Bikes and Travels
I had the privilege of using my friends bike for an afternoon the other day. It is a Kawasaki ER6-F, the faired version of Kwak’s budget 650. This one’s a 2009 model, from what I know it’s the last of the originals. Having ridden four cylinder 600’s for the last few years I thought the 650 would be somewhat lacking in performance compared to the over 100bhp bikes I’m used to. Still, it’s rude not to try a new bike isn’t it.
The first thing is the way the bike feels when you sit on it. It’s quite tall. Not very tall like a big trailie but I can imagine shorter riders may not reach the floor comfortably. It also feels very short, almost stubby. I can’t explain why, it’s as big and as long as any other bike, it just feels oversquare. The handlebars are odd too, they turn my wrists in a little more than I’d expect. It could be the way my friend has his bars set up though.
My friend’s bike has some fancy exhaust on so the motor rumbles quite satisfyingly when I start the bike. With a typical crash the first gear is selected and I release the clutch and set off. It feels like it would be a hard bike to stall, the power forces the bike forwards with very few revs. I get onto the road and I open it up.
Taking it easy at first I notice the gear change is very stiff. This bike has 12,000 miles on the clock but the gearshift and the clutch both feel new and stiff. It takes a good pull up with my toe to select each gear, uncomfortable in my boots. Other than the stiff gear and adjusting to the height it feels easy to wobble around the sharp corners of the road out of my estate. There’s plenty of power down low and even at 2,000 revs the motor’s very willing to get going but it lacks real pull.
Out on the open roads I am pleasantly surprised how well the motor pulls, from anywhere in the revs. Unlike a 4 cylinder machine the power delivery is almost linear. It does not seem to matter much which gear you are in or what the revs are doing, it goes and it goes well. It does not punch the rider like a 4 but the speedo climbs rapidly. Also the motor hides the gain in speed, there’s no screaming engine so it’s all to easy to feel like you’re not going fast but panic when the speedo says quite different. It is fast, it does not feel fast.
If you like that extra zip at high revs, there are none. What the motor has gained at the bottom end it has lost at the top. It took a while to stop looking for that extra dollop of go at the top and settle down to enjoying the mid range instead. This motor has 6 gears. Other than keeping the revs sensible when cruising there’s really no need for 3 of the gears. On a back road 3rd will cover all speeds and all but the tightest of corners, 5th is fine for faster roads and 1st will get you going. After dancing around the box on a 4 this is quite fun, just choose a gear and stick with it!
The fuel injection is very good. It’s not snatchy or jerky. It is perfectly natural to ride and resembles an old carburettor in the way it works. This is good, some modern bikes can feel a little woolly or digital if the computer is mistreated through the throttle. I think the limited power also helps smooth things out.
The handling is a bit odd. The bike does not really want to turn in, understeer. I’m used to sports bikes that drop into the corner with nothing more than a thought. This needs to be pushed into the bend. At first I didn’t feel like I could trust the bike but when I adjusted my riding style and got used to cajoling it, it did turn just fine. The suspension is basic and this shows, it’s not going to win any prizes but it’s not terrifying.
Considering the cost of the bike it’s very good. I guess it would suit new riders and commuters. I’ve seen a few in the shops with touring kit on and with the torquey motor and steady handling this could be a good choice for long distances. The seating position is OK and there’s not too much pressure on the wrists. I also think it’s a nice looking bike with the trick shock position and simple modern lines.
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