Kawasaki Ninja 1000 Suzuki Gsx1250fa

Kawasaki Ninja 1000 Suzuki GSX1250FA

CW COMPARISON

They're very big, very fast and very versatile

DON CANET

IN TODAY’S TOUGH ECONOMY, CONSUMers need to stretch their dollars as far as possible. Especially when buying a motorcycle. With the price of gas soaring again, a versatile bike that can serve multiple purposes makes better practical and economic sense now than it did three or four years ago. So, as you browse the showrooms and leaf through the brochures, you’re left to decide if you want narrow-focus specialization or broad-based versatility.

If you lean toward the latter, let us introduce you to a pair of poster bikes for that kind of thinking: the Kawasaki Ninja 1000 and Suzuki GSX1250FA, new-for-2011 models that have skills nicely suited for several different types of riding. Each offers an inspiring level of engine and chassis performance combined with a degree of comfort approaching that of some dedicated sporttouring machines. Both are essentially fully faired versions of existing sporty standard models (the Kawasaki Z1000 and Suzuki Bandit 1250S), allowing this pair to maintain a price point well below those of Open-class supersport or sporttouring bikes costing thousands more.

Even though these two share quite a few common traits—including a torquebased power delivery, spirited backroad handling and a roomy, upright riding position—they also have significant

differences that help define where each one fits in the greater scheme of riding styles. But one thing is certain: After piling on the miles commuting to and from work, putting in lengthy stints on the Interstates and giving each bike’s chassis, suspension, brakes and tires thorough workouts on a variety of twisty backroads, we can confirm that any promise of versatility made by these two is 100-percent genuine.

Following a year of laying low and clearing out existing 2009 inventory, American Suzuki is back with a fairly complete 2011 model line. The GSX1250FA (“F” stands for full fairing

and “A” for ABS) replaces the Bandit 1250S, a half-faired version of the same machine—except that the FA comes equipped with anti-lock brakes as a standard feature. We liked the big Bandito in the past and appreciate the added wind protection the new model provides.

Likewise, the Ninja 1000 delivers all the goodness of its Ten Best-winning Z1000 counterpart while offering improved comfort due to the addition of vibration-damping, rubber-covered and rubber-mounted footpegs (similar to those on the GSX), 10mm of additional seat foam for both rider and passenger, and a clever three-position manually ad-

A Unadulterated top-end power delivery A Most comfortable Ninja made A Fully adjustable fork :~owns Kawasaki Ninja 1000 V Exhaust mufflers can cramp your style V Extended seat time = saddle sore

justable windscreen. Its fuel tank holds one full gallon more than the Z1000’s, bringing the Ninja in line with the GSX’s 5-gallon capacity.

Close analysis of each bike’s power output as measured on the CW dyno paints a much different picture than just comparing the peak values alone. Enjoying a 212cc displacement advantage, the Suzuki’s 1255cc inline-Four closes to within a foot-pound of its maximum torque peak as early as 3500 rpm and makes 16 ft.-lb. more than the Ninja at the same revs. Both bikes maintain a very flat torque curve as rpm increases to 6500, which results in impressively linear horsepower outputs, as well. But at this point, the GSX has an engine tune that keeps it from exceeding 100 ponies the rest of the way to its 9500-rpm rev limiter. The Ninja, on the other hand, hits its stride above 6000 rpm with a pleasing rush of unrestricted delivery extending beyond 10,000 rpm.

Moreover, the Ninja benefits from a substantial power-to-weight ratio advantage of 3.88 pounds per pony compared to the 5.42:1 figure for the GSX. The Ninja also has lower overall gearing that yields 1000 more revs at equal road speeds in top gear, allowing it to walk away from the Suzuki during roll-on tests.

At the dragstrip, both bikes come off the line with very little clutch slip to permit full engagement shortly out of the hole, allowing the midrange grunt to do the work. Although I experimented with short-shifting the big Suzuki in an effort to keep it running close to the engine’s torque peak, the quickest passes were clocked when I shifted closer to redline.

