Editing Kawasaki ZX

{{Infobox Motorcycle
|name             = [[Kawasaki]] ZX
|image            = [[File:Kawasaki-GPZ600R-85.jpg|frameless|Kawasaki ZX]]
|aka              = 
|manufacturer     = Kawasaki
|parent_company   =
|production       = 1987 - 88
|model_year       =
|predecessor      =
|successor        =
|class            =
|engine           = Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
|bore_stroke      =
|compression      = 11.0:1
|top_speed        = 205 km/h / 127.5 mph
|power            =
|torque           =
|fuel_system      =
|ignition         = Digital
|spark_plug       =
|battery          =
|transmission     = 6 Speed
|frame            =
|suspension       =Front: 37mm Air assisted forks, AVDS adjustable [[anti-dive]] <br>
Rear: Single air assisted shock adjustable for rebound damping
|brakes           =Front: 2x discs 1 [[piston]] [[calipers]] <br>Rear: Single disc 1 piston caliper
|front_tire       = {{tire|110/90-16}} 
|rear_tire   	  = {{tire|130/90-16}} 
|rake_trail       =
|wheelbase        =
|length           =
|width            =
|height           =
|seat_height      =
|dry_weight       = 195 kg / 430 lbs
|wet_weight       =
|fuel_capacity    = 18 Litres / 4.7 US gal
|oil_capacity     =
|fuel_consumption =
|turning_radius   =
|related          =
|competition      =
}}

It could reach a top speed of 205 km/h / 127.5 mph.  

==Engine==
The engine was a Liquid cooled cooled Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder. The engine featured a 11.0:1 [[compression ratio]].  

==Chassis==
It came with a 110/90-16 front [[tire]] and a 130/90-16 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via 2x discs 1 piston calipers in the front and a Single disc 1 piston [[caliper]] in the rear. The front suspension was a  37mm Air assisted forks, AVDS adjustable anti-dive while the rear was equipped with a Single air assisted shock adjustable for rebound damping. The ZX was fitted with a 18 Litres / 4.7 US gal fuel tank. The bike weighed just 195 kg / 430 lbs.  
== Photos ==
[[File:Kawasaki-GPZ600R-85.jpg|600px|Kawasaki ZX]]
[[File:Kawasaki-GPZ600R-85--3.jpg|600px|Kawasaki ZX]]

== Overview ==

Kawasaki GPz 600R Ninja (ZX 600R Ninja













In the years we promise to provide you with a continuous stream of new models that will take the state of motor cycle
art to unprecedented heights . . . thank you very much. Please enjoy inners and ..."
sitting amongst the (for once politely attentive) throng desperately fighting back the waves of nausea sweeping over
me, the mention of food by Dr Ohba. Kawasaki's No 1 man, spelt the final end of
the evening's entertainment for WB?'s man in Spain. Legging it out of the
hall under the disapproving gaze of the horde of J-model exec types flown over for the unveiling of the 600R, all I was destined
to enjoy for the rest of the night was the cool comfort of the Great White
Telephone. OK, so maybe I'd entered into the previous night's revelry a little
too enthusiastically, inspired as I was by the tales of dubious deeds and
alcoholic excess that seem to be a feature of all foreign trips. But no more so
than some of the admittedly more experienced liggers amongst us. Besides, I'd
already spent the day mastering a force 10 hangover. Fortunately a Spanish
quack's diagnosis of food poisoning quickly stilled assertions by my gossiping
compatriots that the feeble Dabbs nerve had finally snapped.

