While traveling on a motorcycle is more popular than ever these days, there is a touring bike out there for just about every kind of rider. Adventure bikes of all shapes and sizes seem to be coming out every other week to satisfy the demand for more versatile machines, but if you are after something a little more fun on a canyon road, then a sport tourer will be the way to go. Unsurprisingly, Kawasaki has a wide selection of sporty options to choose from.
From the versatile Versys 650 all the way up to the impressive supercharged H2 SX SE, there is something for everyone. But, if you want a bike that offers a better balance between power, stability, and good old-fashioned value, one bike sticks out. While it has Ninja in its name, it is a genuine sport tourer.
To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from Kawasaki. Whereas the opinions are our own.
Modern Midrange Tourers Offer Impressive Value
Suzuki offers the GSX-S1000GT+, and it stands out as the more sporty alternative. Its old sport bike chassis is excellent; it comes with the luggage fitted, has more power, and is slightly cheaper than the Ninja. If you are after something from Europe, BMW has the exceptional R 1300 RS. The base trim isn’t actually that much more expensive than the Kawasaki, but some features will be left stuck behind a paywall. Moto Guzzi also has a shaft drive option in the form of the V100 Mandello. It is slightly down on power, but it is well priced and might well be one of the best-looking motorcycles currently on the market.
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The Kawasaki Ninja 1100SX SE ABS Balances Power, Stability, And Value
Starting MSRP: $15,799
Coming to our pick, the Ninja 1100SX SE brings an awful lot to the table, offering riders a powerful inline-four engine to go along with its sporty lines. Kawasaki is a manufacturer that generally offers customers a lot of value, and this is just one of the many bikes in the current lineup that offers more for less. The SE adds uprated suspension to the mix, making it a top choice for those looking to do a little two-up touring. While still relatively compact compared to some dedicated tourers, Kawasaki loads it with several great touring features.
The Ninja 1100 SX SE Has More Midrange Power
Power: 134 Horsepower
A recent update saw overall horsepower go down, but the torque figure went up, and more importantly, mid-range performance was improved. Much is made of mid-range performance when it comes to tourers, and that is for good reason. A flatter torque curve means we get access to the power at road-legal speed, unlike highly-strung sports bikes that have all their power near the top of the rev range, and by the time you get there, you will already be breaking at least one law.
A Balanced Performer
With that recent update, the displacement was also increased a little, but that had more to do with keeping the bike emissions-compliant than anything else. The fact that Kawasaki got this aging lump through global emissions tests is also a small wonder. We have seen several manufacturers ditch mid-range inline-four engines entirely because of how challenging this task is, not to mention how much more these engines cost to build. We are grateful, though, because these engines are almost perfectly balanced and offer the kind of smooth performance you just don’t get with a triple or twin.
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The Ninja 1100 SX SE Has An Uprated Suspension
As is the case with any Kawasaki SE, it denotes the fact that this offers an uprated suspension. The Öhlins S46 rear shock and Brembo front brakes address the only two complaints consistently leveled at the base model 1100SX. That is the fact that the rear suspension was fairly rudimentary for a modern tourer, and that the brakes lacked a bit of stopping power. This wasn’t really due to the quality of the calipers, but rather the fact that the stock brakes have rubber hoses.
The Brembos come with steel braided lines, and that makes all the difference. Simply upgrading the stock bike with steel braided lines will achieve similar results. The uprated shock, on the other hand, makes a huge difference. It offers more adjustment, and if you plan on doing two-up touring, the SE model will most certainly be the way to go. It offers more adjustment and improves the handling.
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All The Modern Features You Want, For Less
Like most of the bikes competing in this space, the Ninja 1100SX SE is positively feature-rich. Unlike the aforementioned Suzuki, the Ninja gets an IMU, which allows for both cornering ABS and lean-sensitive traction control. This adds some much-needed stability to the platform. Cruise control, ride modes, a quickshifter, and a TFT dash are all present, too. In addition to all these features that you would also find on the base trim, the SE also gets heated grips.
Chassis, Suspension, And Weight Specifications
|
Chassis |
Aluminum twin-spar |
|
Front Suspension |
41mm inverted telescopic Showa fork with compression and rebound damping, adjustable spring preload (4.7-in travel) |
|
Rear Suspension |
Horizontal back-link, Öhlins S46 gas-charged rear shock with rebound damping, remotely adjustable spring preload (5.6-in travel) |
|
Weight |
516 lbs |
Unfortunately, in an effort to keep the price more attractive, the nicely integrated color-matched luggage you see in some of the photos is optional. While this has become common practice, it is still a little frustrating to see a neat mounting system with nothing to mount to it. On the whole, this still offers incredible value for money. While it is not a real Ninja, it is still a fun bike to ride on a nice twisty canyon road. It has more than enough power for most riders, and enough comfort features to compete with bikes that all cost twice as much.
Sources: Kawasaki, BMW, Moto Guzzi