KAWASAKI ZX-636R (2002)
- KawasakiZX-636R Price £7,015 :
- 636cc Liquid cooled,16V, DOHC, inline four :
- Dry weight 172kg Insurance group 15 :
- Claimed power 105.9bhp @ 12,557rpm :
- Issue tested: October 2002
- Kawasaki UK on 01628 856600:
The finish quality might not be great and Kawasaki might have cheated by big boring the engine but you can't deny it's a fantastic middleweight.
Thirty-seven cubic centimetres isn't a lot. It's about one and a half vodkas. Or seven level teaspoons. However, it's made a big difference to Kawasaki's ZX-6R for this year. Where the old bike lost out – only slightly – to its competitors was in pure performance potential. Last year's bike wasn't as punchy as the GSX-R600, and it didn't have the manic nature of Yamaha's R6 or the class of Honda's CBR600. What it did have though was a bargain price, and the green machines fairly flew out of the showrooms. In this test, the 636 inhabits a bizarre netherworld. It feels much stronger then the other two 600cc bikes, yet is friendlier than either the litre twins, or the full-on big-bore fours. In some ways it's the lazy man's way to go fast round a track. That extra capacity gives the ZX more punch out of bends than the plain 600s, without the 1,000cc pitfalls of highsiding or losing grip. The ZX it the only bike on this test with carburettors, and many riders prefer the smoother delivery compared with injected machinery. It's relaxingly luxurious too, although the low-set pegs still offer enough ground clearance for hooning. It took some hard pushing on the track to get my toes skimming the deck, and I never felt anything solid deck out. The six-piston brakes are outstanding, with stacks of power and feel. Backed up by the reassuring grip of the Bridgestone BT012SS rubber, they let you take the complete piss, braking late into bends, and digging me out of a hole a couple of times in the complex double-apex turns one and seven. But it's the ZX-636R's stability which rally impresses. Easily mistaken for lardiness, the way the Kawasaki feels solidly attached to the ground is incredibly reassuring, both on the track and on the road. Big Dave swears by his long-termer for landing long, fast wheelies with no worries about tankslappers. And the usual trade-off in terms of steering agility seems to have been magically sidestepped by Kawasaki. The effort needed to muscle the ZX quickly through tight direction changes, like the fast left/right chicane at the end of Val de Vienne's back straight is much less than you'd expect. A particularly demanding track rider (I'm not) would perhaps criticise the soft-ish suspension settings, and demand more radical geometry and round clearance. But to be honest, the ZX-636R inhabits a very pleasing spot on the sportsbike landscape. And if you felt like sharpening the whole job up, then a change of rubber, some suspension tweaks and a fiddle with the ride height could put you right back up there with the GSX-R boys. Back in the real world of mundane commuting, winter drudge riding and motorway miles, the ZX is as competent as anything in this test. Tank range is ace the fairing and riding position are spot-on and you could even cart the old ball and chain around, should the fancy take you. Dave uses his at weekends to operate a sort of three-up taxibike service round Beckenham. Criticism of the ZX-636 was hard to come by on the test – Arthur from Bridgestone actually rated it as his favourite round the circuit. For me, all it needs for next year is more modern clocks and a styling tweak. And judging by the latest rumours and spy pics we've come across lately, that's just what it's getting.
“The baby Kwak was awesome around the track. The gearbox superslick, the brakes fantastic, and it handles as well as the GSX-R6. The only downside for me was its looks. Its just a little plain and boring. Very comfy for touring or town commuting and will piss past bigger bikes on trackdays if you're a competent rider. The extra 37cc doesn't really come into play but in the end 636 looks cooler and fairing than 600 doesn't it?”
“The ZX earns its fifth spot by being a very complete motorcycle. It's brilliant on the road, has a reassuring presence and is easily guided around a track. It comes up short on the lap times but more than makes up for it by providing a big bike package for middleweight costs. The ZX-636R is the new CBR600, and if you fit a small number plate you'll notice the sun shining out of its arse. Which is also pretty clever.”
“The ZX636 would be my pick as an everyday bike. Best low down throttle response suggests carburettors could be the next big thing. Better fuelling means very predictable behaviour on closed and small throttle openings. Extra cc's give the motor a healthy spread of power for a 600ish bike. Stability and power of braking was confidence inspiring. Just sitting on this bike it doesn't feel as racy as some, but the chassis is every bit as capable of cutting a tight line as anything in its class.”
