Opinions of Kawasaki GPZ, GPX...

[jp14]

I am looking at getting a big bike soon and I've seen a few Kawasaki GPZ305's and a GPX400 and I was wondering what peoples opinions are of these bikes: are they reliable, cheap to repair, nice to handle for a first big bike, how does it cope with 70 mph (What's it's top speed)? And does anyone know the Bhp of a GPX400

Also what do people think of Kawasaki in general?

Thanks

[Kickstart]

Hi

GPz305s reputation for reliability makes an RS125s reputation look very good. Basically an old air cooled z250 (Kawasakis 250 Superdream equivalent) bored out. Problems are largely due to maintenance (no real obvious oil filter, but there is one hidden in the engine that nobody bothers to clean and they destroy the top end of the engine), but also the belt drive is not popular (lasts longer than a chain but costs more to replace, tends to fail with little warning and is more difficult to replace even if the belts are still available). Having said that they are meant to be nice enough bikes to ride.

The GPX400 is a totally different bike. Not a UK model, but as far as I know a Japanese market version of the GPX600 sold through most of the world. Should be pretty tough. The 600 didn't sell that well as they were hammered by the CBR600 and the FZR600, although they were reintroduced a few years later as a budget 600 (sold for several hundred pounds less than the budget GSX600F).

All the best

Keith
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[Blau Zedong]

As above - GPZ305, nice concept but mobile hand grenade. GPX400 should be sound but very heavy for a 400.
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18:54:48 Rob Fzs: jews don't give away stuff for free

18:54:59 Rob Fzs: unless its their clothes/ hair/ golden teeth

[ToGGoT]

I went straight onto my GPX600R from my direct access. Its a good bike to start on - plenty of power compared to the ER-5 i did my test on.

Handles ok, parts are cheap and fairly easily available, and the bikes can be had for pennies (£500 in my case with Tax and Ticket)

Yeah, ok, so it probably doesnt have the straight line speed, acceleration, or handling of a newer sports bike, but it'll hammer smaller bikes easily, and is much more comfortable than it looks.

ToGGoT
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2005 BMW R1150R

[billyboy]

i would give the 305 a miss mate i had a new 1 in the 80s i had 2 belts snap in a year started to rust round the tank after 9 months and had a top end rebuild under warranty and pipes started to blow i chopped it in for a vt 500 much better bike. cant help on gpx but if its a bored down 600 it should be ok good luck with what ever you buy

[jp14]

All great advice cheers!

Yeah, i've not really heard that much good about the 305 either.

Thanks

[mchaggis]

You could do a lot worse than a GPZ 500..

Parallel twin. Sturdy enough, fast enough, light enough. Quite happy at 70, will get up to 120 if you try hard enough. Handle pretty well with newish tyres and intact suspension. 60ish bhp (when new and if you're lucky!)

Original exhausts are (very!) prone to the rust bug and have a good look at the gearbox, shock and how well it starts (starting mechanics can be clattery), especially if it's got over 30k on it, but there's not much else really I can think of other than general niggles and consumables. Never had any problems with electrics other than spark plug caps with mine.. They even crash okay, apart from the fairing mounted indicators.

Should be able to get them for not a lot of money too. Parts aren't too bad for them, tyres, chain etc are cheap (Bridgestone BT45s are best). Generally easy to work on too, plenty of space above and around the engine.
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I must not be a troll...
Mmmm, Guinness
Discovering the delights of Hammerite and a 3/4" brush.

[user]

I own a 305, unless you have nothing better to do at weekends than fixing the parts that broke during the week, I wouldn't recommend it.

In addition to what everyone else said, mine's had constant oil leaks, picked up an increasingly expensive sounding vibration, chews through cam chain tensioner springs at an alarming rate, and the choke mechanism has broken. Origional exhausts rot, motad replacements need to be removed to change the oil filter. It will do 70 (hell, I've had 100 on the clock) but is dangerously unstable above 80. I can't find maching tyres to fit the stupid size wheels. Conversion to chain drive is fairly easy, but I've seen front sprockets welded on, spacers left out etc. The engine dosen't like to be revved, and the slow-action throttle actually makes my wrist ache on long journeys. For the love of god, don't buy one.

Just needed to get that off my chest

[T0MMY]

As above, just go for the 500, no advantage at all for the 305 other than (arguably) character and relative individuality. The GPZ500's a good bike, hundreds of threads on here about them, mostly positive, I'm looking for one as a commuter myself.
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ZX6R + CBR600RR

[wilbur]

[arry]

I've got a GPZ going up for sale if you're interested. R reg, clean and tidy, 26k on it, no real faults and 12m tax and test....

[Vincent]

I've had a few different GPZs and my favourite by a long mile was the 550 - a brilliant bike IMO
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Space Is Deep

[hellkat]

Another vote for the GPZ500.
I've currently got one.
Love it.


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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[jp14]

[c_dug]

How much arry?

c_dug
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[caruthers]

i got a 305 as my first post 125 and its been brilliant.
I know they had their reliability probs back in the day, but if one survived this long then its probably been a good un. Mine was 25 years old with 15k on the clock, cost sod all and really moves.

they are rated as 36hp, i was on a restricted licence so got mine dynoed, if i'd been in an accident i wanted to be able to show that my bike wasnt over the limit ( it gave 26hp by the way, made the bike shop guy laugh- he doesnt meet many people who are pleased that their bike is less powerful than it should be!)

Great back road bike, cruise at 70 with a bit in reserve, only downside with mine it hates cold weather (<4) starts.

always makes me smile
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buttercup, yellow sv;ancient gpz 305.

[arry]

[virus]

The gpz500 is easily the most solid of the range I think, Ive not known many killed, however most other gpz's and to some extent gpx's i suppose (although dont quote me on that, ive never worked on a gpx) have there own unique problems.

305 is a rolling hand grenade as blue says, the 750/900r both have weak starter clutches that require a full engine strip to fix etc etc.



Sensible option would be a gpz5.

Cheers
John
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own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[Blau Zedong]

The GPZ500 has a poor top end design, amirite? Coupled with the absolute ugliness of the early ones and odd wheel sizes there are better twins available.
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18:54:48 Rob Fzs: jews don't give away stuff for free

18:54:59 Rob Fzs: unless its their clothes/ hair/ golden teeth

[Kickstart]

Hi

Most bikes seem to have flaws. Early GPZ500 had flywheels which lost their magnets at about 20000 miles, and the water pipes into the head being bolted to the rocket cover makes checking the valves a pain.

Biggest problem with the GPZ900R was the short life expectancy of the cam chains and even shorter life of the carb diaphragms.

The old air cooled GPz models were pretty solid.

All the best

Keith
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