2007 Kawasakik ZX6

[StepUp]

Lime Green, Black Wheels. A great machine, made even better after the jumper mod.

Any other sport bike riders out there?

Trying to justify the upgrade to my lady

 

[angry hampster]

Still seems high for a 2 year old bike.

 

[Kabob]

Do you mean a ZX-6R...they also make (or at least they used to) a ZX6.

For a 0 mile bike that's a so-so price, although I've seen low mile bikes alot cheaper (I almost picked up an '07 6R w/4K miles and very minor damage for $4200 last January). Fixing it up would have probably put it around $4500. The bike doesn't hold it's value very well as it was utterly throttled by the other 600's that year.

Jumper mod is cool but it voids the warranty, so be careful. Also, while the jumper mod is helpful to get more power, even more speed will be had by replacing the stock exhaust with a full exhaust system build of a lighter material, the ZX-6R had easily the heaviest system of the '07 MY 600CC sportbikes, you could shave almost 25 lbs off of it with a lighter system.

Originally posted by: angry hampster
Still seems high for a 2 year old bike.

+1

They've gotta do it though. As I mentioned, the '07/08 ZX-6R's didn't sell very well. They were underpowered, overweight, and outclassed by the other 600's. With the release of the '09 which got a MAJOR overhaul (looks like it'll be a very competitive bike now), they need to do what they can to get rid of the '07/08's.

 

[StepUp]

Yes ZX6R... the R escaped me the 1st time around.

Yes they have an 08 as well w/ 0 miles... I'm trying to get them to come down to that level on the 08 and I'd def shoot for that. There are some subtle improvements.

While the ZX6 wasn't the quintessential bike of the previous years, the margin of difference between the bikes is small enough that I'll justify the difference in price with what pleases me aesthetically.

 

[Kabob]

Originally posted by: StepUp
While the ZX6 wasn't the quintessential bike of the previous years, the margin of difference between the bikes is small enough that I'll justify the difference in price with what pleases me aesthetically.

If aesthetics are what you're shooting for then you need to look elsewhere, it's easily the ugly duckling of the bunch. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder though.

Were I you I'd look for a used bike instead, you'd be looking at a figure closer to $5K. All the benefits of buying a new bike go out the window with the jumper mod, as I mentioned it voids the warranty.

A 2 year old "new" '07 6R wouldn't not be on the top of my list. Honestly, neither would the '08.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: kabob983

Originally posted by: StepUp
While the ZX6 wasn't the quintessential bike of the previous years, the margin of difference between the bikes is small enough that I'll justify the difference in price with what pleases me aesthetically.

If aesthetics are what you're shooting for then you need to look elsewhere, it's easily the ugly duckling of the bunch. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder though.

Were I you I'd look for a used bike instead, you'd be looking at a figure closer to $5K. All the benefits of buying a new bike go out the window with the jumper mod, as I mentioned it voids the warranty.

A 2 year old "new" '07 6R wouldn't not be on the top of my list. Honestly, neither would the '08.

Agreed, and I hate that color green. It would make any bike look hideous.

 

[StepUp]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: kabob983

Originally posted by: StepUp
While the ZX6 wasn't the quintessential bike of the previous years, the margin of difference between the bikes is small enough that I'll justify the difference in price with what pleases me aesthetically.

If aesthetics are what you're shooting for then you need to look elsewhere, it's easily the ugly duckling of the bunch. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder though.

Were I you I'd look for a used bike instead, you'd be looking at a figure closer to $5K. All the benefits of buying a new bike go out the window with the jumper mod, as I mentioned it voids the warranty.

A 2 year old "new" '07 6R wouldn't not be on the top of my list. Honestly, neither would the '08.

Agreed, and I hate that color green. It would make any bike look hideous.

 

[Kabob]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Agreed, and I hate that color green. It would make any bike look hideous.

It's not the color, I kinda like the Kawasaki Green. It's the design of the bike...it looks...ick.

 

[StepUp]

I personally prefer the look of the ZX. And the 07-08 > 09 IMO...

Edit:

I'm also wondering what everyone is wearing gear-wise.

Personally I wear textile jacket/pants, gloves and boots.

On the subject of boots can some one recommend good street riding boots. I wanna protect my feet, but dropping 400 on race boots for my 1st true sport bike seems silly until I have a lot of miles under my belt.

