• The NHTSA had mistakenly uploaded the list of 2019 Kawasaki motorcycles on their website.

• The list includes a new Ninja ZX-6R.

• We expect the 2019 bike to feature a host of changes to go toe-to-toe with the Yamaha YZF-R6.

Kawasaki had issued a letter including a list of 2019 models which included the new Ninja ZX-6R to the United States’ NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) this week. Kawasaki had also stated, “AS the embargo lift date for these models is October 11, 2018, we request that this document not be posted on the NHTSA website until after the embargo lift date.”

Funnily, the NHTSA posted the list on their website anyway.

The 600cc supersport market is pretty much stagnant these days, but Kawasaki has decided to go ahead with the ZX-6R in the hopes of breathing some new life into that segment.

The 11^th October date is when the AIM Expo show is held in Las Vegas, Nevada, US when it’s supposed to make its American debut, although the Intermot event in Cologne will be held a week earlier from 3^rd to 7^th October.

Although there was little technical detail in the list, it did show that the 2019 ZX-6R will be powered by the 636cc inline-Four which is found in the current bike and produces 127.4 bhp., a 2 bhp reduction compared to the current model being sold in Europe.

The reduction would have pretty much to do with the tough emissions regulations in the States. In fact, a document filed with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) showed that the new bike has a 3-way catalytic convertor instead of the existing oxidising catalyst. This new addition nearly halves the 2019 bike’s hydrocarbon, NOX and carbon monoxide emissions. That could also very mean that the bike may meet the new Euro 5 standard in 2020.

The full details may be sketchy, but we do expect the 2019 Ninja ZX-6R to go through an extensive makeover for it to beat the new Yamaha YZF-R6. Therefore, there will likely be a new styling, suspension and electronics package.

Stay tuned!