Kawasaki GTR 1400 Concours
Together Tour Kawasaki GTR 1400 Concours will be very enjoyable Why ....?
That is Reason :
The 2009 Kawasaki Concours 14 keeps the engine and chassis unchanged as this sports tourer made one hell of an impression in 2008 and we reckon that the 155bhp and 155mph top speed had a lot to do with that.
In order to enhance the model’s success Kawasaki ads two new colors, black and red, which are indeed more appropriate for the Concours. The bike now looks classier and hides incredible well its $13,499 MSRP.
1,352cc Four-Cylinder, DOHC Engine with Variable Valve Timing (VVT)
- Tuned to provide smooth power across a wide rev range
- Variable valve timing improves the engine’s flexibility and efficiency by altering the camshaft profiles to boost low-end and mid-range torque without sacrificing top-end power
- Compact and narrow engine design
- Chrome composite plated aluminum cylinder bores are lightweight, durable, and quickly carry heat away from the combustion chamber and piston for supreme durability under high loads
Gear-Driven Dual Engine Balancers
- Already in perfect primary balance, dual secondary balancers virtually eliminate unwanted vibrations for extremely smooth engine operation and enhanced rider comfort
Ram Air Induction
- Ram air ducts provide a straighter path to the airbox for maximum intake efficiency
- Supplies cooler, high-pressure air to the engine for maximum power output via the air filter
Digital Fuel Injection
- Digital computer feeds the engine exactly the amount of fuel it needs for cleaner emissions and maximum fuel economy
- 32-bit electronic control unit works with dual throttle valve system to further enhance throttle response and control
- Throttle bodies are fitted with sub-throttle valves that are controlled by the ECU to provide smooth, precise response similar to constant velocity carburetors
Digital Ignition
- Digital Timing Advance enhances low-and mid-range power
- Four individual spark plug-mounted ignition coils fire each spark plug independently to achieve the optimum timing for that cylinder at that instant
- Idle speed control system included in ECU for easier starting and warm-up
Radial Pump Clutch Master Cylinder
- Hydraulic clutch features a radial-pump clutch master cylinder for smooth and precise clutch engagement
Monocoque Aluminum Frame
- Hollow aluminum box sections arch over the engine from the steering head to the swing arm pivot, the frame is narrow, rigid and very light
- Rigidly mounted engine acts as a stressed frame member to increase the frame’s torsional rigidity and saves approximately four pounds
- Engine positioned forward in the frame, wheelbase and front/rear weight balance were carefully designed to achieve high-speed stability and responsive handling
- Massive steering head casting contributes to frame rigidity
Radial-mount Petal-type Front Disc Brakes
- Radial design utilizes integrated mounting points at both the top and bottom of the caliper, with the mounting bolts inserted through the rear of the caliper instead of the side/front. This makes the caliper more rigid, which improves brake feel over a wider range of operation
- Separate brake pads are used for each piston to provide increased cooling efficiency and more consistent brake feel under extreme conditions
- Petal design front and rear brake rotors provide enhanced cooling and better warp resistance
- Radial-pump front brake master cylinder improves brake performance and lever feel
Tetra-Lever Shaft Drive
- Unique four-link design offsets lifting and squatting tendencies of shaft drive when the throttle is opened and closed, significantly reduces driveline lash during sport riding and provides smooth acceleration when exploiting the engine’s incredible power output
- Virtually maintenance free, the Tetra Lever system dramatically reduces routine maintenance requirements
Antilock Brake System (Concours™ 14 ABS)
- ABS brakes boost safety and rider confidence in lowtraction conditions and may enhance evasive maneuvering in an emergency
Bodywork Optimized for Sport Touring
- Fairing design promotes smooth airflow around the rider and passenger with minimal buffeting
- Integrated, locking hard luggage offers plenty of storage, without disrupting the Concours 14’s style or performance
- Electrically adjustable vented windscreen
- Large, comfortable seat offers long-distance comfort for both rider and passenger
- Glove box mounted on the fuel tank cover
- Tuned to provide smooth power across a wide rev range
- Variable valve timing improves the engine’s flexibility and efficiency by altering the camshaft profiles to boost low-end and mid-range torque without sacrificing top-end power
- Compact and narrow engine design
