I hear ya on cheaper, but sport bikes are ultra cheap on the used market. Less weight is always better from my perspective. I totally agree with the comments re a flatter power curve with more down low. I'd love to see the power curve from this overlayed with a ZX10 and maybe a 1198. I've been touring on a TL1000S and love the fat power curve of the v2 motor. I also had a bandit for a summer and put 9k miles on it IIRC. Loads of low end, but ran out of breath pretty quickly. I got bored of it almost as quickly I do like the idea of it a lot, not knocking it just trying to gauge what it is people like about it vs a sport bike. If it had lots of room for a passenger to get comfortable I'd be very interested, but for my personal solo purposes its hard for me to see why I'd want it over a lightly used sport bike (preferably one sporting a 90 deg twin). The factory luggage is also a nice touch, I just wish they'd thrown on comfy seating for two :) EDIT: Just looked up some dyno charts - looks like the tourer pulls a 2yr old the ZX10 to about 5k rpm, then they are pretty much the same from 6-8k rpm and the ZX runs off and leaves it above 8. Of course this doesn't take into account weight differences. The 1098 seems to match it almost exactly to 7k, then runs off and leaves it (all these charts I got from two brothers with their slip-on). A 1098 feels like it pulls really strong from low to mid, so that the z1000 matches it is a very good thing! http://www.twobros.com/Cust_Service/Dyno_Charts/ the factory luggage is also a nice touch, I just wish they'd thrown on comfy seating for two :)
....your link took me to a video of two chubby teens sliding on wet grass. Either you are a very disturbed individual, or you need to re-link your link. As to the aforementioned Ninja 1000, no ABS?!?! Really?! Come'on Man!!!! If that bike had ABS I would sell my V-Strom and Monster and buy it today. You gotta be kidding me.
Those girls don't look chubby to me. I think you are the disturbed one. I do agree about the ABS, I wouldn't be surprised to see them offer it in the future. I suspect they are trying anything they can right now to keep the price down in this economy.
the link takes you to my youtube channel. I don't know why the one with the kids pops up first. But all the rest of them are motorcycle related.
Looks pretty rough for the passenger. The foot pegs are pretty high also. Okay if the pillion is in their twenties.
The Ninja 1000 is definitely in consideration for my next bike. I'll try to sit on one at the NYC IMS. Thanks for posting up the pics all,
I would wager the ABS version adds at least another grand to the retail pricepoint. The extra grand will kill the sales potential in the USA,IMHO. Everytime I go into the local Suzie shop and look at the ABS 1050 Bandit, the "former flat track racer star salesguy" tells me ABS is garbage! So I just tell him, no thanks, I'll stick to my beemer.
another salesman destined for a career change. Where do these people come from? I was going to point out for those who want ABS on a bike like this, Suzuki offers it.
Got to sit on one at the dealers today. Seemed pretty comfortable, pegs reasonable, bars reasonable. Is the extra 20hp really worth the $1.5k over the 1250S? hard to tell. It certainly had an interesting high-tech look from the cockpit. Cast handlebars could have their drawback when trying to mount stuff just below the field of vision. No centerstand. Dealer was tko on the pannier question. Some possible highway peg/aux light/crash nipple mounting points on each side. Rear seat could easily convert to a aux fuel mount point although I couldn't see any easy plumbing solutions.
Maybe not by itself, but wouldn't this bike also be lighter than the Bandit? Also, I hear it comes in quality fit and finish while Bandit was always a tiny bit budget-like in this regard. If true, these three factors: extra hp, lower weight and better finish would make it worth that extra 1.5k in my opinion.
I saw one Thursday. Tried it on for size. Very nice. Just a bit of a lean onto the bars, very comfy while still giving good control. The windshield was smaller than I expected. Good looking bike. And there was a left over FZ1 just a few feet away priced under $8000. There was also a Vaquero. I tried that one on too. I was disappointed in the top heavy feel of it. Very comfy ergos though. But what really stole the show for me was the 2011 Concours 1400. Yeah I know - it's overkill. It's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow. I know, I know. But - ABS! Traction Control! Electrically adjustable windshield! Hard Bags! Comfortable! 5.8 gallons of gas AND over 40mpg! Who cares what it costs?! Oh yeah - SHE does....
Yeah...I'm with you. I like the idea of a "lean and mean" sport tourer like the Ninja 1000, but dammit, how can you not have ABS on a modern bike like this? If the Ninja 1000 had ABS, that would lure me towards the "lean and mean" side of the sport-touring equation. But, since that is not an option, that sends me to the GsxF-1250 Bandit.....but, if I'm gonna step up in size for the Bandit, then I might as well just buy the Concours 14. It's a slippery slope. For a long distance, all-weather, bike, with today's technology ABS is a "must have." Soooooo, my gut tells me that the middle of the road bikes like the Bandit will get run over. The Ninja 1000, FZ-1, new Honda nekkid 1000, just don't work as sport-tourers without ABS. Great, all-day comfy sport bikes, but not "over-the-horizon" week long trip bikes without ABS. That leads to the jump to the VFR1200, FJR 1300, Concours 1400, BMW K1300GT, etc. Then ya get the shaft, ABS, etc. Of course, now you have a whale of a bike. I like light bikes. If the Ninja 1000 had ABS, then I could live with chain drive, and a nice, "lean and mean" sport tourer. Soooo,I'll keep my V-Strom 650 for long trips. My gut tells me that the BMW K1300 or the new Honda VFR1200 would fit me best, but damn that's a lot of money. At least we DO have a lot of bad-ass bikes out there to choose from.
at least you guys have had the chance to see it in the flesh ! it is not near the show room floor here in Australia
It's too bad Kawi's U.S. network is so obsessed with price point that they can't perceive the value added by ABS. They really wouldn't be raising the price that much anyway. Oh well, the Ninka 1K is lighter than the Connie, so it won't slide as far.
Oh good grief, another bike for me to lust over. And it comes in RED! I sat on this model at the Dallas IMS. A little more of a forward lean than my Bandit 1250, kinda close to my '03 Sprint ST (w/risers). Kawasaki was having test rides at the event, but I didn't get a seat. Still agonizing over a decision whether to sell the ST (31K) and replace it with a new ride. I like the Z1000, but the new Ninja has pushed it out of the lineup. I figure I can mount hard cases on the 1250 and use it for a touring mount, then use the Ninja for more sport oriented riding in the Texas Hill Country and Arkansas. The no-ABS option isn't an issue, I'd prefer the Ninja without it. The 1250 is my ABS bike.
Yep, they are in Oz. I had a sit on one in my local (Bendigo Vic.) dealer on the 24th. That bike was already sold, the dealer had sold another one too. One happy dealer, being a Honda and Kawasaki shop, put the drought on top of that and he hasn't had much to smile about lately. He feels he's on a real winner with this bike, plus it's been raining!