KAWASAKI ER-6F (2005 - 2008) Review

Version: Non abs

Year: 2008

Annual servicing cost: £100

First ever big bike, passed test at 54yrs, Light enough to throw about and gain experience , fast enough to have fun but also fast enough to kill myself!!! Not a lot will stay with me off the lights. Worst feature I would say is fairing rattle, common problem, few foam bits between panels sorts it tho.

Buying experience: Bought private, 10 year old bike with service stamped history, paid 1400.

Year: 2007

Annual servicing cost: £100

I would say the best feature is the build quality & worst feature is 'some vibration' through the fairing.

Buying experience: I bought from a dealer- a good experience! After some 'window viewing' & two test rides - I noticed this bike on the dealers web site - popped in to have a look. With the extras this bike had - it stood out to me ! The funny thing is - I made my decision to buy this bike after being taken for a test ride - as a pillion ! The performance stood out ! The bike was for sale at £2999 - & that is what I paid.

Year: 2007

Annual servicing cost: £400

A good all round bike which I use in all weather and it is very reliable. I bought mine a year ago and use it everyday whatever the weather. Mostly on A roads but also the motorway and back lanes too. It’s great at weaving through traffic and accelerates very swiftly, particularly joining a dual carriageway! The ride is comfortable and won’t leave you aching after a day's use. The economy is decent too, I fill up about once a week for about £17. I would prefer a full gauge but you do adapt and the warning light does provide enough to ensure you get to a filling station before you're caught short. I often have a pillion and whilst it impacts performance I honestly think it still does what it needs to around town very efficiently! I do think it’s fairly poor around corners and doesn’t always give you total confidence at speed. My bike has corrosion around the welding but I don’t care really as it’s fine for its age and as long as it starts up and runs I’m happy. It has been a great bike and I’d recommend it to those needing a commuter or for a first bike. I hope to run mine for another year or two and get at least 60000 miles out of it.

Buying experience: Ideal first bike or as a commuter.

Version: 58' reg

Year: 2008

Annual servicing cost: £100

So for an A2 license holder you're restricted to a bike with 35KW(47bhp) and a power to weight ratio of 0.2KW/kg. so for the full 35KW, the bike must have a dry weight of AT LEAST 175kg. @178kg this bike fits the limits perfectly. The handling is smooth and forgiving, there is enough poke in there to get you up to speed in seconds. The only fault with this bike, if i had to have one, is the engine noise. the 180degree crank angle on the parallel twin sounds like a wet-fart below 4k rev's and that's not something you can ever fix with an aftermarket exhaust system. (you'd literally just be amplifying the fart..)

Buying experience: bought second hand, @36k miles for 2.4k. I plan on running it for another 20k miles before selling it on again. A mate of mine has one with 126k miles that he refuses to sell, because it's still in great running condition. To maintain your engine well, just keep the oil changes regular. That's it. a bike with 30k miles that has its oil changed every 10k miles won't have much life left in it, a bike who has its oil changed every 3k miles for 120k miles will sing like new.

I picked up a well cared for 2006 ER6F last month. The cons are very obvious: Cheap underdamped suspension, dangerously narrow mirrors and secondary vibration from the bodywork at low revs. I´d also add wooden brakes (but may just be the current pads) and a seat that is uncomfortable for more than fifty miles at a time. The headlights only work with the engine running and despite having twin lights only one works on dip. Despite that list I still rate the bike as satisfying to ride, largely due to the brilliant engine. Torquey like a V-twin around town, smooth and revvy on open roads. Keep the revs below 6K (75-80mph in top) and the fuel economy is excellent, regularly seeing 65mpg. This may be due to the fairing which also makes long distance motorway work fairly effortless. The bike feels very heavy to me for a middleweight twin, but I find that a bonus for straight line stability and crosswinds. Steering feels stable but quite slow but that may be due to wear on current tyres. Overall a very safe bet as a second hand buy with a few irritating but fixable design issues that relegate the ER6 to merely good bike status.

