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Bob Pickett's 1,000 mile review of the Kawasaki ER-6f (2006)

2006 Kawasaki ER-6f - wierd or wonderful? Take your pick Lets start this review with a quick history lesson. Once upon a time, the middleweight all-rounder market was dull as dishwater. Then Suzuki came up with the Bandit and all was transformed. A couple of years later Honda and Yamaha joined in with the Hornet and Fazer. So Suzuki fought back by adding to their range with the v-twin SV650S, which topped the sales for the sector…

… seven years on and despite being stuffed in the sales stakes year on year, no-one has tried taking on the SV by adding a twin-cylinder bike to their range (I'm deliberately ignoring 500cc twins that have been around since the dawn of time, a la GS500, GPZ500S or derivatives such as the ER5). Until now that is.

A revitalised Kawasaki (credit where it is due for admitting in public that their range had become stale and in need of a revamp) finally moved in to take on the SV in 2006 with their own twin - and also run naked and faired versions, the ER-6n and ER-6f.

But whereas the SV is a vee, the ER features a 650cc parallel twin - a configuration that hasn't featured in anything new for many years. So why go the parallel route? As discussed in the 2006 London Motorcycle Show review, Kawasaki do not have a history of v-twins, other than in their cruiser range, so they've stuck with technology they know and have an association.

ER-6n - definitely funky Kawasaki also say that "any resemblance to the Z1000 is purely intentional" - very nice for them, as personally I cannot see any! What I do see is a unique bike - the naked 'n' version looks like… nothing else on Earth, what with that strange headlight/clock array, seemingly based on the masks used in Japanese 'Noh' Theatre (so that is a 'Noh'se fairing then - I promise that is the last time I'll use that gag), which to my eye is worryingly similar to a scooter from the front. Not ideal in the rush hour commute, where scooter riders are treated with even less respect than bikers!

The faired 'f' is more conventional looking… in ER terms that is. It is the same bike as the 'n', albeit with a slightly longer wheelbase and slightly altered geometry to compensate for the extra weight of a fairing. But it is still unconventional when compared to current thinking. Parallel twin engine? Handlebars with a fairing? Buell-esque underslung exhaust? So it looks weird (though personally I love the appearance of the 'f'), but is it any good?

First off, sit on the bike and it really doesn't dispel the whole 'weird' concept. The bars are high and feel like they're veering diagonally upwards and outwards- this comment from a friend that sat on my one sums up the initial feel of the bars "Oo-er! That is the strangest thing I've ever sat on!" However, this does have the effect of keeping the weight off your wrists.

Those bars and the upright seating position seem to give it that "think and you're turning there" quality of the original Fazer. Just a slight nudge and you're tipping the bike over. It is a doddle to flick from side to side - reaching roundabouts after a fast run of "M" and "A" roads, I found myself flick-flacking on/off of them at 40(ish) and just flinging the bike about, which it handles with aplomb.

The suspension - soft by sportsbike terms perhaps but firm enough in this class - is just about right. Basic and unadjustable it might be, but it works just fine riding in a real-world environment… which is exactly where this bike is intended to spend it's life.

Of course, all the handling in the world is pointless unless you have an engine to go with it - and Kawasaki's going "back to the future" with their 650cc parallel twin has produced a little gem. The fuel-injection is spot on, producing a lovely smooth ride. Up to 5,000 revs and it will happily (and tamely) burble along, giving no real indication of what it can do. 6,000 revs produces a changed engine note and a more urgent feel to the bike, but it is at 7,000 revs and up to the 11,000 redline where things really start to happen and the ER transforms into a punchy little beast.

The fun really starts in the bends - throw it over to one side, crack open the throttle and surge out onto the straight. Combine the handling with the light clutch and slick box (like all parallel twins, to get the best out of the engine you work the box more than on a vee-twin with it's lazier delivery) and back-road blasts become an involving activity.

