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The Best 600 Ever Built
OK, so the best is relative, technology is always moving forward, yada, yada, yada. Consider this - in the April of 2005
issue of SportRider magazine, the then new ZX-6R ran a 10.38 at 135.6 MPH. Since then, no other 600 has come close. The
2005/2006 Kawasaki ZX6R (ZX636C1 and ZX636C6F) makes more HP and torque than the most powerful 2009 600. For the 2009
model year, the CBR600RR ran a 10.8 @ 128.8, the GSXR600 ran a 10.8 @ 128.1, and the R6 ran a 10.85 @130.4 MPH. We are
three model years later and the fastest bike is still four tenths and five MPH slower.
It should come as no surprise that in 2005, the ZX6R was recognized as the top bike in it's class by virtually all of the mainstream media. This was primarily due to 37cc's. Everyone else used 599cc engines, while Kawasaki used a 636. Cheating? Maybe, but the mid-range power this engine provided made it well worth it. Most 600's require revs. The 636 is more like a 750 in that it pulls from anywhere in the rev range. Aside from the aforementioned midrange, the 636s also had an abundance of top end. The combination of their cam profiles and ram air brought the engine to life at 10,000 RPM. In the chassis department, earlier ZX6R 's had a reputation of having hard suspensions and a lousy riding position for road use. That changed with the 2005 model. The riding position is not just bearable, it's comfortable. Rather than a race suspension that requires smooth tracks, the suspension was redesigned and was tractable on bumpy roads. The slipper clutch became standard equipment in 2005. This provides both greater chassis stability on high rev downshifts and protects the engine from over revving. Thirdly, this gives the ZX6R a consistent amount of engine braking. The aluminum perimeter frame and heavily braced swing arm form a rigid platform for the rest of the package to bolt to. The 41mm inverted forks are topped off with a pair of radially mounted 4-piston calipers. Each of the four pistons has it's own individual brake pad. This results in excellent heat transfer, dramatically reducing the odds of warping the pad. The calipers are fed by a radial master cylinder. The results are brakes with outstanding stopping power and superb feel throughout the lever travel. The 2005/06 models were the first Kawasaki ZX6Rs to receive an under the seat exhaust system (undertail exhaust). At full throttle, the stock exhaust sound is gradually overwhelmed by the induction noise. The gauges were also revised in 2005. It had a digital speedometer in the center of a round analog style tach. One look gives the rider all the information they need. Unless you open the case, the only difference between the two years was the color scheme. In 2005 blue, green, and silver were available. In 2006 blue was dropped in favor of black.
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| Engine | |
| Type | Liquid cooled in-line four cylinder |
| Displacement | 636cc |
| Bore and Stroke | 68 x 43.8 mm |
| Compression ratio | 12.9:1 |
| Valvetrain | DOHC four valves per cylinder |
| Intake System | Sequential fuel injection with four 38mm Keihin primary injectors. Additional secondary injectors. |
| Ignition System | Digital |
| Intake System | Digital fuel injection with four 38mm Keihin throttle bodies, oval sub-throttles, and two injectors per throttle body |
| Drivetrain | |
| Transmission | Six speed |
| Gear ratios | 1st | 2.92 |
| 2nd | 2.06 | |
| 3rd | 1.67 | |
| 4th | 1.45 | |
| 5th | 1.27 | |
| 6th | 1.15 |
| Final drive | X-Ring chain |
| Clutch | Wet, multi-disc |
| Frame | |
| Type | Aluminum perimeter |
| Wheel travel | Front | 120mm |
| Rear | 130mm | |
| Wheel size | Front | 17x3.5 inch |
| Rear | 17x5.5 inch | |
| Tires | Front | 120/65-ZR17 |
| Rear | 180/55-ZR17 |
| Rake | 25° |
| Trail | 106mm |
| Suspension | |
| Front | 41 mm inverted cartridge fork with rebound and compression damping, spring preload adjustability and top-out springs |
| Rear | Bottom-Link Uni-Trak with gas-charged shock, spring preload adjustability and top-out spring. Stepless rebound and compression damping. |
| Brakes | |
| Front | Dual radial-mount 4-piston, 4-pad calipers with semi-floating 300mm pedal discs |
| Rear | Single-piston caliper with a 220mm petal rotor. |
| General | |
| Fuel capacity | 17 liters / 4.5 gallons |
| Seat Height | 820mm / 32.3 inches |
| Horsepower | 114 @ 14000 RPM (without the European jumper conversion) |
| Torque | 48.1 foot pounds at 11500 |
| Dry weight | 362 pounds |
A few details
| A new cylinder head design that spreads each pair of intake/exhaust valves farther apart. This improved flow and combustion efficiency. |
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| Along with the new head are new pistons with reshaped crowns and improved low-friction skirts |
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| Larger diameter intake and exhaust valves. Coupled with the new cam profiles, this contributed to the new engine's improved performance. This engine had the 2003 model year racing kit's intake and exhaust cams. |
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| The new cylinder design has three breathing passageways. One is located between each pair of cylinders. This contributes to effective crankcase breathing, which reduces pumping loss. |
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| Thicker castings were used for the engine cases. This improved engine rigidity, reduced vibration, and feature improved lubrication. |
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| A new lower case has separate mounting bosses for the oil filter and oil cooler. Additionally, a new aluminium oil cooler, which replaced the prior steel model, improved cooling efficiency. |
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| Additional performance gains were achieved by increasing the width of the oil pump while changing its drive ratio to reduce its RPM |
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| A deeper oil sump was used to lower the oil level for reduced windage losses. |
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| The crankshaft was strengthened to reduce flexing. The new crank featured larger diameter main journals - 31mm, versus 30 mm. |
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| Large-bore 38 mm throttle bodies featured oval-shaped sub-throttles that allowed airflow to be increased without increasing engine width. The larger intake improved intake efficiency 20%. This too contributed to the new engine's increased performance. This marked the first use of oval-shaped sub-throttle technology in a middleweight supersport. |
