Kawasaki`s new ER-6 is good – but how good? We put it up against

ROAD TEST
BUDGET MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Ganging up on
www.motorcyclenews.com/bikereviews
Kawasaki’s new ER-6 is good – but how good? We put it up against its six
main budget middleweight rivals and ask a range of riders for their verdict
ALISON passed
her test last year,
but didn’t take
to the CBF500
28 | MOT
MO OR C
CY
YCLE NEWS SEPTEMBER 21, 2005
YC
K
AWASAKI’S brand new ER-6
seems to be hitting all the right
notes. It looks modern and
funky, Kawasaki’s claimed
performance figures for the parallel twin
are impressive and, at £4500, it’s more
than affordable.
But it has also entered the extremely
competitive budget middleweight sector
– the arena in which manufacturers try
desperately to get new riders on board
their brand. The range of bikes differs
hugely from four-cylinder 600s to fun
V-twins, from exotic Italians to budget
Japanese. But which one offers the best
all-round package?
As bikes in this sector have to appeal to
such a huge spectrum of riders, we’ve
invited a varied bunch of MCN readers
along to give us their opinions.
First, we’ve got Alison Silcox, who only
passed her test this year – this will be the
first time she’s ridden a bike with more
than 33bhp. Next up is Scott Hibbert;
Scott runs his own courier business and
still couriers himself – which bike will he
recommend for 20,000+ miles a year?
To represent the legions of larger riders,
we’ve drafted in six-foot three-inch,
16-stone Dave Smith. Finally, we’ve got a
familiar face – regular MCN road tester
Bruce Dunn, who is an experienced racer
currently competing in the British and
European Supermono Championship.
He’s here to give his verdict on the bikes’
sporting credentials.
AT A GLANCE
Can you spot the new-for-2005 bikes in
the line-up above? The Kawasaki is the
obvious one, but the other – the Suzuki
Bandit – is indistinguishable from its
previous model on looks alone.
The ER-6 looks stunning – especially
for the price. Wavy brake discs all round,
Ducati-style trellis frame and bold, offset rear suspension set it apart from the
competition. Then there’s the more
controversial Buell-style underslung
exhaust which really tidies up the rear.
The Ducati is arguably a classic – the
logo itself will turn heads – and both
Hondas are neat with smooth lines, but
the new Kawasaki has really upped the
ante in terms of styling in this category.
KAWASAKI ER-6
PERFORMANCE
Parallel twins aren’t renowned for having
masses of power and Kawasaki’s previous
efforts, the GPZ500 and ER5, weren’t
anything to write home about. With
those bikes in mind, we simply weren’t
expecting the new ER-6 to be as powerful
as it is – it’s even a match for the superb
V-twin powerplant of the SV650.
In fact, the SV and ER are very closely
matched in terms of performance. The
Kawasaki feels smoother, not as lumpy as
the Suzuki.
But flat-out, both clock a virtually
identical 130mph, even though the
Kawasaki was showing an indicated
147mph and the SV 142mph.
The four-cylinder bikes (Bandit and
CBF600) both have plenty of usable
power and we were expecting big figures
from the test strip. However, the Bandit
only managed to match the SV and ER.
The Honda proved to be the quickest
flat-out, but that’s largely down to its
small screen which improves its
aerodynamics.
The real disappointment was the
ageing, air-cooled, parallel-twin GS500.
It felt restricted even compared to the
similar-engined CBF500, arguably its
closest competitor.
HANDLING
The ER-6 is light and nimble, with
enough power to be fun. Its twin wavy
disc brakes are the best of the bunch and
give loads of feel. ABS is an optional extra
(at £300-400) whereas on the Honda
CBF500 and 600 it comes as standard.
The little Kawasaki also has plenty of
ground clearance, due partly to the lack
of a centre stand (unlike the CBF and
Bandit). In fact, the ER is a top little
back-lane bike – right up to the point
where you pass the 100mph mark. At that
speed, the forks start to struggle and
begin to oscillate slightly, causing small
vibrations through the bars. Then, when
you get above 120mph, the shock joins in
with the forks, which gradually shake
more. There’s no such problem with the
CBF or Bandit – both of which feel very
stable albeit very slightly wallowy.
