Our Journey to the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham from Norfolk was planned last year while driving past it en route to the Motorcycle Show at the NEC.
At that time the weather was so atrocious that the three of us travelled by car. Bearing in mind the comfort and security of travelling in a modern VW box we were glad that we were not struggling on two wheels along the motorway, against torrential rain, poor visibility and other road users who boxed you in, leaving no room for mistakes.
Roger, the owner of the BMW R100RS, thought the trip in January would be a good last journey for his bike before he had to take it off the road for a short time. Being the owner of a mere Honda RS250 we decided I should share pillion rides on the BMW and Mark’s Kawasaki. My small capacity machine just did not match up to the mile gobbling capabilities of the other two machines. I was also interested in purchasing a tourer, so felt that a long journey on two such different bikes would be informative.
On the day of the trip I was woken at 7.10am by Mark ringing to say we were definitely going as he’d contacted BT’s Weather Line — the forecast was dry and cold. True to form, Mark appeared an hour after he had arranged to arrive. During the 30 miles we rode to collect Roger the Kawa conveyed the impression of being a secure handler. The seat is low, the pillion’s mount slightly higher; but nowhere near as bad as some sports bikes where the pillion is mounted so high that he can control where the machine goes by leaning over and is subject to a horrific wind blast.
There appeared to be a powerband at 3000rpm, no matter how gently the rider operated the throttle there was a distinct lurch as the machine rushed forward. The Neta exhaust may or may not have contributed to that effect. I did, at first, think that it was just a characteristic of the pilot’s riding style, but after riding the machine myself I discovered that it did have a rush of power at 3000rpm; a nudge from the wife on the back confirmed this. In fact, my wife also rode the bike and announced that we should get one. If it weren’t for the mortgage and expensive cat...
Anyway, back to the journey, thirty miles later I swapped to the BMW. Its seat seemed higher, harder and the material more slippery, especially when wearing nylon leggings.
The BMW seat did seem longer, perhaps because of the slight upturn at its end, creating what is know somewhat inelegantly as a bumstop. This felt more reassuring than the Kawa’s sheer vertical drop. If the BMW’s rear hump looks more stylish, the Kawasaki’s rack is larger and lower. Both machines were fitted with Krauser panniers, the BMW setup giving slightly more room for the pillion (although the Kawa’s panniers were originally fitted to a CX, so different brackets).
Overall, the BMW proved more comfortable for the pillion as the slower response of its engine (from heavier flywheels) gave me more time to move my gauntlet-clad hands from nonchalantly relaxing on my knees to grip the rear carrier. I could only relax on the GT if the road ahead suggested predictable speeds and acceleration. The BMW, with its lower revving engine, fairing and relaxed power delivery, was less demanding on the pillion’s concentration. Vibration was no problem. At low revs I was aware of low frequency vibration. After actually riding a BMW of this ilk some months later I found vibes intrusive at the handlebars, but it was at an acceptable level. The Kawa had rubber engine mounts to minimise the high frequency vibration, resulting in minimal vibration reaching the rider.
The Kawa's panniers also got in the way when the machine had to be lifted onto its centrestand, the carrier serving as a lifting handle. The BMW had a handle mounted well clear of the panniers and the BMW K75 is even better, for it has an ergonomic handle which can be swung away from the machine to give more leverage.
The Kawa could really do with a set-up like that, and the RS could learn from the Kawa by adopting its sidestand. I found the thought of having to lean the BMW away from me to swing the stand out distinctly alarming. I tried to operate the sidestand and found it very disconcerting, it felt decidedly unsafe; it’s not funny dropping a BMW of that size and expense.
After several stops for fuel, food and coffee we arrived at the museum. It’s an impressive building and looks very plush. Inside the entrance foyer are several bikes including a beautiful, gleaming Brough Superior - 4 cylinders, shaft drive. Old and new Nortons the Commando and Rotary lurked in Plod trim. The bikes were arranged in order of age in the various halls, and there were really too many to take in on one visit. We were blinded by a lap style variety of engine designs and configurations which proved to our somewhat smug satisfaction that we’d had all the original ideas at least, even if we hadn't been able to carry them out successfully ourselves.
We saw some flat twins, courtesy of Douglas, which looked like small BMWs; an early machine (c 1913) had an adjustable wind shield, not quite Suzuki power shield, but nearly there, and, of course, without the little ball bearings or motors which always seem specifically designed to go spectacularly wrong, invariably leaving the screen in a totally inappropriate position. Triumph were exhibiting a butch looking 1000ec four cylinder bike - a one-off built in 1975; pity only one was made.
Biased as I am towards touring bikes, I was particularly impressed by an Ariel Leader twin, specifically designed as a tourer. A smart twin headlight fairing protected the rider from the elements (foreign or otherwise), a flap in the fuel tank (at least, I think it was the fuel tank) gave some storage space, and built-in streamlined panniers provided even more. The whole bike looked compact and neat, designed as whole, nothing looked just bolted on. Bike enthusiasts to a man, we stayed so long that our return journey was partly in the dark.
A fast pace was set in an attempt to minimise the distance travelled at night. An oil warning light came on in the Kawa’s smart LCD dash display so we stopped to top up. This chic dash also comprises an LCD block graph showing fuel level (who said maths was irrelevant to modern life) and a winking red LED tells you off about oil level, leaving the stand down or low battery water level. Before you can start off, the electronic system has to run through its check and you feel rather like you’re waiting for an aircraft to take off.
The Kawa also has other features which hopefully contribute to longevity, these include protective gaiters on the air assisted suspension units front and rear, whilst an oil cooler stops the oil taking such a hammering — useful, since Mark’s previous bike, a 400 Kawa four, used to become very hot without one. On the GT, electronic ignition, automatic camchain tensioner and shaft drive help keep maintenance down. The night journey demonstrated how effective the halogen headlight is, and also how mud quickly masked the rear light - the GT does need more effective mudflaps.
It is interesting to compare 750 and 550cc versions, the latter having a drum instead of disc rear brake and a far more attractive choice of paint colour. The 750 is slightly longer and wider, with the same seat height, has an extra 401bs and 20 more horsepower deployed through one less gear.
The BMW‘s efficient, wind tunnel improved, fairing proved its worth on the motorway as it gave very good protection to the pilot and I received less wind turbulence on the back. However, a taller pilot than Roger may well find a need for the high screen. Despite the weather protection, the electrics played up on the motorway and we had to frantically signal to Mark to stop as he was unaware of the malfunction. When the right indicator came on the stoplight flashed in synchronisation with the rear indicator, whilst at the front, the integral indicators were flashing right and left. The BMW has one idiot light for indicators, the Kawa two, so the latter rider would probably be more aware of any malfunction. This strange aberration seemed to cure itself some miles later.
In conclusion, Kawasaki GT owners frequently buy fairings due to the upright riding position and wind at high speed which strains neck muscles. It’s a reasonably priced touring package, but as a potential buyer of a used machine I would more readily buy one if it had a blend of BMW qualities such as factory fairing, good coat of primer and a stainless steel exhaust. The GT has already been in production for six years so it’s doing pretty well for a lap bike. These improvements would give more likelihood of used parts due to the greater' quantity of bikes sold and thus broken. An actual improvement over a BMW would be an anodized finish to the alloy thereby making items like wheels look more presentable after a winter’s riding. In my opinion, the GT range is the last of the sensible, all-round motorcycles.
Simon Hallet
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