All Reviews – Z1000SX Review: SeXy roudster! – Plastic is (sometimes) fantastic!

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Z1000SX review: SeXy roudster !

All Reviews - Z1000SX Review: SeXy roudster! - Plastic is (sometimes) fantastic!

With the Z1000SX, Kawasaki brings the zest of fun that is too often lacking in the category of “ roudsters ”: as comfortable as it is playful, this surprising roadster-road is an invitation to a dynamic ride … even to the frank arsouille ! Test.

Plastic is (sometimes) fantastic !

While European manufacturers strive to cultivate the fundamentals of the roadster genre, their Japanese rivals do not hesitate to explore new avenues to expand their offer: sometimes basic, road or sporty, with two or four cylinders, the Japanese roadster can be enjoyed in all kinds of sauces !

A relevant and above all economical approach: multiplying the variations around the same base has the advantage of limiting costs in the event of commercial failure and above all of accelerating the profitability of the original model !

So, despite various fortunes with its streamlined roadsters (packed with qualities, the Z750S has never found its audience, while the ER-6f lives in the shadow of its popular little sister), Kawasaki has decided to return to the load by attacking the category of large roadsters.

The concept ? "GT-ize" a roadster via more or less enveloping fairings on which luggage can be grafted. More fun than a roadster, these roudsters are currently on the rise. And to take advantage of it, the Greens are launching the Z1000SX: a machine with a villainous design and temperament, but which – thanks to subtle alterations – would play with the inconveniences of "all-in-the-quiche" and the spartan comfort of the Z1000 ( read).

Technically, the differences with the roadster are also so numerous that it is not entirely exaggerated to speak of any new motorcycle: yes, just that! The fairing first of all: perfectly integrated, it is the result of a real aesthetic research and breaks with the spirit of "spare parts thrown in a jumble" which too often characterizes this type of machine..

If the rear part is visually unchanged – with the notable exception of the transplant of passenger handles – the front lines are a happy mix between the sportiness of a ZX-10R and the stocky appearance discovered on the Z1000 2010. Less flashy, the Z1000SX does without the plastic fork covers of the latter and its exhausts adopt a more discreet black color..

This search for sobriety continues in the details: the four-piston radial brake calipers and the rims are no longer machined on their ends, while the digital dashboard with a yellow background is advantageously replaced by a mid-dashboard. analog, half-digital.

Clear and readable, it lists the essentials (time, fuel gauge, odometer, tachometer and two trips), but omits on the other hand to provide information on the engine temperature and the gear engaged. Likewise, if the appearance of a warning command is appreciated, being able to scroll through the information on the dashboard from a stalk is a luxury that must be dispensed with. !

Under the fairing, the 1043 cc unit developing 138 hp and 110 Nm of torque is renewed identically: good news, as this moulbif is undoubtedly one of the most sensational in the category. !

Its responder under 4000 rpm, however, loses force due to the weight gain (228 kg against 218 kg on the Z1000) and the longer final transmission: the crown goes from 42 to 41 teeth to limit the consumption.

A significant change on a daily basis (at 130 km / h in sixth, the engine purrs at a small 5500 rpm or 250 rpm less than on the Z1000) to which is added the change from 15 to 19 liters of the fuel tank. gasoline: not enough to terminate your Total card, but a gain in autonomy far from negligible !

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