Kawasaki’s new Supersport offering not as sharp as predecessor
Since we revealed that Kawasaki is reworking its ZX-6R for 2019, we learned that it’s not all good news. Rather than more power, next year’s Supersport machine will be heavier and softer-hitting than the one you can buy right now. Blame those pesky emissions rules, and in particular the Euro4 limits Kawasaki needs to meet in order to return to the European market.
As we learned last month from Kawasaki’s emissions certification for the 2019 ZX-6R in the US, next year’s bike is tackling its environmental problems with a new closed-loop, three-way catalytic converter. While that makes for a fresher-smelling exhaust, it cuts power and adds weight.
The engine’s basics are unchanged, including the class-bucking 636cc capacity.
This issue also hit Yamaha when making its YZF-R6 meet Euro4 limits in 2017; its new-look machine lost nearly 4kW and gained 1kg in its transition, despite weight-saving changes that included an aluminium fuel tank.
Kawasaki has limited the power loss on the ZX-6R to meet Euro4 standards
We’ve now seen Kawasaki’s official European homologation paperwork for the new bike, including detailed specifications in terms of its dimensions and performance.
When it comes to power, Kawasaki’s Euro4 transformation hasn’t cost it as much as Yamaha’s R6 did. Where the current version of the ZX-6R manages an official 96.4kW at 13,500rpm, the 2019 model will be 1kW down at 95.4kW, still peaking at 13,500rpm. That’s a significant amount more than the R6’s 87.1kW at 14,500rpm.
The 2019 ZX-6R will also weigh 2kg more than the ABS-equipped version of the existing model. All 2019 ZX-6Rs will have ABS as standard.
Although Kawasaki has managed to largely mitigate the power-sapping, weight-adding effects of meeting Euro4 limits, there’s still a measurable drop.
The new documentation doesn’t include any pictures, but there is enough information to know the bike is being seriously restyled.
The 2019 ZX-6R should be unveiled around October.
By Ben Purvis
