Kawasakit GTR1400

[CWO4GUNNER]

[LowRyter]

I saw one at the turntable on the Kaw stand at the Cycle World Show in Ft Worth last Nov.

That bike isn't out yet?  Come to think of it, I haven't read a road test and haven't been in Kaw store in months.

[ZenMan]

It's a nice bike! Looks good, good numbers, I like the black of course.  

What's 16,500 Euros come out to in American dollars, I wonder?  

You don't want to go there. It will be a big heavy bike nowhere as agile as the 1250 and for the money you could have two 1250s.

Oh, don't worry, I wouldn't consider buying one. The B1250 is everything I want... and at under $8K. It's only going to cost me another:

Lower fairing...     $450

Windshield....       $150

Slip-on....            $300  (I might just modify the stock can)

Handguards....       $50  (already installed)

K&N/airbox mod...  $30

TFI/PCIII/remap... $300

Side/top racks...   $350  (I think I'll make those myself)

That comes to-    $1630

The bike cost-      $7750

Grand total-     $9380

Still well under $10K, and if I modify the stock can and make my own racks, I'll save another $650 and be well under $9K. That's about $5K less than the Concours 14 is gonna cost... enough for a DR650 (in black, of course   )!

I don't like the hard cases anyway, and I already have a good set of matching soft luggage.

I don't like shaft drive either... sure, it's convenient, but it adds a lot of weight and robs horsepower... I like the instant response of chain drive.

And the Bandit is lighter, handles better, and looks way better.... in my opinion.  

[ZenMan]

Why the hell doesn't Suzuki make something like that. I'll keep my bandit forever but the little lady and I would love one of these. I would really like to stay with Suz but ...

You mean something like this?



My dealer informed me that everything seen here will be available from Suzuki sometime this year.

It wouldn't suprise me if the whole bike came out in '08, maybe with shaft drive and more integrated luggage and bodywork. '08 B1250ST?  

[CWO4GUNNER]

Well Zen luckily I put 5000 miles on my Bandit so I will know exactly what the differences are when I test ride the "14-GTR", although I will have to account for the after market power my bandit had over late stock. X2

[Sven]

I saw one at the turntable on the Kaw stand at the Cycle World Show in Ft Worth last Nov.

That bike isn't out yet?  Come to think of it, I haven't read a road test and haven't been in Kaw store in months.

I saw it at the show in Atlanta in FEB.  The Kawa website now says it will be a SUMMER release, not a SPRING release.  So who knows...the one we saw was not a production model, and the final may be different in the details.  But I still want one!

[Sven]

You mean something like this?

Ugh!  That's what's kpt me from hardside luggage and tourers...I notice you didn't post a head-on shot with those ugly bulges bolted on the Bandit's butt!  That's part of the appeal of the Concours 1400...it manages to make a fat lady look, well, not svelt, but certainly sculpted.

[ZenMan]

Well Zen luckily I put 5000 miles on my Bandit so I will know exactly what the differences are when I test ride the "14-GTR", although I will have to account for the after market power my bandit had over late stock. X2

Actually you won't have any idea. The B1250 is a whole different animal than your '05 G2 was... no matter what mods you had. You have to ride one to understand what everyone is talking about. But you refuse to do that. don't you? Your loss.  

Hey, buy the Connie 14 and be happy...  am I telling you not to? I believe I was responding to SteelD, not you.  

[ZenMan]

You mean something like this?

Ugh!  That's what's kpt me from hardside luggage and tourers...I notice you didn't post a head-on shot with those ugly bulges bolted on the Bandit's butt!  That's part of the appeal of the Concours 1400...it manages to make a fat lady look, well, not svelt, but certainly sculpted.

Hey, didn't you read above where I said I don't like hard bags either? I posted that pic in response to Dandit's post.

I think the new Connie looks too wide also... but beauty is in the eye of the beerholder, right?  

[Sven]

Hey, didn't you read above where I said I don't like hard bags either? I posted that pic in response to Dandit's post.

I think the new Connie looks too wide also... but beauty is in the eye of the beerholder, right?  

The post with th epic looked like an endorsement...sorry if I misunderstood.

Yeah, I am having a hard time with the Connie 14 compared to my nimble little B12, but I also like the long trips and commuting, and integrated luggage would be a plus.  As I said, at least it looks like it all goes together (sculpted) even if it doens't look slim and trim.

[ZenMan]

The post with th epic looked like an endorsement...sorry if I misunderstood.

No worries...     I just posted that pic because folks were saying that Suzuki doesn't have a sport-tourer, and the bike in the pic might be an indication that Zuk could be coming out with an ST version of the B1250 in '08.

Yeah, I am having a hard time with the Connie 14 compared to my nimble little B12, but I also like the long trips and commuting, and integrated luggage would be a plus.  As I said, at least it looks like it all goes together (sculpted) even if it doens't look slim and trim.

Well, if Suzuki does come out with an ST version of the B1250 in '08, they might sculpt it a little... by integrating the luggage system into the bodywork, adding a full fairing with adjustable windscreen, even adding a shaft drive... who knows?

I do know the new engine is well suited for a ST version... and it wouldn't take much to punch it out to 1300 or bigger. It could be the logical next step. Suzuki does have a history of suprising us from time to time, aye?  

[CWO4GUNNER]

[ZenMan]

You mean like the one I had! It looked good enough to be an 08 Bandit with character. Maybe the 08 model will come with OnStar. Ah Ga ga ga ga ga ga ga!

Uhhh, did you skip your meds today, CWO?  

[SteelD]

It's a nice bike! Looks good, good numbers, I like the black of course.  

What's 16,500 Euros come out to in American dollars, I wonder?  

You don't want to go there. It will be a big heavy bike nowhere as agile as the 1250 and for the money you could have two 1250s.

Oh, don't worry, I wouldn't consider buying one. The B1250 is everything I want... and at under $8K.

Too right. I don't know what the fuss is about. In the UK we've known about this Kawa for about 9 months (and I still haven't seen one in the flesh yet). However, coming from an FJR which is similar, I know that it is a totally different animal to the B1250.

In the UK, the B1250 is priced at £5.5k and the FJR is £10.5k (or £11.5k for the semi-auto version). The FJR is about 40 kg heavier, it isn't as nimble as a B1250 and takes more thought and effort to hustle it around corners. At the end of the day, it is designed for touring and does less well as a general purpose bike able to tackle the twisties or cope with general city traffic. That's why I am moving from an FJR to a B1250 to get a similar engine performance but without the bulk of a tourer. The Kawa is going to be similar to the FJR though it is likely to have another 10 hp and maybe be even heavier.

In the UK, if you have that sort of money, you look at BMW. I think in the US, BMWs are even dearer. However, I come back to my original point - the two bikes are different. If you want to mostly tour and want a fully kitted bike then maybe the Kawa is for you but at a significantly higher cost than a Bandit (and don't discount the FJR either). The Bandit 1250 is one hell of a lot of motorcycle for the money. The Kawa may well be one hell of a bike too (the styling is far too fussy for my taste anyway and looks like a pig to keep clean) but you are going to have pay a lot more for it and will represent nothing like the value-for-money that a B1250 represents.

[CWO4GUNNER]