Peg down and panniers
Kawasaki are the kings of the sports-tourer. And reinventing while on top is always a good idea. Whether or not it has worked this time is open to the scrutiny of a trip to Belgium, and back…
There’s no knocking Kawasaki off their sportstourer throne, especially when it comes to their Ninja 1000SX. The current redesigned and refitted SX loses a ‘Z’ but gains a lot more for just £700 extra on the bill. A rideby-wire throttle system means cruise control and riding modes are now standard, as is a quickshifter. Plus, chassis tweakery should lead to a quicker-steering, more agile riding experience. But do these changes mess with what has been, until this point, a damn-successful formula? A tour of Western Europe will get to the bottom of it.
And despite the current Covid turmoil we did actually manage to get across the Channel, safely, and make our way to the magical kingdom of Wallonia in the Belgian Ardennes. These days social distancing compliant windows of opportunity must be taken advantage of so, with full panniers and the Eurotunnel booked, we got stuck in…
Engineandtransmission
The current SX’S motivation essentially remains the tenyear-old 1043cc engine as lifted from 2010’s Z1000 naked. This inline-four has been unchanged since 2014 and is continually lauded for its soft fuelling, real power and bargelike reliability. Now, however, Kawasaki have unscrewed the top end, tinkered with camshaft profiles to reduce noise, and altered intake trumpets for cleaner emissions. But the biggest change is a ride-by-wire throttle which, as we have already mentioned, means the introduction of sport-touring musthaves such as cruise control and integrated riding modes. So, has all this diligence changed the feel of the engine? ‘Feels like a Z1000SX to me,’ says Bike’s Mike Armitage, who thrashed the new Ninja against its closest rivals earlier this year. ‘So that’s a good thing. I’ve always liked the inline four’s romping midrange and the short, snappy, road-focused gear ratios. It’s still as flexible, engaging, fast, friendly and usable as you could want.’
Usable is the word. Power isn’t as raw as KTM’S mace-tothe-face Super Duke GT, and you need to be truly heretical with the throttle to get it to wheelie, unlike the Yamaha MT-10 Tourer Edition. But for usable everyday midrange poke, the Ninja 1000SX is still the bike you want – even though there’s not a mechanical throttle cable in sight.
Look carefully and you’ll notice Kawasaki have also been battling bad vibes. Standard bar end bobbins are some of the largest I’ve ever seen while the footrests are topped with thick rubber, ostensibly to improve grip in all conditions. Even the heelplates have a hidden weight bobbin behind them to offset vibrations through the footrest.
Factor in dampers on the underside of the seat, plus rubber engine mounts and you’d expect vibe-free riding. But, no, 7075mph in sixth gets the bars buzzing. It’s not as intrusive as on, say, the first edition BMW S1000XR, but with preventative measures this extreme you wouldn’t expect it to be.
Handlingandride
Pointing the SX along wild Walloon forest roads, like the N889 east of Nassogne, feels flipping fantastic. The bike simply drops onto its side into 50mph corners and cuts through with minimal support needed. It’s certainly agile, turning responsively at both walking pace and licence-losing progress. Sure, it’s no superbike so there’s no laser-like connection between what’s happening at the front tyre and what you feel at the handlebar. Plus there’s a lack of precision when simultaneously squeezing in more power and attempting to alter your line. However, for something this heavy to hustle this obediently – while carrying packed panniers – is proper impressive. The old Z1000SX never felt as clean and crisp as this.
These leaps and bounds in handling have been achieved with two-fold adjustments over the Z of old – new Bridgestone S22s and subtle chassis fettling. Kawasaki’s secretive spanner-twirlers are shy on details, but we know rake and trail have been squeezed steeper and shorter than last year. In context, the new trail is 8mm shorter and the rake 1° steeper than Kawasaki’s own ZX-10R superbike – all while managing to maintain the same wheelbase. A spec sheet like this reeks of tank-slapping lunacy, but we’ve encountered no such problems.
‘For something this heavy to hustle this obediently – while carrying packed panniers – is proper impressive’
‘Praise the lord,’ hails Mike. ‘Kawasaki have sorted the stodgy steering that’s plagued the SX since the very first version. Previous bikes have flopped into turns and needed significant inside ’bar pressure to hold a line. Not anymore. Whatever they’ve done, it’s a very welcome improvement.’ Kawasaki are certainly bullish about the Ninja’s handling. They’ve included a lean angle sensor (accessible via the new TFT display) that remembers your best effort. Maximum lean angles for the Wallonia trip: 52° left, 53° right. None too shabby for a bike that was also lugging a week’s dirty underwear and a box set of The Wire.
