Honda's CBR600RR and Kawasaki's ZX-6R, which have been discontinued in Japan due to emission regulations, are likely to return soon. Kawasaki may unveil the new ZX-6R in the US on June 6, and the new 600cc Supersports models may come together at about the same time.
Both Honda and Kawasaki are likely to launch in Japan.
Sales of Yamaha's YZF-R6 road-going version will end in 2020, and Suzuki's GSX-R600 600cc supersport is only sold in limited regions such as North America. In Japan, the Honda CBR600RR and Kawasaki ZX-6R are no longer produced for the Japanese market due to the 2020 emission regulations.
In other words, sales of new 600cc Supersports models by Japanese manufacturers in Japan would cease once the store inventories were sold out, and there was a lot of attention focused on whether this would become a thing of the past.
However, according to information obtained by the Webike Plus editorial staff, it appears that sales will continue in the future.
New information is that Honda's new CBR600RR may be unveiled at the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race to be held August 4-6. It is unclear whether the vehicle will be unveiled as a planned production model or officially announced, but the CBR600RR's 20th anniversary will be celebrated at the same time.
The CBR600RR is undergoing a full model change in 2020, and the new model is likely to be mainly in compliance with emission regulations. Although the styling is not expected to change, it is the most advanced 600cc supersport from a Japanese manufacturer, including the use of winglets, and should be highly competitive.
CBR600RR (2020) [HONDA] The current model with a renewed engine, chassis, etc. to increase its fighting power in the Asian Championships and other events. It is not Euro 5 compliant and was only released in Japan and Asia.
The current CBR600RR has a new camshaft, valve springs, and cylinder head. The head, in particular, has an enlarged coolant volume, which allows for a higher rpm of 16500 rpm in races.
The current CBR600RR uses an electronically controlled throttle and introduces a riding mode. In addition, the throttle bore was enlarged from 40 to 44 mm in diameter to accommodate the increased power during tuning.
The current CBR600RR uses winglets to improve handling stability, and the increased aerodynamic drag is adjusted by increasing the depression in the tank to lower the rider's head position.
Will the new ZX-6R feature a smartphone-compatible speedometer?
Kawasaki's new ZX-6R is expected to have a smartphone-compatible color TFT meter. Since the information indicates that it will be a model change, not a minor change, it is likely that the style and mechanism will be updated as well.
It is unclear whether the new model scheduled for unveiling on June 6 in the U.S. will match the new ZX-6R, which is expected to go on sale in Japan in 2024, but its debut with a new image should be exciting. Watch for further news!
Ninja ZX-6R (2019) [KAWASAKI] The ZX-6R is now officially available in Japan with the model change. Based on the 2013 model, the Ninja ZX-6R features updated styling and suspension.
The 4.3-inch color TFT LCD screen that Kawasaki is deploying on all its models will also be used on the new ZX-6R.
It is capable of displaying a wide variety of information and can be linked to smartphone apps.
The photo shows the ZX-25R.