The Kawasaki Concours, known as the GTR1000 or 1000GTR in some markets and as the ZG1000 in the United States, is a 1,000 cc sport touring motorcycle that Kawasaki manufactured between 1986 and 2006. It was replaced in 2007 by the larger Concours 14, also called the 1400GTR.
Kawasaki Concours at a glance
| Maker | Kawasaki |
|---|---|
| Also called | ZG1000 (USA), GTR1000 / 1000GTR (Europe) |
| Produced | 1986–2006 |
| Class | sport tourer |
| Engine | 997 cc liquid-cooled inline-four |
| Transmission | six-speed, shaft final drive |
| Top speed | over 190 km/h (120 mph) |
| Fuel capacity | 28 litres |
| Based on | Ninja 900 and Ninja 1000R |
| Key changes from the Ninja | 32 mm instead of 36 mm carburettors, milder cams, shaft drive, sub-frames, hard luggage, full fairing |
| Replaced by | Concours 14 / 1400GTR, 2007 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Concours. The old record carried a dead video, so no video is shown.
History of the Kawasaki Concours
Kawasaki introduced the Concours in 1986 as a sport tourer built on the Ninja 900 and Ninja 1000R. The engine was retuned with 32 mm carburettors instead of 36 mm and less aggressive camshafts, and the chassis gained front and rear sub-frames, a shaft final drive, hard luggage and a full fairing. The result was a 997 cc, six-speed, liquid-cooled four that could top 190 km/h yet carried a tall screen, twin locking panniers and a 28 litre tank for two-up touring.
The BMW comparison
The Concours reached the United States a year after the slightly faster BMW K100LT and cost less than two-thirds of the German machine’s price. Motorcyclist magazine tested both and came out in favour of the Kawasaki, calling it “the most practical, useful and competent motorcycle made” and superior to the BMW “in almost every aspect imaginable”. In some countries the 1000GTR was sold with 10–20 percent less power than the American Concours.
A long, unchanged life
From 1986 to 1993 the design stayed largely unchanged apart from the screen, handlebars and other small details. In 1994 Kawasaki updated the instrument cluster, forks, controls, front fender, front brakes and front wheel; after that, until 2006, only fork protectors and exhaust tips changed. Because the first generation lasted so long with so few revisions, used parts and experienced mechanics are easy to find.
Successor
In September 2006 Kawasaki announced a new generation, the Concours 14 in North America and 1400GTR elsewhere. Introduced in September 2007, it was based on the ZX-14 platform but kept the original recipe of an inline-four, luggage, shaft drive and a full fairing.
Design and features
- Shaft drive: low maintenance and clean, at the cost of some power compared with a chain.
- Full touring equipment: full fairing, tall screen, twin locking panniers and a 28 litre tank as standard.
- Detuned Ninja engine: smaller carburettors and milder cams traded peak power for mid-range usability.
- Nimble handling: despite its size, contemporary tests found the Concours agile for a fully equipped tourer.
Kawasaki Concours versions
- ZG1000 Concours (USA, 1986–2006): the American version with full power.
- 1000GTR / GTR1000 (Europe): 10–20 percent less power, depending on country.
- 1994 update: new instruments, forks, controls, front fender, brakes and front wheel.
- 2006 final model: essentially the 1994 specification.
The Concours was replaced by the Kawasaki 1400GTR. More Kawasaki models are in the Kawasaki collection.
Sources
- Kawasaki Concours, English Wikipedia: history, equipment, BMW comparison, successor
