Kawasaki's set to bring an exciting new middleweight into South Africa in about two months time. The ER-6n is powered by a 650cc vertical twin engine -- a configuration that was enormously popular in the mid twentieth century but has fallen out of favour these days. The bike's styling is ultra-exotic, and with 72 horsepower (53 kW) on tap it should also be a lively performer.
Kawasaki says that the design team kicked off the project by looking at what riders wanted. They studied riding positions to establish which posture inspired the most confidence, and confirmed that narrowing the distance between the footpegs and lowering the seat made it easier for riders to reach the ground, while low-effort controls make for easier operation. The ER-6n thus features a narrow, lightweight trellis frame and an offset laid-down rear shock mounted on a triangulated swingarm to give a low seat height and a short and nimble wheelbase.
Of course, with packaging like this a V-twin engine was out of the question because it would be too long, and a four-cylinder unit was ruled out because it would add unwelcome width to the package. The solution was to design an all-new compact parallel-twin engine - the smallest unit in its category in terms of physical size. Electronic fuel inject feeds the fire of the liquid-cooled motor that crams 649cc into a package smaller than most 400cc units.
How did they get it so small? Firstly by locating the crankshaft and transmission shafts in a triangular pattern to keep the crankcases as short as possible. The transmission input and output shafts as well as the change drum are contained in a cassette-style package that saves both space and maintenance time, and a semi-dry sump reduces engine height.
Keeping the weight down was also important. The plated, linerless cylinders help reduce mass, and the narrow cylinder pitch restrains engine weight and width even further than is usual in a vertical twin. The new Kawasaki weighs in at just 174 kg dry, and the narrow engine and lowly 785 mm seat height should make it feel a good 10 kg lighter on the road.
Performance is claimed to be impressive, with the twin overhead camshafts being profiled for an abundance of bottom end and midrange grunt. Large-bore 38mm throttle-bodies pour on the coals, and lightweight plug-mounted ignition coils Blitz the fuel and air mixture to deliver a peak power output of 72,1 PS (53 kW) at 8 500 rpm and torque of 66 Nm at seven thousand. The 180 degree crankshaft drives a balancer shaft to eliminate the unwelcome vibrations that plagued vertical twins of yore, and the same shaft drives the water pump, routing coolant through passages in the engine cases rather than through the external plumbing that spoils the lines of so many other liquid-cooled engines.
The ER-6n is also a practical machine. It boasts four tie-down hooks for baggage or a spare helmet, and the lockable under-seat storage compartment will comfortably house a U-lock or similar security device. The flush-mounted indicators with their clear lenses also double as hazard lights.
The simple layout of the stacked instrument panel provides all the information you need at a glance. There's a digital speedometer and analogue rev counter, as well as a clock, odometer and trip meter. The fuel tank holds 15,5 litres of unleaded petrol.
Kawasaki's latest budget middleweight is an uncluttered motorcycle. One-piece footrest hangers help keep it that way, as does the under-engine silencer that, as a bonus, keeps weight low down in the frame. Lightweight six-spoke alloy wheels contribute to the fight against flab, and triple petal brakes - twin 300 mm discs up front, and a single 220mm unit at the rear - look great and should work well. ABS is available as an option.
The ER-6n will be available in silver or black from late September or early October this year at the very modest price of just R 59 995, inclusive of Kawasaki's 24 month / unlimited distance warranty. Aimed squarely at the segment of the market dominated by Suzuki's very successful SV 650 V-twin, it should be a good seller.
I cant wait
