Kawasaki ER-6n (2009-current)

Engine gives bad vibration and build quality is terrible with poor finish and awful frame welds. Handling is good though but let down by poor brakes and rough engine.

So it's comming up to the first year anniversary since I bought a brand new ER6n and in the fact of riding through sunshine, rain, ice, snow and cow sh*t I can say that it's a great value motorcycle. Having said that I have had to make some mods in order to make it more comfortable to live with. First of all I added a screen which definitely helps keep more of the cold wind and rain away for longer but it's still not what I consider "good" weather protection at all. But this is a NAKED bike. Handguards help deflect the wind while the heated grips keep my hands warm and the £3 bit of plastic called a "crampbuster" does it's job on the long haul motorway miles. Some soft luggage carries what I need for a week away, sat nav helps tell me where to go and although the seat would make my arse hurt after an hour I've changed my riding style so I move around more on the bike which means no more numb bum (although a recent sheepskin rug purchase helps when you're stuck filtering through slow moving traffic). Total cost of all upgrades was less than £600 which still puts the total price of the bike at less than £6500 and it's a great winter bike, great commuter, has more than enough power and handling for keeping up with faster bikes on the motorway and country roads so it's fun in the sun too. Ok the suspension is budget (hit a pothole and you know about it) but it's the only thing I can really moan about. The bike has taken a lot of abuse this year along with a haphazard cleaning ethic but still buffs up well when I give it a detail clean. The gear shift can be a little clunky when it's cold and wet (and I mean VERY wet) and the chain and sprokets will probably need changing in the next thousand miles or so along with the tyres (had a puncture at 2k miles so the rear has 2k less wear than the front). Equipment is basic but dash is easy to read in all conditions. Fuel gauge is accurate, warning light comes on with about 30-40 miles range left in the tank. Great value bike and one I'll be keeping as a winter hack (it's already an all-year bike) when I upgrade.

I’ve had the ER6n for over 6 months now and it’s just gone through its 4k service with no issues (touch wood). The only thing to note is I’d overfilled it with oil which seemed to have a slight affect on the MPG but then I could also put that down to riding faster as I get more comfortable on the bike – actually the later is probably more likely! Having said all that I’ve just managed 67.9mpg on my last 100 mile ride which is a personal best for the Kwaka and me. It was mostly motorway at a steady 70-80mph with only a couple of blasts past license losing territory while overtaking. My brother has a 5 year old Honda Hornet 600 and can’t get anywhere near those figures, even riding carefully he has only ever managed to scrape just under 50mpg. So what has the bike taught me in the past 6 months? Well I was an avid cruiser fan before buying the ER6 but this machine has converted me. After four months I was starting to turn into a speed demon around twisty country roads but that fad soon faded as I sank back into my more laidback riding style, both of which suit the ER6 brilliantly. At one point I was even thinking I could do with a bit more power (for blasting up and down the motorway) but in real world situations you don’t need it as the ER6n is more than capable of trouncing all but the fastest cars. I do admit I did go through an “oh no what have I done” phase about three months in when I parked the bike next to a row of classics and cruisers (the other two bikes I was considering at point of purchase was the VN900 Custom and the W800 Special) but someone pointed out that these bikes only ever come out when the sun was shining and as I ride my motorcycle in all weathers this made me feel heaps better. I do have some grumbles with the gear shift which can be a little ‘clunky’ at times, something Kawasaki haven’t rectified since the ER5. The front suspension can perform some dramatic diving action under heavy breaking and the rear can be a bit twitchy when riding near the edge (and fully laden with luggage – whoops) but all these issues are negated when you consider the fact that this is a budget bike after all. For your money you are getting a very competent motorcycle that’s capable of being a great all-rounder; it will be sporty, it will cruise and it will tour but what it does best is commute a task that it excels at. For touring I’ve added a Puig screen which does a great job of keeping the wind off above 70-80mph and makes cruising at 90-100mph a breeze. However I’ve since taken the screen off – while the protection at speed is nice it is also ugly and until the winter weather returns I prefer the warm summer breeze anyway. I’ve also added some Acrebis handguards which also do make a Stirling effort of deflecting wind from your hands and also saved me from a mid-flight magpie which I hit at about 50mph. Amazingly it just got up and flew away! I’ve grown to love my ER6 over these past 6 months and with the 4k plus miles we’ve spent together I’ve only really had two problems – two flats both on the rear and within a month of each other! Of course this says more about either my riding or the state of UK roads than it does the little Kwaka. If you’re looking for a cheap to run middleweight motorcycle either as a commuter or an everyday alternative to keep your prised cruiser, classic or sports bike crisp then I can’t recommend the ER6n enough.

