Ninja 1000sx (new) or H2 SX SE (used)

[megaross]

After a couple of years on a tiger 1050 and 20,000 miles of all season riding (bike is my main form of transport) I'm growing sick of adventure bike drawbacks and want to move back to a sports tourer with the emphasis on sports.

I'm at a point now where I can probably stretch my savings and a loan to get something a bit new and nice and want to move back on to a sports tourer as it fits the riding I like to do far better.

Budgeting probably a maximum of £14k I've come up with the two contenders.

A brand new Z1000SX would be nice, all the shininess and assurance you can break it in right that comes with a new bike. Never owned anything remotely new as a vehicle so that has it's draw, drawback seems to be lack of aftermarket parts for them though - my aim would be buy a stocker and fit it out how I want it (tasteful exhaust, crash protection, centre stand, tall screen and quick release givi luggage)

I could stretch to a used H2SX though, all the bells and whistles, more power, more suspension, more aftermarket parts and I could finally keep up with my ZZR1400 riding best mate (whilst seriously annoying him I have a nicer bike for once) probably outdo him in the corners. My only concern is whether I want to live with an absolute hairy monster every day and is it going to be a cramped tourer.

Mechanically I'd be doing all servicing and repairs myself, no stranger to taking bikes and cars apart right down to a box of engine bits, working with the electrical systems on modern stuff etc. So that's no concern.

I'm 6'6" and prop forward build, I've had a sit on both and both feel pretty much ok but to live with on long tours I'm dubious as to whether I'll end up cursing one more than the other.

What do we reckon, what would you do?
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'07 Tiger 1050

[MarJay]

The SX SE is a bit too much for commuting I think, and a bit too much as an only bike. It's meant for people who have 3 or more bikes that do different things I think, and it's a bit of a gimmick.

I rode the 2017 Z1000SX and it was a good bike. The issue with it was the turn in was a tad sluggish, and for me the vibes weren't all that good for me. The new Ninja 1000 seems to be better for handling according to all the reviews, with Kawasaki having tweaked the geometry somewhat. Personally I would go used over new, but if the new improved handling is important to you then that would certainly be my choice of those.

The ZX14 is far too much of a huge bus for me to consider I reckon. Powerful? Yes, but weight is the enemy of acceleration and handling, so the Ninja 1000 should win out.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[megaross]

Thanks MarJay, I suppose on the commuting front it's down to perspective. I've used bigger stuff as commuter/ town bike and have no qualms with that - I used to regularly filter through heavy traffic on my sprint 955.

Used Z1000SX come with a lot less of the nice rider updates for me. I suppose I could give it a year to wait for the Ninja to have a few lightly used bikes on the market and spend the money on better suspension and those giant cans of red bull.

Thing is with the H2SX there's always the sense of "Do I get one now when I'm 28 and my body can hack it or wait til I'm 50 and my joints creak like a bed in a whorehouse"

May have to locate a couple of demo bikes to compare the two I suppose
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'07 Tiger 1050

[PotatoHead202...]

Bigger stuff isn't terrible for commuting (I use my k1300gt) but smaller is better.

Forgive me, but why not something like a s1000xr or multistrada? They're surely going to be better for any filtering (emphasis on vision here) and I doubt a z1000 would keep up with either tbh at most speeds.
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Honda VFR1200F, Honda CBF500 ABS, CZ125 now CZ175

[Ste]

The draw back of that brand new Z1000SX is that you'll be the one taking a big hit on depreciation as soon as you wheel it out of the showroom. Whether that's outweighed by the advantages of the bike never being (ab)used by previous owners is a matter of opinion.

An H2SX would be a tempting option.

The real answer is as you say to find some demo bikes and see which you get on best with.

[MarJay]

[wr6133]

ZZR14 is a barge, very comfortable barge. If you are riding it around local A & B roads it's the wrong bike. If you are riding to Berlin it's the sensible choice. The speed doesn't even make up for the lack of handling, in real terms on the road it's not really much quicker off the mark than a litre bike and once you start playing in corners it will wallow. I thrashed one around the Stonehenge area and the only time it made sense was on the dual carriageway part of the A303 when it was luxurious and plush. Problem is when I came off at Andover all that comfort became irrelvent as I tried to muscle the thing round a potholed mini-roundabout.

Z1000, sensible choice.I've only been on one for 10 minutes can't say anything good or bad.

H2SX..... Not seen or ridden. It's supercharged, you only live once and the fun police will one day make owning one hard I'd buy this.

Though I think unless you have piles of cash in a vault somewhere 14k for a year round daily rider is mad. Better off buying a daily for a couple of grand and a serious toy with the remaining 12k.

[megaross]

[Kentol750]

One of the bike mags did this comparison and the z1000sx won. I had one and it was brilliant. There's some good deals to be had on 19 models at the moment too.
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Some bikes.

[UncleFester]

Another vote for Z1000 here - had it getting on 2+ years now and love it as much as i did when i first got it.

That 1400 is a lump and the H2 ... feels like overkill.

Some cracking deals to be had just now and even more so if Corona takes hold ...... the new model year has quickshift up and down too along with better display and some other minor tweaks.

If you don't care about that i reckon you'd get a last year model for a fair bit less.
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Module 1 and 2 passed - October 2014. Happy owner of a 2017 Z1000SX, ex owner of a YBR125 / CB500 / VFR800.

[megaross]

New model also has tft dash, cruise control, single sided exhaust (cheaper to replace aftermarket), slightly wider seat and a different steering rake angle. All of which are sort of selling it to me over the previous model.

Still wanting to try out a H2SX but reckon the Ninja with a decent race can and a dyno tune may be the way to go.

My thinking is it'll be more pleasant to ride something far more sensibly powered through the Pyrenees or whathaveyou than the H2SX which might feel like it's too powerful to really harness on anything other than a track or autobahn.

Any qualms with the suspension on the Z1000SX or is it pretty solid for an OEM unit?
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'07 Tiger 1050

[MarJay]

[UncleFester]

Apparently the OEM tyres don't help - RoadSmartIII are excellent in that regard.
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Module 1 and 2 passed - October 2014. Happy owner of a 2017 Z1000SX, ex owner of a YBR125 / CB500 / VFR800.

[1198]

If I didn't buy the ZZR1400 I know that every time I walked up to whichever bike I did get I'd feel a little sad.

Maybe not too much if it was supercharged, but a tiny bit sad..

[megaross]