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:

Radiator Inspection
Remove the radiator (see Radiator and Radiator Fan Removal). Check the radiator core. If there are obstructions to air flow, remove them. If the corrugated fins [A] are deformed, carefully straighten them. If the air passages of the radiator core are blocked more than 20% by unremovable ...

Rear Sprocket Removal
Remove the rear wheel (see Rear Wheel Removal in the Wheels/Tires chapter). NOTICE Do not lay the wheel on the ground with the disc facing down. This can damage or warp the disc. Place blocks under the wheel so that the disc does not touch the ground. Remove: Rear Sprocket Nu ...

License Plate Light Bulb Replacement
Remove: Screws [A] License Plate Light Cover [B] Pull the bulb [A] out of the socket [B]. NOTICE Do not turn the bulb. Pull the bulb out to prevent damage to the bulb. Do not use bulb rated for greater wattage than the specified value. Replace the bulb with a new one. In ...