Kawasaki hasn’t played around with the handling, either, which was not a fault of the old model. There’s a slightly stiffer spring at the rear, but that’s about it. For a large bike, the GTR can be hustled along with confidence, but you need a lot of confidence in the front Bridgestone tyre, which has been specifically designed for this model. The new linked ABS braking is excellent, and it’s changeable for riding fully loaded or with pillion and luggage.
The powerplant is taken from the mighty ZZ-R1400 but detuned for more midrange. The GTR also boasts variable valve timing, which has the smoothest operation on the market, far better than Honda’s VFR. It also has nearly 140bhp and gallons of torque, both of which are class-leading.
There is no reason to question the Kawasaki 1400’s reliability as the ZZ-R14 on which it’s based is proving bulletproof and Kawasaki are renown for producing reliable motors. MCN ran the older GTR problem free for 30,000 mile in a year, without a glitch. Shaft drive will add to its longevity.
There are bargains to be had on used GTRs if you're patient and don't mind a bike with higher than average mileage and good examples can be snapped up for around £7000. That's a lot of bike for not a lot of cash. Find a Kawasaki GTR1400 for sale.
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The second generation GTR comes with more options as standard like heated grips, larger screen, ABS and traction control as standard. There is also an additional mode button on the left bar to scroll through the informative clocks while the electric screen is pre-programmable. The GTR also comes with a switchable 'Eco mode' which works at lower revs to improve fuel consumption. Compare and buy parts for the GTR1400 in the MCN Shop.