Bike Magazine trashes GTR

[ReaperWales]

5 Tourers tested to the Czech republic, GTR came in last by all three of the main testers!

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!

[ridn92zx-7]

maybe it is for the best.

[klb1122]

Ian, what were the other bikes tested?

[ReaperWales]

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!

[chi-gpz1100]

Any chance of posting a scan of those pages?


Thanks!

[ReaperWales]

I'll see what I can do, if I get 5 minutes in work tomorrow will try and get it done.

[DFBatman]

Hi, I've been reading this Forum for a while. I ride a V-Strom 1000, but, have been looking at a GTR. I scanned the Bike report for your information, but can't work how how to attach it

[ReaperWales]

check out the following thread by Beans

http://www.zxforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=179

[Steve_k]

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.

[touchwoodsden]

Originally Posted by ReaperWales

5 Tourers tested to the Czech republic, GTR came in last by all three of the main testers!

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!

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

[GTRPete]

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

[Al b]

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.

[Hitman]

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!

[Steve_k]

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.

[FBRR]

BIKE is written on a SMALL ISLAND. There's lots of inbreeding.
The only reason the BMW came first is because they didn't include a Triumph.
The lads from "BIKE" have never MET a Triumph that wasn't better than every other bike in any of their tests.

[Toecutter]

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),

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
These testers in most mags have no cred at all.

[kezbo22]

its a good job we dont all like the same bike,everyone rideing 1400GTRs would piss me off! i love mine

[GONE GATOR]

The comparison between the bikes are so subjective! One tester picked the FJR first overall, and another picked it dead last. It was painfully obvious that they were Beemer biased! Give a monster motor or give me death.

[mumu07]

COMPARO GTR1400 / FJR / K1200GT en VF (K1200GT Full options = 20000 euros)

[mumu07]

MAGAZINE MOTO STATION

Comparo motos K1200GT, R1200RT, Pan European, GTR 1400 et FJR 1300

http://www.moto-station.com/article3...e-l_hiver.html