Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX
The UK’S most popular Kwak changes its name, gets dipped in glitter and readies itself for further glory
Looks, stance, screen with cut-outs and height adjustment tab, noise, midrange whoosh and Eighties-tastic wheel adjusters. Yes, it’s all reassuringly SX. A sprinkling of new electronic thingummies aside, there are really just two changes to Kawasaki’s much-loved sports-tourer. First there’s no Z in its name, which makes no difference to anything. Second, it no longer steers like the wheel is axle-deep in golden syrup, which makes lots of difference. No longer does the 1000SX need ironman-like effort on the inside handlebar in low-speed corners. It nips from lean-to-lean without the steering weightily complaining or trying to flop the other way. There’s newfound accuracy at pace, which makes this sports-tourer so much sweeter on the open, flowing B664 from Market Harborough to Uppingham. It’s a massive (and long overdue) improvement. Handling is still like the SX everyone loves only more up on its toes, as if jacked up to help sort the steering. Though the frame and geometry are tweaked and new Bridgestones surely help, most of the chassis parts are unchanged and Kawasaki claim the 20mm-taller seat is from thicker foam, not increasing ride height. Yet on occasion there’s the impression that the clumsiness that’s blighted every SX thus far has been partially fixed, but also partially masked. Like they’ve cranked the rear of the chassis up or pulled the forks through the yokes. And if that’s the case, so what? The Ninja steers and holds a line much better than any Z1000SX.
It’s not perfect, mind. Though delicate next to the BMW, the steering isn’t as accurate or neutral as the Suzuki and hasn’t the surreal flow of the Yamaha. You still get involved though: ‘Adopt a counter-steering style, forearms horizontal to give positive inputs, and the SX comes good,’ reckons Bike editor Hugo Wilson. ‘The riding position is very upright – less sports-tourer, more just tourer – and there’s almost a disjoint between the position and the steering inputs needed.’ This straight-back stance makes the canted BMW feel like an S1000RR but gives fine control and is comfy. That extra foam makes the seats sumptuously thick and with additional millimetres of legroom the SX is a nice place to sit. Updated suspension helps too – new forks have better low-speed damping (as in rate of suspension travel, not forward motion) and introduce H2 Sx-ish plushness to the ride. And yet it’s still supportive and sporty when tramping on. The screen now has four angles available and is good rather than amazing, despite being a sniff higher on this SX Touring (which has panniers, hot grips, sat-nav mount and tank pad for £12,145 on the road, a grand over a stock SX). Despite new cams and funny-length inlets the 1043cc inline four has the same claimed 140bhp and 82 lb.ft of shove as the previous Z1000SX, and feels identical. Which means chun’ brilliant. Sure, the Beemer has a sense of industrial-scale torque, but the Ninja is snappier than the Suzuki and more instantaneous even than the willing Yamaha, with surging eager-to-please drive at all revs in all gears. Power tails off beyond 9500rpm (redline is 10,500), but the midrange is so bloated it doesn’t matter. Four-cylinder buzziness creeps through the ’pegs (and occasionally nibbles the seat) below 70mph and reaches the ’bars at a constant 75mph in top (sixth). But it’s not intrusive enough to be an issue, and you don’t notice when rushing up and down the revs on proper roads and enjoying the two-way quickshifter.
At the launch Bike contributor Martin FitzGibbons found the ’shifter a bit hit-and-miss. Odd, because this bike has a light, slick action both up and down the ’box.
Fresh electricals continue with cruise (useful and easy to use), rideby-wire throttle (great fuelling) and a colour TFT dash. Two power modes and a trio of traction control settings are bundled into pre-set Sport, Road and Rain.
There’s no aspect of this new SX you’d declare as test topping, nor is there any part that is worse, and with prices from £11,145 the Ninja’s on-going appeal is obvious.
‘Ninja is snappier than Suzuki… with surging drive at all revs in all gears’