Kawasaki Ninja 1000 SX
It’s been around for a long time now in modern form, and the Z1000 super-naked has turned into a bit of a cult classic – especially in this Ninja SX sporty-touring form. And for 2020, the big K has given the Ninja 1000 SX a proper makeover, dubbing it the fourth generation of the model since 2003.
At first glance, you can immediately tell what it is – it’s clearly a Ninja 1000, but not as we know it. There’s been a massive set of enhancements to the SX, cosmetically, emissions-wise and in terms of practicality and chassis performance.
The basic proposition is unchanged: a big, beefy inline-four engine, in a cast aluminium frame, with upper-level chassis kit, expansive rider and pillion accommodation and a protective, aggressively styled full fairing. But mods everywhere aim to ratchet up the performance and usability.
Starting with the engine, the big change is to a new ride-by-wire fuel injection set up, which improves emissions and aids rideability. Together with a new camshaft profile, inlet mods and a new exhaust system, these mods smooth out the power, though there’s no increase in peak output, which stays at 140bhp.
The main advantage of the ride-by-wire is the possibility of enhanced electronic controls, so you now get cruise control, plus a more advanced suite of rider aids and a quickshifter. Traction control, rider power modes and cornering ABS are all enhanced with a new six-axis IMU unit, adding safety and performance.
Common with all the other updated Kawasakis for this year, the SX gets a revised colour LCD dashboard, with a stack of readouts and display modes. Touring mode is a little more relaxed with useful info highlighted, while the sporty display mode adds on G-force, throttle, braking and lean angle displays, fed by the IMU system. New Bluetooth connectivity lets you connect your smartphone, and use the new Kawasaki Rideology app, which lets you log ride information, performance benchmarks, rider mode setting tweaks and more.
The chassis gets some detail mods to sharpen up the handling – a new 41mm USD front fork has refined damping mods for better fork action over bumps, and the overall settings have also been fettled.
The four-piston radial mount brake calipers up front stay the same, but there’s a new set of boots for the cast aluminium wheels: Bridgestone’s latest sporting design, the Battlax S22 add more grip in both wet and dry conditions.
The bodywork is all-new, and adds comfort with a steeper windscreen, new venting and air management to keep engine heat away, and a thicker, wider set of seats for rider and pillion. It also looks sharper, giving the Ninja an even more ‘Ninja-y’ feel than the current model, and the lighting is now all LED.
Finally, Kawasaki’s updated the accessory options, with heaps of hard and soft luggage options, hot grips, crash protectors, USB socket, GPS mounts, and much more now available.