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Bike Magazine trashes GTR

27K views 42 replies 27 participants last post by  Beethoven 
#1 ·
5 Tourers tested to the Czech republic, GTR came in last by all three of the main testers! :scared

Some points they knocked it on include the screen (agree) hard seat (agree) range (agree) engine (disagree) drive lash (disagree) luggage (disagree).

They did state that tested on its own the bike is quite happy doing the range but they stated that all the other bikes felt like goldwings (comfort wise) after a stint on the GTR.

Can't say I agree with the overall conclusion but have to give them the points stated, perhaps Kawasaki will listen and at least sort some of the genuine issues out such as the screen and glovebox on the next revision!
 
#4 ·
Kawasaki 1400GTR
Honda ST1300 Pan European
BMW R1200RT SE
Yamaha FJR1300A
BMW K1200GT SE

Final Verdict
1-BMW RT
2-BMW GT
3-Honda Pan
4-Yam FJR
5-Kawa GTR

Full review in Jan 2008 edition Bike magazine, pages 96-112.

P.S. Appologies for delay in posting but was in work!
 
#9 ·
Hi I have been a reader of this forum for the last couple of months and have since bought a 1400GTR I have done a similar 2500m ride across europe to the Bike testers and agree with some of the test one thing they have got wrong is the key system its the best thing about the bike but then I am not changing rider at every refuel. The other thing I have noticed is the tyres have started to pick up the lines and cracks in poor roads after 2000 miles yet the tyres are only half worn this is getting worse each week and spoils the ride and cornering did these tester suffer the same problem? The Kawasaki genuine tall screen is a lot better than the standard but still not quite tall enough for me 6' tall. The fuel range is not that bad 200 miles to a tank at 85mph 4000rpm I am ready for a break every 2 hrs so its just right for a refuel at the same time.
 
#10 · (Edited)
After the bad press the ST1300 recieved regarding this weaving, I am surprised they even included it. I had ST1100 and GTR is light years ahead but ST11 is 18 year old design! If you have ever met any Pan Clan riders you will know why most Pan riders don't join the club. Apart from anything else, just LOOK at the GTR. WOWWwwwww.............
Sex on wheels IMHO..
TwD
 
#11 ·
I tend to read bike mags as entertainment, there's so many variables to consider when taking in a tester's opinion. (who are they/experience/years riding/years with the mag/their own, personal, likes, dislikes, are they sports riders, avid tourers... are they taking on board realistic touring needs, or testing for an Iron Butt? etc etc), but that's my opinion....
I've read sufficient reports on the Honda to see it's a good tourer but I just don't like it.
BMW, great product but far too expensive for what you get, and the service levels here is Oz don't equal the expense (had that experience!!)
FJR, nice, but I met up with a few owners in the months prior to considering the GTR and didn't like what they didn't like... I like the looks, but ultimately it's personal...
Geez, I had a GS1150, everyone I met raved on about how smooth they are... in the 5 years I had it I found no smoothness, got a sore butt often, it did lots of great things but now on the GTR, it's smooth, butt-comfy and has all the room the GS had, and I didn't do enough dirt to warrant the GS-design...

care factor is minimal on mag reports; speak to owners.. rate your needs, test ride... or just fall in love:lol
 
#12 ·
Motorcyclist magazine did a comparison of the popular sport touring bikes and their results where #1 Concours 14, #2 FJR, #3 BMW RT, and #4 the Honda ST1300, the latter placing last largely because of its heavy weight. Apparently the space between first and last was not all that big, they had a lot of good things to say about all of them.
I now have just over three thousand miles on my new Concours and there is little not to like, except the mirrors, they suck (the fact that I wear bifocals doesn’t help) , the windshield could be a bit taller and wider (the larger Kawasaki one is on my list of things to get) , but I must admit, the fresh air with it in the down position is refreshing here in SW Florida when its hot out, the jury is still out on the seat, I don’t like the cover material the way it isn’t bonded to the cushion, but after a six hundred mile day, I only had a minor pain in the butt. I’ve had a lot of different bikes over the years and I must say, this is by far the best.
 
#13 ·
I read the Bike report and am still getting over the shock!
I was at the NEC bike show yesterday and on the BMW stand the R1200RT had a sign on it saying (VOTED No. 1 IN BIKE TEST RIDE REPORT). That was the day after the report came out. Makes you wonder if BMW paid BIKE magazine more than Kawasaki did???

