2009 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R - Sharpened Sword

The new Keihin EFI now uses round primary throttle plates 10mm farther away from the oval secondary throttle plates above for improved throttle response. Note the shrouds over the secondary injectors in the airbox lid, in order to shield them from the turbulence resulting from their closer positioning to the intake funnels.

Redesigned intake and exhaust ports work with the revised throttle bodies and airbox/ram-air intake for improved low-end and midrange power.

The ZX-6R's ignition "stick coils" integrated into the spark plug caps feature rare earth magnets that help boost spark output by 12 percent for improved combustion efficiency.

Like the current ZX-10R swingarm, the new ZX-6R's unit is made from pressed aluminum sheet beams on each side welded to die-cast pivot/shock mount section.

New pistons feature reshaped crowns for more efficient combustion, moly coating on the reshaped skirts for smoother break-in, and piston rings with less tension to cut internal friction.

Camshafts are now made from chromoly steel for a weight savings of approximately 400 grams. Improved surface nitriding of the cam faces and more durable tappets/buckets allow more aggressive cam profiles.

The redesigned ram-air duct leading through the steering head now doubles as the support for the upper fairing and mirrors, eliminating the previous bracketry and saving weight.

Because the rear subframe no longer has to support the weight of an underseat exhaust, the section is now two separate precision die-cast aluminum pieces that are much lighter.

New magnesium engine covers cut weight, while removable internal noise dampers such as this one inside the clutch cover drop additional weight for racing.