Kawasaki Ninja

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:

Brake Light Switch Operation Inspection
Turn the ignition switch to ON. The brake light (LED) [A] should go on when the brake lever is applied or after the brake pedal is depressed about 10 mm (0.39 in.). If it does not, adjust the brake light switch. Remove the front footpeg bracket (see Brake Pedal Removal in the B ...

Technical Information - Electronic Steering Damper (ESD/ZX1000JD/KD models)
1) Overview This model has an Electronic Steering Damper (ESD) [A]. Unlike conventional manual adjustment method of Kawasaki, damping characteristics are adjusted by the electronic control unit. 2) Purpose Designed to offer increased stability at high speed without interfering with light ...

Jump starting
If your motorcycle battery is “run down”, it should be removed and charged. If this is not practical, a 12 volt booster battery and jumper cables may be used to start the engine. DANGER Battery acid generates hydrogen gas which is flammable and explosive under certain conditions. It i ...