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:

DFI System Troubleshooting Guide
NOTE This is not an exhaustive list, giving every possible cause for each problem listed. It is meant simply as a rough guide to assist the troubleshooting for some of the more common difficulties in DFI system. The ECU may be involved in the DFI electrical and ignition system tro ...

Balancer Removal
Remove: Engine (see Engine Removal in the Engine Removal/Installation chapter) Oil Pan (see Oil Pan Removal in the Engine Lubrication System chapter) Remove: Balancer Shaft Clamp Lever Bolt [A] Balancer Shaft Clamp Bolt [B] Balancer Shaft Clamp Lever [C] Balancer Shaft [D] Bal ...

Piston Ring, Piston Ring Groove Wear Inspection
Check for uneven groove wear by inspecting the ring seating. The rings should fit perfectly parallel to groove surfaces. If not, replace the piston and all the piston rings. With the piston rings in their grooves, make several measurements with a thickness gauge [A] to determine pisto ...