Average Joe was able to test ride the Kawasaki GTR 1400 recently and seemed to have a rather good time!

Kawasaki GTR 1400 – by Average Joe

The Kawasaki GTR 1400 is a large tourer and a very different ride from the world of sports bikes. This type of bike has always looked as if it is a bit of an old man bike, but there are a number of big suprises in store once you get out on the road. There is also the fact that some police forces have used these and are the bike of choice so, there must be some rather impressive things about it!

The first thing that comes to mind when getting on this bike is the size, this is a big heavy bike and so is rather intimidating to climb on board, that said as soon as you sit down on it you are made happier by the sheer comfort of the seat and so it is time to start looking a the myriad of control that are all over the place on the arms as well as control panel area. The core controls are of course the same as with 99% of bikes but there are plenty of extra options, some of which make you think “Why do I need that!” but I will cover that shortly. So once given an quick A-Z of what is what the test ride began.

The Ride

Riding a bike of this size was something different and as with any ride you have to start slow to get on the road and when you are not ready for how a bike like this is ridden it is a little un-nerving. The weight of the bike is immediately obvious and makes you wonder how you can control it comfortably. BUT THEN – you start moving a little faster and once you get going it starts to make a bit more sense. Riding a bike like this requires a change in riding style, with the lighter sports bikes you are leaning to make a noticeable change in direction and little effort is required to do this, but with the GTR your body weight is a more noticable part of the ability to turn. How would you describe the way you ride a GTR? TO be honest the best description is to say that you steer with your buttocks! This sounds strange but turning on abike like this it is more about using your body to make the bike lean and then you are using the handles to stop the turn going to far. It seems an unusual idea and takes a bit of getting used to to but once you have the idea it is suprisingly easy to control and steer. Once you have a few miles under your belt and feel more comfortable with most of the riding you then find that the slow speed control is suprisingly well balanced and controallable after all. When riding the GTR we tried completing some figure of 8′s and a slalom and the bike took it really well with the weight actually seeming to help with keeping the movement smooth

The Power

There is a lot of it. When you get on a 1400 you know there has to be a fair amount of power, even if the bike is large there has to be a benefit of the size and this bikes does it in spades. The engine offers an impressive acceleration in pretty much any gear and then for those looking to clock up some motorway miles it has an overdrive gear to help you with some fuel consumption, the only downside of the overdrive is the lack of power if you were to need to make a sudden change of speed on the road to avoid a problem as it just will not happen. The range of the gears is impressive with the book saying that 0-60 in 3.6 seconds, 155bhp and an alledged top speed of 160mph you know that really you are riding a beast.

The Extras

With a bike of this size and the likely clientele it comes with a number of extras that can make life a little easier. The first was the moveable screen, whilst this is not the newest of functions and once you have stopped moving up and down for a laugh you are wondering when you might use this function to the most. There are a few benefits of this, the first was that as I am over 6 foot this meant that when the rain started the screen would not go high enough to stop the rain hitting me but with the ability to move the screen up and down I could get the wind coming over the top of the screen to hit straight onto the visor and so it acted like a windscreen wiper and I never had to wipe my visor clean. Also once you are on a longer ride on a motorway it really comes into its own and when the air is crisp the screen helps to keep the cold air from getting you extremely cold.

The Kawasaki GTR 1400 also comes with a few extras toys and tools such as a ABS, outside air temperature, matched 35 litre panniers colour matched to the bike and keyless start. With these days also of the petrol companies (and mostly the goverment) taking petrol prices to record highs once again there is a ‘Fuel Economy Assistance Mode’ on the bike that the rider can activate thay informs the bikes ECU to lessen the bikes ride style from power and more towards effeciency to make the bike for further on the gold that you poor in the petrol tank. Also to assist the petrol use even more there is also an “Economical Riding Indicator” on the LCD screen to help to train your riding stlye in a way to maximise petrol consumption.

Summary Of The Kawasaki GTR 1400

As you know I am a 30 something, with the belly and ageing back and so me this was a very comfortable ride. Coming off the usual sports bike ride onto a machine of this size and style was a lovely change and offered a much more comfortable riding position and well padded seat. The driving position makes you feel like the king of the road and you want to lord it over others knowing that you have this massive lump of power should you want to use it.

This was a nice suprise and makes you question actually what type of bike you may want to ride in the future, as the initial impression is that it is a bit of an old man bike but this is taken away after a short ride and the practicality with the panniers and amount you could carry are great options as well. And at £13,000 it is a pretty high bike price but you are getting a lot for the money. If you are thinking of a more practical bike and were instinctively trying a Pan (thats what most people suggest) give this a try if you have a fwe more quid to spend, you would not be dissapointed! Also for a bike of this size it looks pretty mean as well.

Kawasaki GTR 1400 with colour matched panniers