 

[Kabob]

Originally posted by: StepUp
I personally prefer the look of the ZX. And the 07-08 > 09 IMO...

Then you have a very unique mind. Once again though, as a track rider the '07/08's in stock form are underpowered/overweight compared to the competition. The jumper adds a good amount of power, but the only way to overcome the weight problem is with aftermarket parts, and other bikes get similar drops in weight (although not to the same degree as the ZX), still making the 6R a porker.

It does have the best stock brakes and the best slipper clutch of the bunch.

 

[StepUp]

Originally posted by: kabob983

Originally posted by: StepUp
I personally prefer the look of the ZX. And the 07-08 > 09 IMO...

Then you have a very unique mind. Once again though, as a track rider the '07/08's in stock form are underpowered/overweight compared to the competition. The jumper adds a good amount of power, but the only way to overcome the weight problem is with aftermarket parts, and other bikes get similar drops in weight (although not to the same degree as the ZX), still making the 6R a porker.

It does have the best stock brakes and the best slipper clutch of the bunch.

Wasn't it a ZX6R that won the 2007 AMA? I'm sure it could be contributed to rider, but I'm just curious again as I'm just entering the realm of sport bikes though I have AutoX exp in my 300zx and drag racing exp in my old GTO, so I know that a underpowered machine in a good driver's hand can make a good difference.

 

[Kabob]

Originally posted by: StepUp
Wasn't it a ZX6R that won the 2007 AMA? I'm sure it could be contributed to rider, but I'm just curious again as I'm just entering the realm of sport bikes though I have AutoX exp in my 300zx and drag racing exp in my old GTO, so I know that a underpowered machine in a good driver's hand can make a good difference.

Umm...lemme think. '07 it won the Daytona 200 because all the CBR's had fuel problems, Yeah, RL Hayden won the supersport series on one, Josh Hayes won the FX championship for Honda. He woulda won the SS series as well but he had 2 major crashes in one weekend on the last race of the season (he crashed during practice and broke both feet, he started the race but on the 7th lap or so he crashed again).

Either way, a stock ZX-6R vs. a factory race bike is a totally different beast...the bike RL Hayden won the championship on would probably cost you $50K+ (if you could buy it), a superbike probably $75-90K+. Slightly different animal we're talking about there. It's not an underpowered machine when you're racing at that level.

That's like saying a stock Porsche 911 GT3 is the same as the car that won the ALMS GT2 series, the 997 GT3 RS. Sure, it's "basically" the same car design, one just costs 7x as much, weighs 1000 lbs less, and cranks out 50 more horsepower.

 

[StepUp]

kabob, could you recommend some good riding boots? Also, what kind of bike do you ride?

 

[Kabob]

Umm, good riding boots, depends on what type of riding you're looking at doing. I do track days when I can so I've got boots that are more racing styled (Alpinestars SMX-Plus). The problem is that they're a beast to get off/on. If you're only doing street riding any boot from the major brands (Alpinestars, Dainese, Sidi, Joe Rocket, Teknic, Tour Master, Fieldsheer, and a few others) that goes above the ankle will work, make sure it's got hard armor in the ankles.

I've had 3 different bikes thus far, although I'm back to my 2nd. I started off a few years ago on an old beat up Kawasaki Ninja EX500. Then I bought an SV650S. It was stolen so I bought another SV650S. Sold it, a few months ago and on Dec 31's of last year I got my 2nd bike back in very good shape. Just finished getting it completely repaired/looked over yesterday. I've ridden several bikes though, from an old Hawk NT650 to a YZF-R1.

 

[StepUp]

I'm not sure I want a fullon racing boot, but I'm looking at the Sidi Streetburners for day to day use.

I have a pretty narrow foot, so I'm curious to see the fitment.

http://www.newenough.com/brows...ew_product_images/2093

 

[JulesMaximus]

I wear a Sidi Vertigo Air boot like this one. Great boot, very comfortable and cool for riding during the summer months. It is also very light weight and offers good crash protection.

I ride this. It is a 2008 Suzuki SV650. My second bike in 3 years. I've had this one for almost 10 months now and I have a little over 5,000 miles on it.

I have also ridden several different bikes over the years including a BMW R1150R, a few Honda CB750s (including one that I owned), a Ducati GT1000 Classic Sport, Suzuki Bandit 1200, and a Yamaha FZ6.

