Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

- Although the pre-production bikes have solidly mounted engines, Kawasaki tells us that production units will have rubber-mounted engines as well as additional frame stiffiners. We were never bothered by vibration on the Turbo and can only hope the addition of the rubber mounting won't hun frame rigidity. Other changes from GPz specs include larger brake discs at both ends to handle.the Turbo's additional speed, and low-profile Michelin tires mounted on tri-spoke cast wheels that take c'are of the heeled-over-to-the-max duties. Topping the alterations off are a oew full-fairing, a stunning paint scheme and a revised seating position. The lOp of the fairing is similar to the GPz's half-fairing, but continuesdown to join up with an aluminum cross member and a plastic belly pan. Unlike some spon-bike fairings, theoneon the Turbo breaks the air cleanly and doesn't send currents of turbulence to disturb tbe rider. .The fairing's lowers add a aegree of wind and rain protection, although it's definitely not in the Vetter Windjammer class. Combined with theeffective fairing, the Turbo's seating position approaches the sportriding ideal. Slightly higher handlebars, an inch lower seat height and mildly rearset pegs help the Turbo rider avoid the boy-racer crouch that the GPz forces its pilot into. All in· atl. a very comfortable place to spend Sunday afternoon of canyon cruismg. Trips of a longer magnitude aren't handled as well, though. The main culprit here is the cut-down seat which is fine for holding the rider in place during full-boost acceleration and equally fine for executing hanging-off maneuvers in the twisties. but less than ideal for more sedate motoring. An inch or two of additional foam would help greatly, but might upset the bike's good seatpeg-handlebar relationship. Tbe Turbo's paint job is a showstopper. finished in gloss black with a swirl of red along its sides, the Turbo elicited praise from JUSt about everyone who laid eyes on it. If a paint scheme ever cried "speed," it's the one on the Turbo. For casual observers, small, tasteful turbo decals have been applied lO the side panels and tail section, just so they know there's something special lurking behind the racey fairing. As previously noted, the Turbo justifies its race-bred image with searing straight-line performance. Most straightaways have a corner attached at either end, thou~h, and Kawasaki saw lO it that their turbocharged hotrod was up to the task. As you might expect, the Turbo shows the same kind of rock-steady handling that the GPz is known for. Altbough a bit cumbersome compared to the newgeneration sport bikes equipped with 16-inch fronts, the Turbo is nonetheless a very capable partner when the time comes to put on your race face. Aided by excellent feedback from its strong front brakes and good road feel from the Michelin A48 front and M48 rear tires, the Turbo can be charged up lO a corner and leaned over with confidence. Once set, the bike doesn't wander, although it does take a fair amount of eHon on the stubby handlebars to negOl.iate right and left corners in quick succession. Ground clearance wasn't a problem for us, although. as delivered, the Kawasaki had a healthy series of scratches on the fairing's lower right side, evidence that at least one previous tester had ridden the Turbo with a fair degree of enthusiasm. In the lower three gears, the best battle plan is to roll the throttle on gently as you exit corners. A heavy hand can cause the bike to jump qui.ckly into its boost range, resulti.ng in an exciting rear-wheel slide. Even so, the tire gives sufficient warning, and for expert riders the slides are no cause for undue alarm. In fourth and fifth gears. the TurbO's punch is more subdued. The only glitch we could find in the turbo bike's handling occured on rough pavement, where it would walIowa bit at high speeds. This may ----------------------------------------- have been the result of the hard usage our test bille had already seen. In any case, it never bothered us enough to break out the lOols and air pressure guage to fiddle around wi th the suspensIOn sellmgs. All in all, Kawasaki has done a masterful job of excising the built-in handicaps of the turbo-dnven engine, while accentuating its positive aspects. But don't think the black-andred turbo charger is a panacea. Even though turbo lag is minimized greatly, it's still there. For inexperienced riders, cornering can be a tricky proposition. Although oH-boosttouringwill probably net milea~e figure,s in the low 40-mile-per-gallon range, expect the turbo-penalized norm lo be in the low 30s. And you can bet your smilin~ insurance agent will extract a much heavier toll when he sees the word "turbo" printed on the application forms. Something else to consider is price. Kawasaki hasn't set a suggested retail figure yet, but a spokesman we talked to mentioned a figure of "approximately $4500." With only one or two Turbos going lO each U.S. dealership, we wouldn't be surprised to see the price climb mysteriously lO the five grand level at some shops. That's a healthy chunk of change to pay Jar a motorcycle, turbocharged or not. Still, all that fades rapidly into insignificance - along with everything else on the road - when the Turbo comes into boost, the front wheel reaches for the clouds and you're travelling along quicker than you've ever been before. • S pacifications Engine Type Turbocharged. air-cooled. four-cyclinder four-stroke. Displacement 738cc. Bore x stroke 66 X 54mm. Compression ratio 7.8:1. Starting system Electric. Ignition system Transistorized. Transmission Flve:!p'eed. Carburetor Fuel injection. Frame Type Front tire Rear tire Double cradle. 110/90-18 tubeless. 130/80·18 tubeless. Dimensions Wheelbase Seat height Dry weight (claimed) Fuel capacity Suggested retail price 58.7 in. 30.7 in. 515 Ibs. 4.5 gal. Approx. $4500. 21

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