New Kawasaki Ninja ZX

The news comes directly from Kawasaki's hometown, Japan

In a time when most manufacturers have benched their 600cc supersports, Kawasaki is all set to update the Ninja ZX-6R for 2024. Many rumors about the new sports bike have surfaced on the internet, and the latest one comes all the way from the Land Of The Rising Sun. Team Green has filed patents for the ZX-6R's design in Japan which have now been leaked. These give us an idea of how the new Ninja will look.

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The patents, sourced by trusted Japanese publication Young Machine, reveal the Ninja ZX-6R's all-new headlight. It has a butterfly-inspired shape which appears more aggressive than the current unit. The position lights have moved from under the headlight to the upper corners while the main element now looks like a projector unit instead of the rectangular LED. The split setup remains unchanged, however, and so does the protruding reverse slant aesthetic–a staple for Kawasaki Ninjas in recent times. We also expect the fairing-mounted turn signals to remain as it is, albeit with LEDs inside them for 2024.

All this, in addition to the silhouette posted by Kawasaki USA, suggests the ZX-6R will boast new bodywork as well. It doesn't appear too different from the current model, but the beak is surely edgier and looks inspired by the Ninja ZX-10R. Expect the company to top it all off with refreshed colors.

Design aside, we already know the new Ninja ZX-6R will boast revisions to its 636cc, inline-four powerhouse. Confirmed in EPA filings, the revised engine will churn out 122 horsepower (91kW), courtesy of a lower 13,000 peak power RPM to meet new emission norms. A new exhaust system is on the horizon too, which will help it go on sale in Europe and Britain after a four-year hiatus. For reference, the 2023 ZX-6R produces 127 horsepower at 13,500 RPM.

In addition, the engine will join hands with a revised electronics package. Traction control, dedicated ride modes, power modes, and cornering ABS will all be present, in addition to a TFT instrument cluster to make all these accessible. A bi-directional quickshifter for the six-speed gearbox is a no-brainer too. For more details, you can read our story on what to expect from the new Ninja ZX-6R.

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The Ninja ZX-6R will break cover on June 6, 2023. Its current $10,699 MSRP will surely rise up to beyond $11,500, all thanks to the updates. Kawasaki also has 15 other products lined up for the same announcement, even including its newest sub-500cc cruiser, the Eliminator. So we suggest you stay tuned to TopSpeed.com for all the updates on these offerings.

Punya is an avid motorcyclist who's always up for a ride to the canyons or the racetrack. He insists his riding skills are better than his writing skills, even though he's worked with some world-renowned automotive websites.