2013 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R - Dyno Test

Does the new 636 make more power than its 599cc predecessor?

We rolled our 2013 Kawasaki ZX-6R (aka Ninja 636) onto Cycle World's newly acquired Dynojet 250i dynamometer to determine what, if any, power gains have resulted from the 37cc increase in engine displacement. The accompanying chart compares rear-wheel output of our 2013 model (red) to that of a '12 testbike we tested on our previous Dynojet unit.

As you can clearly see, the 636 shows a peak gain of 3 horsepower while maintaining a 2-3 hp advantage throughout the rev range. A second chart comparing the full-throttle output of the new Ninja’s two selectable power modes reveals a 25-peak-pony difference between the Full and Low power modes.