well would u expect much else...

somewhere else I spoke about the zzr 1400, which I didn't think was silly fast at all, just OK. Well the GTR gets variable valve timing and a detune for more midrange... It certainly get a detune... happiest at 3500 rmp and not much after unless u like to wait and wait....

Below is the rant... but if u want a GTR buy a zzr and change the handle bars and fit a scott oiler to keep the chain happy. A GTR is NOT the answer.



very simple review as not worth much comment, this is the OLD 2009 model, faring and screen updates on the later one

Screen useless and nosiy, Engine ok for dawdling not much else. Stock ZZR lump would be MUCH better and smoother. This bike is seriously SLOW and hard work to make good progress. If you disagree get back in your mondeo.

Handling pretty terrible, its very heavy and behaves like its got a steering damper wound up much to tight. Too combersone to be fun and sits up under braking quite violently whilst cornering. I haven't ridden a bike this bad for 20 years!!! making it very hard work and dangerous to press on.

ABS was very basic with the skid from the warm front tyre so huge I was coming off the brakes myself before the ABS started working!!!

(crap ABS on bikes is all I have expereinced. Its always been so disappointing looking for a bike with this feature I'm begining to think it NOT that important. Frequently at low speed (under 40kph) it reacts so late you could fall off before its starts trying to help. When driving hard it always cuts in half an hour before the wheel even thinks of locking (On my BMW at most speeds). Thus making ABS a nuisance in the dry and dangerous when presing on as the brakes just turn off leaving you in the shit. On a track I can imagine it would add about 1 to 2 seconds to ones lap time as you just have to slow down)

Mirors make it as wide as a car and impossible to filter in traffic... yet u get air con in a car !!!

Worst of all the heat from the faring cooks your lower legs till VERY crisp and upper leg till well done even on very short rides.

Why didn't I see any of these issues raised in the MCN tests, maybe you need a road tester who can actually tell the difference between bikes ?

Im no GTR fan myself... huge lump of bike...

you need to ride a Triumph with ABS. Its better than most I have sampled and saved my bacon a couple of times... I can feel the ABS working on the back, but its not intrusive on the front, never that bit,not,bite,not feeling....

ABS on the back is almost permanently on when I do use the rear brake....

I'm a lazy git and mostly use the front only, the only real time I use both is when pressing on round town and trying to manage the bike over the bumps and bad road surfaces etc. Then the rear brake is just in ABS judder mode almost every time I use it. It doesn't cause me any stress, just seems odd it feels the need to massage my foot all the time. Especially as on bikes without ABS I never worry about the rear moving around or locking up.

The GTR was exactly the same....

Are you saying the ZZR1400 aka ZX14 isn't that fast? What the hell do you think is fast if that isn't?

a neighbour has a 2006 blade and that was harder to use but a bit quicker than my TL R with race cans and air filter mods. But once used to either of them something alot quicker would be nice...

this neighbour keeps talking about getting a zzr14 (if England had one their last footy game he'd have a brand new one in the garage) when he tested a secondhand one last year he came round raving about how mental it was and made his blade feel like a moped. I didn't believe a word of it and so we looked it up on MCN roadtest and yes its supposed to be mental.

This year I took one out (nearly new, stock everything) and yes smooth and flexible quite nice etc. BUT for town work the bars are a joke. Months later its still for sale !!! NOW I'm wondering if its not a std UK bike and is a slow one for other markets but nothing makes sense... as its not SLOW enough to be a restricted one but seems ONLY as quick as my TL and maybe not as much as a 2006 Blade.

I got about 250kph without trying but then most 1 ltr bike should do that... and went past a speed trap they were just putting away (just as well as I'd be writing from a prison otherwise these days !!). Giving it everything its got in each gear I was waiting for it to get near the readline before changing up wondering what all the fuss was about. A properly fast bike on first acquaintance can hit the rev limiter in the first 3 gears before your ready for it. I got off thinking it was SLOW not quick

This is the actual ad


KAWASAKI ZZR 1400 D8F ABS 1400cc, 2009 09 Reg , 2,500 miles, Silver. This ZZR is in A1 condition and has had just one private owner, the bike is supplied with all the books and all three keys, as well as a full history and a Cat 1 alarm. There is also and extended K care warranty that is transferable to the new owner. The bike is of course HPI clear and will be fully prepared by our workshop prior to collection,,Full dealership facilities available., £7,149 p/x welcome

http://www.missionmotorcycles.co.uk/use ... e=usedBike

Where is that fail picture

A zx-14 would absolutely obliterate a 2006 blade.

