Editing Kawasaki ZG1000 Concours

{{Infobox Motorcycle
|name             = [[Kawasaki]] ZG1000 Concours
|image            = [[File:Kawasaki-GTR1000-86--2.jpg|frameless|Kawasaki ZG1000 Concours]]
|aka              = ZG 1000 Concours
|manufacturer     = Kawasaki
|parent_company   =
|production       = 1986 - 89
|model_year       =
|predecessor      =
|successor        =
|class            =
|engine           = Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder.
|bore_stroke      =
|compression      = 10.2:1
|top_speed        = 216.0 km/h / 134 mph
|power            =
|torque           =
|fuel_system      =
|ignition         = Electronic
|spark_plug       =
|battery          =
|transmission     = 6 Speed
|frame            =
|suspension       =Front: 41mm Telescopic, air-assisted adjustable preload <br>
Rear: UNI-TRAK with adjustable preload, [[rebound damping]] and air pressure
|brakes           =Front: 2x 272mm discs 1 [[piston]] [[caliper]] <br>Rear: Single 280mm disc 1 piston caliper
|front_tire       = {{tire|110/80 VR18}} 
|rear_tire   	  = {{tire|130/80 VR16}} 
|rake_trail       =
|wheelbase        = 1554 mm / 61.2 in
|length           =
|width            =
|height           =
|seat_height      = 797 mm / 31.0 in
|dry_weight       = 270 kg / 595 lbs
|wet_weight       = 296.0 kg / 652.6 lbs
|fuel_capacity    = 28.5 Liters / 7.5 US gal
|oil_capacity     =
|fuel_consumption =
|turning_radius   =
|related          =
|competition      =
}}

It could reach a top speed of 216.0 km/h / 134 mph.  

==Engine==
The engine was a Liquid cooled cooled Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder.. The engine featured a 10.2:1 [[compression ratio]].  

==Chassis==
It came with a 110/80 VR18 front [[tire]] and a 130/80 VR16 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via 2x 272mm discs 1 piston caliper in the front and a Single 280mm disc 1 piston caliper in the rear. The front suspension was a  41mm Telescopic, air-assisted adjustable preload while the rear was equipped with a UNI-TRAK with adjustable preload, rebound damping and air pressure. The ZG1000 Concours was fitted with a 28.5 Liters / 7.5 US gal fuel tank. The bike weighed just 270 kg / 595 lbs. The wheelbase was 1554 mm / 61.2 in long.  
== Photos ==
[[File:Kawasaki-GTR1000-86--2.jpg|600px|Kawasaki ZG1000 Concours]]
[[File:Kawasaki-GTR1000-86--1.jpg|600px|Kawasaki ZG1000 Concours]]
[[File:Kawasaki-GTR1000-86--3.jpg|600px|Kawasaki ZG1000 Concours]]

== Overview ==
Kawasaki GTR 1000 / ZG 1000 Concours
















The Kawasaki Concours, known in Europe as the GTR1000 and in USA as the
ZG1000, is a 997 cc, six speed, four cylinder, liquid-cooled
motorcycle with shaft drive. The bike can reach speeds over
190 km/h (120 mph), offers nimble handling and  with its full fairing, tall
screen, twin locking panniers, and 28 liters (6.2 imp gal; 7.4 US gal) fuel
capacity  is suited to cross-country two-up touring.
Kawasaki introduced the Concours in 1986, based on their Ninja 900 and Ninja
1000R models. Key differences between the Ninja 1000R and the ZG1000 included
32 mm instead of 36 mm carburetors, less aggressively ramped cams, shaft drive,
front and rear sub-frames, hard luggage, and full fairing. The Concours was
introduced into the USA the year after the slightly faster (137 mph) BMW K100LT
at less than two-thirds the price of the BMW machine. Both bikes were tested by
the magazine Motorcyclist, which came out in favor of the Kawasaki concluding
that it was "the most practical, useful and competent motorcycle made" and
"superior to the BMW in almost every aspect imaginable."
From 1986 to 1993 the design was largely unchanged aside from modifications
to the screen, handlebars and other very minor changes. In 1994 Kawasaki updated
the instrument cluster, forks, controls, front fender, front brakes, and the
front wheel. From 1994 to 2006, the design again experienced only minor changes:
fork protectors and exhaust tips. As the Concours first generation endured with
few revisions, experienced mechanics and used parts are readily available.
The GTR1000 has 1020 percent less horsepower than the US Concours, varying
by country





