Braking is one of the Kawasaki's strong suits with excellent power from 6-piston calipers and 300mm discs.  A little fade could be felt on repeated hard stops but switching to a different compound pad would probably fix that.

Changing gears through the 6-speed box is a pleasant enough experience and the transmission is mated to a progressive clutch that has plenty of feel through the lever to help with those fast getaways.  The bike does have a slight tendency to drop out of gear which means you do have to be deliberate with your shifts. 

A superior tank range, I saw 350 kilometres between fill-ups at one stage, and the ease with which the Kawasaki can be loaded up with gear via the excellent under seat luggage hooks put it ahead of the competition in the touring arena. 

Ergonomics are also very user friendly with a comfortable and well padded seat and reasonable reach to the bars. A little more legroom would not go astray on long trips but it is no worse in this regard than the competition. I covered well over 2,000 kilometres on the ZX-6R during our short time together and never found myself feeling too uncomfortable.  

Pillion accommodation is the best in the class with excellent grab handles and reasonable legroom for your passenger.

It is a bit unusual these days to be on a bike that uses a conventional needle/dial style speedo' rather than a digital LCD display. Which style you prefer is a personal decision but the LCD displays do give you a more accurate reading than a graduated dial, which helps to stick to those suburban speed limits.

Fuel Injection, a more modern dash layout and the loss of a few kilos would be all it would take to put the Kwaka' very near the front of this class and in my book it does need those updates.  However the ZX-6R costs a little less than the opposition and the comfort may win your heart over it's rivals. 

The lack of graphics on the 2002 model is a refreshing change and gives the bike a classy look, especially in the fantastic blue that Kawasaki offers. $13,490 + on road costs will get you one.

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