Whatever the truth, the end result feels pretty good – plenty of support from the front while stopping sharply, no ungainly pitching around when cornering or accelerating hard, and generally pleasant bump absorption.īrakes are unchanged from the Z1000SX, with a pair of powerful four-piston Tokico one-piece calipers up front. Perhaps they’ve just had a fiddle with the preload and/or rebound damping adjusters… Technical differences are only very slight – there’s an extra slit in the damping pistons inside the forks, which allows more oil to flow and softens low-speed compression.Īt the rear of the bike, Kawasaki say they’ve 'fine-tuned' the shock, but the unit itself is the same as before. The Z1000SX could feel a little harsh over bumps, but the Ninja seems more supple. And all this costs just £700 more than last year’s Z, meaning the Ninja continues to undercut rivals. So that’s sharper steering, more modern sophistication and a touch more comfort, without compromising the fundamental sports-touring recipe that made the Z1000SX so popular.

Last but not least, the Ninja’s more comfortable too, thanks to a thicker and wider seat that not only feels a plusher place to sit, but also lifts the rider up, creating a fraction more legroom. On top of that, the Ninja adds a few new hi-tech features, including cruise control, a two-way quickshifter and a colour TFT dash – and all come fitted as standard, not accessories or options that cost extra. The improvement comes down to either the new tyres (a model-specific ‘G’ version of Bridgestone’s S22) and/or some small tweaks to steering geometry (the Ninja has half a degree less rake and 4mm less trail than the Z).

There’s sharper steering, more comfort, and new tech in the way of cruise control, a two-way quickshifter and a colour dash. Today we're riding the new Kawasaki Ninja 1000 SX, an updated version of the Z1000SX. From mini-roundabouts in town to tight mountain roads to wide open countryside sweepers, the new 1000SX steers as easily and accurately as anything.

Related: 2021 Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX coloursīut all that’s been fixed for the Ninja.

The biggest single improvement is handling – the Z1000SX had horribly heavy steering at low speed and flopped reluctantly into turns, especially on its OE tyres. The Ninja 1000SX carries over the Z’s magic mix of sporty style, plentiful power and undemanding versatility, then fixes a few of its shortcomings. Before this 2020 Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX, the Z1000SX was a phenomenal success for the firm: their biggest-selling bike in the UK for the past decade, and Europe’s top-selling sports-tourer for at least the past three years.

Quickshift tyres