The day I fell in love with a filthy Kwaka '07 ZX-6R
As some will be aware, I have spent the best part of the last weeks ferreting about in bike showrooms testing, drooling and contemplating my next bike. I could rip into other bikes and go into detail about why they did not end up in the number one spot on my list, however, that's not what this thread is about. This thread is about which bike pushed all of my buttons in the right order! What has surprised me during this process is the accuracy of the first impressions I had when testing these machines. Even though I tested a couple of the same bikes more than once - those first impressions on the first day of testing were valid and reiterated on subsequent rides. 
I was surprised to learn that someone had just traded in their next-to brand new ZX-6R for a brand new CBR600RR - so I took out the CBR for an extended test ride just to make sure ... then promptly bought a brand new Black '07 ZX-6R. 
There were calls from many to test the 750's, the Thous, also the bigger twin cylinder variants but lets just make it clear - I was after a 600 Supersport. 
With that out the way, I can wax lyrical about the gem that is the '07 ZX-6R. 
When the news reports started circulating last year about a brand new 600, created from the ground up from Kawasaki for the first time in 10 years - you bet your beeswax I sat up and took notice. These boys have churned out some legendary bikes in the past. Then the first photos were published and I wasn't initially impressed. With funny little lights on the front and slab-sided fairings it didn't deliver an instant lusting in the loins. 
Style
Photos don't do this bike justice. The quality of the finish is fantastic and you'll notice the attention to detail as you spend more time with the bike. The body work has some gorgeous curves, which aid with slippery aerodynamics, bonus! There's none of this edgy "anime" styling which seems to plague some of the other manufacturers. The clocks are clear with a big white analogue tacho that redlines at 12 o' clock and a digital speedo. The gear indicator is a nice feature. The etched design on the fork yolk looks good too. The more I look at this "supermodel" the more I like it. I'll be spending hours in the garage just looking at this bike in my garage. 
Mechanics
The new engine has lightened components with friction reduction a priority for the designers and you can tell. The delivery as you twist the throttle is so smooth. Some of the competition have a snatchy delivery which I find really unsettling and an unsettled Black Bandit is a very unhappy Black Bandit. The slipper clutch and gearbox are widely acknowledged as the best in their class. The chassis communicates to the rider like no other bike I tested. The riding position for me is good – my knees and elbows tuck in just so. No more “sit-up-and-beg-like-seal" riding position for me. The brakes, as with all sports bikes, call up enormous stopping power from the twin front brake rotors but also deliver fantastic feel.
Sum of its parts
This phrase was coined in another review I read and it applies so well to this bike.
If you want:
- Strongest engine - Honda CBR600RR (but)
- Most comfortable riding position - Suzuki GSX-R600 (but)
- Best cornering - Yamaha R6 (but)
- It's the “but” you worry about
IMHO the blissful synergy between all the components working in harmony with the rider on the Kwaka are what makes this bike the stand out. I feel so in-tune with this bike - motorcycle and rider become one. 
The 600 Supersport class is so competitive and the benchmarks are constantly shifting. That's what makes them so exciting – they're on the edge of innovation and development. Kawasaki billed this bike as an "uncompromising track demon" and it probably is, however, that would ignore the "streetability" of this ride. This model has carried the lessons learned from the 636 model forward. The differences between maufacturers are so minimal, e.g. The difference in the ¼ mile between first and last place (which just happened to be the Kwaka) in a recent comparison of the 4 Supersport Jappas was only 0.17 sec. Translated to real life, the choice comes down to personal preferences and taste.
Purchasing a motorcycle is an emotional event. My emotion right now? Pure joy wearing a face-splitting grin, gibbering to any who would listen about my awesome new bike. I pick her up tomorrow and then I start to learn all over again. I must now learn the Way of the Ninja. 
Oh, and just for the record, there's nothing filthy about my new Kwaka, apart from the looks I may get from envious by-standers. 
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
- Dr. Suess
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Originally Posted by rachprice
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