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:

Front Wheel Installation
NOTE The direction of the wheel rotation [A] is shown by an arrow [B] on the wheel spoke. Check the wheel rotation mark on the front wheel and install it. Apply high-temperature grease to the grease seal lips. Fit the collars [A] on the both sides of the hub. The collars are i ...

Tie-Rod and Rocker Arm Bearing Removal
Remove: Tie-Rod (see Tie-Rod Removal) Rocker Arms (see Rocker Arm Removal) Swingarm (see Swingarm Removal) Sleeves [A] Oil Seals [B] Remove the needle bearings [C], using the bearing remover head and bearing remover shaft. Special Tools - Bearing Remover Head, 15 × 17: ...

Battery Ground
Before completing any service on the motorcycle, disconnect the battery cables from the battery to prevent the engine from accidentally turning over. Disconnect the ground cable (–) first and then the positive (+). When completed with the service, first connect the positive (+) cable to the p ...