1998 Zx-6r: Less Money, More Ninja
1998 ZX-6R: LESS MONEY, MORE NINJA
ROUNDUP
HOW'S THIS FOR CUTTING to the chase? Kawi's new-for-'98 ZX-6R is the company's best effort yet and it costs $300 less than last year's model. More for less, a concept that's easy to get behind.
Kawasaki engineers set three primary goals when drafting up the new 6R: 1) Make it more compact; 2) make it more tightly focused; and 3) make it more race-oriented. Team Green has its sights firmly fixed on 600cc Supersport supremacy, something it hasn’t achieved since Miguel Duhamel won the 1993 AMA title aboard a Muzzy-tuned ZX-6. Defending AMA Superbike Champion Doug Chandler will contest the 600 class in ’98, underscoring Kawasaki’s commitment. A host of engine and chassis changes should prove helpful in Chandler’s middleweight mission assignment.
While the attention paid to the already strong engine was focused primarily on reducing weight and mechanical noise, the chassis received a number of performance enhancements. The bike’s aluminum perimeter frame has been stiffened and features a slightly steeper, 23.5-degree head angle. This, combined with a shortened, 55.1-inch wheelbase and an additional inch of handlebar width, yields a more responsive and lighter-handling package. Fork-tube diameter has grown from 41mm to 46mm, using what is essentially the same conventional-type unit found on the new ZX-9R. Front and rear axles are now 25 percent larger in diameter for increased rigidity.
Casting thickness of the alloy wheels has been reduced to shave weight, although the rear rim is now a half-inch wider, measuring 5.5 inches across.
The good news for street riders is that these performance enhancements have not unduly compromised the bike’s all-around versatility, a trait which the ZX-6 family has always embraced.
Cycle World attended a rainsodden world press launch held for the ZX-6R at the Catalunya GP circuit just outside of Barcelona, Spain. The wet track surface offered limited grip, which in turn limited riding impressions of the new Sixxer. Riding in slick conditions, however, has a way of heightening senses and instilling an appreciation for the virtues of crisp throttle response and smooth power delivery. In the wet, any hint of carburetion stumble or even a slight hesitation would have been readily apparent, but there was none. A smooth, steady application of throttle, initiating drive off the heart of corners, was always met with equally smooth and linear power delivery. Likewise, we experienced no excessive drivetrain lash, something that plagued earlier ZX-6s.
Packing 13 pounds less weight than last year, the ZX accelerates quickly through the gears. When braking for turns, we noticed the new six-pot calipers up front-identical to the ZX-9R’s-offered good feel without too much initial bite, bolstering confidence in the wet. All said, the new 6R was doing a good job of wringing out the wet circuit. When the rear momentarily stepped out under acceleration, the chassis offered a great sense of stability as the wheels snapped back into line with nary a wobble or shake.
Repeated runs up and down a 5-mile stretch of semi-dry mountain road the following day offered better insight into the 6R’s suspension and handling potential. It would seem that the latest ZX-6R is every bit the stable platform of its predecessor, exhibiting not even the slightest hint of headshake as it was hustled along the tight and fairly bumpy roadway. The updated suspension performed admirably, keeping the Dunlop D204 Sportmax II radiais in contact with the pavement at all times1. While the suspension feels responsive, with well-balanced spring rates front and rear, compression damping in the fork feels overly aggressive when taking hits from sharp-edged bumps. Although the full suit of suspension adjustments are accounted for, and the tools needed to tweak the setup were onboard, our tuning efforts netted little appreciable gain in smoothing the harshness. Even so, all things considered, we can’t fault the ZX for possessing what may very well be near-ideal suspension calibration for track days and hardcore street riding.
Besides, given the rainy weather at the press launch, any conclusive evaluation will have to wait until we commence with testing back home in (usually) sunny Southern California.
-Don Canet