The sport tourer is the least clearly defined of all motorcycles. It's
obvious which bikes fall into the super-sports or Grand Prix replica categories,
but counting the number of true sports-tourers will leave you with several spare
fingers on one hand.
By sports-tourer I mean something that is capable of carrying you 600 miles
in one day without leaving you feeling as if you've been through a mangle, but
is also  capable of acquitting itself well on fast, twisting A-roads
against the likes of GPZ, VF, and GSX sportsters. I've always regarded the term
sports-tourer as a misnomer when applied to bikes like the FJ1100, K100RS and
XJ900. They are all able to fulfill both functions but compromise either comfort
or handling, excelling neither as sportster nor tourer. I thought there was no
such thing as a real sports-tourer - until I rode the Kawasaki 1000GTR. Here,
finally, we have what I would term a real sports-tourer; a motorcycle
that combines all the qualities of a superb tourer with all the qualities of a
big sportster.
The 1000GTR caused quite a stir when it first appeared at last year's Paris
Show, not least because it was claimed to be the result of a lot of European
input and its striking resemblance to a BMW. Indeed, the provisional spec was so
impressive (soft-tuned GPZ1000 motor, shaft drive, GPZ900-type frame and full
touring extras) that there was a lot of bitching going on in the office as to
who would be the lucky one to go out to Italy to ride it. It was only rumours,
that turned out to be totally without substance, of a Honda VFR750 launch in
Australia that kept most editors at home while us minions went on the GTR
launch.
What a great idea it was to launch the bike in Sicily. While the rest of
Europe suffered sub-zero temperatures and inches of snow we basked in bright
sunshine and notched up over 600 miles over lovely roads on the GTR. The plan
was to put in a day's riding in Sicily, spend another day riding up to Salerno
(a 350 mile autostrada dash), and then spend two days riding around the
hills of Campania. An excellent itinerary that took in all the road conditions
anyone is likely to encounter, either in Britain or on the continent.
The first thing you notice about the 1000GTR (apart from its likeness to a
BMW) is the size of the thing: the fairing is big, the tank is big, the seat is
big, the panniers are BIG, even the silencers are big. As I rolled it off the
centre stand I knew this was a big bike; the seat height is just over 32
inches and fuelled up it weighs in at just under 6501b. If I'd been less
substantial than my 6ft lin and 12and a 1/2 stone, the whole' lot would've
crashed to the ground there and then as it lurched sideways and my right foot
scrabbled for grip on the loose surface. The moment you start moving all the
weightiness disappears and the GTR suddenly becomes agile; even at low speeds
the steering was light and precise - something I hadn't expected from a bike
that size and with an 18-inch front wheel.
Once you're rolling, the next surprise (this bike was a constant source of
surprises) is the tractability of the motor. This is basically a GPZ1000RX
powerplant with a few top-end mods to give the GTR a claimed 12 per cent
increase in power and torque over the GPZ up to 7000rpm. These changes include
smaller airbox and carbs (32mm versions of the CVKs used on all the GPZ range),
different cams giving reduced duration and lift, and smaller diameter exhaust
header pipes. So the engine has been tuned to produce more horsepower and torque
than the RX at lower revs. Kawasaki claim 72.3ftlb (l0kgm) at 6500rpm (2000rpm
lower than the RX) and 108.5hp at 9500rpm (the same peak revs as the RX). The
rest of the motor remains the same as the GPZ1000 with identical bore and
stroke, pistons and compression ratio.
These top-end changes make the GTR much smoother and willing than its GPZ
brother at low revs. The 1000RX was decidedly glitchy below 4000rpm, whereas the
GTR will bimble along in sixth at 800rpm and pull strongly from around
two-and-a-half grand. That's the difference between an out-and-out sportster and
a sports-tourer. The willingness of the GTR's motor to pull from any revs was
illustrated beautifully on the coast road from Salerno to Sorrento. This is a
breath-taking road that winds its way along the sides of the mountains which
plunge vertically into the Mediterranean. The road is about 30 miles of mostly
blind hairpin bends connected by the occasional 50-yard straight, so speeds in
excess of 40mph were definitely not recommended. Swooping along on the GTR was a
real revelation it was so effortless. All I had to do was stick it in third gear
and let the motor pull round the corners and up the straights. I think the bike
stayed in third for the full distance, with only the occasional downchange for a
particularly tight hairpin.
Although the Kawasaki has a six-speed box, top gear is really an overdrive.
The GTR will go up to an indicated 140mph much quicker in fifth gear than it
will in top, and once you get to the desired speed you just snick it into sixth
and slot into cruising mode. In fact the GTR won't pull anywhere near the red
line in top, the most I had out of it was just over 140mph at a tad over
8000rpm. Even down-changing to fifth and giving it some severe grief wouldn't
nudge the tacho or top speed any higher.
Indulging in these high speeds highlighted the only two criticisms I can
level at the Kawasaki - high-speed stability and vibration. The GTR was rock
steady up to 110mph, but above that would oscillate slightly and took a while to
settle down after it had been set snaking. Taking the panniers off or putting a
pillion on improved matters somewhat, and I suspect that fine-tuning the
suspension setting (something we weren't encouraged to do) would iron out this
particular gripe.


