Buy a used Kawasaki ZX-6R or new?

I want to buy a superbike and I’m not sure whether I should go for something new or used. In some cases, like the Triumph Speed Triple, there are good deals available, but others like the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R are coming in as high as Rs 12 lakh. What do you recommend?

Irfan, via email

Autocar India says: There is no joy like buying a brand new superbike and getting to know it right from day one. That way, you’ll never have any doubts about the bike’s history and it will be entirely in your hands as to how well the bike is maintained. That being said, new bikes have become frightfully expensive and if you can find a good deal, it’s absolutely worth considering. With used big bikes, try to find something that has a clean service and insurance record, and do ensure to have the bike inspected by a trusted big bike specialist – that last part is definitely worth the time and effort. 

As for deals, there’s a good number of used Street Triple examples out there and the bike has proven to have a good reputation for reliability as well as useability in our conditions. When it comes to the ZX-6R, things are different. There were far fewer sold and the bike went on to become very popular. Mostly though, it hasn’t been sold since 2020, and that limited supply has led to unreasonably inflated prices.

If it’s a 6R you want, we recommend waiting for the new one to launch. It will cost you around Rs 3 lakh-4 lakh more than a used example, but that extra expense will be well worth it as you’ll be getting a new bike with a good number of updates as well as a factory warranty.

Also See:

Triumph Street Triple R, Street Triple RS review: refined aggression