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Until recently buyers who wanted a 1000cc Kawasaki had only two options: the track-orientated ZX-10R or the naked Z1000. The Ten is a desirable machine but, like others of its ilk, it has a huge drawback.
Its narrow focus makes it a not-quite-practical everyday mount. The naked Zed, on the other hand, has earned respect for its relaxed ergonomics, eager performance and nimble handling but it offers zero protection from the elements.
Kawasaki’s recipe for finding the middle ground is as effective as it is simple – create a bike that retains the best features of its naked sibling and clothe it in a fairing that not only offers open-road weather protection but also endows it with the looks of a sport bike.
The result is the Z1000SX, available in South Africa since February.
Team Green’s PR machine pitches the SX as combining “supersport seduction with everyday versatility” but does the bike live up to the hype? KMSA loaned us one to find out...
As far as the “supersport seduction” part goes, the SX scores high. Clothed in a razor-sharp full fairing, the bike exudes an air of speed even when on its sidestand. Quite a few people asked me if this was the new ZX-10 – if you’re not a bike aficionado, it is an easy mistake to make given the SX’s sport bike-like looks.
In fact the bike’s looks caused me a bit of discordance when I first got on it. Because of its sporty looks I had subliminally expected the typical forward-canted seating position. It felt almost weird to sit bolt-upright on this bike instead of almost resting my chin on the instrument cluster. Not that I am complaining; since I spend more time riding my bike in the real world than racing it on a track I have great appreciation for everyday practicality.
But of course you don’t buy a bike like this just to commute and, if performance is what you’re after, you won’t be disappointed. The SX inherited the Z1000’s 1043cc, liquid-cooled, quad-valve, inline four cylinder motor. With 101.5kW of power and 110Nm of torque on tap, the SX (like its naked sibling) is no slouch.
While the power output is nowhere near that of the ZX-10, torque falls only four Nm short of the Ten’s peak. On the road this translates into a bike that has prodigious power without the almost manic edginess of the ZX-10.
Riding the SX you are constantly aware of having a lot of power under you but at no point does it feel out of control. Because of the torque (noticeable from around 3000rpm all the way to the peak at 7800), roll-on acceleration is impressive. At highway speeds the tach needle hovers around 6000 in top – twisting your wrist without dropping a cog results in a very satisfying rush of acceleration (it also sends the speed well into “go-directly-to-jail” territory, so it is best used with caution).
Suspension takes the form of a 41mm inverted fork on the front end and a horizontal back-link unit on the rear. Each end can be adjusted for rebound damping and pre-load. Being horizontal, the rear suspension also contributes to mass centralisation, something Kawasaki claims to have taken very seriously to improve handling.
Like many of Kawasaki’s claims about this bike, it holds true on the road – the SX feels a lot more nimble than its 231kg kerb mass would suggest. The SX is a bike you can throw into curves with impunity and it never feels as if the suspension is being overwhelmed.
Kawasaki has equipped the bike with a fairly comprehensive instrument panel to help you keep an eye on things. It’s dropped the naked Zed’s LCD tach in favour of a ZX-6R-inspired analogue unit, supplemented by a multifunction LCD for the speedo, fuel gauge, clock and odometer. Unfortunately the panel omits a coolant temperature gauge – being fairly pedantic about warming up an engine before going fast, this was one piece of information I sorely missed.
So, has Team Green succeeded in creating a true multi-purpose bike? Yes, it has – and then some. It’s nimble enough to feel at home on the track, comfortable enough for long-distance riding and practical enough to brave the crush hour.
Whether you look at it as a very sporty sport tourer, an extremely powerful everyday bike or an eminently practical sport bike, one thing is beyond dispute: the Z1000SX is as close as a bike gets to being all things to all people.
Its narrow focus makes it a not-quite-practical everyday mount. The naked Zed, on the other hand, has earned respect for its relaxed ergonomics, eager performance and nimble handling but it offers zero protection from the elements.
Kawasaki’s recipe for finding the middle ground is as effective as it is simple – create a bike that retains the best features of its naked sibling and clothe it in a fairing that not only offers open-road weather protection but also endows it with the looks of a sport bike.
The result is the Z1000SX, available in South Africa since February.
Team Green’s PR machine pitches the SX as combining “supersport seduction with everyday versatility” but does the bike live up to the hype? KMSA loaned us one to find out...
As far as the “supersport seduction” part goes, the SX scores high. Clothed in a razor-sharp full fairing, the bike exudes an air of speed even when on its sidestand. Quite a few people asked me if this was the new ZX-10 – if you’re not a bike aficionado, it is an easy mistake to make given the SX’s sport bike-like looks.
GET COMFY: All the underpinnings of a naked bike - but the comfort of full weather protection and an upright seating position.
But of course you don’t buy a bike like this just to commute and, if performance is what you’re after, you won’t be disappointed. The SX inherited the Z1000’s 1043cc, liquid-cooled, quad-valve, inline four cylinder motor. With 101.5kW of power and 110Nm of torque on tap, the SX (like its naked sibling) is no slouch.
While the power output is nowhere near that of the ZX-10, torque falls only four Nm short of the Ten’s peak. On the road this translates into a bike that has prodigious power without the almost manic edginess of the ZX-10.
SLIP-SLIDIN' AWAY: Not on this bike with anti-lock brakes for peace of mind in the wet.
Suspension takes the form of a 41mm inverted fork on the front end and a horizontal back-link unit on the rear. Each end can be adjusted for rebound damping and pre-load. Being horizontal, the rear suspension also contributes to mass centralisation, something Kawasaki claims to have taken very seriously to improve handling.
Like many of Kawasaki’s claims about this bike, it holds true on the road – the SX feels a lot more nimble than its 231kg kerb mass would suggest. The SX is a bike you can throw into curves with impunity and it never feels as if the suspension is being overwhelmed.
DEJA VU: The Kawa ZX-6R panel revisited, though with a different type font.
So, has Team Green succeeded in creating a true multi-purpose bike? Yes, it has – and then some. It’s nimble enough to feel at home on the track, comfortable enough for long-distance riding and practical enough to brave the crush hour.
Whether you look at it as a very sporty sport tourer, an extremely powerful everyday bike or an eminently practical sport bike, one thing is beyond dispute: the Z1000SX is as close as a bike gets to being all things to all people.
