All Reviews – Z1000SX Review: SeXy roudster! – Rather “all on the ground” than down to earth!

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Z1000SX review: SeXy roudster !

All Reviews - Z1000SX Review: SeXy roudster! - Rather

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.

Rather "all down" than down to earth !

Faithful to its philosophy oriented sport and sensations, Kawasaki gave birth to a roadster-road focused on the arsouille: despite the ten additional kilos, the wheelbase longer by five millimeters (1445 mm) and the more flexible setting of the springs of suspensions, the Z1000SX has largely retained the playful character of the roadster !

The new triangle "saddle-handlebar-footrest" creates a position slightly carried forward which offers the advantage of feeling the information delivered by a particularly communicative front axle. Bulky on its upper part, the tank is, on the other hand, quite thin at the crotch, allowing you to move with the machine when the pace picks up..

And on the handlebars of the new Kawa, it quickly turns unreasonable! The very short-draft throttle grip and the aggressiveness of the engine are all incentives to speeding and as the chassis has the rigidity and responsiveness of a sports car, the Z1000SX is more likely to tease full-blown virolo than ‘to contemplate the landscape stuck behind a tourist bus !

Stable and easy to handle, the Green sweats arsenal, even if the agility is behind compared to the Z1000: the fault of the additional masses added on the front by the installation of the fairings and a larger tank , but also to the suspensions which gain in comfort what they lose in efficiency at high pace.

Far from being clumsy, the Z1000SX is much heavier to take on the angle than a Honda CBF1000F (at random!) Which benefits it is true of a 160 mm rear tire (read), where the Kawa bother with a huge and expensive 190 mm roll on its rim with a design inspired by the ZX-6R.

The phenomenon is even more marked when the optional 35-liter cases are installed: liveliness and precision are immediately affected and the front axle straightens more easily when braking on the angle. However, the room for improvisation remains pleasing, aided in this by the stability and flawless motor skills which allow the footrests to be placed in peace. !

Regarding luggage and practical aspects, the Z1000SX suffers here again from its sporting orientation: its owner will have to choose, for example, between suitcases – which struggle to accommodate full-face sports helmets with large hulls – or the 39-liter top-case, since the fixing system does not allow you to take both at the same time.

For reasons of weight and ground clearance – which has already gone from 140 to 135 mm – the Japanese does not offer a central stand. It also ignores empty pockets, while the space available in the fork crown would probably have made it possible to insert these practical accessories…

Finally, a few small details annoy like the crutch lug not long enough, the seat lock placed under the wheel arch, the lack of adjustment of the clutch lever spacing, the high turning radius and the fragility of the varnish on the pilot footrest plates.

On the other hand, the presence of a flattering finish, a coded key, beautiful and efficient mirrors and multiple possibilities of suspension settings is appreciable, as is that of beautiful parts such as the aluminum frame, the braking device and the swing arm.

Unfortunately, this technical escalation has a cost: according to Kawasaki, this Z1000SX – which will arrive in dealerships at the beginning of December – would take around 1000 euros compared to the standard Z1000. Or a price of around 12,500 euros and which would greatly exceed the 13,000 euros mark with ABS (billed at 600 roros at Kawa) and luggage storage !

Admittedly, the Green is distinguished by the quality of its components, and its assumed sportiness gives a facelift to the segment of the roudsters, often more placid and the chassis much less sharp..

But in these times of crisis, many bikers have to make more pragmatic and above all more economical choices. However, a Suzuki GSX-F1250FA is only displayed at 9,999 euros, 10,500 euros for a Honda CBF1000FA and 11,300 euros for a Fazer 1000. Not to mention the Sprint-GT, the road sports car from Triumph, sold 13,440 euros with ABS and suitcases !

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