KAWASAKI ER-6F (2009 - 2011) Review

Version: CAF

Year: 2010

Annual servicing cost: £180

This bike is definitely a good bike even to a new rider moving up from a 125cc (upon first purchase being restricted to 33BHP) bare in mind I'm also 6"3, and had it since age 19 (however if you can get a custom seat I imagine it would be a little better than the already decent standard seat). Now after almost 3 years it still puts a big grin on my face when I open the throttle. Its a good bike that I think is worthy of consideration for anyone looking for a mid range bike that isn't just a sports bike! Its good on insurance for younger riders, its got speed/power, it feels good in the high or low rev range, and even feels good going from Manchester to Scotland and back all in a day, and its reasonable to buy and run, definitely give this bike a look!

Buying experience: I bought this from a dealer with a ridiculously low mileage for £4200 in 2013, I'm very happy with the bike even now, I'd even contemplate taking it the track if I weren't so reckless haha :')

Year: 2011

Annual servicing cost: £150

If it wasn't for the engine problem I had (had to be rebuilt under warranty) I would had it give it a better score

Buying experience: I bought it new in 2013, but the model is a 2011, so I saved myself around 1200 to have the old plastics

Year: 2010

I've had this bike (2011 model) for about a year and have used it for commuting, days out and recently on a long trip to Europe and back. My previous bike was the 2008 model. I'm 6ft and about 90kgs. I've been riding 30+ years and this was my first brand new bike for about 20 years. I think the bike is great value for money and looks great. Easy to ride, very nimble and agile and can hold 70 - 75 mph on the motorway with no trouble; even very fully loaded. I wouldn't say it has the effortless power of a bigger super-tourer but it is pretty good. Riding round town or on the commute is great, plenty of acceleration and pull even in top gear; gear changes nice and positive, controls easy to use. Fuel economy is OK - I get about 60 mpg from my bike - I don't thrash it. I fitted a Givi Pannier Rack to the bike and that was fairly easy. The Insurance is quite cheap. A few niggles: first of all - the mirrors are rubbish. Kawasaki need to sort this as it is a common complaint. The seat, although nice and low, which makes the bike great for shorter riders, is not very comfy on a long ride, also it is a pain to get on and off the bike. I think the 2013 model has a split seat so that's one thing sorted. I agree that you need a tank protector. The exhaust position is great for the looks of the bike, but I would like a centre stand - this would make cleaning the bike that much easier. The instrumentation is OK, nice and modern and very clear at night but a bit difficult to read in bright light. It would be nice if the bike came with a fitted power supply! As Kawasaki seem to be making regular improvements to this model, I am very likely to get another one. Very good bike - suits me just fine.

Very basic suspension. I felt like I was getting a piggy back ride on a kangaroo. I think Kawasaki upgraded the engine and the looks from the ER5 but forgot to do anything about the suspension. Nice engine, economical and easy around town. The seat gives numb bum within minuites and the mirrors are useless Do not mistake it for a sports bike when it come to cornering. The main let down is the suspennsion. It should be much better for the 6k price tag.I sold mine yuck !

The is a very nice bike and still one that I recommend to all my friends as they step up from the 125 world and into the big bike universe, but... it's just a bit boring! It's nice and smooth on the thottle and the power is friendly enough for any rider. I did find the engine lacking a bit when carrying pillion, but at just 71bhp (and I'm a big bloke) this isn't really surprising. The styling is excellent, but pick one of the colours and not Black - I had the black one and EVERY little scratch and mark shows. Lastly, I had mine from new and traded it in after 12 months, just before I traded it I stripped the fairings off to 'deep clean' it. I was really disappointed to find that nearly all the rubbers on the bolts needed to be replaced and some of the tubing was already on it's way out. Overall, this is a great novice bike if you feel your not ready for a sports bike. That said, I've had alot more fun on my CBR600 (2002 Rossi rep) since and can't help but feel I wasted a year 'playing it safe' on the Kwacker.

