Kawasaki Ninja 1100SX

A motorcycle with an inline-four engine is perhaps the most sought-after in India. Power, and more importantly, the visceral scream of these engines, are the biggest draw. Put that in a capable chassis, wrap it with bodywork and add some practicality, and voila, we’ve got the Kawasaki Ninja 1100SX.

Successor to the Ninja 1000 SX, the bump in displacement comes with higher peak torque, revised gearing, and a host of other additions like an IMU-based electronics suite. It has gotten more expensive, but does this formula still tick? Especially in the day and age, as well as the state of our roads, which makes people lean towards ADVs.

Well, some ADVs certainly can’t come close to the visual appeal of the Ninja 1100SX. It carries the Kawasaki Ninja DNA when it comes to styling, and that’s evident in its twin LED headlights, sharp fairing with its cuts and creases, and the upswept tail section. Even the bulky fuel tank adds to the visual mass of the bike, and I certainly like the proportions of the motorcycle. The Ninja 1100SX looks sporty without being OTT.

The black colour that’s seen on our test bike certainly adds to that effect, although I feel Kawasaki should have offered the bike in Green as well. But the biggest eyesore is the ugly saree guard that the bike ships with. It seems as if Kawasaki has deliberately come up with that hideous design to take a dig at the absurd ‘saree guard’ mandate by the authorities. Well, Kawasaki, I’m totally with you and I wish the said rule is abolished. Nevertheless, a set of spanners is all it’ll take to yank the saree guard off the bike, so there’s no need to sweat it.

As far as quality is concerned, there’s nothing to complain about. Everything feels built to last, and in most cases, Japanese bikes are bulletproof.

At the heart of the bike is an ultra-sweet inline-four engine. Compared to its predecessor, it gets a bump in displacement, however, the peak power has dropped from 142bhp to 135bhp. Peak torque, however, has risen from 111Nm to 113Nm. To counter this, Kawasaki has added a larger rear sprocket to alter the gearing for better acceleration. The fifth and sixth gears are also taller, which translates to lower RPMs at highway speeds. This will also help improve fuel economy.

Under the large bodywork is a twin-tube aluminium frame that’s suspended by an adjustable USD fork and monoshock with a nifty remote preload adjuster.

The features list is also pretty comprehensive, with all-LED lights, cruise control, and a TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity. There’s a new USB-C charger as well, which is useful but could’ve been better executed in its placement. All said, the Ninja 1100SX is comprehensively loaded with all the features you’d expect in today’s times.

The moment you are seated on the wide, plush, and comfortable perch of the Ninja, you get a sense of its sport-touring capabilities. This, along with the slightly forward-leaning riding position and the mildly rear-set pegs, results in a motorcycle that proves to be supremely comfortable, no matter the hours spent in the saddle. Even my pillion rider had praises to shower for the generous padding and comfort that the seat offered. And you will spend those hours munching miles effortlessly because this motorcycle’s inline-four engine is an absolute gem.

It has a dual personality that I quite like. At low speeds, this engine doesn’t mind sitting in high gears while pootling around town. There’s no dearth of flexibility here, and even squeezing in between small gaps in slow-moving traffic requires just a gentle twist of the wrist. That’s the code for a motorcycle that’ll happily handle commuting duties. The best part, however, is the heat management. I was stuck in a two-hour jam on one of Mumbai’s arterial roads, and the engine didn’t throw any tantrums. It does get warm, but never to the point of being uncomfortable.

For all its disciplined manners in the city, the Ninja’s engine packs enough firepower to get up to serious speeds in no time. The acceleration off the line is brisk, considering its 238kg kerb weight, and getting to triple-digit speeds and beyond is effortless. Not to mention the aggressive tone from the exhaust as the revs climb to the redline. That typical inline-four scream is addictive, and I’m guilty of unnecessarily sticking to gears for longer, just to indulge myself.

But the real deal that makes the Ninja such a brilliant sport tourer is how effortless it feels at cruising speeds, the taller fifth and sixth gears helping in this regard. The engine settles into a sweet hum, the scenery breezes by, and you get a sense that munching miles is what the middle name of this bike should’ve been. This is one of my favourite inline-four engines this side of the mighty Suzuki Hayabusa’s engine.

Complementing this lovely engine is the suspension setup that works well, even in the stock settings. It’s borderline plush without being bouncy like a pogo stick, so those haphazard patchworks on the road, odd potholes, and erratic rumblers are dealt with without throwing you off the seat or giving you a backache.

Even the handling is brilliant for the size of this bike. At low or high speeds, the Ninja is poised and confident. Even direction changes won’t seem like a challenge once you get used to the weight of the bike.

All said, the brakes, though good, could do with better hardware. Repeated hard braking makes the lever go soft, and perhaps a set of steel-braided brake lines could serve as a fix.

The Kawasaki Ninja 1100SX finds itself in a rather unique spot in the market. At Rs. 14.42 lakh, it’s expensive, but there’s nothing quite like it either. It bundles practically with everyday usability while packing a delectable engine that has all it takes to keep you entertained for years.

It’s the easiest way for one to achieve their dream of owning a 1,000cc, inline-four engine motorcycle. For those looking for a no-nonsense, Japanese sport touring motorcycle, it doesn’t get better than this.

Images by Kaustubh Gandhi