Kawasaki ER-6 (2005-2008)

the ER-6F is now renamed the NINJA 650-R [at least in australasia] and several improvements have been made. they are manufactured here in thailand, where i live, and are thus VERY affordable here.my situation is that i had to buy one of these as its about the only 'big sports' type bike you can buy here as the 'real' sports bikes are not imported. my previous bike[when i lived in australia] was a suzuki GSX-R 1000 so its a big step backwards really but i must say the bike holds up quite well compared to the GSX-R which must be considered one of the best sports bikes ever. the downdside is that the bike feels bloody big..i am suprised many reviewers call it a "nice little bike"...to me it feels huge and like a truck. the worst offending item is the handlebars. they are awful and the iriding postion is neither upright nor sports-low. the bike feels heavy too even though its not.. it feels like the designers made some error in the design and has to bolt on some bent steel bits for handlebars after the fact. they just dont feel or look right..they are literally "bolted on with a bracket" and look like an after thought. the engine is quite good and the gearbox positive the overall qaulity is impressive and i think te price is just awesome.but its not a bike you feel confident leaning into corners thats for sure. but i think it creams the mid size competetion and kawasaki are the first big japanese manufacturer to go offshore and benefit from massive price reductions by opening a manufacturing base in thailand rather than solely in japan. honda are considered to be next. all in all a nice bike and certainiy cost effective in all ways, but its looks definitely decieve its ridability..but there is nothing in its price range that compares.

Had my Er6F for nearly 2 years and 32000 miles. Traded it in last week for a bike with greater range and to have a change. I was very happy with it. As a born again biker its light weight and easy handling gave me lots of confidence on the move. In high winds it was really stable whilst moving and when stationary if gusts threatened to knock me about I was able to get both feet down as a result of it being so slim and low. I have ridden in several huge floods and it didn't once suggest that it might cough or splutter. Performance wise it was very good. Commuting 110 miles every day at legal speeds on A roads and motorways I got 60mpg plus every day and it had enough umph to out blast any cars I needed too. Only things replaced were tyres (lots - fronts lasted 4000 miles whilst the rears lasted about 12000 miles) and a chain/sprocket set. Extras purchased were the mirror extenders (essential to see more than elbows), a hugger and heated grips. Only minor issue was the lock for the petrol tank which gets very stiff if you leave the bike for two weeks (Christmas) without using it - spray liberally with WD40! Some people have complained about hand vibration - well its there but its much less intrusive than a CB500! Other people have complained about rust and quality of construction - well the disks do change colour after two weeks non use (Christmas again) and the footrest hangers show scratches from my boots but that was it. Liberal spraying with anti-corrosion plus chain lube was obviously sufficient. Would I buy another? probably not - even if my circumstances change I would probably buy a different bike but I really don't regret buying it and it brought my riding on and looked after me very well.

Just done over a year using the bike for commuting every day, and completed 11500 miles. No breakdowns or problems - it starts first time evry time. Fuel consumption averages just under 60 with a high of 68mpg and low of 52mpg. I have fitted a taller screen as the original is too low, and heated grips so I could carry on using it through the winter. There are spots of corrosion coming through - probably due to the winter salt, but considering its age it shouldnt happen yet. Brakes probably could be better and seem to glaze up, so I have to brake hard or drag the brakes for a while to heat them up - that clears it! I'm still on the original pads at the moment. Headlight bulb was fairly rubbish so I have put brighter ones in. At the end of the day, for the cost of the bike, it is excellent!

