2019-07-01_RiDE

delivers enough feedback to judge grip
accurately in dodgy conditions.
The VFR has no such problems with
steering; it goes where it’s pointed.
But the stock set-up is firmer than the
Kawasaki’s and, with a more canted-
forward riding position than the upright
SX, it feels much sportier.
Off the tunnel and into Continental
sunlight, we get our heads down and
blister across northern France. Both
bikes are comfy, in different ways —
the upright Z1000SX, with high bars
and short tank placing the rider in a
nice, compact, natural position, feels as
comfy as we finally roll into Grenoble at
7.30pm as it did 12 and a half hours
earlier. I’m genuinely impressed by my
lack of aches and pains — I haven’t even
had to shift around in the saddle. On the
motorway, the SX perfectly balances
wind and weight to minimise pressure.
Si on the Honda is also comfy, but the

VFR’s old-fashioned, stretched-out

position, with lower clip-ons than the SX

and a longer reach across the tank,

relies on speed to keep weight balanced.

Negotiating Grenoble’s traffic has Si

leaning on the tank, resting his wrists,

while I’m cucumber cool on the Kwack.

Day Two

Grenoble to Draguignan

256 miles, 10 hours

The N85 peels off the A480 at Exit 8,

Pont-de-Claix, a few minutes outside

Grenoble. A couple of miles later it hangs

a right over a river, then swings up to

start a long, long climb into the Alps.

The road is fast and twisting but it’s

early and cold and snow on the peaks

reminds us the damp tarmac isn’t to be

trusted. I set the Kawasaki’s traction

control to maximum, figuring I’d rather

have it involved too soon than too late.

As it turns out, a steady, smooth pace

doesn’t elicit any electronic intervention.

And it’s easy to deploy the Z1000SX’s

140bhp with care; its throttle control is

blissfully perfect, with no snatching or

glitches I can detect — just access to

the SX’s bountiful bottom-end drive,

smoothly rocketing across the

landscape with a measured, humming

ferocity. It’s in stark contrast to the

VFR’s hesitant throttle, several

generations less refined than the

JULY 2019 | 45

SPORTS

TOURING

SPECIAL

Low-lyingcloudand

damp,between

GrenobleandGap

SiH hits

SiL with the

classic 'Tiny

comedy

coffee cup'

prank

Autoroutequickest

routethroughFrance

Chunnel quickest

route to France