KAWASAKI GPZ1100 (1995 - 1998) Review

It's akin to a Jaguar S type. Big and wafty. Rides bad pot holed roads absolutely lovely. You can really just concentrate on the road on this bike.

I've only knocked one star off as mine is slightly woolly below 3000. That's probably just me in too high a gear. Otherwise it's really a pleasant place to be. Classic cockpit clocks and dials. Just a lovely combination of power and class.

Having bought a well looked after mint bike out of kawasaki collection, I can't comment on durability or wear, as it's only done 12,000 miles!

Oil, filter, carb ballance, airfilter and a set of tyres.

Having liked older bikes from the 90's and early 2000's, I find small things handy, like luggage hooks are a bonus as is a fuel gauge. I would buy the latest tyres as it makes no difference in ride or grip on this bike. I've had 60 bikes in 35 years. My conclusion is the only difference you'll find in tyres is on sports bikes.

Its heavy and high, but you get used to it quickly. The brakes are confidence inspiring.

Its a somewhat detuned zx1100, with the power curve moved down the rpm range. It doesn't have the hi-end capability of its flag-ship cousin, but for real-world road use, its perfect.

The ONLY issue I've had is servicing the carbs due to inactivity. This bike needs to be ridden regularly, or properly stored. Aside from that, It has been absolutely solid for 25 years!

Functional, but basic... I augmented with USB and Power ports. Xenon lighting was removed for modern LED lamps. Bust aside from that, its mostly stock.

Really, really comfortable. Can cruise all day at motorway speeds. Likes B roads too but they become hard work if pushed hard. Great seating position. Heard complaints about the seat but no complaints from me at 6ft and 90kg. No ABS on mine (or anything else apart from a petrol guage) so its a pure driving experience. Techies will need to look elsewhere.

Theres Nothing i dont like about the engine. Power in all gears at all revs. Sounds fantastic between 2-3k RPM. Exhausts arent the originals (nexxus i think) and suit the engine. Puts the power down nicely almost all the time but watch out at slippery junctions.

Its 24 years old with 16k miles on the clock. Never misses a beat. Starts in all weather. Once these bikes are serviced theyre as reliable as any newer stuff. Just look for the words "Made in Japan", I still smile everytime I polish the words.

Depends how they are driven. Trashing this bike will trash your wallet so dont. Likes a drink but for me its smiles per gallon.

Nothing fancy here, no electronic anything, its just bike and driver with the driver making all the decisions period. Get a good high screen if touring is on the cards. The standard one is fine for me. This bike is a blast. Bridgestone are my preferred tyre choice but i havent used anything else, they go, stop in the wet and wear well. Its unlikely that a 25 year old bike will be bought for serious touring but this bike can do it. Mines a weekend bike, so i dont clock big mileage.

Monster motor that will hit 150 mph!

77,000 miles and runs as good as new!

I'll go 4/5 because the front brakes aren't radial brakes on inverted forks (ha!). IF they were, it'd be a 'nothing better out there' response. The weight of the bike actually makes the thing a joy to commute on.

Can you go 6/5? The motor is that good. As noted before, my engine sports an 1109 big bore kit that really wakes the motor up. My ZX1100 Ninja (ZZR1100 in Euro-speak) makes 129 bHp at the rear wheel with a header, jet kit, and ignition advancer ... the GPz is stronger, so I'm going to conservatively guess 130. Carbs are re-worked with a jet kit and pods running through the V&H exhaust. Personally, I think the exhaust is leaving a few ponies in the motor, but it's plenty strong.

ZZR/ZRX based motor is a rock. Mine actually has an 1109 kit, carbs have been re-worked with K&N pods, running a V&H pipe. The pipe is the only thing I'd change, the pistons and carb work make this thing surprisingly fast. My bike is a former track-day mount for the group control rider. It's got straight rate fork springs and a Race Tech modified rear shock; do those two things to your GPz and your heavy-weight will handle like a middle weight ... it's THAT GOOD. Imagine this bike flying around a race track, it did, and it's got over 70,000 miles on the motor. What a champ.

