Kawasaki Z1100 sx se

[Mick_J]

My Z900 was in for it's annual service and my friendly dealer lent me a Z1100 sx se so I didn't have to hang around and clutter up the place, here are my thoughts.

After the success of the new for 2025 Z900 most of Kawasaki's big bikes got the same switch gear and electro-gizmo's fitted, so jumping onto the bike everything felt familiar except for the screen and the wing mirrors which stuck out like an insects antennae.  The engine is the same unit as fitted to the Z1100 I rode last year so nothing new there.

The fit and finish of the bike was very good except for the USB charger which looks like an afterthought and spoils the look, It's the same one as fitted to the Z1100 naked.  The bike is fitted with LEDs all round and has the same quick shifter fitted but the dash has a very different looking display but with all the same menus and readouts as before, so fuel range, consumption, average consumption, lean angle display and the usual trips etc.  The mirrors took a little time to adjust to as they are mounted on the front of the fairing and are quite wide so seemed miles away, but they did make my gloves look good instead of my elbows.
 
As I found with the Z1100 I tested last year the bike is not as smooth as my 900 but the grunt low down was better.  The quick shifter was also not as smooth but everything else was much the same, brakes, handling, comfort and feedback, although a heavier bike it felt well planted and at the same time fine for filtering through 20's and 30's in the middle of Bristol.  Just as I was about to reach an open stretch of road some stupid woman in a wheeled coffin decided to change lane without looking so I had to take evasive action to avoid ditching this new demo bike, a flick on the bars and a bit of throttle soon got me safe.

Almost the same as the Z1100 there was a bit of a buzz through the bars and foot rests but not quite as pronounced, however they are absent on my 900 which I find to be turbine smooth.  Once I got into my stride the 1100 sx se felt familiar (controls and overall feel) but different at the same time as the engine has about 10ft lb more grunt, so opening the throttle gave a bit more of a kick up the arse.  It's also a bit heavier so not quite as chuck-about-able as my Z900 but seems very stable in the corners.  However the fairing and screen caused a lot of noise and buffeting, it's got some adjustment but I could not get it to work for me, It's the one thing I don't like about most modern bikes, fairings.  However, as with most modern bikes it handles, stops, accelerates very well and is quite predictable even on our crappy roads.

So did I enjoy my ride, yes I did but I always enjoy riding something different to my own bikes as it's often good to experience what's out there to see if I'm missing out on anything or not.  I had no intension of buying my Z900 but wanted to try a Kawasaki out and it was the only real option for me, look what happened there.  Would I buy one, no, definitely not.  It's a good comfortable bike but not for me, it's not as smooth as my Z900, it has a screen (I'm not old enough for a screen yet) and the fairing pushes the mirrors too forward and outwards, it also hides the engine, which is never a good thing in my view. 

[Phill P]

Have the 2018 z1000sx, vibes through bars seem common on this range, mirrors although a little odd looking are very good, no quickshift on mine but shifts are generally good with the odd false neutral normal caused by me being a bit lazy on shift, I may drop the lever a little lower so I can be a little more positive with it.
The usb charger is as ugly as sin on the later zeds, why it couldn't be kept in the fairing I'll never know. I changed my screen the the Puig version and keep it on the mid setting, generally good for 80 mph speeds, I'm 5ft 8 inches. The z1000sx is a very good bike, but the gsx is the looker