The new Z800 – designed successor to the hugely successful Z750 – is probably the real star at the Kawasaki stand in Milan, but there are some other models from the Akashi-based house that turned out to be quite popular with the crowd of the 2012 EICMA exhibition.
The brand new ZX-6R 636 is definitely one of them; the model marks the return to the 636 cc displacement of its in-line four, meaning that the new Ninja 600 is will come with an output of 131 horsepower (137 with the Ram Air duct) and 70.
5 Nm of torque.
Quite predictably, the ZX-6R 636 comes with an adequate electronic package for its class, which includes ABS (managed by a ABS ECU vy Bosch) and Kawasaki Traction Control (KTRC) selectable on 3 levels, while the engine can be set on two independent power modes: “Full” (providing full power) and “Low” (which keeps it down to 80% of the whole potential).
Braking will come from a new system developed by Nissin, which provides for 310 mm wave discs at the front (bitten by lighter 4-piston calipers) and a 220 mm wave disc at the back.
As for the suspension, at the front there’s a 41 mm upside-down Showa fork while at the rear there’s a Uni-Trak monoschock that is 25 mm longer compared to the outgoing model.
The geometry of the frame and the clutch have been optimized too.