2008 Kawasaki Er-6n

[Karoline Oum]

Wavydiscs, off-set rear suspension and an underslung exhaust made the original Kawasaki ER-6 a stylish, contemporary option. On the dash, there was no fuel gauge (boo!) but both the brake and clutch levers were adjustable (yay!). Aftermarket Kawasaki ER-6 bits include a little screen, crash bungs and a top box. ABS was also an option for around 300. No centre stand but that helps the Kawasaki ER-6 have excellent ground clearance.

Have one for 11 years and here's my experience.I like: the low weight, the nimbleness, the low fuel consumption, the riding position, the gear box, the looks.I don't like: the brake feel, the basic level front suspension.I hate it's oil consumption.

Performs very well for very low price.Have dropped the rear sprocket from 46 teeth to 42 and economy has risen from 55 to 62mpg (I'm 6'1 and 13.5 stone) on daily 60 mile commute with no noticeable drop in acceleration. Only thing it lacks for me for rain/winter is ABS

I would so recommend this to a friend. Being my first bike I'm glad I made this choice. This bike was in a poll with GSR, Hornet and FZ6 and won. I really liked the position on the bike however since it was my first bike I had a hard time learning how to not be tensed on it, which had nothing to do with the bike but with me. Mine has a custom full Akrapovich exhaust which makes it sound amazing !! And I also had to change the handle bars (got wider ones) for more comfort for those 200+ miles trips. It's an amazing aggressive machine ! I'm an aggressive city rider (I filter like a madman) and this bike handles really well. The design is awesome, it's very manoeuvrable and the engine is superb for the city, good power in the lower and mid range.

I bought my ER6F in June 2008 and started to use it seriously for commuting from September onwards. As a 16,000 mile a year rider and this being a budget bike perhaps I expected too much, but it is supposed to be a commuter special. It's been plagued with problems: 2 sheared exhaust joints (common problem - poor design and vibration apparently); collapsed rear wheel bearing (hair-raising en route to work), not covered by warranty either - wear and tear apparently; leaking front brake calipers - again not covered by warranty; failed electrics (regulators - another common problem) and loads of rust. I do ride through winter, but wash every weekend and apply liberal ACF-50, still it comes through. Have put black hammerite all over the rear , still comes through. Compared to the XJ6 I rode recently the engine is rough and vibey and it's not as light to handle.On the positive side, it's easy to ride and for someone who is getting on a bike for the first time it inspires confidence. It filters exceptionally well in mean London traffic, thanks to great visibility, nimbleness and narrow width. It's also decent on the motorway as revs for 80mph are comparitively low. It's fun too, and as an intro to motorcycling it has provided a lot of thrills for the money.Needing to rely on it for regular, long-distance, all-weather transport meant this bike, for me, was a mistake. The quality of finish and materials used is poor as evidenced by the reliability issues and abounding rust. For someone with less demands, and perhaps new to biking, I would recommend it. For anyone else, and on the recommendation of several breakdown truck drivers who get to know the bad bikes, Honda is the way to go. I will not be buying another Kawasaki!

the ER-6F is now renamed the NINJA 650-R [at least in australasia] and several improvements have been made. they are manufactured here in thailand, where i live, and are thus VERY affordable here.my situation is that i had to buy one of these as its about the only 'big sports' type bike you can buy here as the 'real' sports bikes are not imported.my previous bike[when i lived in australia] was a suzuki GSX-R 1000 so its a big step backwards really but i must say the bike holds up quite well compared to the GSX-R which must be considered one of the best sports bikes ever. the downdside is that the bike feels bloody big..i am suprised many reviewers call it a "nice little bike"...to me it feels huge and like a truck. the worst offending item is the handlebars. they are awful and the iriding postion is neither upright nor sports-low. the bike feels heavy too even though its not.. it feels like the designers made some error in the design and has to bolt on some bent steel bits for handlebars after the fact. they just dont feel or look right..they are literally "bolted on with a bracket" and look like an after thought. the engine is quite good and the gearbox positive the overall qaulity is impressive and i think te price is just awesome.but its not a bike you feel confident leaning into corners thats for sure. but i think it creams the mid size competetion and kawasaki are the first big japanese manufacturer to go offshore and benefit from massive price reductions by opening a manufacturing base in thailand rather than solely in japan. honda are considered to be next.all in all a nice bike and certainiy cost effective in all ways, but its looks definitely decieve its ridability..but there is nothing in its price range that compares.

