2017 Kawasaki Z1000SX review: a "super bike" for the road
Kawasaki is taking advantage of the changeover to Euro 4 to refine its Z1000SX on many fronts: mechanical, but above all aesthetic and electronic! Sport-GT road bike will arrive in green dealerships in December, but MNC has already been able to test it… First try.
Page 1 – Z1000SX 2017, a little more GT
Unveiled only three weeks ago during (Germany), it will land in December in but has already been entitled to its baptism … copiously watered !
While the press presentation of the previous model (read our) took place in perfect climatic conditions, near Vienna, in the depths of Austria, that of the 2017 vintage started off badly: the Greens of Akashi had chosen as destination this time the south of France, in Theoule-sur-mer-et-sous-les-eaux (06)…
Scheduled for 8:30 am, the departure of journalists is delayed by half an hour in order to aim for a lull planned for the end of the morning, when the photos are taken. It is therefore under heavy drops that Site takes control of the new Kawasaki.
Although the saddle height is advertised 5 mm lower, the rather sporty driving position does not seem to vary: it is always between that of a Z1000 type roadster and that of a VFR800F style roadster (read our).
The larger spacing of the mirrors is more noticeable: the view is suitably clear, the pilot no longer needs to bend his elbows to monitor what is happening behind him … or what he has just passed which quickly disappears in the retro, should we rather say !
Another small practical development for 2017: the distance of the clutch lever is now adjustable. We appreciate the approach, even if by playing with its two levers, Site realizes that the new Z1000SX does not adapt to all sizes: the smallest would surely have liked to bring the left lever a little closer..
A little wider than the previous one, the new rider saddle offers better comfort. Pointed out by the Kawasaki press manager himself during his conference (himself the owner of one), the weak point of the old one has almost disappeared: the first 100 kilometers that Site performs in one go without changing a single position does not trigger any pain in the buttocks.
If MNC has remained frozen on the bike for so long, it is to protect itself as well as possible from the rain … The large tank (always 19 liters), particularly flared, continues to offer good protection for the thighs as such, but this unfortunately does not last indefinitely !
The new fairing – larger in 2017 – keeps the lower legs dry for longer. It effectively against the projections of other motorcycles or cars, but absolutely nothing against the flow of water on the jeans. So it’s after half an hour that MNC regrets not having put on his rain pants, carefully stored in a suitcase….
To make matters worse, the outside temperature is limited to 6 ° C. Site knows this precisely thanks to the new dashboard, redesigned and finally complete, since it displays in the middle and in large the gear engaged. Many secondary data are present but less readable, especially when large drops collect on the LCD screen which this year adopts a black background.
Slightly chattering teeth, MNC would have estimated the temperature at 5 ° C … and would have appreciated that Kawasaki fitted the optional heated grips on our test models! We note in parentheses that the accessories catalog does not have a heated saddle. No need to look for a central stand: the configuration of the pot prevents its installation. It will be necessary to do without to grease the chain of the animal of 235 kg all full facts. End of parenthesis.
Only the prominent clutch housing which still protrudes from the more generous fairing in 2017 allows the right calf to be warmed up. In summer however, the rider will surely thank Kawasaki for keeping his legs further away from the boiler and the aluminum frame which also ends up heating up..
Also revised, the double curvature bubble is 15 mm higher in its center, which protects the neck from eddies. The back of the neck, however, is not relieved because the wind is still blowing down on the entire helmet, as well as on the top of the shoulders..
On the portion of the highway taken at the very beginning of this journey, Site must lean over the reservoir so as not to be swept away by the rain. We would have been a little better on one and much better on one, but the more sporty continuation of the course should correspond to the …
It is on this same end of A8 that Site finds one of the main weak points of the Kawasaki: stalled at 140 km / h odometer (132 km / h according to the TomTom GPS mounted on our test model) , the Z1000SX continues to swing vibrations, bearable over short distances but irritating in the long run.
At this speed, the engine spins at 6,000 rpm on the last gear – which, as a reminder, was lengthened during the first update in 2014 … Neither the secondary balancer nor the silentbloc on the Upper rear engine mounting do not manage to erase these annoying crackles. Pity !
On the other hand, the large weights mounted at each end of the handlebars and those mounted on the footrest plates – themselves adorned with a thick rubber – do their job properly. On portions of the highway limited to 110 km / h, the Z1000SX does not tremble. But the pilot yes, for his license…
The innumerable radar warning signs planted on the Provençal motorway force MNC to constantly take his eyes off the road to monitor its exact speed. Dedicated to cover long distances but designed to titillate the sporting fiber of the biker, the Kawasaki road could (should?) Have received a cruise control.
Likewise, while rummaging in his deep pocket of rain pants in search of a few coins to cross the toll, MNC reminds himself that a storage compartment would not be superfluous, even small and not lockable. Could Akashi engineers investigate the issue on the next version? The answer is not going to be simple because of the side ducts responsible for stuffing air – fresh! – engine…
But for their part, the marketing and sales managers agreed to fit as standard the passenger handles serving as luggage support, offered as an option on the previous model. The passenger also wins since these handles are higher and ergonomic than the original old ones.
The duo is also improved via the longer rear seat – we would have liked it a little wider too … – and equipped with a more pronounced front bulge limiting the efforts of the passenger during decelerations. It is occasionally recalled that the tank, very domed on its upper part, offers appreciable support to the "co-pilot" in sporty driving….
Forced to drive the entire first day on the reserve due to the very uncertain grip of the roads, Site fortunately benefited from an additional morning of testing – traditional at Kawasaki, thank you to them – quite radiant. On the program: great sun, 16 ° C, the route des Adrets … and the new cutting-edge electronics of the Z1000SX! Quick, the next page !!!
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