My friend has a 2007 blade, and inevitably we had a bit of a race on krugersdorp highway. He got the jump on me, and pulled me by about 2 bike lengths in first. In second, I closed the gap a little, and in third a blew past him and made him look silly. If a zx-10r could do that. Imagine what the zx-14 is capable of.

My uncle has a ZZR1400. Thing is insanely quick, his still has the restrictors in the airbox and when you hit 100km/h you feel them open up as it unleashes the rest of the HP. It runs away from his mates R1 without trying.

You are ranting about a tourer with 150 odd hp, optimised for low and midranage power, because it doesn't redline?

If it worked in the red I could understand the rant cause that would be a stupid tourer, mental really, like the 200+hp zx. Oh wait.

One thing I still really wanted to do ... then the bloke never pitchec before I sold my ten, was a run at Tarlton, my ZX10 against ZX14... I know the 14 is quick, I did ride it and altho its a super Kawa, it never really spoke to me in such a way that I wanted to buy it. However, I was felt assured that it would not beat me on the quarter mile.... Never materialised my ZX now a heap of scrap and that 14 also somewhere in a garage....

The big thing tho is that the GTR and the 14 are not the same. the GTR is a touring bike not built for dicing

Guys I think you're not reading my posts fully

I have ridden both, a GTR is just slow everywhere and all over by 8k most happy at 3.5 k rpm, flat power delivery and boring everywhere and a bastard to get round corners.

The ZZR14 was OK (except low bars are a pain in town and a lack of shaft drive) nice engine, more power everywhere and pulls much better at the top end to I think 11 k rpm BUT the one I rode was NOT silly fast by any stretch of the imagination... just adequate

Unless they make a 150 bhp slow one and thats what I rode (coz there is no way it was swiss market 100bhp moped spec) I do not understand why people think its mental...


and if you don't get why I want a shaft.... the guy in the shop agreed entirely.... the tiny loss in handling u get with a shaft is NOT an issue on the road even at ten tenths.... on a track with two identical bikes you could time the difference but on the road you just gain from less noise, less shit all over the bike, less agro adjusting the chain, easier to do the tyre pressures and no silly maintenance costs

Botus, to be honest, I am not sure I get what you really want.. The GTR should be exactly what you want if you dislike the ZX14...

Because these bikes are of quite some size they dont feel fast, you need to compare it a bit...

Shaft has its place, but I would much rather run a chain/sprockets. I am weeks away from 100 000km on my Tiger and I have the exact running cost of having chain. Wait until that shaft goes and I can just imagine your whining....

Again I am confused by your post.

I want one bike thats properly fast, good fun to ride, and comfortable..... trouble is I want a shaft drive as well and thats really messing up the choices.

I like Honda's, but not too sure about the VFR1200 looks very over priced and has strange looks... and most people think its a bit slow. A fireblade with high bars would probably be more suitable, but misses the shaft

The zzr is quite nice but at anything below 130 kph way too much weight over the bars and at town speeds its a pain. One point I had forgotten about with the low bars. It has too little steering lock to play properly round traffic AND your wrist get hit by the tank as you go near full lock (quite dangerously), first time it happened it dislodged my hand and I got a big wobble on, then you find steering lock is limited and so needs much more concentration as you can't get enough lock on to maintain balance or get between gaps. Wind protection is brilliant in my view with NO noise and NO buffeting at all at basically any speed u want. My GS make more noise at 60kph than a zzr at 140 kph. If the bars where 40 mm higher with a bit more steering lock and a shaft it would be almost perfect.

Whats very good about the GS 1200 is its ability to change line at any point, you can scream in to corners hard on the brakes and move line anyway you want. For such a big bike its so maneuverable its incredible, I think this is the main reason it sells so well. The engine is almost adequate up to 190 kph, backed up by more torque than most. Its messed up by the hole in the power curve (emissions and noise regs I guess) that on big throttle opening means you get a weird elastic band throttle cable feeling between 4 and 6 k thats unnecessary.

But whats really missing is the refinement its like a land rover defender. When you try a few other bikes this is so obvious its a little criminal in 2010 that bikes like this exist. There is no compliance in the poor suspension over the initial inch of movement the wheels skip about all the time and shocks from cats eyes are really acute. Then the engine is just rough and harsh.... and mine is a very smooth example of the smoothest model !!! then there's the gearbox clunking and smashing around.... I rode without my ear plugs the other day and then you start to wonder if bits of old ship engine are going to fall out of the cases... Its a tractor not range rover.

