All Tests – 2014 Kawasaki Z1000 Test Drive: the big bad look – A roadster for diehards!

Posted on by admin

2014 Kawasaki Z1000 review: the big bad look

All Tests - 2014 Kawasaki Z1000 Test Drive: the big bad look - A roadster for diehards!

After the Z1000SX 2014, it is the turn of the new Z1000 to pass between the gloves of Site. Kawasaki’s outright roadster differs from the old model with a more bestial attitude and multiple mechanical tweaks. First try !

A roadster for diehards !

The driving position on the new 2014 Z1000 may be a little more forward leaning than that of the, it remains perfectly bearable in urban and suburban areas. The handlebars, wide and a little less curved than the old one, allow you to steer the bike without effort or discomfort.

The Dunlop D214 tire specially modeled for the new Z1000 – and available only at first – has a rather round profile, more than the one from which it came. Very agile, the front axle requires a little time to be perfectly mastered.

Unfortunately for Kawasaki – and our lower back! -, the lane which serves the hotel where the European launch of this new motorcycle takes place is paved with small rollers … The rear suspension with unchanged spring calibration, reduced travel (from 135 to 122 mm) but at the hydraulic review and reports "more progressive linkage"do not particularly spare the pilot.

The fork is barely softer in these conditions – ultra bumpy coating, but also temperature close to 0 ° C which seizes the oil a little – and the moderate thickness of the saddle further limits comfort. Fortunately, Kawasaki Europe officials have promised us superb roads with perfect grip, which allows you to take your troubles patiently….

Getting lost in the small village of Carmona, Site also realizes that the turning radius is less good than before: the technical sheet shows a steering angle of 29 ° for this new model, against 31 ° on the Z1000 2010.

Watch out for the first U-turns: the steering stop comes in sooner than you might imagine! In the event of a hard blow, the beast will be difficult to hold back because the full weight has hardly changed: the old Z1000 without ABS weighed 218 kg, the 2014 model weighs 220 kg. In their ABS version, the two motorcycles are equal (221 kg).

Nevertheless, the new Z1000 with its impressive size – "thanks to" or "because of" its heavy tank! – is handled with extreme ease. Agile, it is also remarkably swift: the 1043 cc 4-cylinder, descending – far from the block of the ZX-9R -, has gained in muscle…

The 2014 Z1000 engine benefits from the same improvements as the SX: "work on the injection, the electronic control unit, the camshafts, the intake horns and the connections between the exhaust pipes", summarize the Greens (for more details, read our)

Each request of the accelerator immediately results in a vigorous leap forward from 2,500 rpm, impressive past 4,000 rpm and fierce above 7,000 rpm! Perfectly calibrated, electronic injection allows you to drive on a tiny trickle of gas in sixth gear at less than 30 km / h and to set off again with the handle in the corner without a hiccup. !

The coolest bikers can therefore do without having to resort to the clutch and selector a little hard, including in town. The Z1000 purrs there gently, the new silencers allowing to circulate without deafening its fellow citizens.

As we travel through the vast plains leading to Sierra Norte Natural Park, Site notes that the 2014 Z1000 still exudes its share of vibrations, through the footrests and then to the tank. To reduce this relative inconvenience, the roadster is equipped with a slightly longer sixth report (like the "road" SX).

But at the same time, the final gear – by chain, what else? – is shorter: 43/15 according to the technical sheet, ie one tooth more than the previous Z1000 and two more than the current Z1000SX 2014. Thus, the light emitting diode of 6000 rpm lights up from 131 km / h (at this speed, the SX gallops at 140 km / h).

We almost come to regret the absence of a seventh gear: it would reduce the noticeable tickling in the feet and crotch, which can turn to torture in the most sensitive! Finally, by definition, this Kawasaki also hurts the cervicals on expressways…

Related articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *