Kawasaki ZX-636R
- Kawasaki ZX-636R Price £7,235 :
- 636cc Liquid cooled inline four 16V :
- Dry weight 161kg Insurance group 15 :
- Claimed power 111.1bhp @ 12,000rpm :
- Issue tested: April 2003
- Kawasaki UK on 01628 851000:
See also:
The 2007 ZX-6R test
And the Suzuki GSX-R600 from the same period?
Like a post-natal Catherine Zeta Jones, the 2003 Kawasaki ZX-636R has toned up its tummy and ditched the frumpy dresses in favour of the latest in fashions. Eleven kilos has been shed from the previous 636 and it can now boast the title of first Japanese sports 600 to wear radially mounted brakes and upside down forks. It was only ever going to be a matter of time really.
Although the GSX-R600 has been the class bully in the past its time has come to an abrupt and emphatic end. The Gixer hasn't so much had to step down as piss off quick before it got its head caved in. This might only be temporary until the 2004 bikes swaggers into town, but for now the new 636R is the king, and it's now that counts.
Within seconds of being on the bike the mind set of riding a 600 had to change in favour of something much bigger as the sensations normally reserved for GSX-R1000s and Turbo Hayabusas kicked in. Although this year's motor is almost brand new, development time could be greatly reduced by designing it around set dimensions from the last year's bike. Mix this in with lighter parts and a revised cylinder head, delivering more power, combined the weight loss over the whole bike turns the whole thing into a fucking missile. First gear mingers off the throttle aren't a problem and even in second gear the front will come up on the clutch from as low as 20mph. All this demonstrates the huge midrange of the engine that simply blows the others away. Even a GSX-R750 would be run close with only five foot-pounds of torque to spare over the lean, mean and possible green ZX. The extra pull also makes road riding a more relaxed affair, since you simply don't have to work the engine as hard to make progress.
The engine isn't the only thing to rave about on the 636R. The new radially mounted brakes make even the GSX-R stoppers feel like they were crafted by Pinocchio's old man. It's probably just as well, because when a bike is as fast as this good brakes aren't just a plus they're a life preserver. With the ZX splitting the difference between the CBR's balance and manageable size and the GSX-R's willingness to hustle it really does just let you get on with setting the bike up for the next corner and powering through. It leans forever and displays incredible agility. The forks on the ZX could do with a little tweaking to slow them down and over aggressive steering input can upset things slightly, which isn't the case on the GSX-R.
Mark Davies, a British supersport rider who raced the 2003 ZX-6RR version, wanted to take this bike home with him. “What can I say about this bike? It's the ZX-6RR on speed. This bike is not eligible for Supersport racing because it's 36cc too big, but wow do those extra 36 cubes make a difference. It feels like a 750, the low-down grunt it gives you and the extra top speed is just fantastic. Second gear wheelies are just a walk in the park. It's got the brakes, the front end, the handling and the power. This is by far the best bike in this class for the road, but unfortunately not for the races. But who knows, halfway through the season if I'm not winning I might just have to wheel one of these babies out. No one would notice would they?”
Unlike the 2003 R6, the ZX's styling is bang up to date. Gone are the analogue clocks, manual fuel tap and sports-touring seat. It's still comfy for the rider, just less accommodating for a pillion, but if you want to take a pillion buy a different bike. The new clocks are about as whiz bang as you're going to find, using a single digital unit with sweeping LCD rev-counter, which isn't as hard to read as it might look.
The all-new ZX-636R set our collective pants on fire. In addition to the smouldering remains of our underwear went the 600cc supersport rulebook to boot. This bike does everything better than all the rest. It's razor sharp in both looks and handling and has all the trick bits you need to keep up with the Joneses. The ZX-636R has done to the 600 class what the GSX-R1000 did to the superbike filed two years ago. Until the new GSX-R600 turns up next year the ZX is king of the hill.
The 2007 ZX-6R test
And the Suzuki GSX-R600 from the same period?
Like a post-natal Catherine Zeta Jones, the 2003 Kawasaki ZX-636R has toned up its tummy and ditched the frumpy dresses in favour of the latest in fashions. Eleven kilos has been shed from the previous 636 and it can now boast the title of first Japanese sports 600 to wear radially mounted brakes and upside down forks. It was only ever going to be a matter of time really.
Although the GSX-R600 has been the class bully in the past its time has come to an abrupt and emphatic end. The Gixer hasn't so much had to step down as piss off quick before it got its head caved in. This might only be temporary until the 2004 bikes swaggers into town, but for now the new 636R is the king, and it's now that counts.
Within seconds of being on the bike the mind set of riding a 600 had to change in favour of something much bigger as the sensations normally reserved for GSX-R1000s and Turbo Hayabusas kicked in. Although this year's motor is almost brand new, development time could be greatly reduced by designing it around set dimensions from the last year's bike. Mix this in with lighter parts and a revised cylinder head, delivering more power, combined the weight loss over the whole bike turns the whole thing into a fucking missile. First gear mingers off the throttle aren't a problem and even in second gear the front will come up on the clutch from as low as 20mph. All this demonstrates the huge midrange of the engine that simply blows the others away. Even a GSX-R750 would be run close with only five foot-pounds of torque to spare over the lean, mean and possible green ZX. The extra pull also makes road riding a more relaxed affair, since you simply don't have to work the engine as hard to make progress.
The engine isn't the only thing to rave about on the 636R. The new radially mounted brakes make even the GSX-R stoppers feel like they were crafted by Pinocchio's old man. It's probably just as well, because when a bike is as fast as this good brakes aren't just a plus they're a life preserver. With the ZX splitting the difference between the CBR's balance and manageable size and the GSX-R's willingness to hustle it really does just let you get on with setting the bike up for the next corner and powering through. It leans forever and displays incredible agility. The forks on the ZX could do with a little tweaking to slow them down and over aggressive steering input can upset things slightly, which isn't the case on the GSX-R.
Mark Davies, a British supersport rider who raced the 2003 ZX-6RR version, wanted to take this bike home with him. “What can I say about this bike? It's the ZX-6RR on speed. This bike is not eligible for Supersport racing because it's 36cc too big, but wow do those extra 36 cubes make a difference. It feels like a 750, the low-down grunt it gives you and the extra top speed is just fantastic. Second gear wheelies are just a walk in the park. It's got the brakes, the front end, the handling and the power. This is by far the best bike in this class for the road, but unfortunately not for the races. But who knows, halfway through the season if I'm not winning I might just have to wheel one of these babies out. No one would notice would they?”
Unlike the 2003 R6, the ZX's styling is bang up to date. Gone are the analogue clocks, manual fuel tap and sports-touring seat. It's still comfy for the rider, just less accommodating for a pillion, but if you want to take a pillion buy a different bike. The new clocks are about as whiz bang as you're going to find, using a single digital unit with sweeping LCD rev-counter, which isn't as hard to read as it might look.
The all-new ZX-636R set our collective pants on fire. In addition to the smouldering remains of our underwear went the 600cc supersport rulebook to boot. This bike does everything better than all the rest. It's razor sharp in both looks and handling and has all the trick bits you need to keep up with the Joneses. The ZX-636R has done to the 600 class what the GSX-R1000 did to the superbike filed two years ago. Until the new GSX-R600 turns up next year the ZX is king of the hill.
The superbike scores
Engine
99%
Chassis
98%
Brakes
97%
Styling
96%
Overall
98%
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