Double demo day
Posted: 06 May 2017, 19:31
I spent today at DMC Kawasaki Birmingham
First off was the 2017 Kawasaki Z1000SX
Kwaks top selling sports tourer has been revised for this year following feedback from current riders. We now haave a wider front fairing, lower and more comfortable seat, double bubble screen, new screen which includes a gear indicator, LED lights and a lighter clutch with slipper assistance.
As someone who has spent over 2 years riding the SX I felt right at home. The small change in seat height is noticeable, as is the lighter clutch. The engine is the same peachy zx10r Gen 2 lump detuned for touring. You now sit more in the bike than perched on it so the riding position feels closer to the z1000.
The new screen looks a bit cluttered and to be honest it was only really the gear indicator I bothered with. The older screen is clearer as it has less information.
I did my usual route of going to work and back, there on A roads and motorways and back on the country roads I know. The OEM tyres are crap, so the steering is a bit lazy but the bike responds well to firmer steering input.
There's not much I can add as a review over what I've posted in my ongoing 2014 review thread. It's a good all round bike. It's gone a little bit more tourer than sports but not massively so.
Side by side I have to say I prefer the looks of the 2014 model . It's taller at the tail and the seat and the overall side styling is better. The new model looks a bit flat, with a large slab of green fairing next to a big chunk of dark panelling and frame. The engine cover on the new model is flat black and looks plastic, whereas the older one has metallic black with a nice sparkle, so it looks like some thought has gone into it
The 2017 is a cracking bike, with a big tank and comfort for long distances but with shed loads of performance with a throttle and engine that seem to be in sync. In terms of value for money its hard to beat.
Next up is the 2017 Versys 650
This is the limited edition, which means nothing more than just a paint job.
The Versys is a bit of an oddball. It's not doing enough to be an adventure bike, but that's what it looks like. It's not really a tourer, but with a 21 litre tank, strong sub frame and housing for panniers and a top box plus a large comfortable pillion seat, it can do it. It's certainly got no sporting aspirations and so it can't be a sports tourer.
On paper it's cheap, heavy and underpowered.
So why is it so popular?
Ride one and you find out. It's got a punchy little flat twin that revs higher than a small twin should. It handles far better than a tall bike on small tyres ordinarily allows and will happily cruise at high speed on a motorway as if it's a hypertourer.
It's a weird bike alright.
The brakes are a little soft for my tastes and the suspension will pogo if you grab a handful of the lever. But those were my only gripes.
You know that you're down on power but this doesn't ride like a 70bhp bike in a 210 kg frame. It's very spiritedly so you find yourself tittering inside your lid as you realise you've just taken the piss with a silly overtake on the approach to a bend. Despite being sat high up the feedback is still sharpp and the steering lets you makes timely changes.
If ever a bike had je ne sais quio, this is it. In time of mass produced low budget high sale motorcycles, this has retained character.
I fell in love. So I've bought one.
Bye bye SX, hello Versys. 2017 650 Grand Tourer limited edition. I got a very good deal which includes alarm and heated grips supplied and fitted. I pick her up next week.
First off was the 2017 Kawasaki Z1000SX
Kwaks top selling sports tourer has been revised for this year following feedback from current riders. We now haave a wider front fairing, lower and more comfortable seat, double bubble screen, new screen which includes a gear indicator, LED lights and a lighter clutch with slipper assistance.
As someone who has spent over 2 years riding the SX I felt right at home. The small change in seat height is noticeable, as is the lighter clutch. The engine is the same peachy zx10r Gen 2 lump detuned for touring. You now sit more in the bike than perched on it so the riding position feels closer to the z1000.
The new screen looks a bit cluttered and to be honest it was only really the gear indicator I bothered with. The older screen is clearer as it has less information.
I did my usual route of going to work and back, there on A roads and motorways and back on the country roads I know. The OEM tyres are crap, so the steering is a bit lazy but the bike responds well to firmer steering input.
There's not much I can add as a review over what I've posted in my ongoing 2014 review thread. It's a good all round bike. It's gone a little bit more tourer than sports but not massively so.
Side by side I have to say I prefer the looks of the 2014 model . It's taller at the tail and the seat and the overall side styling is better. The new model looks a bit flat, with a large slab of green fairing next to a big chunk of dark panelling and frame. The engine cover on the new model is flat black and looks plastic, whereas the older one has metallic black with a nice sparkle, so it looks like some thought has gone into it
The 2017 is a cracking bike, with a big tank and comfort for long distances but with shed loads of performance with a throttle and engine that seem to be in sync. In terms of value for money its hard to beat.
Next up is the 2017 Versys 650
This is the limited edition, which means nothing more than just a paint job.
The Versys is a bit of an oddball. It's not doing enough to be an adventure bike, but that's what it looks like. It's not really a tourer, but with a 21 litre tank, strong sub frame and housing for panniers and a top box plus a large comfortable pillion seat, it can do it. It's certainly got no sporting aspirations and so it can't be a sports tourer.
On paper it's cheap, heavy and underpowered.
So why is it so popular?
Ride one and you find out. It's got a punchy little flat twin that revs higher than a small twin should. It handles far better than a tall bike on small tyres ordinarily allows and will happily cruise at high speed on a motorway as if it's a hypertourer.
It's a weird bike alright.
The brakes are a little soft for my tastes and the suspension will pogo if you grab a handful of the lever. But those were my only gripes.
You know that you're down on power but this doesn't ride like a 70bhp bike in a 210 kg frame. It's very spiritedly so you find yourself tittering inside your lid as you realise you've just taken the piss with a silly overtake on the approach to a bend. Despite being sat high up the feedback is still sharpp and the steering lets you makes timely changes.
If ever a bike had je ne sais quio, this is it. In time of mass produced low budget high sale motorcycles, this has retained character.
I fell in love. So I've bought one.
Bye bye SX, hello Versys. 2017 650 Grand Tourer limited edition. I got a very good deal which includes alarm and heated grips supplied and fitted. I pick her up next week.