Kawasaki Er6n

[cinbkk]

I think that maybe the fairing will be an add on. someone did it for an import cost them 30,000baht.

Allan

How much for the zr7, what year etc

It's in the classifieds...125K registered 2001. The Er6 doesn't quite sound the business being just two cyl, but the power is similar to my 750 and it feels light and compact.

[12DrinkMore]

It's black..looks the business.

It's mine! I want it, and I want it NOW

:D

[BigBikeBKK]

Flippin` best news I have heard all day!!!

I`m finally on my way back to Thailand tomorrow and I`ll be at Rama 9 Kwacker Dealer on Monday to place my order.

HAPPY TRAILS!!!

[BigBikeBKK]

This is brilliant news, what a great price in LOS guess all other dealers will have a hard time now. 225k for it is great news

Got to get me one of those

Cheers Bard

Heh heh Bard- how's the missus gonna react when you show up with a new FZ6 and ER6 at the same time??? See you soon! Tony

[Bard]

Hehe Tony, weeeeeell I'm working on it as we speak

[BSJ]

The Candy Orange for me thank you very much! 225.000 baht on the road is keener than a Schick razor! Wow!!!

[12DrinkMore]

So the price has dropped from "not more than 300,000" to 280,000 and no we are down to 225,000.

Hmm, if this is finally a sign of the dreaded deflation, then I want a whole lot more.

[nikster]

The age of reasonably priced bik bikes has now officially arrived in Thailand. The other Japanese manufacturers will follow suit. Unfortunately my personal favorite BMW is probably going to stay high and overpriced - there is no FTA with germany and they have their established, happy-to-overpay customer base.

Specs from the UK web page: ER_2D6n.pdf

Anyway, this is fantastic news

There is even an ABS option on this bike in the UK. Would be nice to know if they offer this in the LOS too...

[nikster]

This is brilliant news, what a great price in LOS guess all other dealers will have a hard time now. 225k for it is great news

Got to get me one of those

Cheers Bard

Heh heh Bard- how's the missus gonna react when you show up with a new FZ6 and ER6 at the same time??? See you soon! Tony

A diamond ring usually does the trick. Expensive but what can you do...

[adad]

MCN's group test of 09 ER-6N against the Monster 696 and SV650.

[BigBikeBKK]

WooHoo!!!

I hit up the Kawasaki Big Bike shop this afternoon to take the ER6n for a spin and place my deposit.

I'll be picking up my new ride on the 28th!!! The surprise 225,xxx price is a dream come true and I'm already planning the mods I'll make with all of the money saved.

Happy Trails!

[JonnyF]

There's no doubt that this is fantastic value, I still can't believe it's 225k.

I just can't decide whether I actually like it or not. I'm gonna have to take a trip to Rama 9 and see it in the flesh before I make my mind up - it's kind of growing on me which is a bit of a worry as I've only just topped 3500kms on the baby Ninja. Barely run in.

What colours are available at the moment?

[12DrinkMore]

MCN's group test of 09 ER-6N against the Monster 696 and SV650.

God, look at that weather. Am I pleased to be out of THAT.

From the three bikes I would prefer the Duke, just like the sound and look at the front.

But that is the UK and here is Thailand, so it looks like the Kwacker is undefeated champion amongst a field of no other competitors.

[Bard]

Congrats on the choice of new bike Tony, I bet you'll love it, can't wait until all of us are on 600's it will be a blast man.

Cheers Bard

[12DrinkMore]

WooHoo!!!

I hit up the Kawasaki Big Bike shop this afternoon to take the ER6n for a spin and place my deposit.

Thanks for the pictures.

I'll be placing my order for one too. I would prefer the Yamaha but another 220k is too much for a bit of extra fun.... Could buy TWO ER6Ns for the same price as one Yamaha.

But why are the exhaust pipes so dam_n ugly? Surely they could have led them straight down to the silencer? Or maybe there is some technical problem concerning length/resistance to increase the performance?

[BigBikeBKK]

Color choices in Thailand are Black or Orange.

I'm getting "Diablo Black":

I've been sitting here trying to compare the Kawasaki ER-6n to the Yamaha Fazer FZ6 and it's going to be a lot of fun to ride these bikes side by side on road and track. No doubt the ER-6n is a tremendous value, but I thought that if money is no object that the FZ6 would have an edge in performance, specs and handling since it's powered by the same engine as the infamous YZF-R6 race bike. Now that I've done a little research I'm not so sure anymore how these bikes match up...

