Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R review: Sweet dreams are made of this

It’s been quite a few years since we last reviewed a ZX-6R, so despite the fact that the latest update is quite minimal, this was a rare opportunity to get reacquainted with one of the last bikes of its type.

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R ride comfort: 8/10

The 6R's Showa suspension is surprisingly pliant on our roads

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R remains the only genuine track-bred 600(ish)cc supersport on sale in India, and while it shines brightest on the racetrack, this review will focus on how it fares on Indian roads. And just like before, it’s better at that than you would expect.

Much of what always made the 6R a surprisingly usable and enjoyable motorcycle when we last rode it in 2019 is still alive in 2025. The immediate first expectation when you encounter the aggressively low bars and high footpegs is that this will be a painful ride. And sure enough, you’ll be left with sore and achy muscles after a long ride, but as the gym folks like to say, it’s a ‘good pain’.

Somewhat old-school ergos with low bars and a wide 17-litre tank.

What you won’t expect is just how plush and pliant the Showa suspension is. Travel is limited, so you must remind yourself to protect the wheels and not get carried away over bad roads. However, within that travel, the way the suspension soaks in the road surface is a revelation.

It means that the 6R is not constantly bouncing all over the place, and it can even handle a rough, gravelly road reasonably well. Ground clearance is limited, so tall speed breakers demand a cautious approach. However, the short wheelbase and low suspension travel ensure it isn’t as much of a problem as on some long and low cruisers.

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R engine and performance: 9/10

It is unexpectedly fun to ride at low speeds even on our roads.

Adding to the 6R’s friendly side is an engine that feels docile and almost dull below 4,000rpm. This 636cc four-cyl mill will never catch you off guard with aggression at low revs, and the throttle response is very nicely gauged as well. Even the off-clutch behaviour in crawling traffic is nowhere close to as ‘jumpy’ as on most 1,000cc super bikes, and this helps keep things more manageable in slow moving, heavy traffic.

Sure, there’s plenty of heat, but again, nowhere as bad as on some litre-class monsters, and the super short gearing allows you to drop as low as 25kph in 6th gear. In international markets, the gearing would be annoyingly short, but here, it helps you ride with less effort in our constantly accelerating and braking traffic. 

So, there it is, the Kawasaki ZX-6R remains a bike that’s unexpectedly fun to ride at low speeds even on our roads. Thankfully, there’s still plenty of entertainment and drama on offer when you ask for it. Over the years, this engine has lost a small amount of power and max revs as it complied with stricter and stricter emissions norms. Today, peak power stands at 124hp (129hp with ram air), and torque is at 69Nm. The rev limit has dropped by 1,000rpm from the previous 15,500rpm, but the peak power figure also arrives about 500rpm earlier, at 13,000rpm.

This is an engine that adores and rewards revs. It starts to pick up pace at 6,000rpm, gets seriously quick at 8,000rpm, and then has you grinning like a madman as it flies past 10,000rpm. It’s a high-revving rush that no modern rival in this class offers anymore, and it’s accompanied with a properly exciting four-cylinder exhaust scream. Kawasaki has managed to get a great sound out of this Euro 5-compliant exhaust, and it’s loud enough to thoroughly entertain, but not to the point of being antisocial. What will also come as music to concerned ears is that this engine is now E20 compliant.

With a proper aluminium perimeter frame, fully adjustable suspension and strong Nissin brakes, the 6R’s handling abilities are far beyond what I am willing to explore on the road. That said, the Pirelli Diablo Rosso 4 tyres work very well, and the 198kg 6R with its pliant suspension finds good grip even on soaking wet roads, and I never found myself relying on the electronics.

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R features and safety: 6/10

It sadly misses out on an auto-blipper 

On that topic, you get three riding modes, two power levels and three levels of traction control. Compared with the latest super bikes, this is quite a humble electronics package, but the only thing I found myself really missing was an autoblipper. The quickshifter works great on upshifts, but this bike deserves a good autoblipper for downshifts as well.

TFT is easy to read on the go and shows all relevant information.

Also, when compared to superbikes, the brakes lack that top-tier sharpness and feel, and the ABS can be intrusive during very heavy braking. It is not an issue on the road, but you’ll probably need to pull the fuse to deactivate the system on track, as there are no ABS modes to play with.

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R price and verdict: 8/10

The ZX-6R is priced at Rs 12.49 lakh

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R has received a small price increase for 2025, and with the new GST rates, it now costs Rs 12.49 lakh (ex-showroom, India). Yes, you can get bigger, more powerful bikes for that money, but there’s nothing else that gives you a pukka, ‘superbike’ feel-good factor at this price. For 2025, it continues with its appealingly aggressive design; the only change is the new colour scheme that looks fantastic to my eyes.

No saree guard here since the 6R is sold as a single seater.

This is far from the most practical bike you can get at this price range, but it’s off the charts when it comes to emotional appeal. It is a genuine object of desire, not only for how wild it looks and how thrilling it is to ride but also because you can genuinely enjoy it on our roads – although it is best savoured in short bursts. After a week spent together, one thing is clear –  my fondness for the 6R only seems to grow with time.

Also see: 

Kawasaki Versys 1100 review: road touring masterclass