- Chrome composite plated aluminum cylinder bores are lightweight, durable, and quickly carry heat away from the combustion chamber and piston for supreme durability under high loads
Gear-Driven Dual Engine Balancers
- Already in perfect primary balance, dual secondary balancers virtually eliminate unwanted vibrations for extremely smooth engine operation and enhanced rider comfort
Ram Air Induction
- Ram air ducts provide a straighter path to the airbox for maximum intake efficiency
- Supplies cooler, high-pressure air to the engine for maximum power output via the air filter
Digital Fuel Injection
- Digital computer feeds the engine exactly the amount of fuel it needs for cleaner emissions and maximum fuel economy
- 32-bit electronic control unit works with dual throttle valve system to further enhance throttle response and control
- Throttle bodies are fitted with sub-throttle valves that are controlled by the ECU to provide smooth, precise response similar to constant velocity carburetors
Digital Ignition
- Digital Timing Advance enhances low-and mid-range power
- Four individual spark plug-mounted ignition coils fire each spark plug independently to achieve the optimum timing for that cylinder at that instant
- Idle speed control system included in ECU for easier starting and warm-up
Radial Pump Clutch Master Cylinder
- Hydraulic clutch features a radial-pump clutch master cylinder for smooth and precise clutch engagement
Monocoque Aluminum Frame
- Hollow aluminum box sections arch over the engine from the steering head to the swing arm pivot, the frame is narrow, rigid and very light
- Rigidly mounted engine acts as a stressed frame member to increase the frame’s torsional rigidity and saves approximately four pounds
- Engine positioned forward in the frame, wheelbase and front/rear weight balance were carefully designed to achieve high-speed stability and responsive handling
- Massive steering head casting contributes to frame rigidity
Radial-mount Petal-type Front Disc Brakes
- Radial design utilizes integrated mounting points at both the top and bottom of the caliper, with the mounting bolts inserted through the rear of the caliper instead of the side/front. This makes the caliper more rigid, which improves brake feel over a wider range of operation
- Separate brake pads are used for each piston to provide increased cooling efficiency and more consistent brake feel under extreme conditions
- Petal design front and rear brake rotors provide enhanced cooling and better warp resistance
- Radial-pump front brake master cylinder improves brake performance and lever feel
Tetra-Lever Shaft Drive
- Unique four-link design offsets lifting and squatting tendencies of shaft drive when the throttle is opened and closed, significantly reduces driveline lash during sport riding and provides smooth acceleration when exploiting the engine’s incredible power output
- Virtually maintenance free, the Tetra Lever system dramatically reduces routine maintenance requirements
Antilock Brake System (Concours™ 14 ABS)
- ABS brakes boost safety and rider confidence in lowtraction conditions and may enhance evasive maneuvering in an emergency
Bodywork Optimized for Sport Touring
- Fairing design promotes smooth airflow around the rider and passenger with minimal buffeting
- Integrated, locking hard luggage offers plenty of storage, without disrupting the Concours 14’s style or performance
- Electrically adjustable vented windscreen
- Large, comfortable seat offers long-distance comfort for both rider and passenger
- Glove box mounted on the fuel tank cover
Full Instrumentation
- Easy to read speedometer and tachometer
- Multi-function LCD digital display includes an odometer, two trip meters, fuel gauge, gear position indicator and a clock
- Controller Area Network (CAN) interface between the gauges uses fewer wires and allows a greater volume of information to be exchanged than traditional instrument panels
- Kawasaki’s Intelligent Proximity Activation Start System (KI-PASS)
- Tire pressure sensors
- Easy to read speedometer and tachometer
- Multi-function LCD digital display includes an odometer, two trip meters, fuel gauge, gear position indicator and a clock
- Controller Area Network (CAN) interface between the gauges uses fewer wires and allows a greater volume of information to be exchanged than traditional instrument panels
- Kawasaki’s Intelligent Proximity Activation Start System (KI-PASS)
- Tire pressure sensors
Road Test
It's finally here! Twenty-one years since its introduction in 1986, Kawasaki has finally seen fit to reinvent the venerable Concours. Sure, it made a few refinements to the ZG1000 during those years, but the 2008 Concours 14--seen here with factory optional ABS--is an all new motorcycle based on the street shredding Ninja ZX-14 sportbike.
