9/17/23
Inline-four supersports have not had the best sales success in the past decade and a half. The crater left by 2008’s financial crisis was so big that the demand for one of the most popular sportbike segments basically turned off overnight. Manufacturers’ breakneck pace of development—trying to one-up each other and win on race days—became a slow trickle of investment into the middleweight sportbike. In the 600 class, what wins on Sunday doesn’t necessarily sell on Monday. Three Japanese motorcycle brands have stuck it out in the high-revving DOHC 16-valve in-line 600cc class: Suzuki, Honda, and Kawasaki.
Kawasaki still says the Ninja ZX-6R is an important part of its lineup, but not as a racer. Rather as a steppingstone from its parallel-twin Ninja 400 and ZX-4RR to the ZX-10R superbike. With a 636cc displacement, the ZX-6R is a canyon-carving bruiser with added torque thanks to those extra cubes, and it remains a trackday weapon.
Last week, Cycle World’s in-market editor, Bradley Adams, hit the track on the 2024 Kawasaki ZX-6R and found the updated engine, bodywork, and electronics quite entertaining on the Ridge Motorsport Park’s 2.5-mile road course. You can check out his review here.
Kawasaki hasn’t given up on the supersport, and the middleweight segment is better for it.
As always, there’s more than we can fit into this email. Check out cycleworld.com for additional tests, reviews, and news.
Ride on,
Justin Dawes
Executive Editor
