all new’ from the outside but this is more like a refresh and not an overhaul. The chassis and the engine remain the same. The motorcycle continues to be powered by the same 636cc inline-4 cylinder. Kawasaki also claim that the gearing has also been changed in order to bring more usable power in the lower rev-range. An up-shift only quickshifter has also been added to the bike. No official figures have been revealed as of yet, but Kawasaki claim that the new engine has “improved power and torque feeling”.
The chassis as we stated remain the same and the wheels are suspended by Showa balance free front forks. Braking duties are being handled by Nissin brakes with ABS. Kawasaki offers an Öhlins steering damper as part of the aftermarket catalog.
The bodywork is new, the dash is new, and there is a 12-volt utility plug available now. Riding modes and traction control are also available on the new motorcycle. For the European market, the bike gets Bridgestone Battlax S22 tyres.
We wonder if this rather modest and mostly visual refresh will be able to help the 2019 Kawasaki ZX-6R hold its own against the formidable (and pretty much the only) competitor in the supersport space, the Yamaha R6. One thing that might work in the favor of the ZX-6R is the price which in the US is $9,999 MSRP (for the ABS model, $10,999).
The price in the US, the Euro4 (BS IV) compliance and the fact that it was being tested for homologation here in India does give us a lot of hopes that soon we might see this motorcycle on the Indian roads. Fingers crossed.
The motorcycle appears ‘all new’ from the outside but this is more like a refresh and not an overhaul. The chassis and the engine remain the same. The motorcycle continues to be powered by the same 636cc inline-4 cylinder. Kawasaki also claim that the gearing has also been changed in order to bring more usable power in the lower rev-range. An up-shift only quickshifter has also been added to the bike. No official figures have been revealed as of yet, but Kawasaki claim that the new engine has “improved power and torque feeling”.
The chassis as we stated remain the same and the wheels are suspended by Showa balance free front forks. Braking duties are being handled by Nissin brakes with ABS. Kawasaki offers an Öhlins steering damper as part of the aftermarket catalog.
The bodywork is new, the dash is new, and there is a 12-volt utility plug available now. Riding modes and traction control are also available on the new motorcycle. For the European market, the bike gets Bridgestone Battlax S22 tyres.
We wonder if this rather modest and mostly visual refresh will be able to help the 2019 Kawasaki ZX-6R hold its own against the formidable (and pretty much the only) competitor in the supersport space, the Yamaha R6. One thing that might work in the favor of the ZX-6R is the price which in the US is $9,999 MSRP (for the ABS model, $10,999).
The price in the US, the Euro4 (BS IV) compliance and the fact that it was being tested for homologation here in India does give us a lot of hopes that soon we might see this motorcycle on the Indian roads. Fingers crossed.
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