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:

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 ...

Air Intake Solenoid Valve Unit Test
Remove the air intake solenoid valve (see Air Intake Solenoid Valve Removal in the Fuel System (DFI) chapter). Set the hand tester [A] to the × 1 Ω range and connect it to the air intake solenoid valve terminals as shown in the figure. Special Tool - Hand Tester: 57001-1394 ...

Radiator Hose and Pipe Inspection (coolant leak, damage, installation condition)
The high pressure inside the radiator hose can cause coolant to leak [A] or the hose to burst if the line is not properly maintained. Visually inspect the hoses for signs of deterioration. Squeeze the hoses. A hose should not be hard and brittle, nor should it be soft or swollen. Repl ...