Kawasaki Ninja 1000sx

Exceptional All-Rounder

A year ago, I bought a new motorcycle to replace my BMW. I hadn’t had a new Sport-Tourer since I had my Honda VFR and hadn’t ridden anything more than a mid-weight for the last four years. When I went out on my purchase foray, I had decided to be fairly thorough, but had cut the purchase group down to just three motorcycles. The Yamaha Tracer 900 GT, the Suzuki GSX 1000 GT and the Kawasaki Ninja 1000sx.

I started out by trying the Yamaha, and found I “liked” the bike, however, for some reason, mostly to do witih raw power, I wasn’t overwhelmed. I then went to my Suzuki Dealer to have a look at the GSX 1000 GT, but found none to be had. Dealer supply chain issues meant that my dealer, (with the best mechanic I’ve ever known), said there were none to be had. He also sold Kawasaki and we had a long discussion about the pros and cons of the GSX vs the 1000sx.

He said that though the two were similar, the GSX, (at least in his mind) was less refined, and more of a sport bike than tourer. With it’s additional 8 horses and being a few pounds lighter than the SX, it has slightly less torque and hits it’s top speed about 8 mph behind the Kawasaki.

About a month later, one showed up on the floor and I had the chance to take it for a short spin, but hardly enough to make any real serious determinations and notable differences betwen the two bikes.

Three things about the bike were less to my liking. First, as a long-range tourer, I like to have a little more range in the tank than 140 miles. Based on what I was reading, and hearing, that was to be expected. Second, I like the Ninja’s IMU and added electronics, and I felt the engine was more refined, getting where I wanted without having to force the rev range. On the down side, the GSX has a beautiful 7” TFT, which I would have liked on the Ninja.

Both bikes didn’t have a centerstand, which was annoying until I found a decent option for lubricating and cleaning my chain. But the two bikes had plenty of power and speed. The handling seemed similar to me actually, so neither seemed at a loss in comparison, and the brakes were both stellar. I must admit that I enjoyed the ride of the Ninja just a little more, but of course this is bound to be subjective depending on your weight and height. I don’t usually fiddle with my suspension much, simply adding some preload when I’m carrying more weight.

The panniers on both bikes were good, with Suzuki’s having a better shape and a bit more volominous, but I must admit that as I carry an Everest pack, storage has never been a problem. I won’t weigh in on the relative merits of seating and position for the pillion, as I ride alone.

While I like a sporty bike, I wanted comfort. I usually take trips from Winnipeg in the centre of the continent, south as far as Colorado, then out to California and back up to Vancouver, BC., with a lot of variation depending on the particular photographic and videographic trip. I spend time trekking as well in the higher elevations into the mountains which take me farther afield than many who ride. In five months each summer I’ll probably put in excess of 20,000 K on my bike. The fact that the Ninja has mileage that’s about 8-9 mpg better than the Suzuki, and due to the fact that I maintain the same speed when travelling, it helped me to decide on my bike of choice.

I do like the two-way quickshifter on my Ninja, and having additional riding modes, however when I finally took the GSX for a spin, I didn’t use either. So it wasn’t a very scientific comparison, I admit.

Also knowing about half a dozen other owners of the bike from the U.K. and Canada made me quite confortable with its reliability and build quality. The fact that the Kawasaki Ninja 1000sx is the most popular Sport Tourer in the U.K., and the best selling 1000cc bike on the market, assured me that I was making the best choice.

If there was one thing I would have preferred for Kawasaki to have added to the Ninja, it would have been shaft drive. But having said that, the power loss and added weight of a shaft drive would have probably negated the power advantage, so I’m not sure you could make me happy in any event. A curmudgeon I remain.

In short, if you’re looking for a really competent, fast, great handling sport touring motorcycle that will get you across the continent like a bullet train, you could do a lot worse than either one of these machines.

Ciao…