As such it’s got a decidedly sporty side, yet this is not just a ZX-14 with higher handlebars. The Concours 14 has been purpose-built for long-distance travel in comfort—it also just happens to have the handling, braking and cojones of Kawasaki’s largest kick-butt sportbike, nearly a liter-and-a-half in size.
Kawasaki used several innovations to better suit the ZX-14’s liquid-cooled, transverse, 1,352cc in-line four to touring without robbing it of too much top-end fire. As you might expect, the bores in the four throttle bodies have been narrowed from 44mm to 40mm for increased intake velocity and better low- and midrange throttle response. Ignition, fuel injection and exhaust were all refined for smoother power delivery, and Kawasaki went a step further by adding Variable Valve Timing, or VVT, which hydraulically advances or retards the intake cam in response to engine speed and throttle position. The dual gear-driven balancers and hydraulic cam-chain tensioners from the ZX-14 were retained, all of which results in a smooth, locomotivelike powerplant that pulls hard from a 2,500-rpm crawl all the way up to its redline of 10,500 rpm.
Advertisement Kawasaki claims the revised engine makes 156 horsepower at the crankshaft at 8,800 rpm, and 103 lb-ft of torque at just 6,200. Even without the high-speed fans on the Borla Performance dyno required to take advantage of the Concours 14’s dual ram-air injection, it still cranked out 130 horsepower at 9,100 rpm at the rear wheel, and 87 lb-ft of torque at 7,600. At speed the ram air is probably good for another 4-6 horsepower. Though the shaft final drive (which the chain-drive ZX-14 doesn’t have) takes a share in frictional losses, even fully loaded and two-up with its load capacity of 425 pounds (our GVWR-less-wet-weight figure; Kawasaki says 441 pounds), a quick pass merely requires thinking about turning the throttle a little. Add a downshift and the Concours 14 simply flies around whatever is in front of you. Although you pay the price for all of this power in terms of average fuel economy (ours was just 36.5 mpg with a variety of riding styles and loads), the bike’s nicely sized 5.8-gallon tank gives it a range of more than 200 miles.
Rider Report
Up front the Concours wears a large concave radiator with dual fans (the ZX-14 has a single fan), and the four-two-one stainless-steel exhaust has a pair of catalyzers within. The EFI system on U.S. bikes is not closed-loop, as O2 sensors are not used. Like most fully faired, liquid-cooled motorcycles of this size, the Concours 14 rider feels quite a bit of heat on his or her lower legs when the ambient temperatures rise or the pace slows to a traffic-snarled crawl. The less insulation you’re wearing on your legs the easier it is to feel. We’ll have a comparison test in a future issue, but suffice to say the Concours’ heat output is certainly not as bad as the old Yamaha FJR1300, but probably worse than the new one.
Like the ZX-14 the Concours’ in-line four is mounted as a stressed member in a monocoque frame design, which connects a beefy pair of swingarm plates to the steering head with a thin-walled aluminum shell. A 43mm male-slider fork with adjustable spring preload and rebound damping guides the front wheel, while Kawasaki’s new Tetra-Lever swingarm is supported by a bottom-link spring strut with adjustable rebound damping and remotely adjustable spring preload. The Tetra-Lever is Kawasaki’s method of dealing with the problem of “shaft-jacking,” when throttle inputs cause the final drive pinion gear to climb up and down on the ring gear and load and unload the rear suspension. The Tetra-Lever’s dual-sided, four-link swingarm feeds those forces into the chassis rather than the suspension, preventing any effect on the ride as a result of getting on and off the throttle.
