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:

Serial number locations
The engine and frame serial numbers are used to register the motorcycle. They are the only means of identifying your particular machine from others of the same model type. These serial numbers may be needed by your dealer when ordering parts. In the event of theft, the investigating authoriti ...

Engine Installation
Apply molybdenum disulfide grease to the threads of the adjusting collars [A]. Install the adjusting collars to crankcase backside until end of the threads. Install the adjusting collar [A] to the frame until end of the threads. Replace the engine mounting nuts with ne ...

ECU Removal
NOTICE Never drop the ECU especially on a hard surface. Such a shock to the ECU can damage it. Remove the upper air cleaner housing (see Air Cleaner Element Replacement in the Periodic Maintenance chapter). Lift up the ECU [A] with rubber protector [B] to disconnect the connectors [C]. ...