Kawasaki Ninja Owners Manual: Shifting Gears

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

Close the throttle while pulling in the clutch lever.
Shift into the next higher or lower gear.
Open the throttle part way, while releasing the clutch lever.
For smooth riding, each gear position should cover the proper rate of speed shown in the table.

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:

Brakes
Brake Wear Inspection Inspect the brakes for wear. For each front and rear disc brake caliper, if the thickness of either pad is less than 1 mm (0.04 in.), replace both pads in the caliper as a set. Pad replacement should be done by an authorized Kawasaki dealer. A. Lining Thickness B. ...

Stick Coil Primary Peak Voltage Inspection
NOTE Be sure the battery is fully charged. Remove the stick coils (see Stick Coil Removal). Do not remove the spark plugs. Connect the ECU to the harness. Measure the primary peak voltage as follows. Install the new spark plug [A] into each stick coil [B], and ground them onto ...

Spring Preload Adjustment
To adjust the spring preload, turn the spring preload adjuster [A]. The standard adjuster setting is the 6 turns in from the fully counterclockwise position. WARNINGIf both adjusters are not adjusted equally, handling may be impaired and a hazardous condition may result. B ...