Kawasaki ER-6nL ABS

Got it de-restricted legally through my dealer as I have a full license. Straightforward to de-restrict compared to some bikes. Throttle body stop to remove via a torq screw instead of having to replace a throttle body plate. ECU plug with a wire loop to remove to reset the EUC to the full power mapping instead of having to reflash or replace the ECU. Seems to go well even while running it in. 4000rpm is 100kph and 6000rpm is 130kph. Think it'll be geared for 200kph if power is linear for 8000rpm to be 160kph and 10000rpm for 190kph. Pull from 3000rpm is great. Pull feels twice as strong as my LAMS MT-03 did. Nice bark.

Early days but finding it pulls like a train compared to my MT-03. Feels like an automatic car in that I can just leave it in gear and not need to change up and down for corners using mainly engine braking to slow as needed for the corner. Had an STS module fitted (https://www.safer-turn.com/smart-turn-system/) for self-cancelling indicators. Getting an SBM fitted (https://www.safer-turn.com/smart-brake-module/) at the initial 1,000km service. STS works fine but is a deliberate press and hold not just a flick of the indicator switch. Makes you be more deliberate about your turns and stops you from leaving signals on. Think the SBM will be useful with the amount of engine braking I use on most corners now. Different feeling of how torque carries speed in corners than a higher revving lower torque bike. Would be easier to get yourself in trouble on than an MT-03.

Have the SBM fitted now. Went on a ride with a mate behind me to confirm it worked. Have the engine braking flashing the brake light with the brakes putting the brake light on steady. Mate thought it was effective. Looking forward to fewer riders up my bum on group rides when cornering and throttling off for engine braking with gears and not using my brakes. Also got the STS refitted after finding a wiring issue. Power has to be wired to ignition. STS cancels on a second press so you don't need to leave them on for the default 15 seconds if they don't cancel quickly. They cancel quickly on corners but more slowly changing lanes. Looking forward to getting rides in at the weekends and a first service before winter bites. Have fitted bar end mirrors as I like to see directly behind me as well as to the sides. Got a higher screen and a radiator guard to fit at the first service.

Went for a longer weekend ride from Christchurch to Blenheim and back (about 300km of riding over the Kaikoura ranges for twisty roads from Cheviot through to Blenheim) that took about 4 hours 30 mins each way (lots of stops around Kaikoura with road slips). Went well. Rode well at running in revs. Not a problem at 115kph at 5000rpm all the way there. Had first service to change oil & filter & fit higher screen, radiator guard, mirror extenders. Looking forward to first run at the weekend over 6000rpm running in revs. Not been over 130kph yet. Looking forward to the torque peak at 7000rpm. Good torque 4000-6000rpm. Doubt I'll get it up to the power peak at 8500rpm. Expect 7000rpm will be in bus pass territory in NZ (you need a bus pass for 28 days if you get ticketed over 140kph in NZ as you get a step off it and call a tow truck to get it home). I'm hoping it'll have a similar torque to my GSX600F even though the power will be less: external link 

Had the initial service done after running in under 5000rpm. This bike has great mid-range torque. I'm a fat 120kg rider, so if you're not XXXL it'll accelerate a lot quicker for you. If you're a 75kg rider then I'm riding it like you would with the ballast of a 45kg pillion. Rode to 8000rpm at 170kph like a bit of a dick on an empty country road to test it and scared myself. Dopey thing to do if a tractor pulled out a side road. Still had another 2000rpm and was pulling hard. Has quite a rush at 6000rpm to 8000rpm. 5000rpm to 7000rpm for 110kph to 150kph is very handy in NZ SI short passing lanes on highways to zip past trucks and trailers. Will ride a bit slower to keep my license and not shred the tyres. Dunlop Sportmax D214 OEM tyres get bagged in reviews but they're W rated and sticky. They were hot to the touch after the ride and I don't think they'd get over 5000 miles / 8000 kms riding them fast. Felt similar to the Dunlop Sportmax VR radials I had fitted to my GSX600F. Something to consider for commuting as sport radials aren't cheap at typically $250/tyre plus $50/tyre fitting if you've run a smaller bike.

Found cheaper sport radials to reduce running costs. Trying Continental Contimotion radials. Same cost for a pair as for one front or rear Michelin / Metzler / Dunlop / Pirelli. Will also do my own oil and filter services every 6,000km to keep workshop service costs down. Main services in the owners book are every 12,000km (7,500miles) but want to keep oil fresh as its a semi-dry sump design with a cassette gearbox so oil is really important for the gears as much as the engine. Even mainly touring at 4,000rpm to 6,000rpm it'll have a lot more stress on the oil than oil in a car to need its oil and filter changes twice as often. Most cars cruise open road at half of that at around 2,000rpm to 4,000rpm and have separate transmission oil from the engine oil. Got R&G heated grips fitted and think they compare well to Oxford Hot Grips at nearly half the price. Work well.

