(Editor's note: Wayne's time with the ER-6n coincided perfectly with the encroachment of wildfires into the countryside around L.A. Unfortunately this limited actual riding time with the bike thereby resulting in an abreviated article. We will be working on a plan to get more seat time on a 2010 ER-6n this coming year. ~ Kenn)

For many years, street fighters have always appealed to me not only because of their naked sexy looks (or what I refer to as a bike with a G-String), but also the fact that they can be ridden aggressively just like your typical GSXR or CBR but are generally more comfortable. When I was told that I would be reviewing the new Kawasaki ER-6N, I started thinking about what kind of trouble I could get into.

The bike was waiting for me at the front of Kawasaki’s headquarters in Irvine, CA. when I went to pick it up. The ER-6n is certainly a looker with its sleak yet agressive lines. Couple that with the Candy Plasma Blue color our test bike came in and it turned heads everywhere it went. The front flashers are neatly flushed into the side of the upper fairings so you won't have to convert the usual ugly stock ones that typically come with these types of bikes. Its trick under-carriage exhaust and unique offset rear shock are just a few more visual reasons to like the Kawasaki ER-6n.

The ER-6n’s 29.7 inch seat height allowed me to plant my feet comfortably on the ground while the short reach to the handlebars placed my body in a near upright position. Unfortunately the mirrors were difficult to adjust to any great extent without the use of tools. I also found that the switches seemed to have been placed a little too close together causing you to beep the horn when you intended to use the turn signals. The last minor issue I had was that, while the layout of the dash panel looked cool, I struggled to view the tiny little numbers on the analog speedometer display. On the other hand, I really appreciated the digital tachometer and fully functional fuel gauge and who really cares about how fast you’re going anyway, right?

As I started the fuel injected 650cc liquid cooled parallel twin engine, the under-body exhaust and whine of the camshaft gears was like music to my ears; let the fun begin…..I hope. Initially, I wasn't sure what to expect from the parallel twin engine but I was quickly impressed. The ER-6n has smooth and responsive low to mid range torque which allowed me to go barreling up the I-5 North at about, oh let’s just say faster than the speed limit by quite a bit with plenty of twist left in the throttle. The bike was extremely stable and trustworthy well into triple digit speeds (at least I imagine it would be if I were inclined to do such dastardly acts).