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:

Passenger’s Seat Removal
Remove the passenger’s seat by inserting the ignition key into the seat lock, and turning it clockwise. A. Seat Lock B. Ignition Key C. Passenger’s seat D. Pull up NOTE When removing the passenger’s seat, pull it up while turning the key. ...

Premuffler Chamber Installation
Replace the premuffler chamber gasket [A] with a new one. Install the premuffler chamber gasket to the premuffler chamber [B] until it is bottomed so that the chamfer side faces exhaust pipe [C]. Install the exhaust pipe clamp [D] as shown in the figure. Insert the projection [E] into ...

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 ...