The Isle of Man TT, probably considered to be the equivalent of the Nurburgring in 4-wheel jargon, but to those inclined to crotch-rockets, it’s only the greatest location for an adrenalin rush like no other, which is why Kawasaki and James Hillier (UK British Superbike rider for Team Quattro Plant Kawasaki for 2013) teamed up to bring us a blurry yet perilous 60.72km journey on a 2013 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R 636 – The Making!
Out on the Isle of Man at ‘ludicrous’ speeds, bike riders need to be extremely precise, not just remembering every corner; but also every bump, undulation, smell and probably blurry images of the scenery. Forget any of that just for a split second and it raises danger levels exponentially, simply because there aren’t any run-off areas and frankly trees, stone masonry and houses aren’t exactly ideal for slowing down. Hence, accuracy is crucial and becomes a life-saver.
According to Frank Zoontjes, Senior Brand Officer at Kawasaki Motors Europe, it’s not about selling bikes, but rather its about reaching out to every rider out there about how Kawasaki’s bikes are seen as edgy, hardcore, fast and aggressive – then it’ll translate into better sales.
But what amazed us wasn’t just Hillier’s death-defying feat out on the TT course, but the lovely screen shots of him everywhere – not just by cameras suction cupped onto his bike but rather he’s got Tom Moran, Director / Director of Photography at Pool Productions, hot on Hillier’s tail at 300 odd kilometres as he later quips how his heart is also doing the same sort of speeds. Furthermore, he also describes how the new Ninja is well and truly ready to be bought and raced straight out of the box.
But it’s not all fun and games for the rider, there’s adverse weather conditions that’s ever-changing to consider and that puts a lot more risk to not just the rider, but also to the helicopter pilot who literally seemed to have had his work cut-out for him to keep up.
With a wet weight of 192kg, Kawasaki’s 636cc powered sportbike makes a return after a hiatus of 7 years since it originally made its appearance. Now back with a slightly smaller bore and a longer stroked engine, the new Ninja ZX-6R 636 should be screaming all the way up to a red-line of 16,000rpm while outputting around unconfirmed figures of 120bhp and 75Nm of torque with power coming in around 4,000rpm – onwards and upwards, while 17″ rims don a 120/70 sized tyre up front and 180/55 at the rear.
http://youtu.be/mG1S46lCCLI
