All Tests – 2014 Kawasaki Z1000SX Test Drive: Everything is Under Control! – A more practical Z1000SX

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2014 Kawasaki Z1000SX review: everything is under control !

All Tests - 2014 Kawasaki Z1000SX Test Drive: Everything is Under Control! - A more practical Z1000SX

The new version of the Kawasaki Z1000SX will be available in dealerships in December, but MNC has already been able to discover Akashi’s sporty road roadster (!) On the occasion of its European presentation, organized near Vienna (Austria).. A little waltz ?

A more practical Z1000SX

With a total width now limited to 925 mm (suitcases included), the Kawa is more apt to slip into town. It also benefits from a new fitting of tires (Bridgestone S20) with which the front axle is more neutral and intuitive than with the BT-016 (read our).

To face the urban jungle more effectively, Kawasaki offers its customers a 39-liter top case (500 euros all included) … which unfortunately remains incompatible with the two suitcases: "it is a deliberate choice on our part", specifies Antoine Coulon, marketing and press director at Kawasaki France, because"we don’t want to distort the Z1000SX, sporty at heart".

In order to improve the performance of its sporty road, Kawasaki has revised the suspension settings: the rear shock absorber notably incorporates a firmer spring (95 Nm instead of 62.5 Nm for the most curious among you) and revised damping parameters.

these two factors "contribute to more precise handling", announces Kawasaki. And it is clear that led vigorously in the superb sequences of the Austrian road B63, the Z1000SX holds the parquet wonderfully well. !

The settings "more athletic of the fork undoubtedly participate in the setting on the more progressive angle. However, the sport / comfort compromise chosen by the engineers remains very satisfactory: crossing villages – infested with speed bumps, as with us! – run smoothly.

Likewise, bumpy road sections do not frighten the new 2014 Z1000SX: camped on well-tuned suspensions, the Kawa allows us to maintain a high pace even on small mountain roads worn by harsh winters..

To perfect the behavior of the bike depending on the conditions – solo or duo, with or without suitcases, on the attack or on the cool, etc. -, the Akashi firm had the good idea to equip its "SX" with a wheel used to modify the preload of the rear shock absorber.

Located directly under the rider’s right buttock – when seated on his mount! -, the control is very accessible and makes it possible to vary the preload much more easily than on the old model. An excellent point for this motorcycle supposed to know how to do everything: work the week, work on the weekend and roam on vacation !

Still under the rider’s buttocks, the saddle may have been redesigned – it would be flatter, but that did not strike us – fatigue always begins to be felt after a hundred kilometers. The driving position does not vary compared to the old vintage: halfway between the roadster and the road.

The situation is quite different at the rear: warned by their customers that the passenger seat was too thin, the Japanese thickened it by 10 mm, which is immediately noticeable by taking a seat behind. The tank, thin at its base but very curved on the top, continues to offer an excellent fulcrum when braking.

Finally, the passenger handles serving as a support for the suitcases prove to be even more functional than the original ones: higher, they are more easily gripped by the passenger. On its own, these closed handles – the original elements are open on the back – allow a small additional piece of luggage to be stowed more serenely..

On the other hand, those who expected better protection from the Z1000SX 2014 will be disappointed: the screen is renewed as it is … The pilot must always bend his back to protect his shoulders and curl up to isolate his helmet from the air flow.

In his defense, Makoto Momosaki argues that the majority of customers appreciate this bubble "whose construction depends on three factors: impact on driving, impact on style and comfort. The current compromise is the best in our opinion and we did not want to touch it", concludes our interlocutor.

Motorcyclists with small hands will also regret the inability to adjust the distance of the clutch lever. In traffic jams, frequent use of this command – a bit hard but allowing to dose correctly – may upset the less sturdy users.

Fortunately, on small roads, the left lever is not used too much: the somewhat rough selection is the only fault of the gearbox which allows up and down gears on the fly. In addition, the gigantic range of use of the engine – we will come back to this on the third page – allows the laziest to save their strength !

On the other side of the handlebars, the brake lever is still adjustable. It now activates a "radial" master cylinder to match the new front brake calipers: monoblocks supplied by Tokico but laser engraved with the brand name "Kawasaki".

This new duo and the new brochures should allow the "Zed de tourisme" – but not "for tourists"! – to consolidate one of its strong points by offering "a firmer initial touch"… In the absence of the old model during this test, it is unfortunately difficult for us to say that the new Z1000SX brakes harder or better than the old one..

However, what Site retained after these two outings (330 km the first day and 125 km the next morning) is that the 2014 Z1000SX is like the 2011 model: excellent as regards the brake front, but much worse at the rear due to a too timid single piston caliper activated via a too hard pedal.

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