I am none the wiser, you need to quantify fast....

On the preference for shaft I need to be convinced. Repairs are expense, maybe less maintenance but thats is about the only advantage.... I do big miles, and a shaft is not going to do it for me.

VFR1200 sounds like your answer. Its a lot faster than a GS, price is about the same, but otherwise I think it should satisfy your requirements. That is to say if GS-fast is your standard.

I've never known a shaft drive bike fail in any way, most experience is with honda's

a quick bike does 280kph and 11 sec 1/4 mile, my idea of a fast one is one that gets close to 330 and 10 sec 1/4 mile... but thats not all. Handling and stopping actually more important than power and I want to do most of that without prating about changing gear. Unfortunately most roads over here are bumpy and full of cars so its got to be good in traffic.

a cross between a VT500 (riding position, handling and shaft) and a zzr 1400 engine with nitrous

None of the bikes you mentioned is actually faster than 280 geniune speed except the ZX14. The ZZR maybe... Most modern bikes are limited to 286 even tho their speedometers go to 299. And trust me, anything faster than 270 you have to have balls on a bike. Been there twice on two different ZX10s, you have to have balls for it.... and space... Faster than 11sec, yip, I agree would like that too.

In any event just wheelie that GS of your enough, to find out of shaft drive troubles.

I ride a chain between 30 and 40K kms, and the Triumph sprockets last 70K km. I don't really see the shaft advantage.

In order to get you special bike you may be required to build it yourself.

If you ask me, you should have bought a Tiger1050, with ABS. It accelerates as fast as a modern 600, and hits a limiter at 228km/h. Seating is proper and so is handling. The ABS is ace so it brakes very well. Its got long travel suspension but it is easy to work with. Its a roadbike, not a dually. To ride it at the limiter is attainable. The shaft is absent and so is 280+, but I reckon the rest will do.

So herewith a pic. Maybe this is afterall the answer...

I think Botus needs, nay deserves a Honda DN-01.

Onto more important matters - YBK, whats the VFR like?

Its a very capable bike, it does so many things, but its not outstanding against any specific class.
Its not a winner in the tournig class, neither on the track, its not a winner on the dragstrip either and not good at stunting. However, its there. The one thing it has is attention drawing looks.
If it was lighter and a smaller front end, I would have liked it a lot. I'm not the rider in the photo by the way....
So it can go fast, and it can go far. It can take two people and their stuff, you can take it to trackdays, but you going to be tired if you go fast because you have to work it....

Its just to expensive for my personal budget. I am actually contemplating parking a SpeedTriple next to my Tiger1050. I am weeks away from 100K km on my Triumph....

Someone was telling me there's nothing about it to warrant the big price... that said, saw a dealer with a white one on 1000miles to 10k (R100K)....

they had 4 new ones instock of which one was the silly gearbox model.



Rode a Cagiva Raptor yesterday... right ugly bug with a TL1000 engine... small bike, bit too compact but good handlebar position for town work... but it must be a slightly detuned S engine it was a bit gutless after my R without the bottom end, nor the mid range and completely without the big top end hit I was used to. Brakes didn't want to work and very snatchy pickup of idle. I could see this being a bit of an issue on a wet manhole cover.

Wasn't desperately keen to wheelie.... and it felt more like if you could squash the lever enough the front wheel would lock before the rear got of the ground.. With more familiarisation might be able to cope...

I have only seen a Raptor once... Its very compact. I think it was more of a show off (very different) looks...

Friend had one - bit of a hooligan bike much in the spirit of a TL-S (I'd imagine). Comfortable over distance, good around town, though snatchy down low. Turn in good, though had a bit of a weave in high speed sweepers. All in a fun, albeit different bike. Would rather have a SV1000S though.

NO !!!

My brother has one truly one of the worst bikes I have ridden. (only just remembered this or could have put on Yogotta B. Kidding post about nasty bikes.)

First time I rode it was at night about 2 C and it was slow, then I got to a roundabout and just couldn't feel what the front was doing I was really scared it would let go u just had no idea if was any grip available. My brother who used to be able to push the front on a bike just for fun.... and often ended up with bald sides and lots of tread in the middle of his front tyres agrees. We dabbled trying to lower forks through yokes to get more weight on the front and setting up suspension better but didn't help at all.

Next time I rode it in the summer and it was just as bad even with a pirelli dragon on the front... its just WRONG He rode my TL R and loved it.... and they handle like shit !

Cagiva felt much quicker an SV1000 is truly boring and feels so slow

Who am I to argue...