Kawasaki Ninja 1000, Opinions?

[SlowOldGuy]

Been a while since I read any m/c mags, but I picked one up last week and the Ninja 1000 (not the ZX10R) was the Motorcycle of the Year.

I saw one at the local Kawa shop and it appeared to be basically a Z1000 with more fairing on it. 

Seems to be a nice bike, good riding position, but the seat to peg distance was a little cramped.  It's about half the price of the only other bike I've seen lately that looked even remotely interesting (the BMW 6 cylinder)

Anybody have an opinion?

DavidR.

[Dan Filetti]

Seems like a good bike.  I too was surprised that it was MOTY.  I guess they did not want to appear in a rut giving it to BMW again.

Interestingly, the like if for many of the reason that the FJ is loved.  Comfortable upright riding position, tractable rather than peaky power, good quality engineering.

The exhaust would have to go pretty quickly after purchase, but aside fro that it does seem like a good bike.

Dan

[andyb]

Saw that and was really wondering why, honestly.  Why not buy a used Z1000 or later ZX9R, have $7000 left over and fix the things that you don't like about it?  Looked to me that they're competing with the used market and will price themselves out of that fight.

I really haven't liked the direction that the OEM's are taking lately though.  I'd love to see a slightly sporty bike minus all of the fancy trickery at a vastly lower price than usual.  Remember the SV650?  In 99, it was about half the price of the top tier sportbikes while still being fun, lightweight, and relatively comfortable.  Haven't seen anything that offered that much value in years and years.

[the fan]

Dave, I spent about 20 minutes on one and came away very impressed. The motor is very strong, pulling herd from just off idle to redline, Suspension seems a little soft for my taste but well balanced. Once underway the bike feels very light and nimble for a sport touring machine. Brakes are as good or better than anything in its class. If I were looking for a litre class bike for the street The Ninja 1000 would be right at the top of my list.

Comparing it to older bikes is difficult as nothing build recently is all that similar. The ZX9 Andy mentioned comes closest and I would definitely consider the ninja 1000 the better bike. A very good friend of mine has a 2001 ZX9 which he purchased new and keeps completely stock except for a slip on and adjusting the suspension. I believe the 01 zx9 is the last generation of the ZX9 so there should be little or no difference in newer models.

Comparing the 2;
The 1000 makes better power, but not quite as much up top. It seems to start puling hard earlier and has a flatter torque curve than the (very impressive) ZX9.  It feels a little lazy compared to the 9 but is far from slow.

Under way the 1000 feels much lighter than the 9. Both bikes carry the bulk well but the 1000 is better balanced. In this respect it is more similar to the FZ1 than the ZX9.

Brakes are a toss up. The 9 had very good brakes when new and has held up well over the years. The 1000 brakes have great feel and very good power but I expected a little more from a 10 year newer bike. Power and feel are similar between the 2.

Suspension on the 1000 is good but seems softly sprung. The 9 edges it out with seemingly stiffer springs and a better shock, but not by much. Properly spring the 100 and most likely it would be a wash. The shocks on both bikes are decent but not great. The 9 edges the 1000 out by having full adjustability as opposed to the 1000,s rebound and preload only. Keep in mind that both bike are really not all that great in suspension, both are a bit on the soft side for spirited or track riding.

Ergonomics: Ninja 1000 all the way.
The tank is far slimmer (the zX9 feels huge), while this may not seem like a big deal, its far easier to move around on the 1000 than the 9. In fact the 9 feels so wide I get pain in my hips on longer rides. The Bars on the 1000 are higher than the 9, wider and closer as well. The 9 has a fairly old school long reach which feels awkward on long rides. Bar risers would help but the reach is still long (keep in mind I have very long arms) the 1000 seems very natural and better suited for long rides. The wider bars give great leverage and the riding position is more upright. Seats are similar in comfort, but in all honesty I did not ride the 1000 long enough to have a good opinion. It is firmer than the pillow like seat on the 9 but not bad at all. Personally I do not like soft seats as it makes it more difficult to move around on a bike so based on initial impressions the 1000 seems marginally better. The pegs on both are fairly high but I don't find either bike objectionable. The 1000 seems to have the pegs set further forward which matched with the more upright seating position should prove to be more comfortable on a long ride.