On the street, however, I wasn’t bothered by the GSX’s neutered top-end delivery because the engine has such a muscular midrange pull. Spinning the silky-smooth-revving mill any higher produced a subtle tapering-off of acceleration that left me with a sense of controllability compared to the frantic top-end rush unleashed by so many other bikes.

In real-world use, the only time I found a need to tap into the Bandit’s upper revs was during spirited sport riding

when stretching a gear between corners to reduce the amount of left footwork. Whether casually carving up a backroad or threading through town, selecting a higher gear in the slick-shifting sixspeed box and just leaving it there often proved a viable option aided by the fuelinjection system’s crisp response even from basement revs.

For grunting around town, the Kawi is nearly as adept, with enough low-rpm torque to zip it around quite briskly— thanks in part to its 501-pound wet weight, which is 68 pounds below that of the GSX, and in part to its lower overall gearing. That relative lightness pays dividends when wheeling the Ninja around the garage, a task made easier by the grab handles flanking the passenger pillion. By comparison, the Suzuki feels a bit heavy when hoisting it onto its centerstand, but at least the stand is original

Suzuki GSXI 250FA .~ps A Steam locomotive low-end torque A Smooth operator A Centerstand and ABS are standard "owns V Let the motor breathe on top! V Packing a few extra pounds

equipment on the GSX, whereas the Ninja doesn’t even have provisions for one.

Once under way, the Suzuki hides its girth quite well for a bike of its size and weight. Steering is very neutral and turn-in effort is nearly as light as it is on the sportier Ninja. Not until you have to muscle the GSX upright out of a turn

or snap it through a side-to-side transition between corners does the handling feel noticeably heavier than the Ninja’s. Both bikes offer solid stability at speed and remain reasonably composed when cornering at a quick street pace.

The Kawi’s suspension calibration is the firmer of the two, delivering more-pronounced jolts from sharp-edged bumps. But it also offers more feel for what the front tire’s contact patch is dealing with at any given moment. The GSX, meanwhile, feels like it crushes the bumps it encounters while delivering a plusher-feeling ride, yet it maintains an impressive degree of chassis composure when ridden hard but fluidly on a winding road.

The forks on both bikes were able to absorb the sudden forward weight transfer caused by aggressive brake application without bottoming. The Ninja’s radial master cylinder and four-piston radial-mount calipers have superior power and feel better-suited to sport riding, while the anti-lock system on the GSX provides a safety margin that’s particularly mind-easing when riding in traffic.

While the cockpits on these two are somewhat similar, each bike’s ergonomics are representative of its roots. The GSX hints of sport-touring, with a morerelaxed reach to the grips and naturalfeeling bend in its tubular handlebar. The

Ninja looks and feels sportier, and the elbows-out angle of its cast aluminum bars feels a bit odd at first. The GSX has a height-adjustable saddle that can be raised 0.8-inch higher than the standard position to yield an inch more saddle-topeg room than is available on the Ninja. The Suzuki’s saddle also is broader and more deeply padded, allowing it to win the long-distance honors, as well. And while the Kawi’s exhaust canisters are stylish, they pose a clearance issue with the rider’s heels when riding with the balls of the feet on the pegs.

So, which of these liter-plus pavement-pounders comes out on top?

That’s a tough call. Picking a winner here comes down to the kinds of roads you prefer and the type of riding you do most. If track days and canyon dancing are in your blood, the Kawasaki has enough Ninja-family DNA to make it the clear choice—yet it’s no slouch as an everyday streetbike, either. But if you are tempted by having a higher level of comfort, unrivaled bottom-end torque and greater long-distance potential— while still being able to clip apexes with respectable grace and ease—the GSX1250FA is an excellent fit.

Considering that versatility is the criteria here, the edge goes to the Suzuki by the most minuscule of margins. But know this: Either way, you’re not likely to go very far wrong. □

KAWASAKI

NINJA 1000

$10,999

SUZUKI

LSX1 250FA

$11,599