The suspension is handled at the back by Kawasaki's now familiar Uni-Trak
system, although this is the first time it's been used on a shaftie. As per
GPZ600,900 and 1000s, the Uni-Trak has air-assisted preload and four-position
rebound damping, but unlike the system on the 1000RX the shock is only
compressed from the bottom, not from both ends. Up front all the work is done by
a pair of linked, air-assisted, 41mm forks. Unlike the GPZ range, the GTR
doesn't feature Kawasaki's Advanced Variable Damping System, but it doesn't
suffer for that.
My other moan about the GTR is the vibration that's felt at high speeds. The
bike feels smooth up to around 120mph, but above that, when the revs get up to
7000, tingling vibrations can be felt through the bars despite the bar-end
balancers. This slight buzz can be attributed to the fact that unlike the
1000RX, which has a rubber-mounted engine in a cradle frame, the GTR's engine is
slung in a diamond-type frame similar to that of the GPZ900 and uses the engine
as a stressed member. The result of this is that the engine can't be
rubber-mounted and consequently buzzes like the GPZ900 at higher revs (all of
which is academic, because few people are going to keep up speeds of over 120mph
for any length of time, however easy it might be on the GTR).
Despite being basically bits of GPZ1000 and 900 cobbled together with a shaft
drive adapted from a GT750 and the US-spec Eliminator, the GTR feels remarkably
together in the handling department. It coped superbly with everything I threw
at it, which ranged from 120mph autostrada sweepers to 20mph hairpins.
The first day's riding was for the cameras, so it was decided to set up a couple
of cornering shots on tight righthanders to illustrate the GTR's cornering
abilities. Unlike any tourer I've ridden, the Kawa could be stuffed into tight,
bumpy bends very easily, and very quickly. I found I could indulge in
serious scratching antics normally reserved for balls-out sportsters, and
although the ground clearance is excellent, after a few passes the GTR was going
round the bends with the footrests or centre stand on the deck. Try that on a
BMW RT and you'll find yourself in big-time trouble.
Much of the GTR's cornering capability must be down to the super-smooth shaft
drive. Because the shaft and swingarm are very long, the effect of the shaft
loading and unloading the rear shock is minimized to the degree that it's
noticeable only under very heavy acceleration or braking.
Sweeping round a slow hairpin on a trailing throttle and then blasting out of
it and on to the next won't have the back end pogoing all over the place,
there's just an almost imperceptible lift at the back. No other shaft-driven
bike, except maybe the old Suzuki GS850, has such smooth transmission, and it
makes BMW and Moto Guzzi shafts seem prehistoric.
It's not just slow corners that the GTR is good on, either. Anyone who has
ridden on Italian autostradas will know that they are more like two-lane
A-roads than motorways, with lots of tight bends (none of which are constant
radius) and a wide variety of surfaces. On one occasion, I went into a very fast
sweeper only to find it tightened up in an horrendous fashion and disappeared
off to the left. To avoid going in through the driver's door of a Fiat Uno
tootling along in the slow lane required a rapid, and none too subtle tightening
up of line, something the GTR accomplished without so much as a twitch or
complaint. It was a fairly close call, but illustrated just how well the
Kawasaki can be made to change course, even at 120mph.
Of course it's on the autostradas that the fairing really comes into
its own. Fortunately, for the purposes of road testing at least, the last day's
riding was done mostly in pouring rain, with the odd shower of sleet and snow
thrown in for good measure. So we had ample opportunity to assess the fairing's
protective capabilities - and capable it certainly is. Bearing more than a
passing likeness to that of the K100RT, the fairing offers almost total weather
protection without being overly wide and bulky. The screen is high enough to
deflect air over any rider under six feet and creates a large pocket of still
air. As I'm over six feet tall, I found that my helmet took a bit of a
battering, but Kawasaki UK say that they may be offering a slightly higher
screen as an extra at a later date.
After four hours' riding in the rain and snow I would expect to be fairly
comprehensively drenched, however good a fairing might be. But not on this
Kawasaki. Unlike the K100RT, the GTR protects your feet, and if you keep the
balls of your feet up on the pegs they'll keep dry during short showers. It
