Kawasaki Ninja 1000 SX Tourer
It's love at first ride for Stu with Kawasaki's superb new version of the SX
Stu has fallen in love with the Kawasaki from the word go.
Iknew after my very first ride that I would regret the day when I had to part company with the Kawasaki Ninja lO00SXTourer. That doesn't happen very often. In fact, the last time it happened was with Triumph's peachy little Daytona 675 about eight years ago. That's because there's usually something about a new bike that isn't quite to my liking. It feels a bit cramped; doesn't have as much power as my last bike; has no room for luggage; the screen's too low... whatever. But I got off the Kawasaki thinking that if I could design a motorcycle for myself from scratch, it would probably end up being very much like the Ninja lO00SX.Let me tell you why.
First, I think it looks fabulous. It's sleek and aggressive like a sports bike, but has a far more comfortable riding position and far more practicality. I feel like I could ride this bike for endless hours (and with a big 19-litre tank I probably could), such is the comfort of the soft seat, the positioning of the bars and footpegs and, joy of joys - an adjustable screen! I'm six foot and get frequently annoyed with the one-size-fits-all attitude that manufacturers seem to have towards screens. Considering how easy it is to make them adjustable, I don't know why they don't all come this way.
The Kawasaki has three settings, easily changed by pressing on a paddle below the dash and simply pulling up or pushing down on the screen. Simplicity itself.
Then there's the added luxury of heated grips - something else I think should be standard on all bikes in the UK.
I mean, let's face it, it's usually bloody freezing. Kawasaki's ones aren't red hot but they're warm enough to make a difference and to help extend your riding season.
The SX also comes fitted with a mount for a satnav and, after getting hopelessly lost on my way to Kawasaki UK, I'm definitely going to be getting a satnav unit sorted very soon the old directions-taped-to- fueltank method had finally let me down on such a complex route.
So, comfort is well taken care of on the SX,but so too is performance. Although it can still be a hoot to have it, you really don't need any more than l 40bhp on real world roads. Or I don't, anyway. It's plenty enough to squirt your way out of trouble, to overtake with no drama, and to have a bit of fun on your favourite twisty road. The one complaint I had with my Suzuki V-Strom last year was that the lO0bhp it produced
really wasn't enough to offer a thrill, but the extra 40bhp on the Kawasaki makes a world of difference and is enough to put a smile back on my face every time I twist the throttle.
The handling is sharp too, and a marked improvement over the old, lazy steering ZlOOOSXthat this model is based upon. At 235kg it's not exactly light, but that weight feels evenly distributed and low down so the overall effect is of a very stable, planted bike that's rock solid through turns.
And just to put an even bigger grin on my face, the Ninja comes with a two-way quickshifter as standard. I have a very childish love of quickshifters and find myself changing gears far more often than I need to, just because it's
so much fun. Cruise control is thrown in for free too, though I'm not as big a fan of that. Might come in handy on longer motorway journeys though, just to give the old right wrist a break every now and then.
The colour TFT dash is quite simply the best I've seen. It doesn't matter how much sunshine there is, or how much shade, you can always read its chunky, big numbers as clearly as a large-print book. It's superb.
A PERFECT COMPROMISE
And still the praise keeps coming - the Ninja lOOOSXhas luggage capacity! Woo hoo! I ran a new Suzuki Katana for a time last year but, as great as it was to ride, its bizarre shape meant there was no easy luggage
option and I simply can't live with a bike like that. Better still, when the integrated luggage on the SX (two hard pannier cases) is removed, there are no hideously ugly rails left behind to destroy the looks of the bike. In seconds (and simply by using the ignition key) you can remove the luggage and transform your bike back into a sleek, sporty beauty.
This is getting quite embarrassing. My job is to be neutral and point out weaknesses as well as strengths of any bike I ride, but I simply haven't found any negatives about the Kawasaki yet.
If I really had to be picky it would probably be about the difficulty I had in removing the luggage initially, but that was just a matter of technique and a bit of practice and it's easy for me now.
So, there you have it: I think I've found my perfect bike. The Kawasaki Ninja lOOOSXTourer offers a perfect halfway house for me between the practicalities and comfort of an adventure bike and the power, performance and looks of a sports bike. I promise I will try and find some weaknesses for you once I've spent more time with it, but don't hold your breath on that one - there may not be any!