Bringing up the rear of the group again
was the 16-year-old GS500. It’s old – and
it shows. The suspension, by modern
standards, is awful. It bucks and wallows
everywhere and the little 130-section rear
tyre never inspires confidence. In fact, it’s
extremely difficult to ride quickly, as you
never know where the limits are.
By contrast, the similar (but newer)
CBF500 may be equally lacking in power,
but it is still capable of raising a smile. Its
sweet handling means it can always hang
on to the coat tails of the Ducati. Nimble
as the little Monster is, when pushed hard
it’s lacking a little ground clearance.
IN TOWN
Each bike eats up traffic and busy city
streets quicker than a fat American kid in
SEPTEMBER 21, 2005 MOT
MO OR C
CYCLE NEWS | 29
ROAD TEST
BUDGET MIDDLEWEIGHTS
www.motorcyclenews.com/bikereviews
an all-you-can-eat competition.
However, you have to make slight
compromises with almost every bike.
For example, the Monster weighs next
to nothing, is easy to ride and has a
feather-light clutch but it lacks
presence; it’s too small. The fourcylinder bikes have the presence, but
need revving – and the extra weight of
the Bandit makes it hard work.
The SV is good – it’s nimble and fun
to ride, but its V-twin engine seems
overly lumpy compared to the parallel
twins. Best of the bunch for roundtown riding is the new ER-6. It’s light,
DUCATI 620
MONSTER
HHHHH
COST:
POWER: (claimed)
WEIGHT: (claimed)
TORQUE: (claimed)
£4995
63bhp
168kg
41ftlb
VALUE
The GS500E has its faults, but it’s still
a bargain – £3349 for a brand new
middleweight is almost unbelievable
these days. That’s a massive £1850 less
than the most expensive bike on test,
the Honda CBF600.
However, if you decide to go down
the GS route, be aware that you’ll have
to put up with a bike that should have
HONDA CBF500
ABS
HHHHH
COST:
POWER: (claimed)
WEIGHT: (claimed)
TORQUE: (claimed)
£3999
53bhp
186kg
33ftlb
Availability: Now
Colours: Black, red, grey
New for 2005: No changes
Insurance group: 11 (of 17)
Info: Ducati UK; 0845-1-222-996
Availability: Now
Colours: Black, silver, blue
New for 2005: No changes
Insurance group: 9 (of 17)
Info: Honda UK; 01753-590500
TECHNICAL SPEC
TECHNICAL SPEC
Engine: Air-cooled 618cc (80 x
61.5mm) four-stroke 90° V-twin.
Fuel injection. Six gears.
Chassis: Steel trellis frame.
43mm forks, single rear shock
adjustable for rebound damping
and pre-load. Brakes: 2 x 300mm
front discs with twin-piston
calipers. 245mm rear disc with
twin-piston caliper. Tyres: 120/60
x 17 front, 160/60 x 17 rear.
30 | MOT
MO OR C
CY
YCLE NEWS SEPTEMBER 21, 2005
YC
smooth and chuckable. Its excellent
brakes mean you’ll be well-equipped to
avoid collisions with dozy pedestrians
and erratic cyclists.
Engine: Liquid-cooled 499cc (73
x 59.6mm) dohc four-stroke
parallel twin. 2 x Keihin 34mm
carbs. Six gears.
Chassis: Steel tube frame. 41mm
forks, single rear shock
adjustable for pre-load. Brakes:
Single 296mm front disc with
three-piston calipers. 240mm
rear disc with single-piston
caliper. ABS. Tyres: 120/70 x 17
front, 160/60 x 17 rear.
been discontinued five years ago.
The others all vary between four and
five grand, with the new Kawasaki bang
in the middle at £4500 – or just £101
more than the SV, its closest rival.
Although the CBF600 is the most
expensive, you do get ABS and a small
fairing for your money (there’s also a
naked version of the CBF that is only
£100 more than the ER-6, but is still
two insurance groups higher).
l Thanks to: Pidcock, Nottingham;
Streetbike, Halesowen; ESB, Bolton;
Italia Motorcycles, Lincoln.
HONDA CBF600
ABS
HHHHH
COST:
POWER: (claimed)
WEIGHT: (claimed)
TORQUE: (claimed)
£5199
76bhp
197kg
43ftlb
KAWASAKI ER-6
HHHHH
COST: (est)
POWER: (claimed)
WEIGHT: (claimed)
TORQUE: (claimed)
£4500
69bhp
174kg
46ftlb
Availability: Now
Colours: Black, blue, silver.