I do all my service, including mounting and balancing tires. I run through about 2 sets a year and I wait for the high-end sport tourers to go on sale and offer rebates. At less than $200 a set, and doing my own work, the only other expense I have is oil changes. If I wasn't so hard on tires I could spend quite a bit less.

Braided brake lines, grippier brake pads, sticky tires, straight rate fork springs (for those tempting track days), and a re-worked rear shock makes the big GPz a different bike all together. I may try a Corbin seat, but the stocker is so good I haven't been able to pry the money out of my wallet for the seat.

High ride height even on lowest rear suspension setting. Top heavy but comfy in the seat. Twin disk with twin-pot calipers are pretty good at stopping this heavy lump.

Engine is powerful and smooth. Pulls well across the rev range. Discover can be lumpy and the idle adjuster needs using when riding. Bullet-proof block.

Regular oil change and a chain oiler are essential. Occasional lubrication of other moving parts helps keep things running well.

Again, I know what this bike is; so for me it's a 10 on the '10 scale'. BUT, the brakes could be better, and the big bike could benefit from some USD forks ... hey, maybe that's something I need to do. ;)

Seriously. Ride one.

It's a Kawasaki; you can beat on it all day and it will just keep on keeping on. I didn't buy it for a 'glassy finish' but for all its other qualities.

It needs nearly nothing. Adjust the valves in the spring and ride for a year. Repeat. I like to push the thing pretty hard, so sporty tyres get retired about every 3,000 miles; for most with this bike that is a lot, but I do the occasional track-day with it ... yeah, it's that good, just get a good rear shock and straight-rate front fork springs, and good tyres.

The bike as standard is brilliant. Especially for the money. However, I've done some things to make it 'my bike': fork springs, rear shock, full exhaust, jet kit and individual filters, and full sport tires ... oh, and an 1109 piston kit (surprise for all the big sport bikes out there). It's a daily commuter with full-sport ability; not the best at either, but very good at both.

Rides well, but tallish and rather top-heavy. Obviously, I've adjusted and being a long-time Kawasaki guy, I'm used to the tallness anyway.

Never a hiccup and power everywhere.

At 101k mi., still no repairs. How much better does it get?

Still on the second chain and third battery. Third set of steering head bearings- the roads around here are pretty bad.

Love the traditional, easy-to-use instrumentation. Heated grips a must in this region (north central US) and not hard to add. The horn was a joke so on went a Fiamm.

Decent overall ride, despite minimal suspension adjustment and modest quality parts. Turn-in requires more effort than most bikes, but it is really stable in the corners. Steel brake lines help.

The engine is the best part of the bike. Smooth with great power at any rpm.

Owned the bike since new in 1996. 57K miles. I had a transmission bearing blow out at 37k miles. No other major failures.

Valve shim check every 6000 miles.

The engine. Handle bar risers for old men like me.

Been in the saddle for a couple of hours with no issues, and a pillion doesn't really make much difference to performance although because of the relatively low pillion position, they will often ride side saddle, peering around the rider. It's a high bike so anyone less than 6 ft will need to set the rear damper on the lowest setting and even then you can't quite get both feet on the ground. Brakes are superb, the twin disks and 2 pot callipers mean some serious braking when required. Definitely a straight road and gentle curve bike though!

This engine packs some grunt. You don't even need to wind it up to pull away, just drop the clutch and open the throttle and she'll pull. The GPZ has a very even power delivery (ZZR was a little to peaky) across the range. I challenge you to red line this engine - you'll never need it and it'll see off any sports car and most other bikes (they'll take you on the curves though!)

Reliability is superb, mine has never let me down - even with a battery a bit flat it still turned over and started. The aluminium parts are starting to corrode especially the brake callipers, but a quick wire brush and spray and they look OK again. With all that plastic, it still looks good with very little tatty stuff visible.

It's easy to service the bike myself, all I have done are oil changes, strip and flush the hydraulic brake system, two new tyres fitted and clean the air filter.

Bought the bike with a Givvy rack - wish I'd kept it and bought the bags - can't get one for love nor money now. Not a great bike for load carrying unless you take out shares with a bungee company! The two little hooks bellow the seat are quite handy. The space under the seat is limited so you might fit your fags in there! One problem with a bike that was only produced for 4 years is it's tricky getting parts for it. Plenty in the US though.