‘A bloody good fist of everything’
I know it’s not popular, but I like Suzuki’s GSX-S1000F. It’s not got colour this or adjustable that, but the core bike is very good: it steers and handles sweetly, gives great connection from the tucked-in riding position, has an inline four that makes you wonder why we demand big twins and triples, and is keenly priced. It’s a capable sporty bike. The problem is Kawasaki’s new Ninja 1000SX is a proper sportstourer, so has a wider range of abilities. It’s a bike you can jump on and use for anything, from tedious commute to occasional trackday, two-up touring holiday to lazy weekend pootle. It’s also stuffed full of attractive tech and has a more modern (and glossy) feel than the Suzuki – and also than any adventure-style all-rounder for the same sort of cash. After a do-it-all bike but don’t go near dirt? It’s all the machine you’ll ever need.