Special mention here has to go to the fully-analogue suspension. Yes, you get damping adjusters but there’s no real need to touch them. The stock set-up is adept at anything, whether that’s supporting the front end during intense braking from the powerful calipers, or hammering through a bumpy Walloon corner at 80mph.
Electronics
The SX’S electronics feel, as most do these days, like a visit to planet Star Wars… including the Dark Side. First, the display. To start with it’s clear, crisp, easy to interact with, and doesn’t take up half your field of view like the ipad-like slabs found on new-age KTMS. From here you can switch between simple-to-understand rider modes and change an intelligent six-axis IMU traction control system where you’ll find the action is smooth and non-invasive. Likewise the ABS which is softened considerably from the lever clacking nastiness of budget systems. Neither are of BMW quality, but the SX’S S22 tyres provide so much grip you need not rely on them. ‘TC and ABS?’ questions Mike. ‘I’ve never activated either on the road. Even while riding harder than I’m normally comfortable with. Sport mode every day for me, please.’
The quickshifter, however, is used most of the time, and should therefore work flawlessly. It’s at its best on wide-open upshifts, creating a noticeable drop in thrust before changing gear. Downshifts are more pot-luck, and it doesn’t work at all below 3000rpm. You’d never be so low in the revs on a racetrack, but it’s a problem when pottering along the cobbled streets below the Chateau de Durbuy. If you’re counting, the total is now 2:1 in favour of Ninja 1000SX units we’ve ridden with significant quickshifter issues.
‘Restriction-free touring may still be a way off, but this is a great value machine to exploit even the slightest window of opportunity in 2021’
And then there’s cruise control – perhaps the biggest bone of contention on the whole bike. Switch on the system by pressing the button on the left switchgear’s central rocker, use the throttle to set a speed, then engage cruise by tapping down on the same rocker. The TFT displays the speed as set, but the engine spools down, sometimes as low as 8mph below the set speed, before working back up to that speed over 20 seconds. On downhills the same system finds it difficult to limit the bike’s speed to the one set, meaning at times the bike’s going up to 5mph faster than I want.
Controlsandcomfort
The switchgear is lifted from Kawasaki’s H2 Sx/versys 1000 SE and is top notch, the seating position is relaxed and upright, and the mirrors fabulous, large and clear. Elsewhere the new large screen option (£140) is bigger than last year’s but still buffets my 5ft 7in frame, while too-tall Mike hasn’t really noticed. There are four height levels, only adjustable with two hands – you end up changing between the lowest setting and the highest setting depending on how much rain you need to avoid.
Long-distance seat comfort also needs addressing: I’m only 31 and my bottom was sore after four hours across France and Flanders. There are, however, two comfort seat options in the accessories catalogue – a £411 leather jobbie and a £527 top-ofthe-range gel arrangement. It just seems a pity that Kawasaki don’t seem able to fit a comfortable seat to start with. But then they aren’t alone in that.
Practicality
Kawasaki nailed practicality to the post back in 2011 and let’s face it, these days, equipment such as bright LED lights all-round is less of an upgrade and more of an expectation. Although, anyone familiar with an MOT bay will rejoice at the news even the licence plate light is now LED.
‘It’s not the most frugal bike,’ Mike points out, referring to a real-world average of 46mpg (the bike indicates 52mpg for the same distance). That said fuel efficiency is significantly affected by the type of riding undertaken: long motorway stints at 75mph, for instance, can return real fuel economy in the 60s. Which is more than acceptable.
Elsewhere, Mike would add a few choice extras to a base 1000SX. ‘Get the £12,147 Tourer version for its integrated hard luggage, taller screen and heated grips, and be very happy in all situations,’ he suggests. The Tourer pack saves £298 over buying the constituent accessories separately. The bike on test here is the Performance Tourer £13,347 kitchen sink edition, with added pillion seat cover, frame sliders and Akrapovic exhaust. I’d buy the Tourer and spend the extra £1000 at Spanish forecourts.
Qualityandfinish
Quality marks are predictably high, all round. Mike agrees: ‘Kawasaki have quietly been upping their game when it comes to presentation. The 1000SX has a bit of H2 SX in its overall air and sense of classiness – it’s light years on from the occasionally flappy and flimsy Kwaks of the 1990s and early 2000s. Satisfying, in fact.’
Dropping the SX back at Bike HQ, the jobsworth in me wants a more detailed inspection. The Kawasaki logo on the tank and 1000SX logo on the fairing lower are both lovely badges, but the Ninja logo is a crusty sticker. Then I spot the clutch cover near the right footpeg. It has been visibly scratched by the hard plastic of my riding boot: surprising, given I usually ride with my toes on the pegs.
‘The 1000SX has a bit of H2 SX in its overall air and sense of classiness – it’s light years on from the Kwaks of the 1990s…’