2006 Kawasaki Nimja 650R Road Test

Through it all, the 650R remained easy-to-ride, fun, and very competent. Simply put, this is the kind of bike many riders should be on, whether they’ll admit it or not, as it’s sporty yet comfortable and highly manageable. With about the same weight (393 lbs.) and less overall power to manage than a cutting edge inline-four sportbike, lesser skilled riders will feel more at home aboard the 650R and some will actually cover ground quicker because of this.

What the 650R provides you is straight up seating, extremely precise and easy steering, decent brakes and excellent low and mid-range roll-on power. For around town and commuting use, you’ll be hard pressed to find an easier-to-live-with mount, as everything about the 650R is easy to live with, well nearly everything.

We gave the machine quite a workout while riding up the California coast. We didn’t abuse the bike, but we did push it straight through, mile after mile, hour after hour, with little more than shutting it off for our brief overnight stay. This translated into two days of running with only quick fill-ups and a few stops for photos. We’re talking continuous riding for about 10 hours, and 15-hour days. (Hey, we never go anywhere in a straight line - and we had to eat once) What we learned is the new 650R is much like its predecessor, the

bulletproof and proven Ninja 500R (still offered at $5,049 US) which was designated the EX500 when first released in 1987. Throughout it all, the new 650R ($6,399 US) never skipped a beat, started perfectly every time, and ran consistently whether we were cruising the freeways or hard on the gas over some of the best sections of Highway 1. This led us to the conclusion that the all-new 650R is certainly ready for prime time its first year out.

Through all this high revving, heavy braking, leaned over riding it was notable that we found ourselves attaching curves sitting straight up or slightly hunched over. This is what the 650R is about, just sitting up and enjoying the ride. You can ride faster by moving up over the tank to attach corners in full sportbike mode, but the ride is just so darned comfortable and pleasant while sitting back to enjoy it. The quick-hitting brakes worked well and provided good feedback, though it’s clear they aren’t cutting edge sportbike spec units. The extremely clean running engine (emissions wise) is docile for around town use, yet surprisingly strong throughout the mid-range out on the open road. The 650R runs particularly strong from 60-100mph. The power tends to fall off up top, but the magic of this machine is in its overall usability and upper mid-range punch.

Where the magic left us with the 650R was with the seat. We came back from our travels sore and profusely cursing it. It looks comfortable, even inviting, but don’t be fooled. After one hour you’re feeling it, after two hours you want off. Press on all day and you’ll be hating life. The seat, which was designed in part with a focus of saving weight, is always sliding you forward which is bad enough. On top of this the seat foam is simply wrong and the contact patch for your cheeks is minimal. Making matters worse, the seat cover actually bunches up and stays that way. For long trips you’ll need a replacement seat. Unless you’re a vindictive person, don’t even think of selling the stocker on eBay.

We found the handlebars a little quirky with a slightly unnatural bend and hand levers set at an angle that doesn’t

quite match with the bars. This said, the bars are ok to live with, and didn’t cause the discomfort we were expecting on our trip. The handlebar switches look and feel as if they were borrowed from an earlier era. We do like the R’s easy to reach hazard light switch, engine oil sight window and coolant level you can check through the faring.

The Ninja 650R’s ride is acceptable just about everywhere, right up to the point where you start pushing the bike hard over larger bumps – the kind you usually find on backroads. Here the suspension package quickly feels budget derived, as the bike starts bouncing. The damping just isn’t able to keep up with the demand. The suspension package is certainly acceptable, though the bike would be more capable with better suspenders. The stock rubber held to the blacktop very well and never let us down. There were a few times while pushing hard along the California coast we found ourselves wishing for hardcore sportbike rubber, with a larger contact

patch, so we could have even more fun on this road from heaven. Shifting from the 6-speed transmission was good, though a little notchy under normal riding conditions. As your riding pace increases the 650R’s shifting just keeps getting better.

An area the new 650R shines in is economy. You’ll spend less when purchasing this bike than a hardcore sportbike, the more narrow rubber won’t set you back as much, and when it’s time to fill up you’ll have a smile on your face as the 650R averages over 55 mpg. The 650R hits reserve anywhere from 170 – 199 miles, so the range is excellent. When this happens, however, an LED fuel warning comes on which prevents you from reading the odometer to track how far you’ve gone while on reserve. If you cycle back through the odometer modes to get a tripmeter reading, it will eventually go back to the fuel warning preventing you once again from monitoring the distance you’ve covered while on reserve.

What else can we say about the 650R? Just look at the photos, it’s a good looking bike. It’s the kind of bike you can throw a leg over every day without giving it a second thought. The 31.1 in. seat height, overall weight and balance, fuel mileage and affordable price tag are just inviting – so is riding the bike. It’s a great commuter, yet perfect for weekend jaunts into the mountains or even that cross-country summer vacation you’ve been dreaming about. We certainly put the bike through it paces and gave it every chance to display a weak point – but it never did other than the lightweight yet poor long-distance seat.

We wouldn’t hesitate to purchase this bike, put an aftermarket seat on it, and just ride and enjoy it for years to come. This is just what we did many yeas ago with an EX500 which had an excellent stock seat. If you’re looking for the fastest and meanest sportbike you can get your hands on, Kawasaki has you covered with many other models. But if your looking for an enjoyable do-everything bike that’s easy to live with – the Ninja 650R will be very hard to beat.
MN

2006 Ninja 650R - MN fuel mileage ratings
Average	55.81 mpg
Commuting (mostly freeway)	53.89 mpg
Weekend riding (mixed types of riding)	56.25 mpg
Best mileage	57.39 mpg
Worst mileage	53.53 mpg
Reserve hits at: 170 - 199 miles
Range: 200 miles plus (MN range rating = excellent)

Ups	Downs
Fun to ride	Poor long-distance seat
Good ergonomics on the track	Mirrors could provide a better view directly behind
Good fuel economy (55.8 avg.)	Low fuel warning covers up trip-meter readout
Strong mid-range power	.
Very precise steering	.
Good for all types of riding	.
Lightweight machine (393 lbs.)	.


2006 Ninja 650R		2006 Ninja 650R
	www.motorsports-network.com