Kawasaki has given Indian bikers a big Diwali surprise with the announcement that it has commenced pre-bookings for the new Ninja ZX-6R. Prospective customers can pre-book the new middleweight supersport for Rs 1.5 lakh until November 30, 2018. The motorcycle will be sold in limited numbers, but the company hasn't specified how many will be rolled out.

The new ZX-6R will be locally assembled in India and will be only available as a single-seater, similar to the Ninja ZX-10R which was also given the CKD treatment a few months back. Given that the Ninja ZX-6R retails for under $11,500 and that the ZX-10R was priced quite aggressively after commencing CKD operations, an introductory price tag of around Rs 11 lakh (ex-showroom) or maybe even under is a possibility for the ZX-6R.

However, it’s worth noting that the Rs 12.8 lakh pricing for the Ninja ZX-10R was introductory, and it is now listed at Rs 14.3 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The first lot of 120 ZX-10Rs was sold out in 15 days of it going on sale, but a second lot has not been allocated for India yet.

The Japanese brand has announced that deliveries for the first lot of the 2019 Ninja ZX-6R will start post-January, 2019, and we expect to see official prices to be out in November or early December. The Ninja ZX-6R will be available only in the KRT edition colour scheme in India.

The 2019 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R made its global debut last month and gets a cosmetic makeover along with electronic updates. The styling is reminiscent of the Ninja 400 and features a sharper face with a full-LED headlamp. It also gets redesigned fairings and new decals that help further separate it from the older model. A sharply raked tail completes the aggressive design and the instrument console remains a semi-digital console.

Powering the bike is a 636cc, inline-four-cylinder motor. Kawasaki hasn’t shared India-centric specifications of the new Euro IV (BS-IV) compliant engine, but the international-spec powerplant churns out 128hp and 70.6Nm of torque. This should remain constant, unless we get a different state of tune to account for our fuel quality – an issue the ZX-10R faced.

The motor is mated to a 6-speed gearbox with slipper clutch. Talking about electronic goodies, the new Ninja ZX-6R has been equipped with Kawasaki Traction Control (KTRC), two power modes, ABS and Kawasaki Quick Shifter (KQS) (upshift only). The bike weighs 195kg and has a saddle height of 830mm. 

As far as competition goes, there’s nothing that directly competes with the 6R, but the Triumph Street Triple RS will come close, and while the Ducati 959 Panigale is similar in intent, it is more powerful and considerably more expensive as well.

Speaking about the announcement, Yutaka Yamashita, Managing Director, India Kawasaki Motors Pvt. Ltd said, “First of all, we appreciate the support from many Kawasaki fans in India. Our fourth successive championship in Superbike World Championship (also known as WSBK) shows our confidence and expertise in manufacturing supersport bikes in India. ZX-10R is the most affordable championship machine in India. Now, by bringing the Ninja ZX-6R in India, we are not only expanding the pool of supersport bikes but we are also creating an exciting option in the middleweight class. We are pleased to present an opportunity to supersport enthusiasts as same as the ZX-10R."