Like others I do agree with some of the points but they are all trivial in the grand scheme of things. I have only done 2000miles on mine and it is as stock as they come. I carry a pillion a lot as well so can comment on pillion comfort too. The seat is fine. I am considering a gel but am quite happy with the comfort of the stock seat. I even stay sitting on the seat when I refuel as the wife goes off to pay. So 300 mile stints are no real problem. I like the stock small screen. Makes you feel like you're still riding a bike and not driving one. I tend to keep of the motorways if I can so wind isn't an issue and the screen copes well at anything up to 80mph. Again it is very dependent on your height. I'm 5'10 and it seems just about right for me set at 3/4 up.
I agree with the fueling range 140miles till fuel low comes on. The testers all got very irate about that but obviously didn't know how to disable the FUEL LOW warning.
Pete hit the nail on the head "I tend to read bike mags as entertainment, there's so many variables to consider when taking in a tester's opinion. (who are they/experience/years riding/years with the mag/their own, personal, likes, dislikes, are they sports riders, avid tourers... are they taking on board realistic touring needs, or testing for an Iron Butt? etc etc)"
PINCH OF SALT springs to mind.
I have had many bikes including a BMWK1200LT sofa and the 1400GTR is by far the best I have ever ridden. And it is Bloody SSSEEEEXXXEEEEEEE!
 
#14 ·
I have been reading how the Bike testers found the other bikes and was a bit shocked to find the winner to have the following faults gearbox, uninspiring engine and ugly looks their words not mine the Honda has a weave when rolled of the gas at speeds above 110mph so thats gets 3rd the Kawasaki gets last due to tank range the second place BMW K1200GT does an extra 7 miles to the tank and has worse average fuel consumption 40.4 mpg against the Kawasaki 42.5 mpg. They pick the Kawasaki up on seat and screen both sorted by aftermarket products quite cheaply so can the problems with the others be sorted so easly gearbox and highspeed weave ugly looks or uninspiring engine. The other thing they picked up on is the Kawasaki tank range computer stops counting when it gets down to about 30 miles and a light comes on two of the other bikes tested dont even have this feature at all so they must be better? The Kawasaki is top heavy thats why they dropped one of the BMWs. They said the winner the BMW R1200RT "is a brilliant tourer but sucks as a motorbike", another tester said "on a motorway its unbeatable but the rest of the time I would rather be on something else", sorry but touring is not all motorways in the real world
Their words again "BMW GT does have a major flaw it runs lean on part throttle which generates a gritty roughness" this must be easier to fix than the Kawasaki screen or seat or they would have marked this bike down for this MAJOR flaw the test is very one sided the Kawasaki have been marked down for minor problems which are easly fixed and other bikes with have been maked up with major flaws. Who spends the most advertising in Bike Magazine I bet its not Kawasaki.
 
#38 ·
I am just finishing fixing a Triumph trophy (2000). Compared to a Kawi, the engineering and metallurgy on the triumph are a joke! EVERY single connector came apart in my hands, and one relay the entire top came off. When I did military electronics, ALL relays had to be either air tight, or filled with an inert gas. Cheap, cheap, cheap. Had to replace front seals - they had TWO spacers at the top of the springs (a four inch and a two inch) - only explanation is that they had extra small springs for a different bike and just made them fit. The Triumphs that I worked on in the 60's had the same attitude. The Japanese take PRIDE in their creations. I don't care how well a new Triumph works in a test - they just don't have the design intensity of Jap bikes IMHO.
 
#16 ·
GTRPete said
I tend to read bike mags as entertainment, there's so many variables to consider when taking in a tester's opinion. (who are they/experience/years riding/years with the mag/their own, personal, likes, dislikes, are they sports riders, avid tourers... are they taking on board realistic touring needs, or testing for an Iron Butt? etc etc),
+1 on that.After the last year I've been getting real tired of the obvious bias in many mags. How can I believe anything these guys say about any bike?

Funny how BIKE trashes the Connie now when just a few months ago they wrote, "So Kawasaki have taken a good look at rival tourers and produced a bike that beats them all-it's the best handling, the fastest, is better equipped, costs about the same and - with the posible exception of the Pan, is the comfiest." Page 57, Sept 07, BIKE.

To go from "beats them all" to shite in only a few months....riiiiiiight:rolleyes
These testers in most mags have no cred at all.
 
