First Ride: 2006 Kawasaki Ninja® 650R

Plastic - The New Chrome.

Actually, we have one in our garage that my wife bought for herself and initially Kawi had reported that it had "an ultra low seat height of 28in" and it is really 30.9in so with you guys calling it 30 inches that is even wrong. It is closer to 31 than to 30 and is the same height as the Katana 600. No big difference there Kawi so so much for their "designing a bike for every rider" They can go back to the drawing board for that one.

Since no journalist in attendance was carrying a tape measure, we could only take what Kawasaki told us at face value. Additionally, a .9" variance against Kawasaki's claim could be perceived as negligible. Certainly there will always be debate on the actual measuring points. When I worked in the bicycle industry, this occurred routinely. Using the same method on different brands, all claiming the same frame size, actual measurements would vary widely.

I'm sorry to hear it doesn't seem to fit your wife. How tall is she? Or more correctly what is her inseam? Two of the journalists on hand (one was a woman) were well under 5'6", with one of them having a particularly short inseam. Both were happy with the fit. Perhaps you and your wife can find some adjustment. Ultimately I think she'll love the bike.--Pete

Thanks for the feedback.



Sorry, didn't mean to bet the mileage thing to death, but I guess what I was referring to wasn't actual miles per gallon, but more in terms of whether you suspected the 4.1 gallon gas tank to be sufficient for touring. But considering you answered my larger question, I guess it will be fine.



Again, thanks for the feedback! Not many sites or pubs out there gives you an opportunity to get your questions answered by the writer.

Ah hah! Finally a "beginner" bike from Kawasaki that I might actually be interested in. Don't get me wrong you EX250/500 lovers, they're fine I'm sure but this one is real competition for the SV650, 599 and FZ6. Of course there is that nice Z750S...



Jon

Taking a stab (blindfolded and in the dark), the 650R will give the SV a competitive run in the handling dept. It is our intention, as soon as possible, to pit them against one another. So hold tight.

As for it's competitiveness, it has all the basics in place. I'm not certain that it will out pace the SV but with braking and suspension upgrades (usually the first stuff to go once it's headed to the track, no?) the 650R should stick like glue in every turn.--Pete

Glad I answered some of the questions. I understand the range question as well. Unfortunately, as it is with many press intros, (childish journalists that we are) fuel economy is the first to go. What with wheelies being attempted right out of the gate and less than legal speeds for the majority of the day.

But due to all the advancements in the engine design and fuel injection, I don't see why you couldn't get at least 140 miles to the tank. My moderately breathed on Bandit 1200 did as much. But don't quote me here.--Pete

If you guys need a beginner rider to help with the Ninja vs. SV test, I'd be happy to volunteer my services. As a rider of 8 months and ~4k miles located near LA (Palmdale) who can put a decent sentence together, I'd hope that I qualify. I can even volunteer my S2R for the comparison; with similar weight and power, did my extra 2.5k get me anything more than looks and a name?



Any takers?

How cheap do 'old' suspension bits have to get?

Blimey! Would it be so damn expensive to put 95-96 ZX6F forks on the damn thing? Nice 4-pot calipers and full cartridge forks. Even the 94-03 ZX6E(aka ZZR600) runs the exact same 4-pot calipers, rotors and a rebound adjustable damper-rod fork.

The cost difference between junk and middling stuff can not be much at all. The Z750 also got screwed. Maybe I should corner the market on ZR750/Z750/650R/SV650 to ZX6E/F upgrades.

Re: How cheap do 'old' suspension bits have to get?

My guess is that it's not a cost issue but a content issue. The marketing dept. wants to give the potential buyer a reason to consider the more expensive ZZR600.

The Chevy Cobalt doesn't offer as many options as a Corvette.

I agree that gas mileage is often not discussed by the media but we should change that. Aren't we wasting enough gas already and shouldn't all journalists take the lead to force the industry to build bikes that are powerful, as well as efficient? This is particularly true for a "commuter" bike. If you are correct that this bike can go 140 miles for a full tang, the gas mileage is only around 34MPG, and it sucks, in my opinion, as a Honda Civic can get better gas mileage than that.

I'm 6'3" with the right knee of a 115 year old. My KLR 650 is comfortable, but I don't see much else that would be except for other dual purpose or Adventure bikes. Maybe some cruisers, but I don't like riding that low to the pavement. Much better view on a 35" seat.



Triumph Tiger and KTM 990 Adventure are great tall guy bikes, possibly the Yamaha FZ1 too, although I think they lowered their seat height in 06.

Re: Need an SV comparison

But the Euro model has pod-like headlight that takes some getting used to style-wise and doesnt have a windshield as I recall. I like the Ninja 650R variation better than the Euro version--looks much cleaner from the front and offers more wind protection.

As a beginner who currently owns and loves the venerable Ninja 250, I definitely have my eye on this bike when I want to venture into more displacement. Being a 5'2" tall female I am just so excited that their is another option for me out there. I like the Ducati Monsters but would prefer Japanese reliability. Also, I like a fairing for the highway. The Suzuki SV650 only comes with a fairing in the more sporty version which has the forward leaning sitting position which I do not like for commuting or comfort with my limited reach.



But please let us know about the miles per gallon it gets! Add me in as another person who would like to know about the fuel efficiency of the 650R. The 60+mpg that my little 250 currently gives me on regular unleaded has me thinking I will never give it up for commuting. I'll just have to have a stable.

Just be happy it's not a Brutale, which is rumored to have the fuel efficiency of anSUV. It gets about 20 mpg. That's absolutely ridiculous for a bike!! I fell so in love with the Brutale when I first saw it in person and fell out of love as soon as I heard about it's gas guzzling tendencies.

How does it compare to the SV for a club racing platform?



Sean?