New for 2005: No changes
Insurance group: 11 (of 17)
Info: Honda UK; 01753-590500
Availability: End Oct (ABS
version end of Dec).
Colours: Green, silver, black
New for 2005: New model
Insurance group: 9 (of 17)
Info: Kawasaki UK; 01628-856750
TECHNICAL SPEC
TECHNICAL SPEC
Engine: Liquid-cooled 600cc (65
x 45.2mm) dohc four-stroke inline-four. 4 x Keihin 34mm
carbs. Six gears.
Chassis: Steel tube frame. 41mm
forks, single rear shock
adjustable for pre-load. Brakes: 2
x 296mm front discs with twinpiston calipers. 240mm rear disc
with single-piston caliper.
ABS. Tyres: 120/70 x 17 front,
160/60 x 17 rear.
Engine: Liquid-cooled 649cc (83
x 60mm) dohc four-stroke
parallel twin. Fuel injection. Six
gears.
Chassis: Steel tube frame. 41mm
forks adjustable for pre-load,
single rear shock adjustable for
rebound damping and pre-load.
Brakes: 2 x 300mm front discs
with four-piston calipers. 220mm
rear disc with twin-piston caliper.
Tyres: 120/70 x 17 front, 160/60 x
17 rear.
SECOND OPINIONS
THE NEW RIDER
l Alison Silcox
I LOVEE the new
Kawasaki, it’s my
easy winner. It’s
so much fun to
ride, I didn’t want to hand it
back. For the first time I did
over 100mph – and it didn’t
feel scary. I could throw it
around and feel confident. It’s
comfy, easily the best looking
and great value for money. Its
only fault is the slightly
awkward gear selector.
My second place is a close
call between the Bandit and
the Monster. The Bandit is
smooth and easy to ride. But I
also like the Ducati – the riding
position is strange, but I love
the looks and I’ve always
wanted a Ducati.
The GS comes last. I hated it
– it’s a wallowy pile of poo. It
didn’t give me any confidence
and I’d rather buy a secondhand model than a new GS. I
didn’t like the CBF600 much,
either – too big and long. It felt
like a boat.
THE COURIER
PERFORMANCE FIGURES
Measured at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground. Conditions: Dry, sunny, slight tail wind
Top speed
Standing 1/4-mile
acceleration
Brake test
(70-0mph)
Top gear roll-on
(40-110mph)
Ducati Monster 620
124.48mph
13.28sec @ 103.66mph
53.65 metres
22.15sec
Honda CBF500 ABS
117.73mph
13.99sec @ 94.64mph
56.12 metres
25.60sec
Honda CBF600 ABS
134.14mph
12.83sec @ 107.26mph
57.94 metres
17.65sec
Kawasaki ER-6
130.79mph
12.54sec @ 106.71mph
51.07 metres
12.95sec
Suzuki GS500
110.28mph
14.77sec @ 90.81mph
57.07 metres
25.25sec
Suzuki SV650
130.98mph
12.71sec @ 108.32mph
51.23 metres
15.30sec
Suzuki GSF650N Bandit
130.40mph
12.68sec @ 108.11mph
55.12 metres
13.95sec
SUZUKI GS500
HHHHH
COST:
POWER: (claimed)
WEIGHT: (claimed)
TORQUE: (claimed)
£3349
47bhp
174kg
30ftlb
SUZUKI SV650
HHHHH
COST:
POWER: (claimed)
WEIGHT: (claimed)
TORQUE: (claimed)
£4399
77bhp
165kg
46ftlb
Availability: Now
Colours: Black, blue
New for 2005: No changes
Insurance group: 7 (of 17)
Info: Suzuki GB; 0500-011959
Availability: Now
Colours: Red, blue, silver
New for 2005: No changes
Insurance group: 9 (of 17)
Info: Suzuki GB; 0500-011959
TECHNICAL SPEC
TECHNICAL SPEC
Engine: Air-cooled 487cc (74 x
56.6mm) dohc four-stroke
parallel twin. Mikuni 34mm
carbs. Six gears.