#22 ·
... my last Bike Pan European (ST1300) was not half so good, as my GTR!
I couldn't drive faster than 170 km/h (110 mp/h) with her. otherwise she wobbled like a cow tail! Last week, I drove with my GTR 1400 more than 250 km/h (150 mp/h), incl. Topcase on it! --- What a bike! --- She ran like a train! They should try this with other bikes!
 
#23 ·
As a regular reader of Bike magazine, and as a very new rider of the GTR, I was "gob-smacked" by the review. In the past week, I have discovered and tested the GTR as a replacement for my current BMW K1200GT.

I had forgotten the outcome of the Bike test but, having covered some 130 (test) miles on a new GTR, I was certain that Bike would agree with my views. Well I was 100% wrong. Bike seemed to have it in for the GTR although they did admit that "on its own" the GTR is a great bike. To my mind, the GTR is possibly the very best bike I have ridden; I find its key strength are; handling; stability; PERFORMANCE :clap; and comfort. However, yes I will replace the screen and the seat too. These are trivial complaints against a bike that is so superbly capable. If anyone wants a copy of the Bike magazine article, I hope to get a copy and can scan (then pdf) and make it available.

Stop Press! I have just put my GT up on eBay a few hours ago, and already have someone willing to buy it. This means that I that much closer to placing an order for a GTR :mfclap
 
#24 · (Edited)
I've posted this on another forum as my reaction to BIKE!!

Bike ( UK ) just did a test of "sport touring" bikes. There criteria seems more tourning than sport!! They picked a BMW RT as best bike, even though they said It is comfortable, has great wind protection, and goes down the road with ease. They also said "if they weren't riding the auto route, it's a terible MOTORCYLE! It has a rotten gear box, really bad switch gear, and a rough motor!! Go figure!! But it's a great lazyboy going down the road!

They did 0-60 times and 1/4 mile times.
The C14 posted ( at that date ) the fastest 0-60 they had every tested.( they later tested the new Haybusa as faster )

They also "railed" on the C14 for the seat comfort, fuel range, and wind protection.
DATA:
############0-60 times__________1/4 mile
C14=__________3.02 sec___________10.85
K1200GT=_______3.30______________11.80
FJr____________3.49______________12.3
ST1300_________4.34______________12.53
BMWR1200SE_____4.86______________13.08
The slowest slug was the best because all THEY cared about was wind protection and a cushy seat!!
While they ripped the C14 for it's "range" and fuel gage.
Their number two pick the K1200GT was noted for having a roughness in the engine and a bloody clunky gear box.
Fuel range for the K1200GT was not an issue!!
The difference as measured.
C14 range was 206 miles while the K1200GT was 213!!! A whole 7 miles more made the difference.
As far as avg. fuel economy for the trip, the C14 did BETTER in Avg fuel economy than either the K1200GT or the FJR!!!
How fast is it!!!
Damn fast! And that is why most of US bought it!!
Objectively this is one fast bike.
Subjectively some people just don't like a SPORT-Tourer they want a sport-TOURER
 
#26 · (Edited)
Dazed and Confused ?!

Well said FBRR ! But in addition, they say :
"Semi sporting riding position with high pegs, tight knee angle and low bars. Not an uncomfortable position, but certainly one for the younger touring gentleman!"

I nearly fell over reading THAT! It was precisely because of the semi sport riding position on the K1200GT that I have to change to something more "upright" with less of a bend in the knees. So I rode the GTR and found that i was able to ride for 2 hours with no problems at all. Normally on the K1200GT (classic), I am getting some aches after 45 mins. Not so the GTR.

And what about the suspension please. Yes I did find it hard but the dealer assured me that they would "bed in" after a few thousand miles (the GTR had less than 200 miles on it!) Thoughts?

John
 
#27 ·
Rode a RT because we wanted something more comfy than the ZX14, that bike put me off a tourer, slow, engine sluggish & rough, only liked the ESA, the the GTR come along, it is miles better and better looking than the rest. I take the bike mag tests with a pinch of salt, will never swop the GTR for any of the others. It is not perfect, screen too low and seat is a bit hard, but we regularly stop so it is not such a problem. In SA it is very hot so the wind cools things down, put a lip spoiler on the screen, deflects the wind enough to do high speeds. The FJR & ST needs a serious upgrade & the GT is about ZAR20,000 more expensive in SA.
 
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