Thirty-seven cubic centimetres isn't a lot. It's about one and a half vodkas. Or seven level teaspoons. However, it's made a big difference to Kawasaki's ZX-6R for this year. Where the old bike lost out – only slightly – to its competitors was in pure performance potential. Last year's bike wasn't as punchy as the GSX-R600, and it didn't have the manic nature of Yamaha's R6 or the class of Honda's CBR600. What it did have though was a bargain price, and the green machines fairly flew out of the showrooms. In this test, the 636 inhabits a bizarre netherworld. It feels much stronger then the other two 600cc bikes, yet is friendlier than either the litre twins, or the full-on big-bore fours. In some ways it's the lazy man's way to go fast round a track. That extra capacity gives the ZX more punch out of bends than the plain 600s, without the 1,000cc pitfalls of highsiding or losing grip. The ZX it the only bike on this test with carburettors, and many riders prefer the smoother delivery compared with injected machinery. It's relaxingly luxurious too, although the low-set pegs still offer enough ground clearance for hooning. It took some hard pushing on the track to get my toes skimming the deck, and I never felt anything solid deck out. The six-piston brakes are outstanding, with stacks of power and feel. Backed up by the reassuring grip of the Bridgestone BT012SS rubber, they let you take the complete piss, braking late into bends, and digging me out of a hole a couple of times in the complex double-apex turns one and seven. But it's the ZX-636R's stability which rally impresses. Easily mistaken for lardiness, the way the Kawasaki feels solidly attached to the ground is incredibly reassuring, both on the track and on the road. Big Dave swears by his long-termer for landing long, fast wheelies with no worries about tankslappers. And the usual trade-off in terms of steering agility seems to have been magically sidestepped by Kawasaki. The effort needed to muscle the ZX quickly through tight direction changes, like the fast left/right chicane at the end of Val de Vienne's back straight is much less than you'd expect. A particularly demanding track rider (I'm not) would perhaps criticise the soft-ish suspension settings, and demand more radical geometry and round clearance. But to be honest, the ZX-636R inhabits a very pleasing spot on the sportsbike landscape. And if you felt like sharpening the whole job up, then a change of rubber, some suspension tweaks and a fiddle with the ride height could put you right back up there with the GSX-R boys. Back in the real world of mundane commuting, winter drudge riding and motorway miles, the ZX is as competent as anything in this test. Tank range is ace the fairing and riding position are spot-on and you could even cart the old ball and chain around, should the fancy take you. Dave uses his at weekends to operate a sort of three-up taxibike service round Beckenham. Criticism of the ZX-636 was hard to come by on the test – Arthur from Bridgestone actually rated it as his favourite round the circuit. For me, all it needs for next year is more modern clocks and a styling tweak. And judging by the latest rumours and spy pics we've come across lately, that's just what it's getting.
“The baby Kwak was awesome around the track. The gearbox superslick, the brakes fantastic, and it handles as well as the GSX-R6. The only downside for me was its looks. Its just a little plain and boring. Very comfy for touring or town commuting and will piss past bigger bikes on trackdays if you're a competent rider. The extra 37cc doesn't really come into play but in the end 636 looks cooler and fairing than 600 doesn't it?”
“The ZX earns its fifth spot by being a very complete motorcycle. It's brilliant on the road, has a reassuring presence and is easily guided around a track. It comes up short on the lap times but more than makes up for it by providing a big bike package for middleweight costs. The ZX-636R is the new CBR600, and if you fit a small number plate you'll notice the sun shining out of its arse. Which is also pretty clever.”
“The ZX636 would be my pick as an everyday bike. Best low down throttle response suggests carburettors could be the next big thing. Better fuelling means very predictable behaviour on closed and small throttle openings. Extra cc's give the motor a healthy spread of power for a 600ish bike. Stability and power of braking was confidence inspiring. Just sitting on this bike it doesn't feel as racy as some, but the chassis is every bit as capable of cutting a tight line as anything in its class.”
The superbike scores
Engine
96%
Chassis
94%
Brakes
96%
Styling
96%
Overall
92%
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