I've ridden my bike in all weathers back and forth to work for a year now and its never caused me any problems. Its cheap to ensure. Good on fuel. To the untrained eye they look nice but you wont fool any bikers that its a sports bike. Overall it does what i ask it to: commute through traffic and motorway 40 miles a day come (sideways) rain or shine

A fantastic all round bike that is nimble in traffic when commuting and will put a smile on your face at the weekend. They look good, they're comfy, they handle beautifully and are fairly economical with low insurance. I ride mine all year round and in all weathers, the fairing gives reasonable weather protection and with a decent set of tyres (Pilot Roads are a good choice) it corners like it's on rails in all but the worst conditions. The gearbox is smooth and positive, it's can sit up when accelerating hard and will make sportsbikes look silly if you feel that way out. If you look after them they keep their looks, don't and you'll get a bit of rust on the welds and corrosion everywhere. I've just bought my second after being knocked off the first, they're a great fun bike on a budget.

I've had my 08 ER6f (in green) for a few months now, and have to say it's a really great pice of kit. Simple sure, but does what you need it to, and then some! I'm a little biased as this is my first big bike, but I looked round at bandits, fazers, SV, hornets all the typical first bike choices and can honestly say that I made the right choice. I commute 100miles a day in & out of London and the ER6 takes it in its stride. The good: Great engine that pulls magnificently (can beat faster bikes off the line with all the low down grunt, but they'll get you in the end!) excellent manners and very predictable so won't catch you out. I've got the fared version and looks great. The newer models even more so. Great basic set up with not a lot to go wrong. The bad: Ok, so this is a budget bike which does show in palces. The farings buzz, which can be solved by taking them off and putting dampers in (I like to get my hands dirty so not a problem for me). Some of the joints do show signs of rust if you don't look after it, but nothing to get too worked up about. Could use a hugger too to help keep it clean, especially in the winter months. The main thing I changed was changing the handlerbars. I found the riding position to sit up for my liking, which meant the faring didn't really work on motorway. Swapped it over to some clip on style sports bars (you can import them from America) and completely chagnes this bikes attitude for the better! Handles much better, makes the faring actually work, and suits the style of the bike. I would highly recommend doing this. In the end, great bike to start on, you can have a lot fun at the weekend with your friends, and still be a great commuter for the week. Probably going to keep this as my commuter when I look to upgrade, I like it that much!

The engine is lovely and it looks good but in my opinion the front suspension is poor. I have been road riding for over 30 years, I have also owned several motorcycle shops in the past so I have ridden hundreds of bikes and this must have the worst suspension in its class that I have ever experienced. Anyone trying a bumpy corner on one will find that there's very little front grip.Then try it in the wet if you dare! I bought a brand new one and got rid within 9 days. Kawasaki say there's no problem but I disagree. On one occasion I really thought I was going to die.Don't take my word for it, Before you buy I recommend you ride one or do a google search on ER6 front suspension and check out what the forums say, then make up your mind.I wish I had.

I had this for 2 hours and came off it. I didn't voluntarily pick/buy it. It was the only courtesy bike in the shop at the time. The handling is shocking! Engine's not great either. If you're thinking about buying this, slap yourself, then go and buy a better bike. I have no doubt there are many out there.

Had my ER6-F for two years. I've done 18k miles in all weathers so you could say I have experience now. Apart from having a high centre of gravity making it difficult for beginners to handle in slow turns the ride is good and enjoyable. If I lived in a dry country I would buy another but in the UK the paint just falls off, welded joints weep rust and the exhaust downpipe sheered after 10k and cost £350 (part only) to replace. All the other spares I've needed seem to be the most expensive in the book, with little or no cheaper options from non Kawasaki manufacturers. So overall good good bike but not built to last and seems more expensive to run than I expected.

I drive my '06 ER6f across London every day. It's light, cheap to insure - yet still looks good and goes like stink (0-60 professionally timed at 3.6 seconds!) Only issues are the old fashioned clocks and vibrating fairing - both of these resolved in the '09 model - grab one of those for £4k and you will not be disappointed. I cannot recommend it highly enough.