takes a couple of hours before the rain gets through your boots. The only other
part of me to get wet was the underneath of my wrists and forearms when the rain
eddies round the fairing. The pieces of trim down either side of the fairing
that deflect the elements still further away from the rider are a particularly
nice touch. In hot weather these are detachable and different pieces can be
fitted which deflect cooling air onto the rider. A brilliant piece of design
that other manufacturers would do well to emulate.
The rest of the fairing is similarly well thought out, with a small grille
below the screen to aim cooling air at the rider's neck, flush headlight and
indicators and superlative mirrors. These mirrors are quite simply the best on
any bike I've ridden. They are adjustable in every direction, and even
concertina in and out. And they give a massive field of vision behind you.
The rest of the bodywork pays the same attention to detail and rider comfort.
The saddle, which is easily big enough to accommodate two large persons, is as
comfortable as that of the Moto Guzzi Spada (which, as everyone knows, is the
world's most wonderful motorcycle perch). The top of the left-hand side-panel
features a lifting handle for heaving the bike onto its centre stand - not an
easy task, but easier than a Goldwing - and the same side-panel also has a
little window in it for displaying your business card or a personalized
nameplate (yes, I know, I laughed too).
Further back are the Krauser look-a-like panniers, which as near as makes no
difference are Krausers - the attachment and locking systems are exactly
the same.
Where the Kawasaki's score over the BMW ones is what happens once you've
taken them off. Kawasaki supply natty panels that fit over the mounting points
and give the bike a sleek, sporty look without said panniers on. Kawasaki say
they will also be bringing out pannier inner bags at a later date.
Above the panniers are two pillion grab rails with bungey hooks. Again,
Kawasaki's designers have got it spot on, because the top of the tailpiece
unbolts to reveal a small carrier rack. Two bungey hooks either side of the tail
light can be used with the bungey hooks on the grab rails to attach a tent, tote
bag, or whatever. Once you've filled up the panniers and luggage rack, there is
even more room for smaller items in the fairing's two pockets and the huge,
slab-topped tank is large enough to accommodate a tankbag of gargantuan
proportions. To make the long-distance tourer's life complete, the GTR also has
two accessory terminals so you can plug in your Teasmaid, cassette player or
hairdryer.
Kawasaki have decided to go with radial tires on the GTR because of their
longer life expectancy and their claimed greater stability under heavy loads and
at high speeds. During our four days' riding the tires were used under every
condition you could care to imagine - high-speed cruising, spirited cornering
and heavy braking. The Dunlop radials behaved in a thoroughly predictable manner
and the only nasty moment occurred going into a sharp, downhill lefthander too
fast. It was sleeting quite hard and the road surface was horrendous, so an
indelicate handful of the front brake had the front end sliding a few inches
sideways before it gripped again.
For the rest of the test the tires behaved well despite the amount of weight
on the skinny 110 front radial. I wouldn't like to hazard a guess as to how long
a set of these Dunlops will last, but they should last up to 30 per cent longer
than normal tires.
One of the most impressive aspects of the GTR as a tourer is its fuel
consumption and range. During the 350-mile autostrada blast from Sicily
to Salerno the GTR returned 41mpg, which gives it a realistic range of around
250 miles before you have to stop for petrol. And with the bike being so
comfortable and effortless to ride it's no problem to do those 250 miles without
stopping. Even when pushing the GTR along with indecent haste, the fuel
consumption never dipped below 35mpg, although I dare say if you really went for
it you might get it down to around 30mpg. Compare that with a K100, which is
lucky if it can go more than 170 miles on a full tank, and you begin to see just
how good the GTR is.
Good isn't quite the right word to describe the 1000GTR. It is really the
most complete motorcycle IVe ever ridden - its minor vices pale into
insignificance against its all-round abilities as a sports-tourer. BMW must be
seriously worried by the GTR, because when it comes into this country in May it
will sell at just under £4500 (&400 less than a K100RT). They will have to make
a lot more Vorsprung durch Technik before they better the GTR.

