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:

Thermostat Removal
Remove: Fuel Tank (see Fuel Tank Removal in the Fuel System (DFI) chapter) Air Cleaner Housing (see Air Cleaner Housing Removal in the Fuel System (DFI) chapter) Throttle Body Assy (see Throttle Body Assy Removal in the Fuel System (DFI) chapter) Throttle Body Assy Holder Clamp [A] ...

Upper Crankcase Assembly
When installing the breather plate, replace the gasket [A] with a new one. Apply a non-permanent locking agent to the threads of the bolts [A] and tighten them. Torque - Breather Plate Bolts: 9.8 N·m (1.0 kgf·m, 87 in·lb) Install the fitting [A] until it is bottomed ...

Radiator Fan Relay Inspection
Refer to the Relay Circuit Inspection in the Electrical System chapter If the radiator fan relay is normal, check the wiring for continuity, using the wiring diagram in this section. Special Tool - Hand Tester: 57001-1394 If the wiring is good, check the ECU for its ground and power supp ...