Fitted LED fog lights & spot lights to my ER6n with an on/off switch on the bars as I had done with my MT-03. Found IP67 rated waterproof LED lights in aluminium housings with brackets to fit where the front guard screws into the forks and under the mirrors on bars from a local Marine and RV shop. NZD$24.95 each for 2 x 20W CREE LEDs instead of NZD$250 for a set of Denali LEDs from SW-MOTECH. Excellent brightness compared to dipped headlight. Really useful for seeing the condition of the road when dark/wet/frosty. I fitted these to my MT-03 when I commuted early mornings so needed to see frost on roads. Fitting the on/off bar switch passes WoF (Warrant of Fitness) test in NZ since you must be able to switch off fog lights & spot lights and aren't supposed to ride with them on unless it is foggy. Yeah, right! I have them on as my day light running lights together with a hi-viz vest and a hi-viz helmet watching every texting driver closely.

Something to watch if you get bike accessories from Aliexpress. I got a copy of a Puig fly screen that was about 1/5 of the genuine screen and gives better wind protection than the stock fly screen on the highways, but it came with what I thought were aluminium fasteners that turned out to be black mild steel fasteners and rusted after a couple of washes. I'm now looking for stainless steel or at least zinc fasteners to replace them with. Ditto for a mirror extenders that I got fitted and turned out to have mild steel not aluminium fasteners.

Bought a set of Evotech crash bungs for the 2012 ER6n onwards. Will get them fitted at the dealer and will let you know how they go. Look as good as the ones I got fitted to my MT-03. Hope never to need them but nice to know I hopefully won't write it off if I drop it as I'm quite attached to it now with all the stuff I've added. Still need to add a stand foot extender for loose surfaces. Quite a small stand foot that can dig in on gravel easily.

Got my foot pegs lowered slightly fitting blocks from Moto Werks in the US. Delivery from the US to NZ was about a week just before Xmas via USPS. Also got the brake nut to match to lower the brake pedal in line with a lowered footpeg. Makes some difference but not massive or you'd risk scraping footpegs cornering. Much more legroom on a Versys and also more legroom on a Z650 than an ER6n, which uses the same foorpegs as a Ninja 650 but you sit more upright on it so your legs feel more tucked up when you're not leaning forward like you do a bit more on the Ninja 650. I'm about 6ft with a 32 inch inside leg measurement. I was finding my legs were getting cramped on long rides. I'm also a tubby and have been cheap buying gear online that isn't the best fit. Learnt to have less of a problem getting on and sitting by taking out the liners to make my riding pants not restrict my movements. I find riding gear seems small sized compared to usual clothes sizes. If you're going to be cheap buying riding gear online and not support your local dealer then at least be cheeky and try gear on at your local dealer to work out the right size for you first. My tip for riding pants is to wear a size you can crouch in easily and try getting on and off you bike with them on as well. Your dealer will be angry when you walk in wearing the same brand of pants that you didn't buy in store but it'll give them a prod to sharpen their gear prices. I looked dumb on a trip when my pants were too tight and I needed a hand from a mate to swing my leg over when I filled up. Wearing a snug jacket is okay but tight pants will really affect your riding. If I'd been smarter buying my pants the footpegs would've worked better to start with.

Forgot to post earlier that the battery died (unrecharegeable state) after I'd put my bike in storage for over a month with a house move. Normally I ride with my local Ulysses Club weekly so it hasn't been a problem starting it. Got a blank blue dash and thought the LCD had died initially then I realised it had no power to start, indicate, or use the horn. Got a battery tester to confirm the battery was dead and rang the dealer who picked it up and replaced it under warranty. Three lessons learnt. Firstly, ride regularly to keep the battery charged. Secondly, get a trickle charger or battery conditioner to keep it topped up if you won't be riding for many weeks, since a completely depeleted battery can't be recharged. Thirdly, don't use the P (Park) position on the ignition lock, since it keeps the circuit running for the indicators if you need to use hazard indicators while parked. I've got an STS (Safe Turn System) self cancelling indicator module fitted that must draw some power when in th P position. Glad this was replaced under warranty as a new Yuasa battery would've been a $180 lesson. Think riding regularly helps most.

