2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R First Ride Photo Gallery

Motorcycle USA samples Kawasaki's redesigned ZX-6R supersport at the Japanese marque's very own Autopolis circuit in Japan. Read our first impressions on the redesigned 600 in our 2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R First Ride report.

2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R First Ride

Kobe, Japan: Despites Japan's extereme population density, traffic flows exceptionally well. (Look at the adjacent roadway below.)

The view of Kobe when the sun sets on the Land of the Rising Sun.

Kawasaki's Autopolis circuit was the testing grounds for our 2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R first ride.

Heading out to Autopolis for some Ninja high-performance action.

Leaning over on the 2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R.

The large-diameter of the BPF’s internal piston allows a reduction in damping pressure, for better feedback and smoother action.

Japan landscape during the Motorcycle USA 2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R First Ride.

2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R First Ride

Similar in design to that of the ZX-10R, the new instrument panel gives at-a-glance information to the rider.

Kawasaki engineers managed to shed 22-lbs. of this year's ZX-6R.

A new lightweight sub-frame is very narrow, for a compact and slim rear end

A new frame, subframe, fork, shock and swingarm grace the new ZX-6R.

Seat-pegs-bar relationship was adjusted slightly, with the handlebars moved closer to the rider and turned in slightly for a more intuitive riding position.

A 41mm inverted Showa fork uses BPF (Big Piston Fork) technology - the first of its kind on a production sportbike.

Fork compression damping adjustment has been moved to the top of the fork.

Cylinder shaped guides direct fuel spray into 10mm taller dual-bore velocity stacks that utilize inlets at two fixed lengths, thereby optimizing engine fueling during mid-and-high rpm engine loads.