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:

Shift Fork/Gear Groove Wear Inspection
Measure the thickness of the shift fork ears [A], and measure the width [B] of the gear grooves. If the thickness of a shift fork ear is less than the service limit, the shift fork must be replaced. Shift Fork Ear Thickness Standard: 5.7 6.0 mm (0.224 0.236 in.) Service Limit: 5.6 mm ...

Chassis Parts Lubrication
Before lubricating each part, clean off any rusty spots with rust remover and wipe off any grease, oil, dirt, or grime. Lubricate the points listed below with indicated lubricant. NOTE Whenever the vehicle has been operated under wet or rainy conditions, or especially after using a high ...

Brake Line Bleeding
The brake fluid has a very low compression coefficient so that almost all the movement of the brake lever or pedal is transmitted directly to the caliper for braking action. Air, however, is easily compressed. When air enters the brake lines, brake lever or pedal movement will be partially used ...