All Comparisons – CBF1000F, Z1000SX or Fazer8: three very different Japanese menus – Contact: loyal to their respective brands

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CBF1000F, Z1000SX or Fazer8: three very different Japanese menus

All Comparisons - CBF1000F, Z1000SX or Fazer8: three very different Japanese menus - Contact: loyal to their respective brands

Three streamlined roadsters want to animate the road motorcycle segment this year. What are the strengths of the Honda CBF1000F, Kawasaki Z1000SX and Yamaha Fazer8 to win? Their weaknesses? The new Site comparison test tells you everything !

Contact: loyal to their respective brand

We begin this comparative test with an old – or almost – acquaintance: the Honda CBF1000F. Very welcoming, it has in particular the lowest saddle of our three "routsters": 795 mm against 820 on the Z1000SX and 815 on the Fazer8.

So much so that bikers of 1.80 m and more will not hesitate to adjust the Honda saddle in the high position (810 mm). The little ones, on the other hand, will be happy to be able to perform the opposite operation, namely to lower the seat by 15 mm compared to the standard setting..

The relatively wide handlebars and placed high, the two levers adjustable in spacing, the footrests placed vertically from the seat, the thin tank despite its 20 liters of capacity: everything contributes to this impression of comfort and ease..

The "Just Fit" philosophy

This feeling is confirmed when setting off: the controls are ultra soft, the engine particularly supple, the gearbox pleasant and the injection as discreet as it is efficient. No doubt: it’s a Honda !

Let us nevertheless underline two points which slightly mar the image of a "perfect" motorcycle, or at least a follower of "Just fit"dear to Honda. The first concerns the buttons on the new instrument panel which cannot be operated with heavy winter gloves.

The second is located just above: the bubble requires a hell of a grip to be adjusted while riding. Caution will even encourage stopping completely to lower or raise the screen with both hands, rather than pulling it right to left with just one. !

During the first kilometers, we feel a slight inertia in the front axle. The hull angle of the Honda is the most open of the three: 26 ° against 24.5 ° on the Kawa and 25 ° on the Yamaha. However, cornering does not require too much effort: the 160 mm wide rear tire is a master asset on this point. !

Ninja Attacking

The Kawasaki Z1000SX, more impressive at a standstill, is also less easy to tame. The additional 10 kg – including 4 liters of gasoline – compared to the Z1000 are sensitive. However, the Kawa is easier to get off its side stand than the Honda..

What marks the most when performing the first turns of the wheel on the SX is undoubtedly the fact that its front wheel engages clearly at low speed. Fortunately, the behavior of the direction is quickly integrated and probably helps to counteract the flange of 190 mounted at the rear (we are talking about 190 mm mounted on the rim, not 190 kg on the passenger seat)…

The position is sportier than on the CBF1000F, but owners of "Zed naked" will find it more comfortable than their roadster because it is less tilted to the front. Thinner than it looks, the reservoir doesn’t overly spread the thighs and knees while the footrests don’t bend the legs too much.

We would be perfectly comfortable on this Kawa if the controls and the saddle were to be a little softer. Likewise, we regret that the gearbox selection is rough because for the rest – engine flexibility, gentle injection, work on the suspensions … – the Z1000SX does not play indomitable Ninjas !

Yamaha Fazer8: small but strong

After the Rouge and the Verte, let’s take our place on the Bleue. Instantly, the wide and flat handlebars as well as the ample reservoir which respectively stretch the arms and the legs leave no doubt about the origin of this third frame: it is 100% Iwata !

Faced with the commercial success of the FZ6s, FZ1s and their corresponding "Fazers", Site can hardly qualify this position as uncomfortable … After all, in France, "national sovereignty belongs to the people", no ?!

"Characteristic" therefore, the posture of the pilot on the Fazer is reminiscent of that of a bodybuilder bodybuilder. It will suit fans of the genre, but heavy riders will probably prefer the more restful one of the Honda, or even that of the Kawasaki..

The saddle of the Fazer is however more welcoming than that of the SX – but less than the CBF! -, and the same goes for the selection of the softer gearbox and the clutch a little less hard than on the Kawa. The injection, a weak point on some Yamaha, does not suffer from any criticism on the Fazer8.

It should be noted that the settings – not modifiable – of its suspensions provide the Yamaha with great ease of use in town or on poorly paved small roads. In addition, the Fazer weighs (according to manufacturer data) 13 kg less than the Z and 30 kg less than the CBF. And according to the Site test, these deviations are sensitive to use !

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