As I puttered away from Kawasaki headquarters, I was initially disappointed by the new ZX636R. Anything this easy to ride at 50km/h can't really be called a sports bike, surely?
And so I wombled towards the motorway with half a brain on the traffic and the rest planning my working day, hit the on-ramp and opened her up.
And, holy hell, talk about instant whiplash - this Kwaka launches from zero to hello officer with an alacrity that must be felt to be believed, hitting 100km/h at 12,000rpm in first gear and a nudge above the 71Nm torque peak, rocketing toward 101kW and 13,500rpm, already well over the open-road limit. In first gear.
![](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/BWQIQGF64S72EFDGGWM7B4F3PY.jpg?auth=91658d0cdd653d1b66cacb93dc820a49a9c2e86d20058458890fc0fc47bc17f7&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)