I’ve never cared much for the Kawasaki green (off the track) and was trying to get one of the solid red models. They’re hard to find; but my local dealer was able to find this red, black, and white model. I’ve never seen this colour scheme before, and rather like it.
Fast review: this bike was huge fun. The most fun I’d ever had riding to that point. It was far easier to handle than anything else I’d owned, loved to rev and accelerate, and was not as uncomfortable as I would have expected. (Reviews I’ve read call it “downright comfy” compared to other 600s.)
With regrets, I sold my ‘6R at the end of the 2004 riding season. My riding habits and time were changing and I found I didn’t use the bike very often through 2004. Only two track days (compared to 12 in 2003) and a few dozen commutes. So, while it was still in good condition I decided to part with it and move to something simpler and a new experience, a KLR. Meanwhile, I’ll keep the pages below alive as a reference for anyone interested in these bikes.
Well, after 5 years without the 6R I finally admitted to myself that parting with it was a mistake. I really missed it and the KLR wasn’t igniting my passion enough. I gave in, sold the KLR, and bought another ZX-6R in 2010.
Track days are probably the most fun you can have with a bike. It’s the ideal environment to polish your technique — with a clear laneway, no oncoming traffic, and lots of friends & help nearby. I’d heard it said, and now understand, that if you want to spend money to go faster, spending it on training and track days is a much better investment than performance parts. What I didn’t understand until I tried it is how much fun it is. I try to do about one day a month during the riding season now.
Here are some notes related to track riding.