Rider Report
A ZX-14 rider will not recognize the Concours 14 from the cockpit. Handlebars are 3.8 inches farther back and nearly 6 inches higher, footpegs more than an inch lower and farther forward, and the seat a half-inch higher (and much cushier!). Up front is a well-designed electric windscreen, which Kawasaki says in terms of aerodynamics and visibility is designed for sport riding. It does indeed stay well below the rider’s line of sight at all times, yet I was pleasantly surprised by the still pocket of air it creates when all the way up, even shielding the tops of the rider’s legs. Up or down the shield can be noisy, with the least buffeting in the down position. Passengers reported that the increased warmth with it up was quite noticeable, but couldn’t detect any other difference between up or down. A taller windscreen is available as an accessory.
Passenger accommodations on the Concours 14 are first rate, with a wide, supportive, comfortable seat like the rider’s, good footpeg positions and excellent grabrails. My wife Genie said that she could ride back there all day without complaint. The grabrails are part of a rear rack system that helps support the side cases and LED taillight; it will carry 22 pounds in a duffle or the accessory top trunk on the rear platform. The locking, easily removed side cases are symmetrical and will each swallow a full-face helmet. There’s also a small glove box on the top of the fuel tank.
All-day comfort with a kind of always-ready-for-a-corner feel describes the Concours’ seating position. Mostly upright with just a slight amount of weight on the wrists, the comfortable seat lets you move around easily, and the windscreen can be used to increase warmth or cooling as well as take some weight off your wrists by increasing the windblast on your chest with a button push. It’s a fine ergonomic combination that is supremely comfortable (except perhaps for the heat at times) and instills confidence in attack mode. Passengers are neither too close nor too far away, and don’t slide around or bump your head, partly because it’s so easy to ride the bike smoothly. They’ve always got a good place to hang on, and there’s no abruptness or jerkiness from the EFI except for a tiny bit when cold (Kawasaki has used ECU-controlled sub-throttle valves to smooth throttle response).
As such it’s got a decidedly sporty side, yet this is not just a ZX-14 with higher handlebars. The Concours 14 has been purpose-built for long-distance travel in comfort—it also just happens to have the handling, braking and cojones of Kawasaki’s largest kick-butt sportbike, nearly a liter-and-a-half in size.
Kawasaki used several innovations to better suit the ZX-14’s liquid-cooled, transverse, 1,352cc in-line four to touring without robbing it of too much top-end fire. As you might expect, the bores in the four throttle bodies have been narrowed from 44mm to 40mm for increased intake velocity and better low- and midrange throttle response. Ignition, fuel injection and exhaust were all refined for smoother power delivery, and Kawasaki went a step further by adding Variable Valve Timing, or VVT, which hydraulically advances or retards the intake cam in response to engine speed and throttle position. The dual gear-driven balancers and hydraulic cam-chain tensioners from the ZX-14 were retained, all of which results in a smooth, locomotivelike powerplant that pulls hard from a 2,500-rpm crawl all the way up to its redline of 10,500 rpm.
Advertisement Kawasaki claims the revised engine makes 156 horsepower at the crankshaft at 8,800 rpm, and 103 lb-ft of torque at just 6,200. Even without the high-speed fans on the Borla Performance dyno required to take advantage of the Concours 14’s dual ram-air injection, it still cranked out 130 horsepower at 9,100 rpm at the rear wheel, and 87 lb-ft of torque at 7,600. At speed the ram air is probably good for another 4-6 horsepower. Though the shaft final drive (which the chain-drive ZX-14 doesn’t have) takes a share in frictional losses, even fully loaded and two-up with its load capacity of 425 pounds (our GVWR-less-wet-weight figure; Kawasaki says 441 pounds), a quick pass merely requires thinking about turning the throttle a little. Add a downshift and the Concours 14 simply flies around whatever is in front of you. Although you pay the price for all of this power in terms of average fuel economy (ours was just 36.5 mpg with a variety of riding styles and loads), the bike’s nicely sized 5.8-gallon tank gives it a range of more than 200 miles.
