Kawasaki Z1000SX (2010-2013)

Posted: 27 Oct 2011

Unveiled without much of a fanfare at the end of 2010 the SX appeared to be Kawasaki’s Z1000 naked bike with a half-fairing stuck on it, the minimal amount of effort required to create a sports tourer. How wrong could you be…

Kawasaki have lacked a decent sports tourer for years, something the SX has finally solved. Yes, on the face of it the SX is just a Z1000 with a fairing, but the naked Z is also excellent and by adding the fairing Kawasaki has added a whole new dimension to the bike.

After just a few miles on the SX the thing that strikes you is the engine, which is almost turbine-like in its power. From virtually the moment the rev counter starts to rise the SX delivers strong drive thanks to a huge band of torque. It’s a bike that can be left in one gear and the throttle simply rolled on and off to control your speed. Even down as low as 30mph the SX will happily pull top gear, which is perfect for touring. And it doesn’t stop there.

The SX ticks every box when it comes to mile-munching. The seat is sumptuous, the fairing effective, suspension responsive and even the tank range good for over 160 miles between fill-ups. Go for Kawasaki’s ‘Touring’ version (an extra £800) and you get colour matched panniers and ABS as well, making the bike even more suited to weekend adventures, one or two-up. And when you get to you destination, drop off the panniers and pillion and enjoy the sporty side of this more than capable sports tourer.

+ points – Handling, comfort, engine
- points – Hard to fault

Price: £8,999
Power: 136bhp, 81ft.lbs
Weight: 228kg
Seat height: 820mm
Colours: Green, black