Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

and without producing annoying helmet-buffeting side effects. There are many other things that make cruising down the highway joyful on the GPz, much of which has to do with the in-line, four-cylinder, 16-valve, water-cooled motor. It goes without saying that the GPz is a downright fast motorcycle. After all, it is propelled by the same motor that hauls the speedy ZX-ll around. However, the power characteristics are noticeably different, thanks to a new side-draft cylinder-head design, a quartet of smaller 36mm carburetors, new camshaft profiles and a new four-into-two-into-two exhaust system, all of which were combined to broaden the powerband in low- to middle-rpm range. Kawasaki claims the GPz is actually more powerful than the ZX-ll up to 4400 rpm. As a result, the GPz loves to be shortshifted with the throttle gently rolled on after each click of the shift lever, so you can savor the bike's awesome locomotive-type torque that will keep you grinning ear to ear from stoplight to stoplight. Our only complaint - albeit a minor one - is the bike's reluctance to pull its weight from a standstill. It bogs off the line requiring the rider to aggressively slip the clutch; but once you get rolling, and the revs come up, you're off to the races. It actually feels as though the bike is starving for fuel way down low, perhaps due to ultra-lean jetting for emissions requirements. Otherwise, the. engine runs cleanly. The hydraulically operated clutch has good feel as does the six-speed gearbox. Under hard acceleration, though, a loud clunk can be heard and felt from deep within the big engine cases if you carelessly dump the clutch with each shift. A smooth shift can be accomplished with careful clutch work but it takes some practice. But under less stressful conditions, at a more relaxed pace, the transmission works just fine without any special treatment. The GPz reaches cruising speeds in the blink of an eye, and once there, the motor hums along effortlessly, thanks to tall gearing that ideally suits the bike's motor. And to make things even better, there is no vibration to speak of at any rpm. The suspension is set up quite well out of the box - the ride is firm but not overly harsh. The 41mm conventional fork is nonadjustable, but the rear shock has four-way preload and rebound damping adjusters. Performance aside, the GPz just feels big. No one here mentioned the word cramped in the GPz's presence - instead, it offers a spacious layout that your joints and muscles will be thankful for after a long haul in the saddle. It truly is a very comfortable motorcycle, making it an ideal mount for everyday use. At speed it takes plenty of stopping power to haul in all that forward momentum once the GPz is up to speed. (Right) The heart of the mlltter: While the motor comes from the ZX-ll, the GPz's powerplant has been slightly re-tuned to give It a broader powerband at low rpm. Kawasaki ctalms the GPz has more power than the ZX-ll up to 4400 rpm. (Left) The falrlng/Windscreen does an admirable job keeping the windblast on the rider. The mirrors are well-placed, but the conventional forks are nonadjustable. (Below) The easyto-read instrument panel includes a fuel gauge and a digital clock. adjustable control levers, pop-up bungee hooks, well-placed mirrors and perhap best of all, a large 5.B-gallon gas tank. The GPz consistently traveled just over 210 miles on the open highways before having to switch to reserve. We could then ride the bike another 20 miles with confidence before starting to get nervous. Even then, we could still hear a fair amount of fuel sloshing around at the bottom of the tank after rolling up to the pumps. While by today's standards the GPz might look a little outdated, it more than makes up for its conservative styling in r9951awasakl c;pzrroo SpecIlIcalions EngIne D1lp1l1Celllent Baril stroke Cooling Carbtntion 4-stroke, in-line four, 16-valves :1052cc 76.0 x 58.0mm liquid Side-draft, Keihin CVK36mm x 4 IFIlIon digi1al, rev limiter 11,000 rpm TI'III8IIlII8Ion &-speed DrIve .x-ring chain BaIIiIry Maintenance tree FrIme DoubIe-aacie, high-tensie steel RIlle 27 degrees TI'III 11 Omm Suspension Fron1: 41mrn, telescopic fOl1I ....................Rear: Unj·Trak, single shock, 4-way~. p19kJad and reIlolnl ~ selIilgs Swingann Box-section steel Wheel travel Front: 4.7 inches ...................Rear: 4.9 inches TIre, front .....•.....120160 ZR17 tubeless radial TIre, filii' ......•..... 170160 ZR17 tubeless racial BrIkeI .......•..... Front: 300mm dual disc, twin-pisIon calipers ...................Rear: 250mm single disc, single-piston ca6per Seet~ 31.1 in. Dry weight (cIIImed) ..533.6 Fuel CIJI8CIlY 5.8 gal. WIleelbaR : ..59.6 in. Suggest I'lItlIII price .. .$7899 Luckily, the front and rear disc brakes are well up to the task. The obvious trade-off for the GPz's excellent straight-line stability is its lack of cornering prowess. The word "flickable" just isn't in the GPz's vocabulary. It takes a fair am,ount of strength by the rider to initiate the turns, and the front end feels as though it wants to tuck underneath itself as you start your lean. You'll feel as though you just completed a hard session of arobics after a long series of switchbacks on the GPz. . There are many other amenities that would make this bike enjoyable to own, such as a digital clock, a quick push-toreset tripmeter, a fuel gauge, easy-toread instrumentation, dual helmet locks, functionality. We appreciated the GPz's many fine qualities and the bike quickly became a favorite here at the office, especially for one tester who commutes over 140 miles a day. He simply refused to give the bike up even in trade for a YZF750. It is just hard to beat the GPz when it comes to overall comfort, smoothness, power, and long range between fill-ups. In our opinion, the GPzllOO could be the surprise bike of the year. fN While Cycle News believes the foregoing test reliable, it is the opinion of the reviewers only and should not be relied upon in determining the performance or safety of the vehicle(s). The reader should make his or her own investigation. 25

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