Ninja 1000 – A much better Zed

Comfortable sportbikes are in the same category as the Loch Ness Monster, honest politicians and peace in the Middle East. Generally, it just ain’t happening.

Enter Kawasaki’s Ninja 1000 – a motorcycle with sportbike performance, fairly good wind and weather protection, and ergonomics that won’t fold, bend, spindle or mutilate the rider.

Based on the Z1000 — a motorcycle that looks like the unholy union between one of the Transformers and the Batmobile — the Ninja 1000 is thankfully modern looking without being gauche and offensive. It’s quite attractive from every angle and nothing looks added on or an afterthought.

Unfortunately, Kawasaki must still have a warehouse full of surplus Z1000 mufflers, but at least the Ninja’s are less hideous, being tastefully blacked out instead of a glaring bright metal finish.

Another huge improvement over the Z1000 is the instrument cluster. The Z had an adjustable, unreadable, jaundice-yellow LCD video game, while the Ninja goes old school with a really nice layout.

The large, traditional analog tachometer has a side LCD display for the digital speedo, twin tripmeters, fuel gauge and clock. Simple, yet readable at a glance.

Underneath the bodywork however, the Ninja is pretty much a Z1000 – and that’s good. The rigid aluminum frame and swingarm ties everything together nicely and the fully adjustable suspenders on both ends deliver full-on sportbike handling.

A VERY USABLE NINJA

Kawasaki sure knows 16-valve inline fours, and this 1,043cc version is a gem, pumping out a claimed 138 horsepower. With no adjustable power modes, traction control or other electronic nanny-isms, the rider is in cahoots with the machine – mano a mano.

And I find that a refreshing change these days – after all, shouldn’t the rider’s right wrist should be responsible for more than just the aftermath of the adult movie channel?

The motor is amazingly strong, yet surprisingly docile and smooth. Wick the throttle and it’ll peel your lips back, but you can also idle down to 20km/h in sixth and pull away with nary a cough, lurch or stumble.

Leave all four wheeled traffic in the dust without ever exceeding 4,000 rpm, but spin the tach needle past seven grand and it’s “yahoo” time as you get the full liter-bike kick in the shorts.

But power is nothing without control and initial turn-in isn’t exactly light, requiring either a bit of trailbraking or a firm push on the inside bar. However, once committed, it holds the line beautifully and if mid-corner corrections are required, they don’t upset the chassis.

Side to side transitions require a bit of muscle to pick the bike up and lay it over again – it’s not exactly “flick flick,” but it never degenerates into alligator wrestling either.

But that is somewhat to be expected as the Ninja tips the scales at 502 lbs, about 20 lbs more than the Z1000, but a whole 65 lbs less than Suzuki’s popular 1250FA Bandit – a bike with a lower price tag and similar full fairing, but less horsepower and lower tech suspension.

One day, I got caught in a surprise thunderstorm. After several days without rain, all the oil and crap that falls off cars was sitting on the surface of the road.

The Ninja’s throttle response is so immediate and direct, I was getting wheelspin in fifth and sixth gear on the 401 and when traffic inevitably slowed down, a delicate hand was required on the brake lever so as not to lock the front wheel.

But the Ninja’s chassis and suspension offered so much feel and feedback, it didn’t seem all that hairy. It was if the motorcycle was connected directly to my cerebral cortex through the handlebars and levers.

I kind of enjoyed the challenge of being in total control of the motorcycle instead of relying on a computer to ride the bike for me.

SIMPLE YET PRACTICAL

Kawasaki didn’t skimp on the brakes – radial-mount, four piston Tokico calipers grip a couple of 300 mm petal-style rotors and the whole system is activated by a Nissin radial-pump master cylinder. An adjustable lever fits any size mitt and, although initial bite is crisp and firm, the feel and feedback is top drawer.

In keeping with the “expert rider in control” theme, ABS is not even offered as an option. I never use the rear brake but I assume there’s one back there somewhere.

The riding position is upright, with a hint of sporting lean – it’s actually closer to an adventure touring motorcycle than a sportbike.

The Ninja’s fairing isn’t overly bulbous, yet it provides pretty good wind protection around the rider’s legs and torso, deflecting most of the windblast which lessens fatigue at the end of a long day in the saddle.

A three-position, manually adjustable windscreen requires the dexterity of a bomb defuser to thread your fingers past the brake master cylinder, around the cables to finally reach the lever. Worth it though, to have the convenience of changing the screen position without tools.

Fuel economy wasn’t exactly stellar, averaging 5.9 to 6.4 liters per 100 kilopascals (or whatever stupid way the government wants us to do it these days). My high school math tells me that works out to between 44 and 47 miles per gallon.

Of course, with the Ninja’s warp-speed power available, I wasn’t exactly thinking “green” most of the time. I suspect that steady, sedate touring velocities would return over 50 miles per gallon.

The Z1000 has a 15 liter tank but the Ninja’s is burped out to a more touring friendly 19 liters, a capacity that should allow a 350 km touring range – IF you ride like an old woman. Er, I mean responsibly.

NICHE FILLED

The Ninja 1000 fills a definite niche. It’s for riders who want sportbike performance and handling but don’t want the Spanish Inquisition ergos. They want to cover ground quickly and comfortably but aren’t quite ready for the extra 200 lbs of a sport tourer.

So now we’ve got a comfortable sportbike. Can peace in the Middle East be far behind?

SPECIFICATIONS