Rider Report
Up front the Concours wears a large concave radiator with dual fans (the ZX-14 has a single fan), and the four-two-one stainless-steel exhaust has a pair of catalyzers within. The EFI system on U.S. bikes is not closed-loop, as O2 sensors are not used. Like most fully faired, liquid-cooled motorcycles of this size, the Concours 14 rider feels quite a bit of heat on his or her lower legs when the ambient temperatures rise or the pace slows to a traffic-snarled crawl. The less insulation you’re wearing on your legs the easier it is to feel. We’ll have a comparison test in a future issue, but suffice to say the Concours’ heat output is certainly not as bad as the old Yamaha FJR1300, but probably worse than the new one.
Like the ZX-14 the Concours’ in-line four is mounted as a stressed member in a monocoque frame design, which connects a beefy pair of swingarm plates to the steering head with a thin-walled aluminum shell. A 43mm male-slider fork with adjustable spring preload and rebound damping guides the front wheel, while Kawasaki’s new Tetra-Lever swingarm is supported by a bottom-link spring strut with adjustable rebound damping and remotely adjustable spring preload. The Tetra-Lever is Kawasaki’s method of dealing with the problem of “shaft-jacking,” when throttle inputs cause the final drive pinion gear to climb up and down on the ring gear and load and unload the rear suspension. The Tetra-Lever’s dual-sided, four-link swingarm feeds those forces into the chassis rather than the suspension, preventing any effect on the ride as a result of getting on and off the throttle.
Rider Report
A ZX-14 rider will not recognize the Concours 14 from the cockpit. Handlebars are 3.8 inches farther back and nearly 6 inches higher, footpegs more than an inch lower and farther forward, and the seat a half-inch higher (and much cushier!). Up front is a well-designed electric windscreen, which Kawasaki says in terms of aerodynamics and visibility is designed for sport riding. It does indeed stay well below the rider’s line of sight at all times, yet I was pleasantly surprised by the still pocket of air it creates when all the way up, even shielding the tops of the rider’s legs. Up or down the shield can be noisy, with the least buffeting in the down position. Passengers reported that the increased warmth with it up was quite noticeable, but couldn’t detect any other difference between up or down. A taller windscreen is available as an accessory.
Passenger accommodations on the Concours 14 are first rate, with a wide, supportive, comfortable seat like the rider’s, good footpeg positions and excellent grabrails. My wife Genie said that she could ride back there all day without complaint. The grabrails are part of a rear rack system that helps support the side cases and LED taillight; it will carry 22 pounds in a duffle or the accessory top trunk on the rear platform. The locking, easily removed side cases are symmetrical and will each swallow a full-face helmet. There’s also a small glove box on the top of the fuel tank.
All-day comfort with a kind of always-ready-for-a-corner feel describes the Concours’ seating position. Mostly upright with just a slight amount of weight on the wrists, the comfortable seat lets you move around easily, and the windscreen can be used to increase warmth or cooling as well as take some weight off your wrists by increasing the windblast on your chest with a button push. It’s a fine ergonomic combination that is supremely comfortable (except perhaps for the heat at times) and instills confidence in attack mode. Passengers are neither too close nor too far away, and don’t slide around or bump your head, partly because it’s so easy to ride the bike smoothly. They’ve always got a good place to hang on, and there’s no abruptness or jerkiness from the EFI except for a tiny bit when cold (Kawasaki has used ECU-controlled sub-throttle valves to smooth throttle response).
