KAWASAKI GPZ 550 (1983-1984) Specs, Performance & Photos

The Kawasaki GPZ 550 was a sports motorcycle manufactured by Kawasaki from 1981, when it replaced the KZ 500, until 1985, when it was replaced by the Kawasaki ZX 600 Ninja. The GPZ 550 was a higher-performance version of the KZ 550.

The Kawasaki GPZ 550 packed the same engine as the KZ 550 but with higher compression and camshafts with higher lift and more duration. In addition, the bike was dressed in a bikini fairing.

In 1983, the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer launched the Kawasaki GPZ 550, a sports machine that featured the same package as the previous model without any modifications, except for a mono-shock rear swingarm added in 1982.

In the aesthetic department, the bike packed standard features, such as a front cowl with a rectangular headlight, a windscreen, a one-piece dual seat with a passenger grab rail, a dual exhaust system with a silencer on each side, and three-spoke lightweight aluminum wheels.

Underneath its fuel tank, the 1983 Kawasaki GPZ 550 had installed a 553cc four-stroke four-cylinder air-cooled engine that delivered 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 transferred to a six-speed manual transmission linked to the rear wheel through a final chain drive, pushing the motorcycle to a top speed of 192 kph (119 mph).