KAWASAKI GPZ 1100 (1981-1983) Specs, Performance & Photos

The Kawasaki GPZ 1100 was a naked motorcycle with a large front cowl manufactured by Kawasaki from 1981 to 1985. The range comprised four models and were all short-lived in an attempt to fill a rapidly changing market segment.

The Kawasaki GPZ 1100 was the first motorcycle released by the Japanese manufacturer with a 1,100cc engine and was officially marketed as the GPZ1100 B1. Instead of carburetors, the bike was fitted with a fuel injection system as on the earlier 1980s Z1000G/H models.

In the Visual department, the bike was fitted with standard features, such as a rectangular headlight in a front cowl with a small windscreen, a one-piece dual seat with a passenger grab rail, a dual exhaust system with a muffler on each side, and eight-spoke lightweight aluminum wheels.

In the braking department, the bike's wheels were fitted with two 270 mm brake discs and a single-piston caliper on the front and a 270 mm brake disc with a single-piston caliper on the rear, offering optimum braking performance.

As for the power figures, the 1981 Kawasaki GPZ 1100 had its heartbeat set by a 1,089cc four-stroke four-cylinder air-cooled engine with a fuel injection system in charge, delivering 100 hp at 8,000 rpm and 96 Nm (71 lb-ft) torque at 7,000 rpm.

The power was transferred to a six-speed manual transmission and then sent to the rear wheel through a final chain drive, pushing the motorcycle to 220 kph (137 mph).