Kawasaki had chosen Jarama racetrack just outside Madrid as the venue for
the testing of their '85 range. But after my involuntary intestinal exercise of
the night before, breakfast at the hideous hour of 7.00am before the coach trip
to the circuit held no appeal whatsoever. So it was early afternoon before I
finally arrived at the track decidedly the worse for wear after a nightmarish journey with an
Italian driver through Madrid's streets. As well as the 600R three other models
were neatly lined up in the pitlane, rather like victims before a firing squad;
the GPz 750R, KLR 600 electric, and the LTD 450.
Fortunately the Brits weren't scheduled to ride that day, so I was able to
watch the crazy antics of the French and Germans from the safety of the Armco.
What struck me most as a bemused spectator wasn't the rapid progress of the
GPz's but the way the KLR's were being flung through the corners by the French. Apart from a starter motor the '85 KLR is supposedly identical to the
'84 model but I don't remember Willis telling everyone how he'd worn out his
jeans going through Hyde Park corner 'cos that's what the French were doing
around Jarama, clipping apexes with their knees on the kerbs and trouncing
several unwary chaps on GPz's in the process. Dunlop K750s may be knobblies but
they do an excellent job on the track.
Surprisingly enough not one bike went down the road on the Monday, so it was
up to the Eyeties and Brits to maintain the tradition of journalistic stupidity. To try and minimise this risk the GPZ 600's were being let our in batches of eight and led
round in an orderly fashion for the first couple of laps by one of Kawasaki's
demonstration riders. When my turn came to ride the 600 who should lead the
wobbling procession out of the pit lane but Kork Ballington who, having already
ridden the 600 earlier in the year had come down to show us what it could really
do. Having already spent most of the morning haphazardly lapping the circuit
even at the staid pace of the 450  I pushed my way to the front of the queue
and tucked in behind the man. I can honestly say I learnt more in those two
relatively gentle laps than in the rest of the day's scratching. Most of Jarama's bends seem to come in pairs and to get round quickly you've got to dive
in incredibly late letting the bike drift right out to the dirt for a powerful
drive out of the corner. At least that's what you're supposed to do. I was
taking about six different lines from apex to exit, I only managed to get away
with such crass behaviour because of the 600's wonderful steering. A short
wheelbase and 16" wheels front and rear meant I only had to think about changing
line and it was done, yet pulling round a slow hairpin didn't reveal any
twitches or tendency to tuck in  it really is a superbly balanced motorcycle.
Coming through Tunel, a fast right hander before the long pit straight,
Ballington really began to pour on the coals. Any fule can open a throttle so I
followed suit. Feeling really good as we sped past the pit entrance, past the
pit exit, past where I'd begun to brake the last time, and then almost past the corner before Ballington brutally hauled his anchors on.
I'd started stamping and grabbing every lever in sight about 20 yds earlier.
Apart from giving me more gut trouble this episode served to illustrate how good
the GPZ's brakes were, even when operated in blind panic they scrubbed off the
speed with the minimum of fuss but maximum feel. And the AVDS, transplanted
straight from the 900R, kept the bike stable enough for me to get round the
corner just in time to wave goodbye to Kork while I tried to find the right
gear. 'Cos there's no doubt you'll pay footsie with the gear-lever, not because
you really have to, there's enough torque for the mill to pull well from only
2000rpm in top, but because you'll want to. I could almost feel the whole bike
urging me to snick down a gear or two and crack open the throttle to try and
push it to its limits.
There can be no doubt that Kawasaki's engineers have paid great attention to
minimising size and weight. Although the bottom end is based on the GPz 550, the
crankcases have been tidied up with increasing use of alloys and plastics to
reduce weight. The alternator has been reversed to lessen engine width and the
crankcase breather repositioned to cut down length. Around this compact unit
they've wrapped a fully triangulated double cradle frame which uses rectangular
section alloy throughout. Although Kawasaki has joined the marketing game that
demands they 'Name that Frame', thankfully they've decided against emblazoning
such earth shattering info as 'Perimeter frame' across the bodywork a la Yamaha.
Such a tight frame married to fairly high set pegs endows the GPZ with a
prodigious 51° of lean  although some riders claimed to be dragging the
undercarriage constantly, this was mainly due to their porcine build and the
soft state of the suspension which was set at standard throughout the test
session. Despite this, there was only ever the merest suggestion of a wobble
when I smacked a large bump well cranked over.
In keeping with the philosophy that 'light is right', the 600's full fairing
is almost entirely composed of ABS and PBT plastic, with only a single alloy
bracing beam running across its front. As well as being light the fairing is
more aerodynamic than most with even the traditionally 'bolt on' parts, mirrors
and indicators, shaped to minimise drag. Seat of the pants testing out on the track seemed to bear out Kawasaki's assertion
that the 600R is one of the 'cleanest' road bikes around as there was never any
feeling of instability at high speed. If anything the bodywork added to the
stability and grip of the Dunlop K825s which were tremendous even at acute
angles of lean. Only when I was extremely ham-fisted with the throttle did the
rear tire step out, even then the slide was only mildly heart stopping.
At Leguna Seca last year the 900R became the Press Darling and went on to be
a top seller. So it was rather a surprise to find the 750R, essentially a
sleeved down 900, firmly overshadowed by the 600R. Down the pit straight the 750
was hard pushed to make any ground and it would invariably lose it again under
braking, despite a 17hp advantage. Peeling off into bends the 750 felt
pedestrian after the 600R and needed to be lined up far more precisely. In
retrospect precision was the reason behind the criticism aimed at the 750, as
around Jarama most people were anything but precise  behaviour the 600R forgave
far more readily than the 750. Fact is, with two evenly matched riders aboard
the 750 was just as quick as the 600R in spite of its relatively limited ground
clearance, slower steering and greater bulk. Tyres, brakes and suspension were
every bit as good as the 600's. And if Tokyo's young Turks have a hankering for
the 750, of course with replacement 900R sidepanels, why should Kawasaki
complain?
Either a lot of people have been winding up Kawasaki or against the odds the
Custom boom still exists, 'cos large numbers of LTD 450's are due in this
country soon and Kawasaki is confident of selling out. The cruisers amongst us
could do a lot worse than choose the 450. The 'half a 900R' engine produces
grunt a-plenty-low down and with 50hp on tap it's no slouch. Provided I
refrained from scratching through the corners, the LTD's handling was
surprisingly good. A big plus for me was the use of belt drive, the sooner more
bikes possess this the better.
Whether the 600 will cope with the less rarified atmosphere of our wet and
greasy roads as well as Jarama remains to be seen. But two days at the track did
serve to illustrate the benefits to be gained from well designed aerodynamics,
minimal frontal area and a thorough approach to detail design. Due in this
country in February/March, the 600R seems set to take over from the GPz550 in
the middleweight class, provided the market can stand a price tag in the region
of £2700. Still, I reckon it'll be able to take on the likes of the RG and
RD500s so it must be worth the dosh.