ER-6f suspension - side mounted, basic but effective Of course, the ER-6f is also going to spend a lot of it's life commuting - and that riding position, light clutch and smooth box are an ideal combination for town work. Town work is going to need decent brakes to deal with the inevitable dumb car driver who changes lane without signalling (or thinking) scenario - and the ER-6 has anchors that are up to the task. Not as sharp as the superb R1-derived brakes on the original Fazers, but definitely better than the SV650s "Squeeze and wait for something to happen" variety. A firm squeeze on the lever will see the ER stand on it's nose, but more a delicate application provides gentle control to assist low-speed manoeuvres.

The ER-6f is also mooted as a budget tourer - and it handles long-range work well. I decided to see how far I could get before either I needed a break or was getting worried about how much fuel might be left in the bike.

So off I went, got myself onto a combination of motorway and fast "A" roads and rode and rode and rode... until at 130 miles I needed a break and a petrol station was just up the road. I got off bike feeling fine - no "John Wayne" impersonations! No aching wrists either, which came as a relief. My legs had started to feel a little stiff and I just needed 5 minutes to stretch limbs before carrying on with my journey.

After 130 miles, just 11 litres of fuel had been used. Which means for a 15.5 litre tank, it suggests180 miles would be possible. Town work would see this figure being reduced, but I've seen over 120 miles to reserve on weeks when no more than 'normal' traffic situations (ie, no 10 mile tailbacks) apply.

ER-6f - fairing could be more effective, but fine up to 80... or so... Other than that? Stick the bike in top gear and it will cruise at 80mph all day. 90? Not a problem. The topping of the ton threw up a fair bit of buffeting, but then I shuffled around in the saddle and it was fine after that. To be honest, the fairing/screen is not as protective as it could be - but then with the fairly upright riding position it'd have to be a huge, ugly, Bandit-like one to really keep the elements away.

So far, so good - but what about the inevitable downsides?

First up, there is space under the saddle for a disc lock, but you have to undo it to squeeze it in! Lose the toolkit and there will be room for a bit more, but not much. And there are only TWO underseat hooks. So where are you supposed to hook the other end of the bungee/cargo net? Yes, you can hook down by the pillion pegs - but this renders the use of a cargo net impractical (I was just about able to make my net stretch that far, but it means you can get precious little under it).

Given that there is next to no space under the saddle - and that this bike is going to be used as a bit of a carthorse during the commuter run - being able to strap items to the pillion perch is essential.

And then there are the mirrors. They really are the poorest I've experienced (10 bikes owned so far). The "Blind-Spot" created is enough that a CAR close behind me is invisible! It is extremely hard to get the mirrors into a position where they can provide some feedback - you either put them wide so that you can see round your hands/elbows... and so lose any idea of what is directly behind you - or you bring them onto a narrower focus... and then struggle to see what is around you.

Overtaking requires the judicious use of the "life saver" - no bad thing in itself, but given that part of the target audience for the ER is the newly qualified rider, good feedback from the mirrors isn't ideal.

I raised these points with Kawasaki UK, who said "At the present time there are no specific plans to modify the ER-6f, and the issues you have raised have not been reported to us before. We are constantly monitoring and evaluating the performance of our products and your comments will be taken into consideration."

ER-6f exhaust - odd looking maybe, but it means that to date the 6f is one of the few bikes meeting the Euro III regs But these points should not detract from what is a cracking little bike. You can live with these downsides (get long enough bungee and learn to use the lifesaver). The ER experience is - 1,000 miles in - a fun one which balances practicality with pleasure. Which is what most of us are looking for in a bike, isn't it?

Verdict: This bike is going to get an army of fans - and deservedly so. OK, out-and-out sportsbike riders will hate it, but for anyone looking for a bike that can do a bit of everything, a first big bike, a budget tourer or a commuter - or indeed something for a spot of fun without the permanent risk of losing your licence (though three figure speeds are easy enough to achieve), the ER-6 delivers an alternative that is well worth considering.

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