The‘ SX’ is a quandary in Kawasaki’ s Ninja family, for all the right reasons. Yes, it deserves the moniker. Sure, it started out as a reference to the pure sportsbikes like the litre-class superbike and the rev-happy supersport but with all the smaller LAMS Ninjas on our roads and tracks, the‘ Ninja’ label has become synonymous with any Kawasaki with a fairing, regardless of the bike’ s power or intentions. I think the reason the SX is a little different is that, although it is a sports-tourer, the leaning is tantalisingly towards the sporty end. That beautiful, turbine-like powerplant has had its capacity increased, the redline has dropped and it has all the bells and whistles, apart from heated grips but that certainly does not mean it has been softened to suit the touring side more. In fact, it feels like the ZX1000SX has been hitting the weights, and maybe the protein shakes as well, en-route to becoming the ZX1100SX. Sideby-side with the earlier 1000cc machine, it would be a close-run thing … but my money is on the bigger engine stomping out of the corner that bit harder. Top-end? Now, that’ d be close.
NINJA ONLY IN NAME? Does it feel like the new bike still honours the Ninja badge when you let it off the leash? Oh yes, very yes. It has a more linear power curve than a pure sportsbike of the modern era, so all that go is not all up at the noisy end of the revrange but it won’ t be embarrassed by the rearset fraternity on the road. And, to be brutally frank, it will also hold its head up if you went to the track with your mates. For many riders, their bike will never feel the surface of a track beneath the tyres, so the SX answers many demands for many riders – and it does it so very well. About the only‘ request’( like a demand but trying to be polite) we have is for what is now an established thing expected by year-round riders – heated grips. Not just as an accessory. To be taken seriously in the touring stakes, heated grips need to be seamlessly integrated into the bike as standard equipment, not just on the more expensive SE model. A quick peek at the class competitors … ahem.
KAWASAKI MAKES MOTORS A standout for me with the Kawasaki ZX1100SX is the fuelling – it is smooth off the bottom like
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