Handling; I prefer the 1000, although this is based on a very short 20 minute ride. It simple feels lighter and more willing to change direction on a twisty road. You really have to muscle a ZX9 in a tight series of turns while the 1000 is almost effortless. The wider bars and narrower tank definitely play into this as does the silky smooth power delivery. The 1000 simply feels more nimble and takes less effort to maintain a brisk pace. Both bikes handle really nice for a large heavy machine but the 1000 is easier to ride and more comfortable. Both bikes are very stable at speed and hold a line very well through a corner, but the 9 feels like a long heavy bike while the 1000 feels far more nimble and carries it weight well.
The Ninja 1000 compared very well with a 2nd gen FZ1 that had had a considerable amount of suspension work done to it. I rode both on the same day.

I have considered picking up a ZX9 several times over the years but after riding the ninja 1000 I think I would go new if I were looking for a street machine. However these days I spend much more of my time at the track and neither of these bikes would be my first choice. Both are capable of running on the track but there are far better choices for what I want. Truthfully I prefer 600cc bikes over litre class machines on the track although I did run a few sessions on a Superstock/endurance build 2011 ZX10 and had a blast. The same bike had placed 15th at the Mid Ohio superbike race ridden by Eric Pinson and is owned by supersport rider Justin Neyra (One of the riders I help crew for) who usually races it in regional sprint and endurance events. It took several painful hours to wipe that grin off my face...

I realize a 20 minute ride is not much to base an opinion on a bike but I was very impressed by the Ninja 1000. Its a great machine for its intended purpose. ( SPORT-tour ) I would chose it in a heart beat over the ZX9 or FZ1 (both generations). With a little suspension work it would be a great street sport bike, just not a great track machine.

Hope this helps.

[andyb]

I suspect therin lies the question.  Would you take it over an FZ1 with upgraded shock, exhaust, etc?  The price difference is huge!  I would tend to think that with an older bike and a couple grand to spend, you could make things fit the riding you do better than a near-stock newer bike at the same price.  Luggage, heated grips, etc... or go the other direction and have a very upgraded engine/chassis.

I'd take the older bike in a heartbeat for the simple reason that the Ninja 1000 is horrifically ugly to me.  But the rest of the argument is where things become interesting.  If you don't want things only available on the current new models (traction control, for example), I'd always take an older machine and put the difference into making it fit my riding more closely.  Some of my friends are the exact opposite, they'd far rather know more of the history of the machine (easy to do when you've owned it from new!) and like the idea of having dealer support for the first few years if they run into major problems mechanically.

Probably a good thing, as the OEM's would be broke if all buyers were like me. 

[ddlewis]

When I first saw the press info a few months ago for this bike I posted it up here thinking this was FJ'ers dream come true.  Got no response so figured it was just me.  I like it a lot though..  If, for the money, they could include factory bags it would be the bomb.

They have one at the local big 4 japanese dealer here, red like this..  I think it's great looking and seems plenty comfortable enough.  Would love to get a ride on one.

[ddlewis]

I suspect therin lies the question.  Would you take it over an FZ1 with upgraded shock, exhaust, etc?  The price difference is huge!  ...

pretty sure msrp on a new FZ1 is about 10 grand also.   

[rktmanfj]

I think it's great looking

Of course, Dan is a former Wee-Strom owner...   

[terryk]

Fantastic bike. Went to the dealer and it was a very comfortable and high quality piece. But, can it run with a BMW K1300S ? Kawi - great bike and 50% cheaper. BMW - K1300S, expensive, chock full of electronics, HP is large and the big is much larger than the Kawi.

[ddlewis]

Of course, Dan is a former Wee-Strom owner...   

A weestrom has lots of excellent qualities.. but I NEVER said good-looks was one of them. 

[craigo]

+1 on the V-Strom.  I recommended the 650 to a friend of mine who has not ridden in 20+ years.  I feel that, as he is 6'2"+ in size, that the V-strom would be a great bike to re-introduce him back into the world of streetbikes.  Other than that, I told him that a nice FJ would be the ticket.

CraigO

[JCainFJ]

 The Ninja and the Husaberg FS570 are on my short list. I think I will pick up one or both of them in the next few years, used.

[SlowOldGuy]

 Hey Bill,
Great review and comparison.  Better than any mag test I've read lately!

I appreciate the information and, knowing your ability, I have a lot of respect for your very informed opinion.

Maybe I'll take them up on the offer of a test ride this weekend.

DavidR.