Kawasaki Ninja Owners Manual: Shifting Gears

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:

Hub Bearing Removal
Remove the wheels (see Front/Rear Wheel Removal), and take out the following. Collars Coupling (Out of rear hub) Grease Seals Use the bearing remover to remove the hub bearings [A]. NOTICE Do not lay the wheel on the ground with the disc facing down. This can damage or warp the d ...

Connecting Rod Big End Side Clearance Inspection
Measure connecting rod big end side clearance. Insert a thickness gauge [A] between the big end and either crank web to determine clearance. Connecting Rod Big End Side Clearance Standard: 0.13 0.38 mm (0.0051 0.0150 in.) Service Limit: 0.58 mm (0.023 in.) If the clearance exceeds ...

General Lubrication
Lubricate the points shown below, with either motor oil or regular grease, in accordance with the Periodic Maintenance Chart or whenever the vehicle has been operated under wet or rainy conditions. Before lubricating each part, clean off any rusty spots with rust remover and wipe off any g ...