Had my Er6F for nearly 2 years and 32000 miles. Traded it in last week for a bike with greater range and to have a change. I was very happy with it. As a born again biker its light weight and easy handling gave me lots of confidence on the move. In high winds it was really stable whilst moving and when stationary if gusts threatened to knock me about I was able to get both feet down as a result of it being so slim and low. I have ridden in several huge floods and it didn't once suggest that it might cough or splutter.Performance wise it was very good. Commuting 110 miles every day at legal speeds on A roads and motorways I got 60mpg plus every day and it had enough umph to out blast any cars I needed too. Only things replaced were tyres (lots - fronts lasted 4000 miles whilst the rears lasted about 12000 miles) and a chain/sprocket set. Extras purchased were the mirror extenders (essential to see more than elbows), a hugger and heated grips. Only minor issue was the lock for the petrol tank which gets very stiff if you leave the bike for two weeks (Christmas) without using it - spray liberally with WD40! Some people have complained about hand vibration - well its there but its much less intrusive than a CB500! Other people have complained about rust and quality of construction - well the disks do change colour after two weeks non use (Christmas again) and the footrest hangers show scratches from my boots but that was it. Liberal spraying with anti-corrosion plus chain lube was obviously sufficient. Would I buy another? probably not - even if my circumstances change I would probably buy a different bike but I really don't regret buying it and it brought my riding on and looked after me very well.

Just done over a year using the bike for commuting every day, and completed 11500 miles.No breakdowns or problems - it starts first time evry time. Fuel consumption averages just under 60 with a high of 68mpg and low of 52mpg.I have fitted a taller screen as the original is too low, and heated grips so I could carry on using it through the winter.There are spots of corrosion coming through - probably due to the winter salt, but considering its age it shouldnt happen yet.Brakes probably could be better and seem to glaze up, so I have to brake hard or drag the brakes for a while to heat them up - that clears it! I'm still on the original pads at the moment.Headlight bulb was fairly rubbish so I have put brighter ones in.At the end of the day, for the cost of the bike, it is excellent!

Own a 2008 ER6F had it for 4 months I think its a great bike especially for what i paid for it even as a new bike. Really love how the power runs all through the rev range and kicks in really nicely at 7k. On the twisties so easy to handle and gives lots of front end confidence. The high bars also mean I can ride for a good few hours and suffer no wrist ache or fatigue. The bike has enough power and faring to cruise on the motorway and i find i actually enjoy commute.Only major gripe is that i have found the limit of the rear shock a couple of times, I am not heavy so wouldnt expect to reach a limit even though I was pushing hard so maybe adjusting the preload is a good idea. Minor gripes not totally convinced by the build quality and some of the wiring looks rushed but neither will cause a problem if you put it away for winter. Only other gripes it could do with a fuel guage (there is one on the 09 bike) and possibly a gear indicator.None of these gripes are enough to put me off a great fun bike that give great value for money and frequently gives me a huge grin.If your thinking of getting one my advice is get one you will love it.

I bought a ER6-N in 2007 and ran it for 2 years with a 33bhp kit on it,It rode lovely and even with only 33bhp really pulled nicely.Ive now that he 33bhp kit removed and its even better! Not the best looking bike ever but i would definetly say really good value and lots of fun .only had one problem with it which was the alarm kept draining the battery so now got a trickle-charger and its fine.

waiting for delivery of the 09 model at the end of jan. despite the great reviews the previous models received, i wasnt quite sold on the looks. for me, the new model has a mini street fighter look about it, which appeals. roll on the spring/summer.... this will be my first big bike after passing my test last may.

Got the bike in November so just run it in.Had loads of bikes over the years NTV650 to SV1000 my last bike was Triumph Speed 4, This kawasaki is a right hoot to ride great engin,lots of low down grunt like my old XR. It always puts a smile on my face and thats what bikes are all about isnt it!!!! Ok so its built down to a budget but i never let my bike dirty clean it after every ride (a bit anal)Top bike well done Kawasaki The one thing that makes me laugh is people who say "awful ergonomics" sounds like there ass is numb much like there brains!!!!

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