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| The dual-injector fuel injection system uses fine atomising injectors for the main injectors and a secondary set of injectors in the airbox. This produced improved cylinder filling, crisper throttle response, and higher power output. |
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| A new fuel tank design improved mass centralization and allowed the use of a larger-capacity airbox, which also improved intake efficiency. |
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| Another new feature was the addition of an exhaust valve. Integrated with the new undertail muffler, the valve controls the pressure waves inside the exhaust system, contributing to improved low- and mid-range power characteristics. |
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| A larger capacity radiator improved cooling. The new radiator was 40 mm taller and features more tightly packed cores than the 2004 model. |
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| The new engine also received a new ECU. The new procesor had additional memory to control the exhaust valve and the second set of fuel injectors. | |
| The new clutch was equipped with a back-torque limiter. This reduced any rear-wheel hop that may occur when downshifting at high RPM. |
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| Shift quality was also improved with a bearing added to the shift-drum locator arm. |
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| 3rd gear was increase (taller), for better spacing between the gears. |
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| Stronger needle bearings were used at the ends of the transmission shafts. This increased transmission durability. |
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| A fully adjustable Showa fork improved ride quality and cornering performance. |
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| A race developed bottom-Link type Uni-Trak rear suspension produced both a smooth ride and cornering performance. New linkage ratios were added for more linear action. Improved rear shock settings resulted in better ride quality and performance. |
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| 2005 saw the introduction of a new all-aluminium perimeter frame. The new frame offers improved strength and torsional rigidity while delivering responsive and stable handling performance. |
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| The new frame shortened the distance between the swingarm pivot and steering head by 13 mm. This helped shorten the wheelbase and allowed the use of a longer swingarm. The 2005 wheelbase was increased to 1,397mm from the 2004's 1,390, and the rake was reduced to 24.5° from 25°. |
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| The combination of moving the swingarm pivot forward and the long swingarm reduced the leverage on the rear sprocket on the rear suspension, resulting in superb rear suspension action. |
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| The newly braced aluminium swingarm was significantly more rigid, and resembled the ZX-10R part. |
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| The swingarm used a cast section at the pivot, with bracing on the right side. |
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| The left arm is a reinforced extrusion. |
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| The exhaust pipe for the undertail exhaust passes through the swingarm. |
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The improved, centrally mounted Ram Air duct was integral with the steering head. By
reducing air resistance inside the Ram Air ducts, Ram Air efficiency has been improved,
contributing to the increase in power output.
The steering head uses ball bearings for light, responsive steering. |
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| The radial-mounted, 4-piston front brake calipers are exceptional. These are widely used in racing. The 2003 ZX-6R and ZX-6RR were the first production bikes in their class to feature this type of brake caliper. Four independent brake pads are used - one for each piston - for more even wear and improved heat resistance. |
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| Semi-floating, drilled, 300mm stainless steel front disc rotors mount on disc carriers without offset to reduce weight. |
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| The radial piston front brake master cylinder has improved control and better feel at the lever. |
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| The brake lever is 5-way adjustable. |
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The small diameter rear brake disc is 220mm in diameter and has low unsprung weight.
The compact, lightweight rear brake caliper mounts directly to the swingarm, negating the need for an independent brake tie-rod. New, ZX-10R-type wheels are light and increase the family resemblance of the Ninja series. The front is the same as the ZX-10R's, but with a smaller 25 mm axle. The rear wheel features the same design as the 10R's, but with a smaller rim size. |
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The 2005 cowling was the lowest Cd of any Ninja to date.
The 2005/2006 cowl moved the point where the boundary layer separates from the cowling forward. That shortens the point of convergence at the rear, improving the bike's aerodynamic efficiency. This also reduced turbulence around the rider. This design allowed a greater possible top speed and quicker acceleration. The undertail muffler also improved aerodynamics. |
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| The instrument panel featured a bar-type LCD tachometer, digital LCD speedometer, an adjustable shift indicator lamp, a stopwatch-style lap timer, a digital temp gauge, clock, tripmeter and a comprehensive range of indicator lamps. |
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| The shift indicator lamp has three settings: Off, Low and Bright. |
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| The revised riding position is based on the Ninja ZX-10R. The pulled back steering head reduces the distance between the handlebars and the footpegs. The result is a position that gives the rider both control and comfort. |
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