I was looking at all the new Kawasaki motorcycles and was a little taken aback by the fact that there is a Ninja 1000 and a Ninja Z1000. They’re both Ninjas, right? So what is the difference? Because two?
The difference, I was told, is night and day.
“What kind of transportation do you use to get around?”
I’m mostly a tour guy. I like to hit the road for a week at a time.
“Then you should try the Ninja 1000.”
So I did.
Mind you, I had never ridden a Ninja of any kind before and had always been a little skeptical about them as something I would spend some serious time on. And yet he had read several times in the motorcycle magazines about how the Ninja, some Ninja, I don’t remember which model(s), are actually pretty good for all day rides.
My eyes have been opened.
The reality is that I would call the Ninja 1000 a modern standard. It has a very upright riding position that is comfortable, not the tight squat of a dedicated sportbike. The bikini windshield provided adequate wind protection, though I did get a few minor bumps to the helmet. It’s a bit tall, but no more than other bikes I’ve ridden and felt perfectly comfortable on.
Power wise, you better believe this is a scorcher. That huge, huge power rips the line off and off you go. Also, the suspension is very good, so when you find the blemishes on the typical city street, like manhole covers, the Ninja just eats them up and you slide over them. The bike is light and moves quickly and easily from side to side, making it wonderfully manoeuvrable.
As for hitting the road with it, it’s still a bit iffy. If you’re used to a sport touring bike like the Concours 14, you might feel a bit limited by the Ninja’s carrying capacity. Also, while the Connie has hard bags as stock items, you’d have to buy luggage for the Ninja, and it probably wouldn’t carry as much.
My only gripe with the Ninja 1000 was the mirrors. They’re small and pretty much give you the option to see what’s behind you or what’s in the next lane, but not both. Kawasaki really should do better.
And the Z1000?
Of course, riding the Ninja 1000 just whetted my appetite to see how it compares to the Z1000 Ninja. So I did. Hey, it’s all in the name of research, right?
The Z1000 is definitely more sportbike-oriented than the Ninja 1000. That said, it still offers a surprisingly upright riding position that would certainly be comfortable for day rides with the boys, though maybe not for long days on the road. The fairing is even smaller than the Ninja 1000’s and did very little to block the gust of wind.
And trust me, you will get the gust of wind. This bike is a rocket ship, with acceleration that makes its sister bike seem tame by comparison. Between the torque and the wind, every time I twisted the throttle the bike would launch forward and I would launch backwards. I started to crouch down towards the tank a bit before squeezing the throttle to minimize the jolt.
The Z1000 has very wide gear bands that made climbing the nearby canyons smooth and easy. I barely had to change gears and it was so light and easy to move around that it gave a whole new meaning to the term “barrel size”.
Like the Ninja 1000, the Z1000 doesn’t come with luggage, but in this case you’ll probably just opt for a backpack or small panniers. You’re not going on tour in this one. And also like the Ninja 1000, the mirrors fall short. But hey, that’s what the aftermarket is for, right?
So yes, two Ninjas, both 1000cc. And really, not as different as night and day. Perhaps dawn and noon.