Thoughts on the old 6R

[stu9]

As in ZX6R a 97

I'm only thinking about as something to get back on the road, I've not had anything as small engine wise for 20 years.
I know all or most 6s are revvy that's what I'm not used to but are they decent enough.

[MarJay]

Yep, good bikes. Underrated. Alloy frames before most 600s had them. Decent enough suspension, enough power, enough wind protection enough comfort, decent enough brakes.

The main issues with them are (as I heard in a recent podcast) They are the age of 600 which may have spent some time chained to a lamppost in all weathers. From about 2004 onwards 600s were no longer all rounders so unlikely to be used for the office commute etc. These older 600s do fall into the all rounder category, and may have been abused on that basis.

If the condition is OK, it brakes hard and goes around corners, then buy it and be happy.
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Ste]

[stu9]

Maybe so but it's what for sale with what I've got

[Polo]

So what exactly do you want from us?

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

As the owner of a 1000 and a 600 I can say that initially the 600 will feel weak. However, you can get pretty much the same kind of performance on the road as long as you are prepared to recalibrate. Knock the 600 down two gears and wring it; it’s very rewarding if you’re in the mood.

I can’t speak about the F-model but the ZX6R-G has tremendous induction noise, and with bars above the yoke it’s sporty yet comfortable. Good mirrors too. I would expect the two-year evolution typical of bikes of that era to be noticeable but not drastic. Hence the wheel paint on the G-model is flaky and I’d expect the F to be the same. I’ve had my G for 21 years, 65,000 miles and it’s been super reliable although it suffered cosmetically from being used all year round and stored outside. It now has a garage and I refurbished it 5 years ago, including wheel and swing arm blast and coat. Mechanically it’s been rock solid. The follow-on 2000-2002 model has a revised upper fairing with twin headlights, revised swing arm and increased capacity (636cc) taking it from 100bhp to 110.

[Ste]