/ Featured Article
4 things we love about the Kawasaki Ninja 1000 SX
This liter-class sport-tourer is one of the best in the market today—here’s why.
The Kawasaki Ninja 1000 SX is a favorite among motorcycle enthusiasts around the world because of its outstanding performance, good looks, and tech features. In addition to looking similar to its race-oriented brother, the ZX-10R, it is also far more manageable and easier to ride on an everyday basis. Now, the Ninja 1000's reputation as one of the most popular liter-class sport-tourers in the world is without dispute. But why is the Ninja 1000 SX recipe so successful, exactly? In the 1,000cc sport-touring market, this bike is unsurpassed for a number of reasons. Let's take a closer look.
It’s surprisingly approachable for a liter bike
At first appearance, the Kawasaki Ninja 1000 seems intimidating. Thanks to its full fairing, aggressively cut bodywork, and of course, eye-catching colors, it is a gorgeous sportbike. However, Kawasaki has done an excellent job of concealing the fact that, underneath the bike's aggressive appearance, lies a comfy utilitarian motorbike that may very well be your everyday commuter.
Closer examination reveals that the Kawasaki Ninja 1000 SX has substantially less aggressive rear-set foot pegs and slightly higher clip-on handlebars, which provide more upright riding ergonomics. In addition, the Ninja 1000 has a large pillion seat and a comfy, padded seat allowing you to keep riding for hours on end, with or without a passenger. The result is that the Ninja 1000 SX is equally at home covering distance on the highway as it is tackling twisties or blasting around a racetrack.
Top-level performance and reliability
Having said all that, the additions aren't just surface-level; Kawasaki gave the Ninja 1000 its robust 998cc inline-four cylinder engine. This engine has been in use for more than 10 years and has shown to be reliable and perform well overall on a variety of platforms. The Versys 1000 adventure bike and the Z1000 naked bike share the same engine, and are equally popular in their respective categories.
This inline-four engine, in particular, features a conventional 180-degree crankshaft. Despite complaints for its unimpressive exhaust sound and uninspired driving style, 142 horsepower and 111 Nm of torque are unquestionably a respectable amount of power, especially given the bike's 516 pound wet weight. To top it all off, a significant aftermarket full of performance-focused upgrades and add-ons has grown just for this bike. You will thus never run out of modifications and upgrades to choose from.
A versatile sport-tourer
The Kawasaki Ninja 1000 is, in fact, a sport-touring motorcycle because of its full fairing and race-inspired design. Underneath the plastics, however, the Ninja is quite useful and may even be ridden every day. In fact, I'd even venture to argue that you could get by with the Ninja 1000 as your primary motorbike, whether you used it for commuting, track riding, touring, or daily commuting. As mentioned earlier, it has a ton of aftermarket support, so you can outfit it with additions to turn it into a capable daily commuter, powerful track weapon, or cozy sport-tourer.
Incredible value for money
Overall, the Kawasaki Ninja 1000 SX is undoubtedly one of the best value for money models in the liter-class sport-touring segment. Retailing for P718,000, you get nearly all the high-tech features you could want in a sportbike—IMU-powered cornering ABS and traction control, multiple ride modes, a full-color TFT display with smartphone connectivity, electronic suspension, and a powerful engine. Now, Kawasaki has always been about loading its bikes chock full of value, and the Ninja 1000 SX is no different. As such, if you’re in the market for a do-it-all liter-bike, then you absolutely can’t go wrong with the Ninja 1000 SX.
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