 

[Kabob]

Sidi Vertigo's are pretty much "the" standard that all racing boots are measured by. They're also alot easier to get into than my boots (which have an internal bootie and a draw string + zipper + velcro closure).

Yeah, I was gonna mention that we had the same bike in the previous post Jules, but forgot and didn't wanna edit it. SV650 is a fantastic do everything bike. You can tour on it, race on it, or meet up with a bunch of dudes at a Ruby Tuesday and sit on it for a while...while wearing sunglasses...at 11 PM.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: kabob983
Sidi Vertigo's are pretty much "the" standard that all racing boots are measured by. They're also alot easier to get into than my boots (which have an internal bootie and a draw string + zipper + velcro closure).

Yeah, I was gonna mention that we had the same bike in the previous post Jules, but forgot and didn't wanna edit it. SV650 is a fantastic do everything bike. You can tour on it, race on it, or meet up with a bunch of dudes at a Ruby Tuesday and sit on it for a while...while wearing sunglasses...at 11 PM.

Wow...that's a pretty specific description of things to do on an SV.

Personally, I like to hit the canyons here in SoCal. Palomar Mountain is great fun, unfortunately, it is covered in snow currently and cold as hell. Still, there are a lot of fun roads here in SoCal to get your knee down on.

 

[StepUp]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: kabob983
Sidi Vertigo's are pretty much "the" standard that all racing boots are measured by. They're also alot easier to get into than my boots (which have an internal bootie and a draw string + zipper + velcro closure).

Yeah, I was gonna mention that we had the same bike in the previous post Jules, but forgot and didn't wanna edit it. SV650 is a fantastic do everything bike. You can tour on it, race on it, or meet up with a bunch of dudes at a Ruby Tuesday and sit on it for a while...while wearing sunglasses...at 11 PM.

Wow...that's a pretty specific description of things to do on an SV.

Personally, I like to hit the canyons here in SoCal. Palomar Mountain is great fun, unfortunately, it is covered in snow currently and cold as hell. Still, there are a lot of fun roads here in SoCal to get your knee down on.

Yeah I went to school in Knoxville and one of my favorite things to do was to go corner carving at the Dragon. I miss that place.

And yeah Sidi boots are the shit... pricey but well worth it.

 

[mwmorph]

Originally posted by: kabob983

Originally posted by: StepUp
While the ZX6 wasn't the quintessential bike of the previous years, the margin of difference between the bikes is small enough that I'll justify the difference in price with what pleases me aesthetically.

If aesthetics are what you're shooting for then you need to look elsewhere, it's easily the ugly duckling of the bunch. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder though.

Were I you I'd look for a used bike instead, you'd be looking at a figure closer to $5K. All the benefits of buying a new bike go out the window with the jumper mod, as I mentioned it voids the warranty.

A 2 year old "new" '07 6R wouldn't not be on the top of my list. Honestly, neither would the '08.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, if you're a Kawi fan, Kawi Green might be like Guards or Ferrari Red or British Racing Green to you(the latter of which I don't like the color but I can definitely respect the heritage).

If you're looking for a bike, I would recommend the new 2009 SV650S ABS too. It looks great, rides nicely(not as outright fast as a 600cc SS, but easier day to day) and though ABS may detract from the purity, the rare time(s) you'll actually need it, you'll be thanking the diety of your choice you have it.

When it comes to bike safety, in this world where 1 slip up or another inattentive driver could mean you're suddenly lodged halfway in their fender, you can never have enough.

Speaking of which has anyone tried those inflating, airbag jackets? Do they work? Are they safer?

Id you absolutely have to have a SS, I'd go for a GSXR 600, I've ridden a few and always liked how they felt as an overall package. The 2008s in Black on Black is sexy as hell in that menacing stealth look too.

 

[Kabob]

I went to West High School in Knoxville and lived there for...16 years? I'm familiar, although I've never done Deal's Gap myself. From what I hear between all the cops and the sports cars/ricers it's almost not worth going nowadays though.

There's a few good roads here in Birmigham, although with Barber Motorsports Park 15 mins away and Talladega Grand Prix Raceway (read: NOT Talladega Super Speedway) where you can do $90 track days every once in a while, I don't ride on the road very often nowadays.

