It may be basically unchanged from last year’s model, but the 2008 Kawasaki ZX-6R supersport bike was yet another completely new ride for me on the road. Bold new graphics aren’t the most exciting updates for a new year, but considering the fact that the ’07 Kawasaki middleweight was all new, we can look past that for now.

You see, since upgrading from my provisional motorcycle riding licence late last year, almost every new bike I have ridden on the street has been a whole new experience — apart from the various lightweight or less powerful bikes that are LAMS approved of course.

First things first, what’s new? Not much. The familiar lime green colour now has black decals on the fairing (love them or hate them), while the orange colour option has been replaced by a funky yellow colour — haven’t seen it in real life though. Black, as always, is still black — although now with a touch of red.

I like the Kawasaki’s styling, with nice clean lines and those headlights look trick. The integrated front indicators into the fairing are a good thing too.

After taking a liking to the Kawasaki supersport bike at Masterbike last year, I was looking forward to seeing how its race track-focused performance would translate to the real world of street riding.

A few hundred kays later and it has won me over. That broad powerband of the 599cc liquid-cooled, four-valve, four-stroke engine works a treat out on the open road, with its range of power allowing me to concentrate more on the enjoyment of riding rather than focusing my mind on selecting the right gear.

Whether I’m riding through sweeping roads on grippy hot mix asphalt or banging along on rough old roads, the engine’s response would meet my every command. From first gear to top, the engine reacts with a solid midrange of power and the gearbox shifts seamlessly.

Compared to the Yamaha YZF-R6, I’d say the Kawasaki’s power is a little easier to use, although still not as meaty down low as the Suzuki GSX-R600. It is comparable to the Honda CBR600RR though.

Chassis wise, the ZX-6R’s stableness on the race track is obvious in the real world too. My only complaint is that it would be better with a steering damper, but we can’t be too spoilt.

Apart from that miss, the steering prowess of the Kawasaki is confidence inspiring. It doesn’t have the fast turning and flickable feel of the R6, but it does give feedback on a variety of different surfaces. It steers slower, but very precisely.

The suspension is very forgiving, with a soft feel that rides the bumps without a hitch. For a racing supersport bike, the ZX-6R is quite good on both track and open road riding. A roomy seating position could be a plus for larger riders.

Overall, the Kawasaki ZX6R is just the same as last year’s model, but that doesn’t matter. It does its job well and hasn’t been outdated one bit. As Kawasaki’s slogan says, “Let the good times roll”.