Kawasaki's 636 is a firecracker

The Kawasaki ZX636R handles commutes and podium finishes with ease. Pictures/ Jacqui Madelin

Holy hell, this bike could get you into trouble in too many ways, writes Jacqui Madelin

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.

There's a shorter first gear to help you pull away, too - the more tractable delivery, that clutch and the lower first all appreciated by those who use their bike every day.

But what I noticed most was how well this performance bike copes with real-world B-road surfaces. There haven't been many changes to the chassis but the front's a bit lower, with a steeper caster angle, the focus being better bendy-road handling. I left the damping, preload and compression suspension adjustments well alone - there's a lot you can do if you're an expert, but I'm not - so I retained the average setting, which delivers impressive compliance when you consider this bike's true focus is as a track weapon. Mind you, Kawasaki handed it over with "Low" power mode selected to cut back 20 per cent of the available urge. Bugger that, even this rather ordinary rider wants to get the full monty and, after a bit of familiarisation, I toggled the switch on the left handlebar to access Full Power, then tuned the traction control which monitors slip at the wheels and engine parameters to modulate power if it anticipates wheelspin.

Image 1 of 7: Kawasaki ZX636 Ninja. Photo / Jacqui Madelin