A while back, we exclusively reported that Kawasaki was bringing the ZX-4R to India. Now we can tell you that the company is gearing up to bring its popular ZX6R back to our market as well.
- Packs in same engine as before but now BS6.2 compliant
- All-new design, TFT dash brings Bluetooth now
- Now runs on Pirelli Diablo Rosso 4 tyres
The Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R went off sale in India after the BS6 norms came in. At the time, we assumed that would be the end of the line for the 6R – as was the case with pretty much every other 600cc supersport worldwide. However, Kawasaki pulled a surprise when they brought the 6R back for 2023, now Euro 5-compliant and with a host of updates.
The most relevant change is in the new face. This is a very good thing because the old 6R shared its frontal design theme with far too many other Kawasakis and that diluted the special feeling. Now, the 6R gets an angry-looking set of new LED headlamps as well as a new windscreen. The side fairing panels are also different and they now house subtle integrated winglets, just like on the current Kawasaki Ninja ZX10R.
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The rest of the bike, including the rear section and tail-lamp are similar to the outgoing model. However, one more significant change is that the 6R now packs a new 4.3-inch TFT display with Bluetooth compatibility. The final visual change of relevance is that Kawasaki has moved from petal discs to round units.
In terms of features, the new 6R gets three levels of traction control, three power modes and three riding modes. Funnily enough, the new TFT display also has an ECO riding indicator, although it probably won’t see much use on a bike like this. The 6R does get a quickshifter, but there is no mention of it being a bi-directional system. Considering that the 6R still has cable controlled throttle, it is likely that it will remain an upshift only unit.
The engine is the familiar 636cc four cylinder screamer with an addictive 16,000rpm redline. The main changes here have been around meeting emissions norms and the bike has lost a small amount of power and torque in the process. Peak power is down by 1hp to 129hp, while peak torque reduces from 70.8Nm to 69Nm.
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2019 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R review, test ride
There is no direct rival to the Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R in India and the closest in terms of specs and price will be the Triumph Street Triple RS. The Triumph is lighter (188kg vs 198kg) and a little more powerful, making 130hp. The Striple also packs in a whole load more torque at 80Nm, but the Kawasaki can rev a full 4,000rpm higher, so the riding experience will be quite different.
As for the price, the old ZX6R was positioned just under Rs 11 lakh (ex-showroom, India) when it went off sale and we expect the new one to cost somewhere between Rs 11.50 lakh-12 lakh when it does return. The bike should be launched in India by the end of 2023 and if Kawasaki were to launch it at that price it will be positioned on par with the Rs 11.80 lakh Street Triple RS.
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Triumph Street Triple R, Street Triple RS review: refined aggression