I thought that the FZ6 had a big advantage in horsepower and seem to recall that at the Yamaha Big Bike Showroom in Bangkok that the fact sheet shows the FZ6 cranking out 89HP vs the ER6n's 72, then I see on Bikez.com the following specs for the FZ6:

Power:76.43 HP (55.8 kW)) @ 12000 RPMTorque:51.60 Nm (5.3 kgf-m or 38.1 ft.lbs) @ 5270 RPM

link: http://www.bikez.com/motorcycles/yamaha_fz6_fazer_2008.php

I'm really not sure if the figures above are correct. Topspeed.com shows the following figures for the 2007 FZ6:

Power: 96.55HP (70.5 kw) @4750 RPM

Torque: 63.10 Nm (6.4 kgf-m or 46.5 ft. lbs) @6440 RPM

link: http://www.topspeed.com/motorcycles/motorc...z6-ar15449.html

Here are the specs for the 2006 ER-6n from the bikez.com site:

Power:71.07 HP (51.9 kW)) @ 8500 RPMTorque:66.00 Nm (6.7 kgf-m or 48.7 ft.lbs) @ 6700 RPM

link: http://www.bikez.com/motorcycles/kawasaki_er-6n_2006.php

(I understand the 2009 has the same engine, but tuned for better midrange)

According to the Bikez.com site the ER-6n weighs 173Kg dry while the FZ6 weighs 186Kg

So the Kawasaki has a bit more torque and a bit less weight, while the Yamaha is a bit heavier and cranks out more horsepower...

Man, if they were priced the same it would still be hard to choose but I'd take the FZ6 just for the windscreen... Of course, with all the money I've saved by buying the ER-6n I think I'll be able to dress her up quite nicely

Happy Trails!

[Bard]

Actually in Thailand we again get the same Yamaha as Europe, and if you go to Yamaha UK you will see the specs say 98 hp. If you change the cams you get 122 hp and some other mods you have 130+ so yes it does have the R6 engine, and it can float any fuel in Thailand such as Gasohol etc. I donno why bikez state different but for the 2009 model they don't state any hp at all. In Europe the spec has to include HP which is a good thing, so luckily someone understand bikers.

Top speed stock on the Yamaha is 250 km/h and 0-100 by amateurs is 3.2 seconds so it has plenty of fun built into it. Can't wait to ride it, in Thailand it's expensive as hel_l but I can't help myself, I love 4 cylinder power, rev and sound, fairing, all the touring stuff included and the Yamaha girls made my day. The ER-6n is a very nice bike, and fantastic value for the money and I don't think anyone can really go wrong buying it but I fell in love with FZ6 and that's it guys, must have it...

Cheers Bard

[BigBikeBKK]

Cheers Bard,

Yeah- I figured those numbers were wrong for the FZ6, since the YZF-R6 engine cranks out well over 120!

Someone should tell the folks at Bikez to double check their figures

I'm emailing you the info about this weekend's ride to Udon Thani Bike Week now!

Happy Trails

[gobs]

Congrats BigBikeBKK! And have a lot of fun!..

225 KB for the new Kawy, great value, but as Bard, I felt in love with the FZ6F! More money, but may pen ray, it's the sound of my heart! And I enjoy it every minutes I ride it or look at it since 6 weeks I got it...

About the power, in Thailand the specs of the FZ6F are 98 HP.

For example, in France (specific legislation) you can purchase 3 different FZ6 (at least last year!): the FZ6 S2 98 HP or the FZ6 78 HP (the late model and lower cost insurance) or the FZ6 34 HP for the first year licenced drivers (after the first year, you can ride what you want within the 106 HP: upper than that it's not street legal in France!).

More than that, the price of the 78 HP one was 1000 Euros lower at the beginning of the last year... It's a political choice from Mister Yamaha to spread the FZ6 market there...

But no matter the bike... Just enjoy the rides!

Cheers,

Gobs

[BigBikeBKK]

Congrats BigBikeBKK! And have a lot of fun!..

225 KB for the new Kawy, great value, but as Bard, I felt in love with the FZ6F! More money, but may pen ray, it's the sound of my heart! And I enjoy it every minutes I ride it or look at it since 6 weeks I got it...

About the power, in Thailand the specs of the FZ6F are 98 HP.

For example, in France (specific legislation) you can purchase 3 different FZ6 (at least last year!): the FZ6 S2 98 HP or the FZ6 78 HP (the late model and lower cost insurance) or the FZ6 34 HP for the first year licenced drivers (after the first year, you can ride what you want within the 106 HP: upper than that it's not street legal in France!).

