Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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JOY RIDE P74 2011 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 Instrumentation is clean and functional. With the Ninja 1000, you don't sacrifice comfort for performance. at speed is simple; it has so much torque and power that all you need to do is just open the throttle and you're whizzing past whatever is in your way. There's never a need to downshift - it'll respond instantly in any gear in any rpm at any speed. The Ninja is pretty much vibration free at lower rpm, but you'll start feeling some buzzing around the 8000-rpm mark. It's not bad, but it's noticeable. I found the Ninja's Showa-fitted suspension to be plush and compliant and, overall, very pleasant for everyday riding. And I didn't feel the immediate need to make changes for my 175 pounds. But it's nice to know that the 41mm cartridge fork is fully adjustable, and the rear single shock offers rebound damping and preload adjustability just in case. The Ninja 1000 is a solid handler. While it may weigh roughly 72-74 JOY RIDE.indd 74 40 more pounds than the ZX10 at a claimed 502 (curb) pounds, the Ninja 1000 is fairly sport-bikelike agile and nimble, offering excellent feedback through its aluminum frame, swingarm and handlebars. It loves long and sweeping turns, because once it's leaned over and planted it's content on staying there. And it's quick to return if upset by a large bump in the road. It also handles tighter roads quite well without much effort. It also responds quickly while maneuvering through traffic at slower, work-day speeds. Even though the fuel tank is quite large, it's flared and forms well to your legs for a nice fit, making it easy to move around on the bike. It might be a large bike, but it doesn't feel that way once you're rolling. Braking performance is superb from the 300mm four-piston Tokico calipers up front and the 250mm single-piston caliper in the back. They are extremely capable and offer excellent feel, especially up front. Although I never got the chance to take the Ninja 1000 on a lengthy tour, I think it would make an excellent light-duty longdistance machine. It certainly has the motor, comfort and large 5.0-gallon gas tank for it, and Kawasaki even offers coloredmatch hard saddlebags for the Ninja. There really wasn't anything I didn't like about the Ninja 1000 during my short time with it except for perhaps an annoying, irregular clicking noise that I could never pinpoint but think had something to do with the chain. I could easily see this bike in my garage for its ability to do a little bit of everything, without sacrificing an ounce of comfort. At $10,999, the Ninja 1000 isn't cheap, but you'll get a bike that you'll want to ride every day, not just on the weekends. And that makes it worth every penny. CN 7/15/11 4:25 PM