Also fitted a Jusit gel seat to add more legroom. Works well. I had this on my MT-03 that had a firm seat and gave me a pain in the tailbone on long rides. I didn't refit it to my ER6nL as I found the seat was much more comfy. My riding instructor Duncan Seed at 2DrafeSafe in Rangiora gave me this tip. Works well. Adds another inch of legroom. Tried sitting on the Z650 that replaced the ER6n and this this has more legroom with lower footpegs. Should be able to get them at your local dealer for under $100. Have a notch for your tailbone to drop into so you don't get pressure on it on long rides. Only catch I've found before with gel seats is that they can get very hot in direct summer sun. So park in the shade if you can or take the gel seat pad with you when you park in the sun. You'll get ribbed by your riding mates for bringing your 'rubber ring' and will likely get preparation H jokes too, but if you keep it cool you'll be with the one without the numb bum at the end of a long ride. Find my knees are better after long rides with a combination of lowered pegs, gel seat and pants without liners to bend my knees easier.

OEM D214 Dunlop Sportmax tyres only have about 1,000km left in them now at around 7,000km. Will take it on a long ride over the weekend to the west coast and back for about 600km then take it to the workshop to get the Continentals fitted. Rear Sportmax has squared off with about 2mm of tread left in the centre. Front Sportmax hasn't cupped and has about 3mm of tread across the width of it. I'll keep them as spares in the garage in case I get a flat that I have to plug, since they'd still be road legal and better than riding on a newer plugged tire at higher speed. Apart from the rear squaring off that makes a difference to cornering with a less progressive roll I've found the Sportmax tyres were sticky in the summer heat. I haven't ridden them much in the wet and don't think I'll be choosing to ride much in the wet as I'm not commuting. I would get more if they were easily available. Got Continental Contimotions for NZD$300 for a pair of 120/70-ZR17 front and 160/60-17ZR rear. These get bagged too but for the riding I'm doing at weekends mainly in the dry and no track days since I don't have a track bike I think they'll probably be fine for me. Main thing I worry about are punctures from road works where we get rocks they call gravel. You need Continental TKC 70 or 80 ADV tyres to ride over this before they spread loose chip that takes weeks to settle down.

Got a 6,000km service at Tracktion Kawasaki dealers in Christchurch to keep my 2 year warranty. I've had a replacement battery under warranty so it's good to have. Reasonable at $150 when I was expecting to pay over $250. Only oil / filter / brakes. I'll keep going to Tracktion for brake fluid & replacing plugs & replacing tyres after warranty. I'll keep running costs down with oil and filters myself every 6,000km. Kawasaki service book states to change oil and filter every 12,000km, but that's pushing it on a bike that uses oil for the gears and clutch as well as the engine. I've got two sets of Continental tyres plus five oil filters and 10 litres of 10w40 oil that should keep my bike running well for about 30,000km. I don't expect to need another battery if I keep it topped up with a trickle charger and I don't expect I'll need to replace the chain by 30,000km as long as I keep oiling and checking it after each weekend ride. The plugs will need replacing at 12,000km and 24,000km with brake fluid. Shouldn't be expensive to run except for replacing the tyres every 8,000km. Continentals seem the most reasonable radials at 2/3 cost of other brands.

Realizing that unless I win the Ulysses Club raffle for a new bike to get a Z900RS I expect I'll be keeping my ER6nL for another 3 years while I pay it off on finance, I've ordered myself 30mm bar risers to go with my lowered footpegs and a gear indicator as I'm always trying to change up from top gear when I'm in it. I don't think I'll add a rack or hard luggage as I've got a set of soft luggage and I don't commute or tour enough on it over weekends for overnighters to be worth it. I'll update this post after the parts arrive and get fitted by the workshop soon. I'll be able to show soon how to make an ER6nL like a Versys without all the expense.

Finally got around to getting the Continental Contimotion tyres and 30mm bar risers fitted. Transformed handling. Feels more like I'm sitting in the bike now than sitting on it. Similar to the feel on a Versys. Also fitted a Givi flip screen extender to Puig flyscreen. Only get buffeting on the top of my helmet now. Most of the wind blast is taken off chest and visor. Looking forward to overnight spring and summer rides with soft luggage panniers and tail pack fitted. Would strongly recommend getting a garage to fit bar risers on an ER6n as the dash has to come off to take the bars off. I try to avoid stuffing up anything electrical myself. Got myself oil filters plus oil filter wrench and oil plus oil tray and oil funnel to do my own lubes out of warranty, but I'll leave wiring and brakes and tyres to a workshop.