More than that, the price of the 78 HP one was 1000 Euros lower at the beginning of the last year... It's a political choice from Mister Yamaha to spread the FZ6 market there...

But no matter the bike... Just enjoy the rides!

Cheers,

Gobs

Merci Gobs!

Thank you for the clarification- I was quite confused by the numbers I found online for the FZ6 and now I understand that there are many different versions of it. The Thai FZ6 is a stunning bike and would have been my choice if it wasn't so overpriced. I suspect that Kawasaki is going to put a lof of pressure on Yamaha to lower their prices, especially when they start selling the ER-6f later this year. Also Honda will enter the game soon with their Big Wing showroom in Bangkok. The more competition and choices the better!

Amities sinceres!

Tony

[nikster]

Wikipedia is here to clear up any confusion about FZ6 specs: The FZ6 S2 has 98hp, the "standard" FZ6 76:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_FZ6#Specifications

If the Thai version has 98 it would explain a slightly higher price though so far I haven't found official prices for the 2 versions in other countries.

The Wiki page lists the S2 price at EUR7,650... or THB 350000 at today's rates. Europe has pretty high taxes traditionally though.

[LivinLOS]

I had heard 96 / 98 on the FZ6 and the one I rode felt like it had hard (but revvy.. I liked that tho) pull.. The Jan issue of UK's 'BIKE' mag has a review of the new 09 ER6N and lists it as 64bhp which I find puzzlingly low for a modern era 600.. Tho BIKE doesnt like the FZ6 engine combo, they diss it a few times for being unsuited to the chassis and too revvy and sport for what they feel is a tourer not a sport machine, when you run that through a Thailand roads filter tho the more touring position and suspension setup have to be close to ideal (I just hate the F look tho !! Why no naked with mini screen ??) but when the Street triple is 108, the FZ is high 90's, the ER does seems conservative in pure numbers.

It will be really interesting to see you and Trent (T&T taxed and tested in UK speak) with both machines.. People love the long in the tooth SV series twins for thier mid range pull and theres huge racing and online fanbase for the SV650, so its evidence power isnt the end all and its usability, feel, all round aspects that count.

Also have to note it looks great in these pics, its grown on me more and more, and Tony looks perfectly sized and comfortable on it.. Makes me wonder if I would find it a little tight.. Really looking forward to some ride time later in the year lads. If I hadnt just commited to my upgrade path I would be in Kwaker with my cash today too, the other options just dont stack up on the market as as much as desire might say FZ not at 2x the head would hold me back.

[apetley]

Does the 225k price tag include registration? Insurance?

[Travelmate]

Big congratulations to Tony BigBikeBkk for his excellent choice of stallion!

Black is always a good choice.

Coulda gone wild and pick orange.....

Also a clap of the hands for Trent. For his Yamaha FZ6 purchase and sticking with the deal. Despite a kick in the nuts upon hearing the price from the land of Kawasaki.

Enjoy the new toys, boys.

[Zzinged]

Since we're all talking about it, here are some details pulled from the Dec '08 and Jan '09 Fast Bikes mags. Fast Bikes is a UK based mag that leans more towards sports bikes.

Yamaha FZ6 - 88bhp @ 12,400RPM, 60nm @ 10,000RPM, 14,000rpm redline, 180kg dry weight, £4,699

Scored 5/10 in a group test vs other naked 600s

Pros - Tricky (not in a good way)

Cons - Styling, steering, fuelling, power, ergonomics, price

Main gripes were that the engine was unsuitable for this kind of bike. It was too revvy and detuned, which gave it little bottom end pull. They also noted that the steering wasn't neutral, and the suspension was too well damped. As for ergonomics, the mag complained that the bars were too high and narrow therefore lacking leverage, and that they felt detached from the front wheel. As far as a sports bikes go, they feel that the Fazer is doing well because of the Yamaha marketing machine

The only praise for it was that it makes a great novice bike or commuter.

Kwak ER-6n - 71bhp @ 8,500RPM, 66nm @ 7,000RPM, 11,000rpm, redline, 200kg dry weight, £4,500

Scored 9/10 in a solo test

Pros - Fun, frugal, top value for money

Cons - Heavy gearchange

Basically, even though this bike has modest power figures, it can set a blinding pace when the going is tight and twisty. It has a rewarding motor and well set-up suspension. Kwak decided to reduce the engine vibrations in the '09 bike, so they gave the engine more rubber mounting. To compensate for that, they changed the chassis. The low down grunt was also praised, as was the stability and road tracking. The finish of the bike is also better; you even get cast aluminium grab handles on the rear

[Travelmate]

Hmm

Kawasaki 1

Yamaha 0

[JonnyF]

Just rode back to work from Immigration and passed Rama 9 so I popped in to have a look - they've got an Orange one sat just behind the doors to the workshop and they let me have a look around it. It's a really nice bike in the flesh, unusual but quite appealing. It felt pretty compact, I wouldn't have thought it would be that comfy for the bigger guys but it's nicely styled and looks really good in the flesh.

