Segment: Sport Touring
Production years: 1981, 1982
The Kawasaki GPZ 550 was a naked motorcycle manufactured by the Japanese maker from 1981, when it replaced the Kawasaki KZ500, until 1985 when it was replaced by the Kawasaki ZX600 Ninja.
The GPZ 550 model was a higher specification version of the KZ550 and used the same engine but with higher compression, camshafts with higher lift and more duration, and a bikini fairing.
In the aesthetic department, the bike was fitted with standard features, such as a rectangular headlight, a medium-sized windscreen, a one-piece dual seat with a passenger grab handle, a dual exhaust system with a silencer on each side, and three-spoke lightweight aluminum wheels.
The bike was built around a double down tube full cradle frame with a telescopic fork on the front that delivered 165 mm wheel travel and dual shock absorbers on the rear with a box-section aluminum swingarm and 100 mm wheel travel.
Underneath its fuel tank, the 1981 Kawasaki GPZ 550 had installed a 553cc four-stroke four-cylinder air-cooled engine fed by four Teikei carburetors, delivering an output power of 58 hp at 9,000 rpm and 48 Nm (36 lb-ft) torque at 8,000 rpm.
The bike's power was handled by a six-speed manual transmission with a wet multi-plate clutch linked to the rear wheel through a final chain drive, pushing the motorcycle to 192 kph (119 mph).
engine specs | Type: | Air cooled, four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 2 valves per cylinder | Displacement: | 553 cm3 | Bore X Stroke: | 2.28x2.06 in OR 58 mm | Compression Ratio: | 9.5:1 | Horsepower: | 58/9000 KW(hp)/RPM | Torque: | 35.5/8000 lb-ft/RPM OR 48/8000 Nm/RPM | Fuel System: | 4x22mm Teikei Carburetors |
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transmission specs | Gearbox: | 6 Speed | Clutch: | - | Primary Drive: | - | Final Drive: | Chain |
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chassis specs | Frame: | - | Front Suspension: | Telescopic fork | Rear Suspension: | Swinging arm | Front Brake: | 2x260mm disc | Rear Brake: | Single 260mm disc |
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dimension specs | Overall Length: | - | Overall Width: | - | Seat Height: | - | Wheelbase: | - | Ground Clearance: | - | Weight: | - | Fuel Capacity: | - |
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tyres specs | Front: | 3.25 H19 | Rear: | 3.75 H18 |
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