Sports Cycle

One of Our favourite bikes gets small but worthwhile improvements for the 2016 model year. The Kawasaki Z1000SX, which for many has taken over the do-anything sportstourer role of the Honda VFR800, gets a slipper clutch. The track-inspired mechanism brings two benefits: a lighter lever action, and partial disengagement to prevent the rear wheel locking up during rapid downchanges.

It will be standard on both the regular Kawasaki Z1000SX and the Tourer version, which comes with panniers. There will no longer be a non-ABS version. The colours have been tweaked – your choice is green, blue or grey – but prices are unchanged, at £9835 for the SX and £10,385 for the Tourer.

The Kawasaki Z1000SX’s adventure-styled cousin, the Versys 1000 (which already has a slipper clutch), gets a £200 price rise to £10,085 and comes in new colours.