Kawasaki 1400 GTR Grand Tour Edition 2010 — Specifications

When Kawasaki designed the 1400 GTR, the idea wasn't to build a sensible and predictable touring machine. The engine comes directly from the ZZR1400, that faired missile that brushed against radar limits upon leaving the dealership. On the GTR, this 1352 cm³ four-cylinder has been tamed, focused on long-distance use, but it still delivers 155 horsepower at 8,800 rpm and 136.3 Nm at 6,200 rpm. It's not a liner; it's a fast cruiser, the difference is fundamental.

Faced with a BMW K 1300 GT or a Honda Pan European, the Kawasaki plays a different card. The German and Japanese machines in this segment focus on technological refinement and measured versatility. The GTR responds with raw power channeled, a surprise-free shaft drive, and a stamped aluminum monocoque chassis that keeps the 310 kg all fueled up in an acceptable balance. The 815 mm seat is aimed at medium and large builds, and travelers who want to swallow up kilometers without suffering will find a certain logic in this format.

The Grand Tour Edition, precisely what its name announces, is a version equipped to go far without buying anything from an accessory dealer. The top case painted in the body color represents the centerpiece of the kit: 47 liters, enough to transform the passenger seat into a padded armchair against which one leans effortlessly during acceleration, and the passenger quickly understands why 155 horsepower generate accelerations that justify a solid point of support. Rigid and waterproof saddlebags complete the ensemble with a welcome practical note; one of them incorporates a shoulder strap to become a bag carried over the shoulder during the stages. The traveler who distributes his equipment between the two side trunks gains a real flexibility of organization.

The rest of the Grand Tour equipment remains in useful discretion. A three-piece semi-transparent tank protector, protective films for the pannier sides, a GPS mount in a good position. These are attentions that show that Kawasaki has thought about real use rather than the marketing list. The price of all this is reflected in the final bill: 17,499 euros, several hundred euros more than the standard version and a few extra kilos on the scale. The question is whether one prefers to pay for original equipment or assemble a similar kit oneself.

The verdict is nuanced. The 1400 GTR Grand Tour Edition is aimed at a specific profile: the grand traveler who does not want to sacrifice dynamics on the altar of comfort, the one who accepts 310 kg to handle in parking lots in exchange for an expressway swallowed at a sustained pace, 22-liter tank and maintenance-free shaft. It is not the lightest or most technological machine in its category, but it possesses a mechanical coherence and a unique character that the more polished alternatives do not always have. For a driver who likes to feel that he is driving something alive even when fully loaded, this compromise makes sense.