Kawasaki ER-6n (2009-current)

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.

was given one as a loan bike while my gsxr1000 was having repairs carried out, collected the bike with 40 miles on the clock,After an hour of gentle riding started to get used to the feel of the bike, and was really impressed, using the bike to comute 60miles a day in all weather gave me a good test ride, really impressed with cornering abilities, No chicken strips left there,lights were brilliant, engine good right through the rev range, could possibly do with a slightly higher ratio 6th gear, seating position great,higher speed riding 60+ got a little uncomfortable, but this is a naked bike after all, seriously considering buying one for commuting on, would fit a small wind deflector screen and hand guards, but all round bloody good bike

I wanted a bike to get me to work everyday, all year round, in comfort. Not that my ZX6R was failing me, I just wanted a new toy. I had decided on a second hand ER6N with a budget of £2500. I headed to the kawasaki dealership and asked them to keep an eye out for used one for me. After a couple of months, Bournemouth kawasaki sorted me out a really good and affordable 0% finance deal on a 2009 ER6N, in Black. It was much better looking than its predecessors, more angular and mean-looking. The engine was now black in colour and the grab rails in silver finished the look. Even running it in and keeping the revs low, there was plenty of grunt off the line and enough to make dual carriageways comfortable. Now thatit's run it, the commute is even more enjoyable. the engine pulls all the way through the rev range with ease. The ride height is low, which suits my 5'3" frame. It's the first bike I have ever owned that I can actually get two feet on the groudn and actually walk backwards while on it. Bonus. The fuel economy is great. A full tank will give you about 125 miles before the fuel light starts flashing, and then only about £9.00 to fill it up again. In the wet, the tyres handle grip well, and because of it's relatively low power (compared to sportsbikes, etc) You can ride it hard in the wet too, full power and it holds. Handling - it flicks from left to right and back again like a dream! It feels so light and don't let the 200kg weight tag fool you, it is well distributed so the balance is superb for low speed maneuvers around town. The insurance was really cheap, and I reckon it would suit a newbie down to the ground. Especially with the finance deals available and the price tag. My friends love to look of it, and all want a ride on the back. It handles pillions very well, not squatting too much to affect the handling. It looks to them like a safer option to be pillion on than the ninja. The seat is more comfy and those grab handles provide added feeling of security for them. Fantastic all rounder. And sexy looking too.