E2J
Source Which Bike? 1985


{|  class="wikitable"
|- 
!Make Model
|Kawasaki GPz 600R Ninja / ZX 600R Ninja
|- 
!Year
|1987 - 88
|- 
!Engine Type
|Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
|- 
!Displacement
|592 cc / 36.1 cu-in
|- 
!Bore X Stroke
|60 х 52.4 mm
|- 
!Cooling System
|Liquid cooled
|- 
!Compression
|11.0:1
|- 
!Lubrication
|Wet sump
|- 
!Induction
|4x 32mm Keihin CVK carburetors
|- 
!Ignition
|Digital
|- 
!Starting
|Electric
|- 
!Max Power
|75 hp / 54.7 kW @ 10500 rpm
|- 
!Max Power Rear Tire
|69 hp @ 10500 rpm
|- 
!Max Torque
|5.1 kgf-m / 36.8 lb-ft @ 9000 rpm
|- 
!Transmission
|6 Speed
|- 
!Final Drive
|Chain
|- 
!Front Suspension
|37mm Air assisted forks, AVDS adjustable anti-dive
|- 
!Front Wheel Travel
|140 mm / 5.5 in
|- 
!Rear Suspension
|Single air assisted shock adjustable for rebound damping
|- 
!Rear Wheel Travel
|130 mm / 5.1 in
|- 
!Front Brakes
|2x discs 1 piston calipers
|- 
!Rear Brakes
|Single disc 1 piston caliper
|- 
!Front Tire
|110/90-16
|- 
!Rear Tire
|130/90-16
|- 
!Dry Weight
|195 kg / 430 lbs
|- 
!
|217.0 kg / 478.4 lbs
|- 
!Fuel Capacity
|18 Litres / 4.7 US gal
|- 
!Consumption Average
|47.8 mpg
|- 
!Standing ¼ Mile
|12.7 sec / 107.3 mph
|- 
!Top Speed
|205 km/h / 127.5 mph

|}

[[Category:Kawasaki motorcycles]]