I bought my 2009 ER6f in August 2010 and I am so glad I went for the choice I have. Since then, I have tried friends’ Bandit, SV650s, XJ6 and Fazer, with these only helping to reassure me that I got the right bike. It may be in the budget-bike catagory, but it punches well above it. As a new biker, I wanted a reasonably low-cost all-rounder. A bike suitable for the daily commute, but something that will put a big smile on my face at the weekend. The ER6f certainly does that. The engine is lively and provides the punch when needed, the look is great with it’s ninja-style lines and side-mounted rear shock, plus even the all-digital display has turned heads. I have been riding my ER6f for 9 months and she’s maintained an almost spotless bill of health, which was the same for the previous owner too. The only thing I have needed to do is have one of the chain adjuster caps re-painted (at very little cost) as the paint had started to flake slightly. The rest of the paintwork has been flawless. First big bike?... A no contest in my view.

Bought the 2009 ER6f in Nov 2009 brand new on returning to biking after many years 'resting'. Never had more than 500cc before, but wanted something that would last rather than getting bored after a few months. Looked at the 650 Bandit SA, Yamaha 600 Divi, and this. Tried each bike a ciuple of times at different dealers but this was the one that I got off smiling each time. For a new 'big biker' or a born again like me, you can't go wrong. The handling is great, the power delivery very easily controlled and smooth rather than snatchy (goes with being a twin rather than a four pot). The run-in of 600 miles was a good chance to run myself back in too, but I was itching to go from 4000 revs to 6000 by 600 miles. Once fully run in at 1000 miles, to be honest I didn't feel the need to push it too much further for a while. I have now covered 3400 miles and absolutely love this bike! As my confidence has grown, I have teased more from the bike, but realise that even now there is so much more to offer performance-wise and this bike will last a good while yet. It has proved 100% reliable, the services are cheap at around £100. The only fault has been the LED tail light which went on the blink at 11 months old but was replaced on warranty.I have extended the warranty to 4 years for confidence as I will likely keep the bike till then at least.I can't think of anything worth changing it for without going up to supersports. If you want a bike than costs less than £6k (I paid 4900 new from Lloyd Cooper)but gives as much fun as you could want, is great round town, does 60mpg and looks like a proper Ninja then this baby is it!

Had my ER6F since Feb 10, was the looks and colour that snared my attention (sports styling and that Kawasaki Green colour). Digital dash completes the look along with the uncluttered back end. Had no problems at all so far (touch wood)

The first thing that impressed me before I even got on the bike was the digital dash, looks very good and works very well. Only thing lacking is a temperature gauge, although it does have a light that comes on if the engine is overheating. After swinging a leg over the seat I was further impressed by the riding position. This gives the rider a nice upright position and compared to my CBR125 I've just parted with, a much more dominant feel on the road. I haven't run the engine in yet and with the cold and wet weather conditions we've had recently I haven't really tested the bike yet, in terms of handling etc. But I've covered just over 300 miles so far and the bike is very easy to handle at slow speeds manoeuvring through rush-hour traffic. I've also had someone on the back which was no issue for the bike. As for the engine, all I can comment on at the moment is that it feels very powerful. Until the bike has been run in, I can't rev above 4,000 for first 500-600 miles and so far I haven't really needed to. Plenty of pull low down in the rev range means town riding is effortless. Duel carriageways, motorways etc. are a breeze, 4,000 revs in 6th gear is about 55mph. The bike feels very comfortable and stable at this speed and I'm guessing will be at 70mph+ aswell. On the 125 I could feel every bit of side wind and had to keep adjusting my steering and balance, the ER-6f though deals with this much better. I can't comment on the reliability due to only owning the bike for a couple of weeks, but the quality of the finish seems very high. Overall I'm very happy with this bike and would strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a bigger bike. Whether upgrading from a 125 or even 500, this bike will provide plenty of fun and power to entertain.