Chassis: Steel twin spar frame.
41mm forks adjustable for preload, single rear shock adjustable
for rebound damping and preload. Brakes: 2 x 300mm front
discs with four-piston calipers.
220mm rear disc with twin-piston
caliper. Tyres: 120/70 x 17 front,
160/60 x 17 rear.
Engine: Liquid-cooled 645cc (81 x
62.6mm) dohc four-stroke 90° Vtwin. Fuel injection. Six gears.
Chassis: Aluminium trellis frame.
41mm forks adjustable for preload, single rear shock adjustable
for rebound damping and preload. Brakes: 2 x 310mm front
discs with twin-piston calipers.
250mm rear disc with twinpiston caliper. Tyres: 120/70 x 17
front, 160/60 x 17 rear.
SUZUKI GSF650N
BANDIT
HHHHH
COST:
POWER: (claimed)
WEIGHT: (claimed)
TORQUE: (claimed)
£4299
76bhp
201kg
44ftlb
Availability: Now
Colours: Black, blue, red
New for 2005: Cosmetic tweaks,
50cc bigger engine
Insurance group: 11 (of 17)
Info: Suzuki GB; 0500-011959
TECHNICAL SPEC
Engine: Air-cooled 656cc (65.5 x
48.7mm) dohc four-stroke in-linefour. 4 x Keihin 32mm carbs. Six
gears.
Chassis: Steel tube frame. 41mm
forks adjustable for pre-load,
single rear shock adjustable for
rebound damping and pre-load.
Brakes: 2 x 290mm front discs
with twin-piston calipers. 240mm
rear disc with twin-piston caliper.
Tyres: 120/70 x 17 front, 160/60 x
17 rear.
l Scott Hibbert
THE CBF600 and
Bandit would
both make good
courier bikes.
They both have smooth,
bulletproof engines, loads of
room for boxes and panniers,
and they’re comfy. They feel
like proper, big bikes that
would take lots of miles. If I
was buying a fleet of bikes for
my courier business, I’d go for
the Bandit as they’re so much
cheaper.
The new ER-6 is a good bike
– it’s fun to ride, but comfort is
more important than looks for
me. It’s too small and racy and
it would kill my wrists after
riding it all day. However, the
wife is looking for a fun
weekend bike, so I’ve
recommended one for her.
Ducati owners will hate me,
but the Monster would have
come last if it wasn’t for the
GS. The Ducati has the name
but no go. It has a surprisingly
light clutch and it’s small and
agile – but that’s it. It stalled on
tickover, the seat came loose,
the brake light failed and
there’s a real lack of power. It’s
no good for couriering – there’s
no room for panniers or
throw-over bags and it’s too
small. The GS would make a
good pizza delivery bike or
something like that, as it’s
cheap and strong, but that’s
about it – I hated it.
BY KEVIN ASH
THE BIG BLOKE
l Dave Smith
THE ER-6 comes
first. I like
everything about
it. It looks great;
the matching paintwork on
the shock and frame gives it a
classy look. It’s fun to ride, a
good wheelie bike and has
more power than you’d think.
It’s comfy even for me at 6’3”.
I’m really impressed. It’s just a
shame they’ve called it an ER –
it reminds me of the old ER5,
which was crap.
The SV is a close second. It
handles and goes almost as
well as the Kawasaki, but it’s
not as easy to ride as the ER.
Again, it’s surprisingly comfy
for a big bloke like me, but it
just doesn’t feel or look as
special as the new Kawasaki.
I hated the CBF600. It’s
awful, especially the handling.
It’s a long bike and the clocks
are miles away. I’m sat really
low in the bike and the bars
are high – not comfy. There’s
no power, either. It’s really flat
and the fairing is too low for
me. There’s loads of travel on
the brake lever and I don’t like
the ABS. It’s disappointing
considering it’s the most
expensive. The GS isn’t the
best, but it doesn’t pretend to
be anything it isn’t. The Ducati
is too small with odd wide
bars, but I like the look of it.
THE RACER
l Bruce Dunn
I LIKEE sports
bikes, and the
SV650 is the
nearest bike here
to a sports bike. It’s fast
enough, handles well, has
good brakes and there’s
enough torque if you just want
to roll along in top. I daresay
it’s just as practical as the rest.
