Motorcycle specifications KawasakiZX-6 R 636 2013 Controlling the challenge

can you see anything in common between the 2013 ZX-6R and the iPhone 5? No, and what a strange comparison it is. However, if we take a step back, we can see certain similarities: the buzz around them was substantial, both were eagerly awaited, many hoped for a revolution and were served by an evolution, and if we retain above all the stylistic evolution, it's in the innards and electronics that the essential is played out.

big screen for one, redesigned face for the other. Let's put aside the Apple smartphone and focus on one of today's most efficient Supersports. Previously redesigned in 2009, the 600 Ninja adopted the design of its big ZX-10 R sibling. The latter has since changed considerably. It would have been logical for the mimicry to continue, but this 636 just prefers to draw inspiration from it to redesign its headlights. The central air intake has changed a little, as has the tip of the muzzle. The fairing sides are much more pronounced. New panels with a tortured design and inlaid turn signals mark the desire for a new identity. The fuel tank looks slimmer, thanks to the addition of a wide plastic tongue underneath. The rear end is little changed, except for a new LED light and a different pot cover.

of course, what will have struck you most is not this upgrading of the silhouette but that incongruous number: 636.

let's go back 10 years. In 2002, Kawasaki replaced the ZX-6 R with a 636 cm3 version. The result: more trunk space, greater availability, and smoother power delivery for greater on-road enjoyment. And for 2013, it's the same recipe.
The impetuous 4-cylinder gains 37 cm3 by increasing piston stroke. With this extra blast volume, the ZX-6R will offer more low- and mid-range torque, better acceleration, and a more exploitable engine character; a plus for road use of the machine.

in terms of driver assistance, the ZX-6R takes a quantum leap forward. While it hasn't borrowed the 10R's plastic, it has not hesitated to steal all its electronics. With this new opus of the 600 sports bike, you'll be able to open up in all directions and brake like a hymosed asshole. Feel like welding the handlebars? The 3-mode KTRC traction control system, combined with 2 choices of mapping, ensures that you'll be able to maintain your traction and avoid slippage. Heavy braking on the approach? KIBS anti-lock braking assist you. This "intelligence by Kawa" ABS helps prevent rear wheel lift during hard braking, and takes into account the effect of counter-torque during downshifts.

it's "wiser" on the chassis side. By which we mean that it hasn't undergone any significant overhaul. The aluminum perimeter frame and large-section swingarm have been carried over from the previous version. Precise equipment that's hard to fault. Only the fork has changed: the latest generation from Showa, combining SFF (damping on one fork, hydraulic on the other) and BPF (Big Piston) technologies.
The 636 Ninja is now a classic, but still very much appreciated, and is equipped with high-quality sporty peripherals: fCC anti-dribble clutch, 4-piston radial brake calipers gripping petal discs, complete and compact instrument panel (it doesn't change, except for the removal of the green or red coloring of the engine operating ranges), dual-throttle injection and a boiler that loves revs.

with its new 636 ZX-6R, Kawasaki is clearly aiming for greater everyday enjoyment than the competition. But with this displacement barring it from competition (600cc max for the Supersport class), how will the Akashi-based manufacturer battle it out on the racetrack? The old 600 continues its career in parallel, but without the assistance of this 636.

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