Hi, I have just bought a brand new ER6n in Brasil. I have to say I agree with most things written on here about the bike. Only covered about 300 Km so far but my findings are; SUSPENSION - Rubbish. On smoothe roads it's fine. On anything with the slightest bump in it really jolts when upright! Anyone tried a replacement shock that they can recomend? INSTRUMENTATION - Fine for me. No problems reading anything. I just think that the analouge speedo should be the rev counter and the digital rev counter, a speedo! COMFORT - Like many others, I find 1 hour in the saddle is enough. Any longer and numb bum sets in. VIBRATION - As I am running her in I am restricting the revs to 5,000. I find a lot of vibration runs through the handlebars at 4,000 to 5,000 revs.Leabves my arms tingling at filling stations. Oh, by the way. The low VALUE rating is only because I bought the bike in Brasil. Taxation means it's twice the price here as opposed to the UK. In the UK, I'd have given it 5 stars. Has anyone tried a MRA Screen on their bike? I am thinking of getting one. I want some wind protection but I am not keen on the Kawasaki screen offered as an accessory. The MRA one is smaller and looks to suite the bike styling more. I would love to know if they are any good before I buy one.

I bought my kawasaki er-6n about 6 months ago and I love it all the reviews I read about were right. My favorite thing about this bike is turning, it is so easy to handle and fun on the s curves. It is a quick bike too with a sexy look, I get compliments all the time. There are two things about it it, the first thing is on long rides that are more than a hour my but gets sore, the second thing is when riding on the freeway the wind blows my body around, not the bike but my body probably because I have no windshield which I plan on purchasing. This bike make me want to hug whoever invented the motorcycle.

I've come onto this from a GPZ500s and a ZXR400L, both of which I still own (both undergoing engine rebuilds due to high mileage), looking for a reliable new bike. I rang OnYerBike ne Bicester on a wednesday evening, left a deposit, and picked up the newly registered bike on Saturday morning, despite MCE being slow with the documentation, leaving OYB to sort the registration out at 2pm friday! They were excellent, and I got to any anything from their shop to the 0% finance with 10% off... see the new Schuberth C3... Now, onto the bike. First of all, my zxr (1997) revs to 14,000rpm, has touched 141mph on one occassion (level ground, slight tailwind I assume), has a full ally chasis and USD forks and massive brakes,and makes about 60ish bhp at the rear wheel. So when I say that this new bikes pulls ALOT harder, accelerates faster to the ton, and handles as well, if not better, you'll understand what an amazing job kawasaki has done with a steel chasis and cheap suspension. It also shows what nearly 15 years will do to an exceptional bike. Despite still breaking it in, the fuel economy appears good (50mpg+ at 80ish) and should improve a little soon. Build quality is excellent, and the overall feel of finish is also brilliant. The handling is excellent, easy going, but with enough built-in confidence to help rid you of the dreaded chicken strips in short order. The ride back from the dealer should do it! Once you've scrubbed them in I mean - I live 75 miles from OYB so mine were scrubbed. Several 120+ miles journeys have shown it to be comfy up to 80, after which I expect the windblast will get a little severe. Seat is very firm (Think ZXR more than GPZ) but well shaped. Brakes also firm. Throttle nice and linear. Cable clutch excellent as per usual (I always find cables give better feel than hydraulic), and gear change crisp. Comparison to my friends '97 GSXR 600 SRAD shows it to be as fast through the twisties thanks to the low down grunt, only loosing out on the longest of straights. In short, you might be able to get a used 600 from the late 90s for a grand, but it won't be as reliable, in as good a condition, will only be marginally faster, and you'll be paying a grand up front, and probably £50 to £100 a month to keep it alive (if like me you use it more often than summer sundays). Of you could get a brand new bike for £130ish per month on 0% finance for £100 down, 2 years warrenty with the option to extend anytime, NO RUST, and it'll still be worth £3000 in a few years. I know which option I should have chosen two years ago when I was looking for my first bike. Oh, and for you experienced riders... I've done several trackdays, and this will hold its own in the inters group, and in good hands, maybe even the fast group. So if you're looking for anything less than a new 750 sports bike, look this way. Only down sides - no mpg read out, no radiator stone guard, and kawasaki's extortionate crash bungs. Gonna see if SES racing ZXR400 bungs work, for a third of the price!