I’ll be waiting for the boos and jeers but it’s time for a not so positive review of the Kawasaki budget twin. I bought my ER-6F six months ago after receiving an insurance payment for my last bike. Of course it wasn’t anything like the bikes value so the reasonably priced Kawasaki seemed the practical choice. Since owning it I have commuted to work, gone on ride outs and spent a long weekend in France. No matter what people say the bike is built to a budget, the fastenings showed furry rusty bits quickly even with liberal amounts of ACF50. The engine when up and running is fine, it can sit at 80 all day but the fuelling isn’t as smooth as most reviewers say. Whilst riding around town there is surging between 3 to 4 thousand revs and often feels lumpy even for a twin. It can out accelerate most cars but when riding with friends you’ll be left behind. My main gripe is the budget (cheap not very cheerful) suspension. The front is not adjustable and the rear only has preload. It is appalling! Check out the ER6 forums and you will see a lot of owners have upgraded front and rear but at a cost of around £700! I can see why people do spend the money as I experienced the bike standing up mid bend if it encountered a bump and the front wallowing under braking. Speaking of the brakes, they work, eventually. Just don’t expect R1 braking. A change of pads apparently works wonders and shouldn’t cost too much. So in conclusion, if it’s a budget bike your after this is the one, the professional and I would hope independent reviewers like them. I can’t agree. Just don’t believe the hype and be prepared to spend some money setting the thing up. As for me I’ve traded mine in…!

Own a 2008 ER6F had it for 4 months I think its a great bike especially for what i paid for it even as a new bike. Really love how the power runs all through the rev range and kicks in really nicely at 7k. On the twisties so easy to handle and gives lots of front end confidence. The high bars also mean I can ride for a good few hours and suffer no wrist ache or fatigue. The bike has enough power and faring to cruise on the motorway and i find i actually enjoy commute. Only major gripe is that i have found the limit of the rear shock a couple of times, I am not heavy so wouldnt expect to reach a limit even though I was pushing hard so maybe adjusting the preload is a good idea. Minor gripes not totally convinced by the build quality and some of the wiring looks rushed but neither will cause a problem if you put it away for winter. Only other gripes it could do with a fuel guage (there is one on the 09 bike) and possibly a gear indicator. None of these gripes are enough to put me off a great fun bike that give great value for money and frequently gives me a huge grin. If your thinking of getting one my advice is get one you will love it.

Well the bike is all run in had first service and well pissed off with the dealer CLAY CROSS in chesterfield they charged me £135!!!! normally around £40. Anyway the bike,great engin it just revs and revs so much better than the SV i used to own.From 4000 to around 10000 loads of get up and go.Its just how a bike should be twist the throtle and it puts a big grin on your face!!! Down side breaks not the best (just enough)and seat a bit hard,or could just be my old backside!!! oh sounds good with standard can has a bit of soul not like a bugit four pot bike (Hornet,Fazer new Divvy) + great colour the only one it should be GREEN why dont they do the 1400 GT in green !!!!

I bought a ER6-N in 2007 and ran it for 2 years with a 33bhp kit on it,It rode lovely and even with only 33bhp really pulled nicely. Ive now that he 33bhp kit removed and its even better! Not the best looking bike ever but i would definetly say really good value and lots of fun .only had one problem with it which was the alarm kept draining the battery so now got a trickle-charger and its fine.

waiting for delivery of the 09 model at the end of jan. despite the great reviews the previous models received, i wasnt quite sold on the looks. for me, the new model has a mini street fighter look about it, which appeals. roll on the spring/summer.... this will be my first big bike after passing my test last may.

Got the bike in November so just run it in.Had loads of bikes over the years NTV650 to SV1000 my last bike was Triumph Speed 4, This kawasaki is a right hoot to ride great engin,lots of low down grunt like my old XR. It always puts a smile on my face and thats what bikes are all about isnt it!!!! Ok so its built down to a budget but i never let my bike dirty clean it after every ride (a bit anal) Top bike well done Kawasaki The one thing that makes me laugh is people who say "awful ergonomics" sounds like there ass is numb much like there brains!!!!

Picked up new 08 er6n 13/11/08 and yes it was pissing it down! Traded in my Triumph Speed 4. Have bad neck so cant take low bars.First impressions lots of low down grunt im used to reving the nuts of 4 pot bikes.Still running it in at the mo so have a 5k rev limit but that still gets 70mph. Still early days so cant say much about rest of bike.But its the hardest bike ive ever had to clean!On ride home from dealer (30 od miles)It took me 3 hours loads of nooks and cranies had to take belly pan off to clean the can.But i dont mind to much i enjoyed it its the only way to get to know the ins and outs of your bike.Cant wait for weather to get a bit better and get first service out of the way.Then i can have some real fun on it.Will let you know how it goes.