.07 Kawasaki
.07 Kawasaki
Team Green punches up the power with a quicker, sicker ZX-6R and class crushing Concours 14 sport-tourer
MARK HOYER
KAWASAKI IS A CHANGED COMPANY. TAKE SIX years ago: It was still beating its dead-horse ZX-7R in dealerships (all 500 pounds and 100 horsepower of it), its ZX-9R looked like a touring bike compared to flyweight supersports such as the Yamaha YZF-R1 and Honda CBR929RR, while its flagship full-rig luxo-boat was the Voyager XII tourer, a sad shadow compared to the Honda GL1800 Gold Wing available in 2001. It was like Team Gangrene had set in. The ZX-6R did take Best Middleweight honors in our 2000 Ten Best Bikes balloting—it wasn’t necessarily by virtue of being a killer performer but rather of being an excellent all-around sportbike. Nothing to sniff at, sure, but Kawasaki’s reputation was founded upon all-out performance, not all-around friendliness.
Those strange days are over. Kawasaki is back and badder than ever. Take these two machines as prime examples: an all-new 2007 ZX-6R meant to dominate Supersport racing and perhaps the dream sporttourer of all time, a ZX-14-based Concours, named appropriately enough the Concours 14 and shown here as an early-release 2008 model.
Perhaps the biggest news on the ZX6R front is what is not being offered: the 636cc version is no longer in the lineup.We liked the overbored 636 because of its torque, but Kawasaki appears to be going for big foot-pound numbers with its latest dohc, 16-valve, 599cc inline-Four, because compression is a race-ready 13.9:1 ! Bore and stroke measure 67.0 x 42.5mm, just like last year’s RR. Rev limit is 16,500 rpm, 1000 rpm higher than on the previous 600.
The basic pitch Kawasaki makes about the 6R is that it provides a fat, linear powerband for killer corner-exit drive and combines this with a racebike-like degree of overrev for flexibility in shift points on the track. And here’s a tasty tidbit: Chief development rider appointed to lead testing of the new bike is a former 125cc Grand Prix racer, in hopes that corner speeds might be elevated to very high levels with the new chassis.
The all-new engine is roughly 1.6 inches shorter front to back and top to bottom. More compact valvegear plus an overall tri-axis crank-and-gearbox-shaft layout that mimics that of the ZX-10R allowed this shrinkage. This, plus a smaller airbox, results in a narrower chassis. A new longer swingarm can be used because of the shorter engine.
The Kayaba 41mm inverted fork and shock are both fully adjustable and now feature top-out springs to allow the wheels to better follow pavement irregularities on the “light” end of the bike during hard acceleration and braking. The main fork springs are now positioned in the bottom of the fork and are fully submerged in oil, reducing cavitation for more consistent action. Damping is described as “stiff” and suitable for racetrack use. Rear ride height is adjustable via shims.
A slipper clutch (with optional tuning kit), a close-ratio, cassette-type six-speed transmission and a gear-position sensor compatible with ignition-kill speed shifters underline the racing intent.
As all the manufacturers try to make horsepower and comply with tighter emissions regulations, under-engine mufflers used with additional rear silencers are becoming more common, as is applied here.
All the “money” specs, the real meat like rake and trail, dry weight, wheelbase, horsepower and torque, were unreleased at presstime, as was the “money” money spec: price. The double R last year was $8899, while the 636 was $8699. Will there be a $9000 middleweight from any manufacturer this year? Not likely.
At the other end of the model spectrum is the Concours 14. a 1352cc technological tour-dc-force (emphasis on force!) based on the ZX 14. This brutally fast platform makes a great starting point for an over-muscled sport-tourer.
But the Concours is so much more than a ZX-14 with locking hard saddlebags and a bigger fairing. Dubbed by Kawasaki as a Transcontinental Supersport, the bike features the same twin-balance-shaft inline-Four and dual-throttle-valve EFI system as used on the ZX-14. with ECU-control led sub-throttle valves for smooth and tailored power delivery. The biggest trick here, though, is the use of variable valve timing. The language used in the early press materials is that the system “alters camshaft profiles,” which suggests that the intake cam has two different lobes that are switched at a predetermined rpm. Some other systems use a cam with one set of lobes, the timing of which is altered by a system on the driven gear. In either case, the promise here, particularly with an engine of this size, is a phenomenally broad and abundant torque curve.
To suit the touring nature of this bike, the so-called Tetra-Lever shaft-drive and rear suspension system eliminates chassis jacking and minimizes driveline lash. This four-bar linkage with stout, cast-aluminum rear uprights and extruded upper horizontal struts essentially isolates suspension behavior from drive forces, allowing supple action on or off power.
Holding it all together is a next-generation aluminum monocoque frame (a type first seen on the 2000 ZX-12R) that uses the engine as a stressed member. Sporting intentions are clear when it comes to suspension and brake specs, with a stout-looking inverted fork (appears to have rebound and preload adjustment, like the shock), a radial brake master cylinder and four-pad four-piston radial-mount brake calipers operating on Kawasaki’s characteristic petal-style discs. ABS is optional.
Even the gauge package is trick. A CAN wiring system is used to reduce the number of wires necessary' to relay all the information from the ECU to the dash, such as fuel mileage and other trip-computer functions. Additionally, there are tirepressure monitors, a gear-position indicator and an electrically adjustable windscreen. Other touring amenities include an accessory' powrer outlet and a tank-top storage bin. As a final note, Kawasaki officials claim the Concours 14 will be the most powerful production sport-tourer ever seen. Based on the models the company has produced in recent years, we think it is best not to doubt them. □