First time I've run 91 unleaded was a revelation. I've always run 95 unleaded but tried 91 after many garages replaced 95 with 98 at about 20% more than 91. Ran 98 and wasn't a fan of low speed rough idle in town after a longer highway run. Got a few stalls with the low speed rough idle running 98 on a training course that made me look a bit of a knob on an advanced riding course getting stalls with others thinking I couldn't manage the clutch in my middle age as I've seen with older riders with arthritis when it gets a bit much after a few hours riding. Fuel economy was the same. Responsiveness in town and highway was the same. No low speed rough idle coming back into town to stall it after a long highway trip. Wish I'd followed the manual and run it with 91 since getting it. Would have saved enough over 10,000km of running it so far to pay for either a registration fee or a replacement tyre with fitting.

Two updates. Firstly, done the last of my Kawasaki dealer services to keep the two year warrantly. Reasonable around $300 for oil, coolant, filters, and plugs. Will be doing my own oil and filter services every 6,000 at home. Will still use a dealer for workshop services for plugs and air filter since you need to get tank up to do them. Bit of a fiddle and not confident clamping fuel lines before I do it. Don't have paddock stands front and rear to do it either. I can do an oil and filter change with a drip tray plus an oil filter wrench on the sidestand easily enough. Second update is on the Continental Contimotions I'd had fitted to it. Excellent tyres. Now at 13,200kms from 9,200kms when fitted them. Little wear visible. No flat spot on the rear tyre. No cupping on the front tyre. Hope to get 12,000km life. Good grip in dry. Haven't ridden in rain enough to comment on wet weather performance - now I only ride for recreation at weekend instead of riding thoughout the week to commute to work as I did on my MT-03 earlier. Great having non-flat spotted tyres. Cornering not great on flat spotted tyres. Also got spare RK 520 114 link O-ring chain and a spare gel battery plus spare tyres (another set of Continental Contimitions) plus oil and filters for next 24,000kms of riding easily. I've taken 20 months to ride 13,000kms so can see myself running it through around 40,000kms over the next 40 months or so. My riding mates changed their bikes but I'm not tempted for how I ride. I get annual Ulysses bike raffle tickets and I'd sell it if I won a new bike but otherwise don't see myself changing it for many years of weekend riding.

Update on ER6nL after another 3,000km on Continental Contimotions. Reckon they're about half done at 6,000km.

Slight flat spot starting on rear with a lot of flat straight boring Canterbury New Zealand highway riding to get to the interesting twisty roads about 50km to 100km away from the Christchurch CBD. Found a few limitations now I've got about 15,000km on ER6nL and know it quite well. Probably at limits for tyres and shocks around twisties at 6,000rpm pulling 130kph in 6th gear. Leader Rd for Leader Valley from Cheviot to Waiau is a fantastic country road that has sweepers that tighten. Good visibility for sweepers but limited visibility when they tighten plus road surface variable with chip seal that starts fine and gets a bit rutted when corners tighten. Shocks can get a bit out of shape at speed. Tyres after a good scrubbing at 6,000-7,000rpm for 130-150kph in warm weather can get a bit greasy.

Notice it when come to a stop for junctions after a spirited ride and you feel the rear ABS click away. Have been doing trail braking on Gebbes Pass that's quite a technical uphill and downhill switch back ride. Keeping the rear brake on in corners at 60kph 5,000rpm 3rd gear warms the rear tyre up a bit to notice greasiness at a junction stop.

Not a problem if you ride the ER6nL like its intended as a light tourer/commuter. If you think its like a Ninja 650 and are pretending you're on the TT and revving it up into its powerband and cranking it over and pulling hard on the brakes it'll show you the limits of its handling. Only noticed it after riding it like a bit of a tit as I used to ride my GSX600F that was used on the track and did have a stiffer shock and frame that'd not get out of shape at speed.

Still pleased with Continental Contimotions. Better life than stock Dunlop Sportmax and similar grip. Have got a set of Michelin Pilot Road 2 with 2CT harder centre compound and softer shoulders to get good wear on straight roads.

Also fitted a 2nd gel seat on top of the first gel seat. Gives a plush ride with about 2" of gel seat onto of the stock seat plus gives me about an extra 1" of legroom. Probably have an extra 2" of legroom with the peg lowering blocks plus the 2nd gel seat fitted. Bike is comfortable for the range of its tank now (about 350km). Start to feel it in my knees not my back with bar risers fitted. About two tank fills per day (700km/day) is about the limit for my comfort.

Probably a reasonable limit to stop for the day to not get tired and make a mistake. Equates to about 9hr/day ride. Will post another update after a long 3 day ride early October from Christchurch up to Nelson (about 5hrs 410km) then another day of Nelson to Collingwood to Picton to Nelson (about 7.5 riding day for 525km) then Christchurch.