The ER-6 is a definite
second. It looks great, there’s
impressive power from a
parallel twin, but it’s too soft
and not as precise as the SV.
The GS is totally outclassed.
There’s no power, the
suspension is all over the
place, it doesn’t feel settled
and the brakes are wooden.
The Ducati was disappointing
– it didn’t feel natural and was
slow steering. The CBF600
was quick but far too soft.
VERDICT
CHOOSING the bottom three
isn’t as difficult as deciding the
winner. The GS comes last by
a long way. It’s slow, doesn’t
handle and its only saving
grace is its price. The Ducati is
second-last, with the CB500
just in front. The Monster is a
brilliant bike, but it’s not
£1000 better than the Honda.
The four-cylinder CBF600
and Bandit come third and
fourth. The Honda is the better
bike, has superior build
quality, looks modern, feels
like a new bike and is quicker
than the Bandit. The Suzuki is
easy to ride and its budget
price makes a lot of sense for a
TECHWATCH
first-time buyer.
But choosing a winner
between the new ER-6 and
the SV is a very close call. The
Kawasaki is newer, better
looking and has slightly better
performance, so for many
that’ll be enough. The Suzuki
takes the handling prize
(especially at high speed) but
the Kawasaki has better
brakes. Price-wise, the ER-6
just nicks it again. So, if you
want a good-looking bike that
you’re never going to push to
its limits, and spend a lot of
time in traffic, head to your
nearest Kawasaki dealer
before they run out of stock...
What comes
after petrol?
WHAT’S worrying among the
various energy solutions
being proposed as a
consequence of spiralling oil
prices, even without the
global warming issues, is that
as far as private transport is
concerned, they all seem to
involve electric motors.
While these make plenty of
rational sense – quiet,
efficient, maximum torque at
a standstill and so on –
emotionally they’re about as
involving as a washing
machine. No surprise there,
as that’s powered by an
electric motor, too…
So, whether the electricity
comes from batteries, a fuel
cell or just a very long cable,
the idea of an electric
motorcycle is desperately
depressing.
But there is another way:
fuel cells get their energy
from hydrogen, which
combines with oxygen from
the air to generate electricity,
the only waste product being
water. For the green-minded,
this is perfect (until they start
to wonder where the
hydrogen comes from…), but
for the petrolhead bike rider
brought up on a diet of
booming V-twins and
howling fours, it makes you
want to weep.
No need to despair, though
– hydrogen is a very
reasonable petrol substitute.
It’s possible to adapt an
existing petrol engine to run
on hydrogen with only a
small power loss, while a
purpose-built hydrogen
engine will be as powerful
per litre as its petrol
equivalent.
There are some difficulties
to overcome, as hydrogen
needs to be stored at minus
253 degrees Centigrade to
keep it in liquid form. You’d
need to plug your bike into an
automatic fuelling device at a
gas station (real gas this
time…). You’d need to be
careful, though – spill some
on your hand and it would
turn to solid ice and snap off.
Your bike’s fuel tank would
have to be cryogenic –
designed for super-cold
storage – which means it
would be bulky with
insulation and weigh as
much as 30kg (although
advancing technology might
help reduce that). And unless
you leave your bike plugged
in to a refrigeration device
when you park up, the fuel
would warm up and, after a
few days, evaporate.
But none are insuperable
problems; the real issue is
getting hold of hydrogen. This
demands an entire,
countrywide infrastructure
for delivery, and the small
matter of finding the vast
amounts of energy needed to
generate it from seawater. It
can be done with existing
technology, but politically it’s
a difficult issue: the only way
we can do it currently is using
nuclear power.
The knee-jerk reaction to
that is to say ‘no’ because of
the nuclear waste problem.
But we can put nuclear waste
in a box and have a go at
controlling it, and even a
worst-case-scenario disaster
at a nuclear power station
will only wipe out a tiny bit of
the planet.
Better, surely, than spewing
a dangerous gas directly into
the atmosphere with no
chance of controlling it,
causing a runaway
overheating of the entire
planet as a result.
Which is what we’re
already doing with carbon
dioxide, after all.
‘A hydrogen engine
will be as powerful
per litre as its petrol
equivalent’
SEPTEMBER 21, 2005 MOT
MO OR C
CYCLE NEWS | 31