And yeah Jules, there's a Ruby Tuesday where "riders" (I use that term loosely) meet up and "chill" for hours. They stand next to their bikes, sit on their bikes, maybe even have a girl sit on their bike for 'em. Then they ride home...it's kinda sad.

 

[Kabob]

Originally posted by: mwmorph
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, if you're a Kawi fan, Kawi Green might be like Guards or Ferrari Red or British Racing Green to you(the latter of which I don't like the color but I can definitely respect the heritage).

If you're looking for a bike, I would recommend the new 2009 SV650S ABS too. It looks great, rides nicely(not as outright fast as a 600cc SS, but easier day to day) and though ABS may detract from the purity, the rare time(s) you'll actually need it, you'll be thanking the diety of your choice you have it.

Id you absolutely have to have a SS, I'd go for a GSXR 600, I've ridden a few and always liked how they felt as an overall package. The 2008s in Black on Black is sexy as hell in that menacing stealth look too.

Blasphemy!!! Guards Red isn't an "eye of the beholder" thing, it's a gorgeous color.

Not sure how I feel about ABS on bikes. If you're experienced you'll know now to grab a fist full of brake lever, but I guess freak accidents do happen.

I agree, as a whole the GSX-R600 is a better bike (although I think the '08 model was a HUGE step backwards in the looks department). The '06/07 is one of my favorite bikes. Not stellar in any one area, but great all around.

 

[StepUp]

I'd like to see where the jumper mod would void the warranty as well; the dealership I was looking to buy it from recommended I do it, and I doubt they'd recommend that if it were a warranty violating mod. Besides, it's only bridging two wires and would be easily reversible if it was indeed an issue.

 

[Kabob]

Originally posted by: StepUp
I'd like to see where the jumper mod would void the warranty as well; the dealership I was looking to buy it from recommended I do it, and I doubt they'd recommend that if it were a warranty violating mod. Besides, it's only bridging two wires and would be easily reversible if it was indeed an issue.

Everything I've heard/read says it will. An ECU swap, probably not, but a direct modification to the wiring harness? Yeah.

ECU will probably log an irregularity if you use the mod, but that's just a wild guess.

 

[mwmorph]

Originally posted by: kabob983

Originally posted by: mwmorph
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, if you're a Kawi fan, Kawi Green might be like Guards or Ferrari Red or British Racing Green to you(the latter of which I don't like the color but I can definitely respect the heritage).

If you're looking for a bike, I would recommend the new 2009 SV650S ABS too. It looks great, rides nicely(not as outright fast as a 600cc SS, but easier day to day) and though ABS may detract from the purity, the rare time(s) you'll actually need it, you'll be thanking the diety of your choice you have it.

Id you absolutely have to have a SS, I'd go for a GSXR 600, I've ridden a few and always liked how they felt as an overall package. The 2008s in Black on Black is sexy as hell in that menacing stealth look too.

Blasphemy!!! Guards Red isn't an "eye of the beholder" thing, it's a gorgeous color.

Not sure how I feel about ABS on bikes. If you're experienced you'll know now to grab a fist full of brake lever, but I guess freak accidents do happen.

I agree, as a whole the GSX-R600 is a better bike (although I think the '08 model was a HUGE step backwards in the looks department). The '06/07 is one of my favorite bikes. Not stellar in any one area, but great all around.

Well there we go again, eye of the beholder. Lots of people didn't like the headlights of the pre 08 GSXRs. Personally I thought it was okay, that way when you don't have your high beams on, it doesn't look like one of your headlights is out, but IIRC, the pre 08s recieved their share of criticism which must be one of the reasons the GSXR moved away from the design.

Originally posted by: kabob983

Originally posted by: StepUp
I'd like to see where the jumper mod would void the warranty as well; the dealership I was looking to buy it from recommended I do it, and I doubt they'd recommend that if it were a warranty violating mod. Besides, it's only bridging two wires and would be easily reversible if it was indeed an issue.

Everything I've heard/read says it will. An ECU swap, probably not, but a direct modification to the wiring harness? Yeah.

ECU will probably log an irregularity if you use the mod, but that's just a wild guess.

Probably, I'm not too sure with bike ECUs but car ECUs will store data from various sensors and settings. The jumper mod forces the ecu into Eurospec so the sensor readings, historical data and whatnot will be different.