Having bought my ER6N about a month ago, not yet done 700 miles so still riding it with care. Having been riding for the last 40+ years I am no novice! This is why I am submitting my report as most testers suggest this is a good "first big bike" I can confirm that is well worth considering for experienced riders too. Overall this is a great handling light and very forgiving bike. I am looking forward to testing the performance after the first service next week. I do have a bigger tourer as well, but as efficient as the tourer is, it does not stir the soul! Hence the purchase of this fun bike. I do however have two niggles, as follows. (1) If like me you have decent eyesight but do need reading glass's, the speedo and tacho are virtually useless. you need to study and memorise what is where whilst stationary, or you could be in trouble on the road!!! (2) My bike from day one had a really annoying resonnance (buzz) traced to the instrument pod, I have effected a cure by wedging a piece a rubber tube between the pod and the headlamp nacelle. Although this does'nt sound ideal, I don't really want my dealer to delve too deep into this, because in my experience dismantling a lot of bits usually ends up creating more problems than it solves! As a matter of interest I did manage to get a test ride on a demo ER6N, whilst also considering a Yamaha XJ6 and a Suzuki Gladius, no demo was offered. I understand that no dealer can have every model on demo, but this would always infuence my buying decision. Cheers MV

I picked up my er6n last week. its my first bike since passing my direct access course last month. really happy with it so far and have been out everyday. I feel its a great bike for a first 'big' bike. easy to ride around town, corners very well and has enough power to learn how to ride the bigger bikes giving the rider confidence. Im 6'4" and find the bike comfortable to ride, even on a longer trip, no aching. Also I think the bike looks very nice, sporty and stylish. :) er6n = good times

I picked up my new ER-6n from the dealer yesterday. I rode through central London and boy...is this bike easy to ride or what!! After riding my much loved Honda CBF125cc for 8 months it was a piece of cake to make the transition to the ER6. It felt so light and easy right from the start and all the controls felt in exactly the right place. Admittedly I do not have much experience ,( having ridden only my CBF 125 and the ER5 where I took my test on) so I dont have much to compare with but I take that as a proof that this bike is very easy and forgiving to ride. It looks stunning in white too. I am a bit worried about the reported cracks on the frame but the dealer reassures me that this has only happened in the previous models and if anything similar happened it will be covered by the manufacturers warranty. I will put some miles in and I will let you know how it goes.Hence the reserved 3* for quality and reliability.

The bike picks up quite nicely for it's power band. The revving through the gears is nice and smooth. The bad points; Uncomfortable seat. The part of your arse that sits on the sides of the seat gets sore because the seat squashes down basically onto steel. The wide open front end means you take a battering - as with all nakeds. The clutch is very bumpy. Bike almost jolts forward just putting it into first. The suspension is RUBBISH, and non-adjustable. Go over any bump at any sort of high speed and you feel really unsafe. The suspension feels wobbly and as if it's going to chuck you off. Good stuff: Nifty little electronic speedo.