If you’ve been wondering when the 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R would officially make an appearance, your wait is officially over as of June 6, 2023. There’s a lot of newness to discuss for what’s already a consistently popular middleweight supersport, so let’s dive right into Team Green’s updates for the new year.
Inside and out, the 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R boasts quite a few changes for riders who are familiar with previous models. The 636cc inline four-cylinder engine benefits from revised cam profiles that both increase performance lower down in the rev range, as well as enhance emissions-lowering characteristics.
Similarly, Kawasaki says that it fine-tuned its injectors for greater efficiency in atomization of fuel. This, in turn, increases efficiency down the line—from the fuel-air mixture to combustion, which also adds up to lower emissions according to Team Green.
Since the other half of fuel-air mixture is air, Kawasaki also turned its attention to its 5.09-liter airbox. It added a revised intake funnel design, which it says also contributes to increased low RPM performance. Additional efficiency measures taken by Team Green include coating the piston skirts with molybdenum to reduce friction, adding connecting passages between the cylinders, and revising the header and collector pipe layout on the way out.
Gallery: 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R
Suspension duties on the 2024 ZX-6R are handled by a Showa Separate Function Fork—Big Piston (SFF-BP), which offers preload adjustability on the left fork cap, and compression and rebound damping on the right. It’s paired with a Showa rear shock with full adjustability as well.
Braking duties are now handled by another upgrade for 2024 on the ZX-6R, in the form of a fancy new pair of Nissin radial-mount opposed four-piston monobloc calipers. These will grab a pair of 310mm stainless steel front brake discs as the rider requires. Out back, there’s a radial-pump master cylinder, as well as a single caliper and 220mm brake disc setup. The alloy wheels now come shod in a pair of Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tires.
What about electronics and rider aids? Don’t worry, Kawasaki added some new stuff to the 2024 ZX-6R in this department as well. In addition to a standard quickshifter, traction control, and power mode selection, Kawasaki has now added its updated Kawasaki Intelligent Anti-Lock Brake System, or KIBS for short. The system takes data provided by speed sensors at both ends of the bike, front brake caliper hydraulic pressure, and the engine control unit (ECU) to formulate how the ABS is applied.
On the dash, there’s a new 4.3-inch full-color TFT display. The 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R also benefits from three integrated riding modes: Sport, Road, and Rain. Bluetooth connectivity is also standard, allowing riders to connect their smartphone to their bike via Kawasaki’s Rideology the App (that’s its full name in the iOS and Google Play stores; we didn’t make it up).
On the outside, Kawasaki revised the styling on the 2024 Ninja ZX-6R. A new front cowl, LED headlight and turn signal units, windscreen, and what it calls “3D interwoven bodywork” grab your attention as soon as you look in its direction.
Pricing and availability may vary by region, so your best bet if you’re outside the US is to contact your local Kawasaki dealer with any questions you may have. In the US, the 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R will come in four variants, all of which should be available in American Kawasaki dealerships as of June 6, 2023:
- 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R comes in Metallic Flat Spark Black and Ebony or Pearl Robotic White and Metallic Graphite Gray with an MSRP of $11,299
- 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R KRT Edition comes in the Lime Green and Ebony KRT colorway with an MSRP of $11,299
- 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R ABS comes in Metallic Flat Spark Black and Ebony or Pearl Robotic White and Graphite Gray at an MSRP of $12,299
- 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R ABS KRT Edition comes in the Lime Green and Ebony KRT colorway with an MSRP of $12,299
