Kawasaki 1400 GTR ABS

You can’t miss out that how ballistic the Kawasaki 1400 GTR looks in flesh, at least I cannot. The motorcycle looks B.I.G. from every angle you look at it, with gigantic proportions to match its gran tourismo personality. However, keeping the massive size of the motorcycle beside, you also can’t ignore the fact that the motorcycle hasn’t received any major changes in design since 2012. This very fact curbs its novelty and makes the 1400 GTR feel slightly dated in terms of appeal.

The front bulky stance of the Kawasaki 1400 GTR itself is enough to depict the whole persona of the bike, with the huge front fairing giving you a sense of comfort and high-speed rideability. At the front, the large fairing incorporates a twin headlamp setup, which looks big and shaped like the eyes of a bird. At the top of the headlamp unit is positioned a large transparent windscreen, which is adjustable as per the rider’s preference. The small, triangular turn indicators are mounted on the front edges of the fairing at the forepart. The fairing mounted rear view mirrors are positioned ergonomically well.

Moving to the sides, the gargantuan size of the Kawasaki 1400 GTR is further accentuated by the amount of bodywork which has gone into, engulfing the 22-litre fuel tank and mildly exposing the engine. The single piece seat is large and fully accommodative to seat two full-size adults with ease. The rear tailpiece of the 1400 GTR, however, has a minimalist design with a tiny LED tail lamp. However, the factory fitted full-size panniers mounted on the sides of the pillion seat mean pure business. The dual exhaust pipes are a straight lift-off from the ZX-14R and go well with the XXL size of the 1400 GTR.

As like the overall motorcycle, the part digital instrument console of the Kawasaki 1400 GTR has an old school feel but is comprehensive by every bit. Sitting atop of the two large Low-speed dials, one each for speedometer and tachometer is a big rectangular LCD screen, which provides you gazillion of real-time data on the go. The 1400 GTR comes equipped with clip-on handlebars manoeuvrability, it misses out on a proper full-fledged audio system as seen on all of its direct rivals.

The basic essential for a touring motorcycle is the levels of comfort it can provide you on the go. And the 1400 GTR, even after having a visual appeal of a motorcycle from the last decade, feels as if it has been designed keeping modern riding conditions in mind.

The 1400 GTR sits on a monocoque aluminium frame, and is equipped with 43 mm inverted fork with adjustable rebound damping and spring preload at the front and Bottom-Link Uni-Trak, gas-charged shock, Tetra-Lever, with adjustable rebound damping and spring preload at the rear. As expected, this suspension setup is tuned on a plusher side in order to convert it into a comfortable touring missile.

As opposed to the expectations, the 1400 GTR does not share its powertrain with the ZX-14R but comes with an altogether different engine – a four-stroke, inline four, liquid cooled, 1352cc engine. Matching the ballistic looks of this motorcycle is the hyper-performance of this engine, which produces 160 PS of maximum power output and 136 Nm of torque.

Matching the technical prowess of this inline four engine is a 6-speed gearbox which transmits all the power to the rear wheel via a shaft drive, as seen on a majority of touring motorcycles.

The braking duties on the 1400 GTR are pioneered by the dual 310 mm disc brakes at the front and a single 270 mm disc brake at the rear. Being an old-school motorcycle, the Kawasaki 1400 GTR misses out on many of the electronics present in its competitors. Nevertheless, it still packs in some of the goodies like tire pressure monitoring system, Kawasaki Traction Control and ABS.

Sitting at the top among the best of the Kawasaki lineup, the 1400 GTR is quite an impressive motorcycle. The overall design and bulky stance of the 1400 GTR reminds you of the motorcycle from the past, given its dated appeal. It nowhere matches the technological prowess of other Kawasaki flagships like the Ninja ZX-14R and the mighty Ninja H2. However, the 1400 GTR still manages to command some serious road presence even after existing for so long time in the market.

However, beneath that dated outfit of the 1400 GTR hides gem of a mechanical setup. The combination of monocoque frame and that sweet 1400cc engine works wonders for the 1400 GTR and hides all of its minor negativities. Not only it is a powerful motorcycle on the go, but meanwhile, it manages to keep you as comfortable and least tiring as possible. If you can live with the dated appeal and design of the motorcycle and prefer the least amount of electronics on your motorcycle, the 1400 GTR is built purely for you.