Kawasaki 1400 GTR Grand Tourer Edition 2012 — Specifications

When Kawasaki decides to transform its ZZR missile into a globe-trotter, the result is a rather unique machine in the landscape of grand tourers. The 1400 GTR is not a tourer in the classic sense: its 155 horsepower at 8800 rpm and 136.3 Nm of torque at 6200 rpm place it more on the side of a fast cruiser than a comfortable, BMW R 1250 RT-style liner. It weighs 310 kg fully fueled, has an 815 mm seat height, and devours the kilometers with a mechanical frankness that is appreciated on the highway as on national roads. The shaft drive, the six-speed gearbox, the aluminum monocoque chassis: everything is designed to last, not to impress on paper.

The 2012 Grand Tourer edition pushes the logic even further by playing the card of integrated equipment. The body-colored painted top case is the centerpiece of this pack: 47 liters of usable volume, enough for the passenger to lean against it as in an armchair and effortlessly absorb the surges of an inline four-cylinder engine that only asks to express itself. This is not a minor detail. On a motorcycle limited to 250 km/h, wind management and load balance are as important as raw power.

The rigid saddlebags complete the picture. Waterproof and structured, they accept a logical distribution of luggage, and one of them detaches to be carried over the shoulder via its shoulder strap. It's the kind of accessory that you use from the first gas stop and that you would no longer want to abandon. The three-piece tank protector, the plastic films on the saddlebags, and the GPS mount finish transforming the GTR into a complete travel tool rather than a sporty motorcycle dressed as a tourist.

The price of this Grand Tourer version logically increases compared to the base: a few extra kilos on the scale, and about 500 euros more to spend. At 17,899 euros, we remain in a consistent premium positioning with the proposition. Facing a loaded Pan America or a well-equipped FJR1300, the Kawasaki plays a different card, more physical, less consensual. It is aimed at the globetrotter who wants character with his comfort, not at the one who is looking for the lightest motorcycle in his garage at all costs.