It was around the time the front wheel came up purely under power that I realised the march of progress in the Supersport niche had broken into double time. For ‘just’ a little 600, the upper reaches of Kawasaki’s new ZX-6R simply have to be experienced to be believed…

Before we get into the nuts and bolts, take a look at the stats. Kawasaki is claiming a wet weight of 191kg for the new ZX-6R, or around 170-ish-kg dry, but it’s the power that completes the picture.

Ten years back, Kawasaki claimed 79kW (108hp) for its middleweight meanie, with that figure coming online at 12,000rpm. Today, Team Green says the ZX-6R is good for no less than 99kW (134hp) when you’ve accounted for ram air – insane power for such a small engine – with that figure available at a lofty 14,000rpm. Of course that figure relates to the crank, not the back wheel, but needless to say, riding the new ZX-6R is a rush.

Apart from its wheels, brakes and rear shock, the 2009 ZX-6R represents a ground-up revision. The last generation hit the scene in 2007, and while it was a decent machine in its own right, it fell a bit short of its opponents in the ultra-competitive Supersport niche.

With this model Kawasaki wanted to claw back respect and shoot the ZX-6R to the top of the heap – and it’s left no stone unturned in its pursuit of market dominance. The usual new sportsbike mantra applies here – more power, less weight, better control – but it’s the way Kawasaki’s myriad refinements come together in the one cohesive whole that’s truly impressive.

CH-CH-CHANGES

The bike is now a massive (in Supersport terms) 10kg lighter than the old model, with 3kg being shaved from the engine alone. In the interests of mass centralisation, Kawasaki has switched from an underseat exhaust to a stubby, ‘short side’ exhaust, following the trend of various sports models in recent years.

A number of changes to the engine, particularly its cylinder head, have produced that heady 99kW, but most notably the new bike features boosted performance through its midrange, for better drive out of corners and a better ride around town. A revised fuel injection system is said to be even more precise, while the chassis has been fine-tuned too.

New ergonomics are said to provide a more intuitive ride position and the seat is now 10mm lower. Showa’s new Big Piston Fork has been used – it’s said to improve feel, especially under compression, and is lighter than a traditional cartridge fork, have fewer internal components.

A race quality Ohlins steering damper is provided as standard, the swingarm borrows heavily from that found on the ZX-10R, and the bike is finished off in smart new bodywork, with all-new instrumentation.

Hopping on the thing I was immediately struck by how natural a fit it seemed to be. At 6ft 2in I usually struggle on this sort of fare, but the ZX-6R felt good right from the off. Sure, it still places a load on your neck and wrists, but on longer runs I found I could place my elbows on my knees, distributing that load more evenly.

The other side to the ‘first impressions’ coin was its finish. This is a stunning machine, and the quality of its build throughout is right up there with the best. Once Honda was the undisputed king here, but more and more often these days I’m presented with evidence the competition has caught up.

It takes a good 4000rpm or so to move off with any haste, but within seconds you’re caught up in the magic, manic nature of the ride, that rev-hungry little in-line four screaming away beneath you, goading you to wring its neck and push it to its stratospheric 16,500rpm indicated redline. I can’t get my head around why an engine this highly strung doesn’t simply explode – Kawasaki’s engineers are clearly in league with the devil…

Having said that, around town it’s perfectly easy to ride this bike in a sedate manner. Sure it likes to rev, but sub-8000rpm there’s enough go on tap to make swift and easy progress, even if you do have to get a bit involved with its wonderfully slick six-speed gearbox.

However, to make the most of this machine you have to get it out of town, point it at a winding road, twist that throttle and hang on. From 8000rpm onwards, the font for the numbers printed on the tacho double in size. There’s good reason for this – it’s from that point on that the fun really begins. From eight grand the ZX-6R clears out, and from around 12,000rpm it truly slingshots you forward, the scenery blurring as that pared down muffler and the ram air induction howl with fury. It’s immense fun, although the licence-burning factor is decidedly high.

FINESSE AND FEEL

The general refinement of this ride will impress too. I found the fuel injection to be perfect no matter what the riding scenario, while the entire power train is virtually devoid of vibration.

The brakes are unchanged from the old model, but I honestly can’t see how you could improve them. Sharp (but not unsettling) initial bite, eye-boggling power, sublime feel – these radial-mount, four-pad, four-piston Nissins really do the business.

I haven’t ever really been able to find fault with Supersport suspension over the years – I’m a journo, not a racer, and pure sportsbike suspension technology has always represented the top of the development tree. However, I can definitely feel that progress has been made here, and the feedback and ride delivered by the Showa Big Piston Fork and rear shock is nothing short of incredible. It’s sure-footed but supremely nimble – 10 fewer kilos no doubt helping here too – and you’ll be howling like a loon whenever you carve up a track or tight road. This bike just feels so… so… right!

Preload, rebound and compression adjustment is all easy to get to front and rear, while the Ohlins steering damper is adjustable too. I never needed to fiddle with the latter despite powering on over some fairly bumpy roads – but then maybe that was simply because the damper was doing its job.

For all its performance and its insatiable appetite for revs, I thought the average fuel consumption I achieved of 15.2km/lt wasn’t bad going. With a 17lt tank, you should be right for around 230km before hunting for fuel; less if you’re really enjoying yourself.

I spent a total of about 10 days with Kawasaki’s new ZX-6R, and after Kawasaki staff prised the key from my hand, life just didn’t seem the same. You’re looking at around 16k plus your on road costs for one of these beauties – or a few hundred more for the sinister Monster Energy paint scheme – and it seems like an incredible amount of technology and performance for that sort of moolah. As motorcyclists we all know the buzz of a perfect riding moment – the new ZX-6R has taken that essence, bottled it and put it on tap…

Historically speaking…

Kawasaki’s first ZX-6R hit the streets back in 1995. It was something of a latecomer to the Supersports fray, when you consider the bike that kicked the entire niche off – Honda’s CBR600F – was launched eight years earlier, in 1987. The ZX-6R underwent numerous updates over the years, although from 2002 two versions of the model were available – the mass produced ZX636, with a 636cc engine capacity to better suit road riders’ needs, and the low volume 599cc version, with enough made for homologation for racing in world and domestic Supersports championships.

Now, however, once again the ZX-6R is available only in a 599cc format. The 2009 ZX-6R represents a thorough ground-up revision of the last generation of the model introduced in 2007, with virtually everything bar the brakes, wheels and rear shock now either new or improved.

SPEX:

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R

ENGINE

Type: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke, 16-valve, DOHC, in-line four-cylinder

Bore x stroke: 67.0 x 42.5mm

Displacement: 599cc

Compression ratio: 13.3:1

Fuel system: Electronic fuel-injection

TRANSMISSION

Type: Six-speed, constant mesh

Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR

Frame type: Aluminium perimeter

Front suspension: 41mm USD Showa Big Piston Fork, fully adjustable

Rear suspension: Monoshock, fully adjustable

Front brake: Twin 300mm petal discs with radial-mount, four-pad four-piston Nissin calipers

Rear brake: Single 220mm petal disc with single-piston Tokico caliper

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES

Wet weight: 191kg

Seat height: 815mm

Fuel capacity: 17 litres

PERFORMANCE

Max power: 99kW (134hp) at 14,000rpm (with ram air)

Max torque: 6.8kg-m at 11,800rpm

OTHER STUFF

Price: $15,990 plus ORC

Test bike supplied by: Kawasaki Motor Australia

Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres