Kawasaki GPz550
Kawasaki's first GPz550 of 1981 was not only
the half-pint brother to the firm's GPz1100
muscle bike, it was also a mould-breaking machine
in its own right. Until then, four-cylinder
550s (which at the time was the preferred middleweight
capacity, the vogue for 600s didn't start until
1986) were general-purpose roadsters, with no
particular performance emphasis. That changed
with the mean and moody, black and red GPz.
When first revealed, it caused quite a stir
53bhp was quite something from a middleweight
in those days. And even thought the little GPz
relies on air-adjustable forks and twin-shock
rear suspension (an even racier Unitrack version
followed in 1983), it's still a nippy urban
tool that will happily keep up with the more
modern stuff if the right hands.
- Price new - £1614
- Power - 53bhp
- Top Speed - 115mph
- Weight - 211kg
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