THERE'S many ways to describe the Kawasaki 1400GTR: fast, comfortable, handles well, mile eater. They all give you a portion of the picture but the simple thing is the bike is one of the best high speed touring machines ever built.

First released in 2007 to much fanfare, the big GTR was at the very pointy end of the market which also included some great bikes like Honda's ST1300, Yamaha FJR1300, BMW K 1200 GT, Ducati ST4 and Triumph's Sprint ST. While all were powerful machines, only the K 1200 GT and FJR1300 could really try and match the 1400GTR for outright grunt, and even then the big Kwaka had the wood on them both.

Things have changed slightly in 2011, with the new BMW K 1600 GT standing toe to toe with the GTR in the real world of actual riding.
In many ways it's incorrect to describe these bikes as tourers, they are sports tourers due to the huge improvements in power and handling you expect and get from bikes of this nature in 2011.

On the stand
The 1352cc inline four cylinder engine boasts just over 160 horsepower and shed loads of torque. The fact that maximum power chimes in at only 8,800rpm shows you this is not just a top end missile, it's happy to power away in top gear at low revs.

A neat trick with the engine is the variable valve timing. Seen on some cars for a while now it's not often been used in motorcycles. Kawasaki claims it's the first time a motorcycle in this particular market sector has used VVT. Honda's VFR800 introduced VVT to riders a few years ago now so Honda might dispute this, although you could argue the smaller capacity of the VFR doesn't pitch it directly at the 1400GTR.

A six-speed gearbox and shaft drive complete the drivetrain package. According to Kawasaki the two-point jointed shaft drive system gives a feel similar to a chain drive system, and after riding the bike it's hard to argue against.

Front forks are 43mm USD units with rebound damping and preload adjustment. At the rear the Uni-Trak rear shock set-up is what Kawasaki calls a Tetra-Lever. It's attached at numerous points, with the upshot being it vastly reduces any up and down movement of the suspension during acceleration and deceleration, a trait of shaft drive machines since they were first introduced.

Comfort is covered by the nicely scalloped seat, an electronically adjusted screen and heated handgrips which come standard. Panniers also come standard as does the neat little rack which can take a decent sized bag.
The safety side of the equation is taken care of by the KTRC traction control system which activates when rear wheel slip is detected. Handy in dodgy weather. ABS is also standard, as are tyre pressure sensors to let you know if your tyres are a bit low in pressure.

On the road
Yes it's a big bike, weighing in at 304kg full of fuel, and a bit imposing but it's easier to ride than you might think. It has a lowish seat height which negates the weight somewhat. When you are underway you are seated nicely in the cocoon, with the handlebars swept back and all controls falling nicely to your respective body parts.
Around town the GTR's torquey engine allows you to be pretty lazy, cruising around in one or two gears almost.

Out on the open road the bike just eats miles so easy. Most riders will experience buffeting from the screen at some point of its range so it's a matter of selecting the best spot for your head height.

Awesome power is available just about everywhere in the rev range. Generally we got the bike into top gear and left it there as much as possible. You can play racer too. If you get throttle happy the GTR will launch towards the horizon with a ferocity not often seen on bikes of this genre. One downside to the bike's size though is a tendency for it to understeer when pushed hard in tighter corners. Interestingly two out of the three testers who rode the bike noticed it while the other didn't. That's enough to show you it's a minor issue, and only when riding it a bit silly maybe.

Verdict
This is an awesome bit of kit. It has more power than you'll ever realistically need, handles well enough to push way beyond the boundaries of the regular touring motorcycle, and has safety features many other bikes in this field should have.
At $24,999 it's on par with the majority of its direct competitors, and you get a lot of motorcycle for your money.