January 25, 2009

2009 Kawasaki 1400GTR


The Kawasaki 1400GTR is a great sport touring machine. Gong and me can testify how Tok Mat pulls this bike all the way to Kuantan from Temerloh while our speedo constantly reads the 260km/h following him. He also prove how this bike is great (and he too) on the Batu Arang twisties corners while most of the road are covered with patches and sand. I must admit I like this bike. You've got 155bhp and 136Nm of torque from a re-tuned ZZR1400 a.k.a Zx14 engine with Variable Valve Timing & ram-air. It weights 279kg dry. But it would not agree with me on the usage.

Around the net, the GTR could be improve with heated grips (which we don't use), glove compartment on side fairing (could be good), adjustable seat high (kawi offers gel seat which is more comfortable although the seat itself already are, and you can adjust the suspension bracket to adjust the high of the bike, like your height will differs in a few days huh?), electronic cruise control (errr... nevermind, i'm not planning to leave my attention to the road while i'm flying this monster) and outside temperature gauge (you're already outside!).

So to summarize, this is a near perfect sport tourer for me. Kawasaki made a good job here. A class leader.

More photos :







Side mirror width are well design to match the panniers. So if you pass the front, you'll pass your end. But this might troubles navigating through the traffic, especially when you have those box removed.





Features :

Tyre pressure sensor. No need for regular tyre pressure checks. Sensors deliver that information straight to the instrument console.


Shaft drive. A real benefit for the long-distance traveller - virtually maintenance-free shaft drive.


Electric Screen. Deflect wind and weather with the electrically adjustable screen, reducing fatigue so you can ride further and longer.


12V Socket. An all purpose DC socket with a capacity of 70W makes it easy to use electrical accessories.


Panniers. The large-volume panniers are integrally designed and easy detachable.


1400GTR Motor. Precision engineering is the secret of the 1400GTR’s extraordinary torque delivery across the rev range. Variable valve timing optimises torque for blistering acceleration, yet still delivers smooth power for high-speed cruising.


KIPASS (Kawasaki’s Intelligent Proximity Activation Start System) increases your bike’s security wherever you travel.

Don't worry about losing them. You can order up to 6 unit of them from Kawasaki, you get 2 fobs as standard. The bike sense the nearby fobs within 1.5m range. You can park the bike and walk away while the fob are inside your pocket. It is secured. If you drop your fob after starting the bike, a warning will show on the LCD screen if the bike are away from the sensor range and the bike engine will stay running. If you stop the engine, you only have 10 seconds to start it back again without the fobs before it gets disabled. The GTR will also tell you when the fobs battery are running low.


ABS Braking. Linked petal brake discs all round, and radially-mounted front calipers allied with ABS, ensure composed braking under all conditions.


Tank compartment. Two golden rules of touring – don’t waste space and have essentials immediately to hand. Convenient tank compartment allow for quick access to documents, credit cards and cash.


Rear suspension. Touring riders demand convenience. Rear preload is quickly adjustable to compensate for a passenger and luggage.


Long range. With its 22-litre fuel tank the 1400GTR is in it for the long haul. Comfortably exploit its range thanks to the supertourer’s ergonomic layout and capable monocoque chassis.


Inverted fork. A true super-tourer wouldn’t be complete without adjustable and compliant upsidedown forks.


Comfort seat. You’ll spend hours in the seat of your 1400GTR on your transcontinental adventures. It’s been designed with long-distance comfort as the main priority.


Concentric Instruments. With constantly changing traffic and road conditions, you’ll appreciate the clarity of the concentric instrument panel. All the information you need at the quickest of glances.


Accurate Injection. Precise two-stage fuel injection guarantees dependably smooth power delivery at all engine speeds.


Exhaust. Designed to comply with stringent Euro emissions regulations, the GTR’s exhaust still makes the most of the high-perfomance ZZR1400-derived motor.