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When Kawasaki launched the ER-6f some three years ago, it was an instant hit. And with good reason. It looked good, boasted sporty handling and impressed with its balance between performance and accessibility. The latest version of the fully-faired Kawasaki mid-weight is built on the same characteristics but shifts the chombination a couple of notches up. .
Most noticeable is the model’s sharp new styling, with some very obvious Ninja looks added to the mix – the ER-6f has clearly shaken its slightly tame appearance for 2009.
The changes aren’t purely cosmetic either. The frame, while retaining its characteristic trellis design and offset laydown rear shock, has been completely redesigned for reduced vibration and nimbler handling. Rubber engine mounts smooth out the high-frequency vibes considerably, but without ridding the Kawasaki of its familiar and enjoyable twin-cylinder pulses.
The original bike was designed around rider comfort and the thoughtful layout and positioning of controls, and these aspects are now even better than before. The seat is lower and slimmer, and the passenger hand grips (now aluminium, rather than plastic) are easier to grasp than the originals were.
New MotoGP-styled instrumentation includes a multi-function display that includes a fuel gauge, a digital speedometer and a bar-style digital rev counter. The mirrors are new, and positioned further apart than previously to allow a better field of vision.
The Kawasaki ER-6f’s liquid-cooled 649cc engine has also come under scrutiny, and now revs quicker, while throttle response, particularly at low to mid r/min, has been improved.
Kawasaki decided to design the ER series motorcycles around a vertical twin engine because an inline four-cylinder engine would have been too wide for the machine they envisaged, while a V-Twin would have meant the frame would be too long.
The Kawasaki engine is extraordinarily compact for the punch it delivers – smaller even than the company’s 500cc twin unit. This was achieved by using a triangular layout of the crankshaft and transmission shafts to keep the unit short from front to back, and accentuated by routing the coolant through passages in the casings rather than via external hoses.
Width and mass have both been restrained by using linerless plated cylinder bores, while the under-engine silencer improves mass centralization and lowers the bike’s center of gravity. For 2009 the fuel injection settings have been revised, and a 40mm wider radiator now offers improved cooling.
A new 300-cell catalytic converter is smaller and lighter than last year’s 200-cell unit, meaning the new Kawasaki is as clean as it is pretty.
Like its predecessor, the 2009 Kawasaki ER-6f is a lively 650cc machine with the dimensions of a 400 that allows both beginners and experienced riders to enjoy what the factory accurately calls “the fundamental joy of motorcycling.”
It’s capable of briskly carving up winding country roads with ease, yet can carry two people with their luggage comfortably from Johannesburg to Cape Town at speeds way in excess of the national speed limit. The ER-6f makes for a great city bike too, especially since you don’t need to whip it up to 12 000r/min to keep ahead of the traffic.
The Kawasaki ER-6f retails at R89 995 with a two year unlimited distance warranty. A version fitted with ABS brakes will be available by the end of July.
Technical Specs
Engine type: Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke Parallel Twin
Displacement: 649cm³
Bore x stroke: 83 x 60mm
Compression ratio: 11.3:1
Maximum power: 53kW at 8 500r/min
Maximum torque: 66Nm at 7 000r/min
Brakes, front: Dual semi-floating 300mm petal discs. Dual piston
Brakes, rear: Single 220mm petal disc. Single-piston
Ground Clearance: 145mm
Seat height: 790mm
Fuel capacity: 15.5 litres
Curb Mass: 204kg
Most noticeable is the model’s sharp new styling, with some very obvious Ninja looks added to the mix – the ER-6f has clearly shaken its slightly tame appearance for 2009.
The changes aren’t purely cosmetic either. The frame, while retaining its characteristic trellis design and offset laydown rear shock, has been completely redesigned for reduced vibration and nimbler handling. Rubber engine mounts smooth out the high-frequency vibes considerably, but without ridding the Kawasaki of its familiar and enjoyable twin-cylinder pulses.
The original bike was designed around rider comfort and the thoughtful layout and positioning of controls, and these aspects are now even better than before. The seat is lower and slimmer, and the passenger hand grips (now aluminium, rather than plastic) are easier to grasp than the originals were.
New MotoGP-styled instrumentation includes a multi-function display that includes a fuel gauge, a digital speedometer and a bar-style digital rev counter. The mirrors are new, and positioned further apart than previously to allow a better field of vision.
The Kawasaki ER-6f’s liquid-cooled 649cc engine has also come under scrutiny, and now revs quicker, while throttle response, particularly at low to mid r/min, has been improved.
Kawasaki decided to design the ER series motorcycles around a vertical twin engine because an inline four-cylinder engine would have been too wide for the machine they envisaged, while a V-Twin would have meant the frame would be too long.
The Kawasaki engine is extraordinarily compact for the punch it delivers – smaller even than the company’s 500cc twin unit. This was achieved by using a triangular layout of the crankshaft and transmission shafts to keep the unit short from front to back, and accentuated by routing the coolant through passages in the casings rather than via external hoses.
Width and mass have both been restrained by using linerless plated cylinder bores, while the under-engine silencer improves mass centralization and lowers the bike’s center of gravity. For 2009 the fuel injection settings have been revised, and a 40mm wider radiator now offers improved cooling.
A new 300-cell catalytic converter is smaller and lighter than last year’s 200-cell unit, meaning the new Kawasaki is as clean as it is pretty.
Like its predecessor, the 2009 Kawasaki ER-6f is a lively 650cc machine with the dimensions of a 400 that allows both beginners and experienced riders to enjoy what the factory accurately calls “the fundamental joy of motorcycling.”
It’s capable of briskly carving up winding country roads with ease, yet can carry two people with their luggage comfortably from Johannesburg to Cape Town at speeds way in excess of the national speed limit. The ER-6f makes for a great city bike too, especially since you don’t need to whip it up to 12 000r/min to keep ahead of the traffic.
The Kawasaki ER-6f retails at R89 995 with a two year unlimited distance warranty. A version fitted with ABS brakes will be available by the end of July.
Technical Specs
Engine type: Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke Parallel Twin
Displacement: 649cm³
Bore x stroke: 83 x 60mm
Compression ratio: 11.3:1
Maximum power: 53kW at 8 500r/min
Maximum torque: 66Nm at 7 000r/min
Brakes, front: Dual semi-floating 300mm petal discs. Dual piston
Brakes, rear: Single 220mm petal disc. Single-piston
Ground Clearance: 145mm
Seat height: 790mm
Fuel capacity: 15.5 litres
Curb Mass: 204kg
