Jim Clemmer, riding his No. 519 Kawasaki Ninja 600, heads a pack that included Ronald Earl, No. 231 Suzuki GSXR750, and Kenny Anderson on his No. 854 Yamaha FZ750 in a WERA B Production Novice race at Talladega Grand Prix Raceway in June of 1986. Clemmer had his best weekend of the ’86 season at Talladega that day scoring podium finishes in three classes. The tight and technical Talladega circuit often saw skilled riders on smaller displacement bikes show up riders of the bigger displacement machines like Clemmer did on his 600 up against a slew of 750cc machines.

Jim Clemmer, riding his No. 519 Kawasaki Ninja 600, heads a pack that included Ronald Earl, No. 231 Suzuki GSXR750, and Kenny Anderson on his No. 854 Yamaha FZ750 in a WERA B Production Novice race at Talladega Grand Prix Raceway in June of 1986. Clemmer had his best weekend of the ’86 season at Talladega that day scoring podium finishes in three classes. (Larry Lawrence photo)
600 Ninjas….. Aaackk! Worst bike I ever raced but I think I just got a bad one. Seems no one else had the overheating problems I did. Never did find the problem and got rid of it.
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Gordon
I remember the first time I rode a Ninja 600 was at IRP. Coming off a beastly Suzuki GS750, the little Ninja felt like a 250GP bike to me. I counter-steered into turn one and nearly went into the grass on the inside of the turn the Ninja reacted so quickly. And it had brakes that worked. I really liked it, even though it felt underpowered to me.
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