KAWASAKI 1400GTR

A Sydney to Melbourne day trip of over 1200km is a thorough test of any motorcycle - and rider - but what better way to assess Kawasaki's flagship GTR1400

WHAT WE LIKE 
Plenty of legroom 
Superb dynamics 
Nimble in twisties 
Fuel injection

NOT SO MUCH 
'Doughy' down low

I opted for the coast road out of Sydney rather than the radar-infested Hume Droneway to ensure the 1400GTR received a proper taste of Aussie conditions. That section from Eden to Orbost in the south-east corner of Oz had me licking my chops in anticipation.

With an 1100km-plus day trip ahead of me I reckoned on getting home around 10.30pm that night, allowing for photo stops and sustenance intake. What I hadn't allowed for was school holidays - and a police blitz on motorcycle speeding. I seemed to be confronted with "Loss of Licence" reminders and "Police Targeting Speeding Motorcyclists" every few kilometres from Sydney to Narooma.

The holiday traffic was horrendous - both in intensity and behaviour. Still, the unexpected hazards gave plenty of opportunity to assess the world's fastest touring motorcycle in conditions that at times were a fair way outside its comfort zone. And make no mistake, the 1400GTR can legitimately lay claim to be the world's fastest tourer.

After my full day in the saddle I reckon the GTR falls into the heavy-hitter category rather than the sportstourer class. It's got heaps of luggage carrying capacity, weighs over 300kg fully fuelled, has shaft drive and ABS, and is deceptively fast. Oh for a German-type autobahn between Melbourne and Sydney!

The GTR doesn't have the over-the-top luxo surrounds of a K12LT or a GoldWing, with Yamaha's FJR1300 and Honda's ST1300 the $23,999 GTR14's primary targets.

My day ride involved getting sunburnt from Sydney to Batemans Bay, rained upon from Orbost to Lakes Entrance, and then being snap-frozen from Bairnsdale to Melbourne. I started my day in the saddle in partially unzipped jacket sans liner, summer gloves and lowered screen, a bright-red face proof of the summery weather and UV rays bombarding my visor. I then finished the day with jacket liner in place, polar-fleece top, and screen fully raised to keep the chill night air off my chest. All in one day!

When I finally rolled into my driveway at 11.30pm that night I'd learned to appreciate the bike's great mile-eating ability - from 50km/h coastal towns to the 'go to jail' sections near the NSW/Victorian border. During one stint I managed 330km from the 22lt tank, with 2lt still in reserve. Overall consumption was an economical 5.8lt/100km, although this stretched out a little in the 'fang' sections.

There was plenty of legroom for my 187cm torso, and when numb-bum occasionally set in a quick stand-and-stretch session on the pegs had circulation restored. Most of the time I had the electrically operated screen in its lowest setting, as this surprisingly gave me the least buffeting. When things cooled in the evening the raised setting was my preferred option to keep the cold air at bay. Kawasaki offers a larger screen as part of the 14's accessory range, along with heated grips.

Dynamically the GTR is superb. The ABS brakes have little of the pulsing feel of earlier ABS systems, and offered plenty of power and feel in faster going.

Just like its ZX-14 brother, the 1400GTR is one of those bikes that feels better the faster it goes. It hasn't been designed for Australia's draconian 110km/h speed limits, but for the autobahns of Europe where a comfortable 180km/h cruising speed is the machine's forte.

Although the ZX-14's engine has been re-engineered with variable valve timing and other tweaks, I found it somewhat 'doughy' down low - especially on the coast road's legal limit of 100km/h when in the over-drive sixth gear. Admittedly that soft feel is relative to the strong mid-range and top-end, but I found it better to snick back a cog or two for fast overtaking.

At 120km/h in top gear the engine is spinning at 3500rpm - okay for reasonably rapid overtaking. But drop down to two gears and that 120km/h now registers just over 5000rpm on the easily-read analogue tacho, and acceleration is closer to eyeball-flattening. Power delivery is smooth and progressive, with maximum torque delivered at 6200rpm (peak power is at 8800rpm).

Feel at the throttle is impressive, and the fuel-injection system offers smooth transition from off to on. No jerkiness around town, either.

Get the big Zed percolating in the 5000-8000rpm zone and it's one of the most comfortable and fastest point-to-point bikes on the planet. For a bike that weighs up around 450kg with rider, luggage and fuel it was surprisingly nimble in the twisties, and rock-solid at speed over the bumpy bits. The Bridgestone BT021 tyres were well up to the task too.

There's lots to like about the 1400GTR. The dash is easily-read, with multi-functions available via the trip computer. Even tyre pressures can be checked when on the move, and there's a centrestand - not that an owner needs to worry about lubing a chain.

I wasn't overly taken with the KIPASS key system and remote fob though, but perhaps I'm just old-fashioned. I reckon it's a bit gimmicky. I also found the low-mounted mirrors a tad annoying as I had to take my eyes off the road ahead to check what was happening on the road behind, rather than simply shifting my gaze sidewards.

However, I loved the pannier removal system - the simplest I've ever sampled.

I also loved the 14's wombat-roasting headlights, especially when on high-beam. 

Sure-footed, fast, comfortable and well-finished - the 1400GTR is a fitting model to carry Kawasaki's flagship moniker.


LIMITED OPTIONS
Kawasaki has a range of genuine accessories available for the GTR1400. Among the items available are: 
High windscreen 
39lt topbox 
Pannier inner bags 
Gel seat 
Pannier scuff protection 
Crash protection bars 
Heated handgrips 

VARIABLE APPROACH
Kawasaki's GTR1400 utilises progressive variable valve timing to provide strong power delivery throughout the range. Camshaft timing varies in response to rpm and throttle position, with Kawasaki claiming "high torque output in the low and medium rpm ranges and awesome high-rpm power on top end" as a result.

An ECU-controlled OCV (Oil Control Valve) changes the pressure of oil in the chambers of an actuator located at the end of the intake camshaft. As the pressure changes, oil is fed into or out of the chambers via holes in the crankshaft.

The changing volume of oil causes the actuator to move, rotating the camshaft, thereby changing valve timing.

This is a different system to the one employed on Honda's VFR800, which switches between two and four-valve operation.

The intake timing is retarded at low rpm, reducing the valve overlap for cleaner, more efficient combustion in the low-rpm range. Depending on the parameters of engine speed and throttle position, full advance is achieved around 7000rpm.

To see the system in operation, refer to http://www.kawasaki.com/.

WHAT'S A TETRA LEVER?
Kawasaki has opted for a dual-sided, four-link swingarm on the 1400GTR - which it calls Tetra Lever. It is designed to offset the lifting or squatting tendency of shaft drives when the throttle is opened and closed.

Two-point jointed shafts are used, which Kawasaki claims ensures a smooth power delivery to the road surface.

The Tetra-Lever rear suspension is supported at four points on the left and right side and mounts to Kawasaki's Uni-Trak suspension system.

By using jointed levers, the Tetra-Lever system creates a longer effective swingarm, moving the point of rotation (or "virtual swingarm pivot") forward.

Kawasaki claims the benefit of the Tetra Lever is that vertical movement that results from this rotational force is minimised.