Kawasaki Ninja Owners Manual: Shifting Gears

Kawasaki Ninja Owners Manual / How to ride the motorcycle / Shifting Gears

WARNING

Downshifting to a lower gear at high speed causes engine rpm to increase excessively, potentially damaging the engine and it may also cause the rear wheel to skid and cause an accident.

Vehicle speed when shifting


NOTE

The transmission is equipped with a positive neutral finder. When the motorcycle is standing still, the transmission cannot be shifted past neutral from 1st gear. To use the positive neutral finder, shift down to 1st gear, then lift up on the shift pedal while standing still. The transmission will shift only into neutral.

Moving Off
Check that the side stand is up. Pull in the clutch lever. Shift into 1st gear. Open the throttle a little, and start to let out the clutch lever very slowly. As the clutch starts to enga ...

Braking
Close the throttle completely, leaving the clutch engaged (except when shifting gears) so that the engine will help slow down the motorcycle. Shift down one gear at a time so that you are ...

Other materials:

Stator Coil Installation
Apply a non-permanent locking agent to the threads of the stator coil bolts and tighten them. Torque - Stator Coil Bolts: 12 N·m (1.2 kgf·m, 106 in·lb) Using a high flash-point solvent, clean off any oil or dirt that may be on the silicone sealant coating area. Dry them with a clea ...

Exhaust Butterfly Valve Actuator Inspection
NOTE Be sure the battery is fully charged Remove the front seat (see Front Seat Removal in the Frame chapter). Turn the ignition switch to ON. In the left side view of the motorcycle, check to see the pulley [A] clockwise [B] and counterclockwise [C] smoothly. The pulley turns ...

Rocker Arm/Tie-Rod Bearing, Sleeve Inspection
NOTICE Do not remove the bearings for inspection. Removal may damage them. Visually inspect the rocker arm, or tie-rod sleeves [A] and needle bearings [B]. The rollers in a needle bearing normally wear very little, and wear is difficult to measure. Instead of measuring, inspect the ...