Kawasaki Z 1000 SX

Built:2011-19201120122013201420152016201720182019

Photos: Dietmar

The 1000-series Kawa with the identifier SX is one of the sport tourers in the country. Crisp performance on paper, a comparatively low price and full cladding – how does this station wagon perform in the test?

That's supposed to be a tourer?

The Kawasaki Z 1000 SX is one of the permanent burners on the world's roads. The moped, which has been revised several times in 2017, has been in service since 2011. And this is quite successful, although the genre sport tourer is under heavy pressure: Formerly popular, the adventure bikes make life difficult for them. It's not going to get underwhelmed, and there are a number of tangible reasons for the success of the SX series, such as a comparatively low entry price of 12,995 euros. For the BMW R 1250 RS you have to lay down much more up to – depending on the equipment.

The SX looks sharp – almost super athletes instead of tourers, the aggressive look from the LED headlights is an announcement. However, a sports tourer is supposed to be what the SX stands for in its name: Sport Crossover, i.e. Sporttourer. The most sporty one in the test so far was the Ducati SuperSport, which is only called that but hides a sports tourer behind its red shell. Since it is a Ducati, the emphasis is on the sport. Can the Kawa keep up? She can, but more on that later.

Sportiness is mandatory

Yes, life can be so beautiful. For example, when the pilot turns on the throttle handle and pushes the Kawa down through the middle. Suddenly the 235 kilos are forgotten, she puts herself in a hard time, and the violent start has quite addictive potential. What is often forgotten in the sound and makes carburetor fans rave is the classic intake noise. Of course, the Kawa has an injection and So I have no idea how they got it – but the intake noise is the hit. However, this is also noticeable because the exhaust sound alone is quite restrained.

As a sports tourer, the SX is of course not as razor-sharp to throw in curves as the Naked Bike Z 1000. And yet: it goes fast in and through the curve. It remains very stable and predictable, which is the merit of the technology behind the abbreviation KCMF (Kawasaki Cornering Management Function). It monitors engine and chassis parameters throughout the curve and regulates braking power and performance to enable a balanced transition between braking and acceleration. Whatever the bits and bytes do, it works perfectly in practice.

The chassis is rather tight from the basic tuning, but can often be changed. The comfortable bench supports the travel comfort, which has remained good despite the sporty orientation.