The salesman had a genuine massive grin on his face when he told me it was "very cheap, only 225" and having seen what you get for the money I'd have to agree with him. The 250 Ninja was good value at 139k but 225k for this beauty is even better. I wish they'd release the ZX6R in the same price bracket but I think I'm dreaming...

[Bard]

Tests and testers are always biased towards there own subjective meaning and economic gains, I saw a vdo test of ER6n vs FZ6 vs Suzuki vs Honda (can't remember the names) and for power and sportily riding Yamaha won, the Honda won as a commuter (messenger bike), they called the ER6 for Extra Rubber due to it's massive amount of rubber to hide the huge amount of engine vibration. Again that was these 4 testers from 4 different bike magazines who did it, what does it tell me... Test out yourself, then buy what you're happy with. I believe the ER6n is a brilliant bike for an amazing value in Thailand, and anyone buying it will not go wrong, again anyone buying the way more expensive FZ6 will get an amazing bike with a ton of fun built in, the FZ6 is used a lot in US and EU for tourbike races, and as a training/learning track bike so it can't be bad. It is a bit how we ride, if you like to ride hard and revvy like a Supersport bike is ridden, but don't like to sit for hours on a trip with your knees under your ears the FZ6 is giving you that. The ER6n is more powerful in midrange as you expect from a 2 cyl. And if you like low-midrange cruising that is an excellent bike for the purpose, should be a fun bike to do trips with IF it had fairing, as naked it is great for commuting, with a tour screen attached you get the tourbike.

Anyway what I am trying to bring across is these two bikes are not the same bikes really, they are both allround bikes but the riding is obviously very different, so buy the one you like the most personally and be happy. I'd can't wait for Honda to launch and we get even more choices, whatever bike people buy and are happy with is THE correct bike for them.

Happy riding everyone

Bard

[BigBikeBKK]

I wish they'd release the ZX6R in the same price bracket but I think I'm dreaming...

The ZX6R is a sweet ride, but it's an import so you can expect a MUCH higher price if/when Kawasaki decides to market it in Thailand. Kawasaki sales manager told me they plan to import the ZX10R to Thailand later this year and rumored price will be in the ~600,000THB range.

[BigBikeBKK]

Since we're all talking about it, here are some details pulled from the Dec '08 and Jan '09 Fast Bikes mags. Fast Bikes is a UK based mag that leans more towards sports bikes.

Yamaha FZ6 - 88bhp @ 12,400RPM, 60nm @ 10,000RPM, 14,000rpm redline, 180kg dry weight, £4,699

Scored 5/10 in a group test vs other naked 600s

Pros - Tricky (not in a good way)

Cons - Styling, steering, fuelling, power, ergonomics, price

Main gripes were that the engine was unsuitable for this kind of bike. It was too revvy and detuned, which gave it little bottom end pull. They also noted that the steering wasn't neutral, and the suspension was too well damped. As for ergonomics, the mag complained that the bars were too high and narrow therefore lacking leverage, and that they felt detached from the front wheel. As far as a sports bikes go, they feel that the Fazer is doing well because of the Yamaha marketing machine

The only praise for it was that it makes a great novice bike or commuter.

Kwak ER-6n - 71bhp @ 8,500RPM, 66nm @ 7,000RPM, 11,000rpm, redline, 200kg dry weight, £4,500

Scored 9/10 in a solo test

Pros - Fun, frugal, top value for money

Cons - Heavy gearchange

Basically, even though this bike has modest power figures, it can set a blinding pace when the going is tight and twisty. It has a rewarding motor and well set-up suspension. Kwak decided to reduce the engine vibrations in the '09 bike, so they gave the engine more rubber mounting. To compensate for that, they changed the chassis. The low down grunt was also praised, as was the stability and road tracking. The finish of the bike is also better; you even get cast aluminium grab handles on the rear

That's a surprisingly harsh review of the FZ6, IMHO. I find the comment about the ER-6n "Heavy gearchange" odd too, as one of the first things I noticed on my test drive yesterday was how incredibly light and easy the shifting is on the new 650cc Kwacker. Reviews like these really reveal the bias of the writers and like Bard said, best to try them out yourself and then decide which one you like best.