Source MOTORCYCLE International 1986
{|  class="wikitable"
|- 
!Make Model
|Kawasaki GTR1000 / ZG 1000 Concours
|- 
!Year
|1986 - 89
|- 
!Engine Type
|Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder.
|- 
!Displacement
|997 cc / 60.8 cu-in
|- 
!Bore X Stroke
|74 x 58 mm
|- 
!Cooling System
|Liquid cooled
|- 
!Compression
|10.2:1
|- 
!Induction
|4 x 32mm Keihin CV carburetors
|- 
!Ignition
|Electronic
|- 
!Starting
|Electric
|- 
!Max Power
|110 hp / 85 kW @ 9500 rpm (ZG 1100 - 97 hp / 72.3 kW @ 7000 rpm)
|- 
!Max Power Rear Tire
|94.4 hp / 70 kW @ 9500 rpm
|- 
!Max Torque
|10 kgf-m @ 6500 rpm
|- 
!Transmission
|6 Speed
|- 
!Final Drive
|Shaft
|- 
!Front Suspension
|41mm Telescopic, air-assisted adjustable preload
|- 
!Front Wheel Travel
|140 mm / 5.5 in
|- 
!Rear Suspension
|UNI-TRAK with adjustable preload, rebound damping and air pressure
|- 
!Rear Wheel Travcel
|140 mm / 5.5 in
|- 
!Front Brakes
|2x 272mm discs 1 piston caliper
|- 
!Rear Brakes
|Single 280mm disc 1 piston caliper
|- 
!Front Tire
|110/80 VR18
|- 
!Rear Tire
|130/80 VR16
|- 
!Rake
|28°,
|- 
!Trail
|100 mm / 3.9 in
|- 
!Wheelbase
|1554 mm / 61.2 in
|- 
!Seat Height
|797 mm / 31.0 in
|- 
!Dry Weight
|270 kg / 595 lbs
|- 
!Wet Weight
|296.0 kg / 652.6 lbs
|- 
!Fuel Capacity
|28.5 Liters / 7.5 US gal
|- 
!Consumption Average
|14.0 km/lit
|- 
!Braking 60 - 0 / 100 - 0
|15.1 m / 39.8 m
|- 
!Standing ¼ Mile
|11.7 sec / 180.7 km/h
|- 
!Top Speed
|216.0 km/h / 134 mph

|}
== External Links ==
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport_touring

[[Category:Kawasaki motorcycles]]