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:

Handlebar Removal
Remove: Steering Damper (see Steering Damper Removal) Clutch Lever Clamp Bolts [A] Clutch Lever Assembly [B] Left Switch Housing [C] Handlebar Weight [D] Left Handlebar Grip [E] Remove: Front Master Cylinder [A] (see Front Master Cylinder Removal in the Brakes chapter) ...

Check 2-1: Speedometer Inspection
Using the suitable stand, raise the rear wheel off the ground. Rotate the rear wheel by hand or start the engine. Check that the display changes speedometer. If the display function does not work, check the following parts. Rear Wheel Rotation Sensor (see Wheel Rotation Sensor Inspe ...

Battery Charging
Remove the battery from the motorcycle (see Battery Removal). Attach the leads from the charger and charge the battery at a rate (amperage x hours) that is indicated on the battery. If it is not possible to read the rate, charge the battery at an amperage that is about 1/10th of the ...