Humble beginnings often lead to great things but trading in my RXS100 for a prime GPX250 nearly did for me. The day I picked the bike up from the dealer’s, London traffic was locked up solidly. Spying a fast disappearing gap, I gave the GPX some throttle in second gear. GPXs need at least seven grand before they begin to shift and I was starting from 3000rpm.
The bike began to move for the traffic gap but just when I was expecting acceleration to pick up, the motor developed a fit of the stutters. The gap was closing fast with two cagers likely to slam-dunk me into the next world. Finally the motor caught mightily, elevated the front wheel and charged through the unlikely hole with just the odd millimetre to spare. I screamed in celebration.
This was to be a constant irritation on the GPX. Certain days when it was especially humid the engine developed a strong reluctance to rev cleanly. It was a peaky unit at the best of times, a water-cooled, eight valve twin that needed the same kind of care on the throttle and gearbox as a peaky stroker. However, every time I went back to the dealer to complain, the problem disappeared! I tried many different things to sort it - from very expensive spark plugs to using leaded petrol, but they made not one bit of difference. Talked to a couple of GPX250 riders - one reckoned it was something that happened alter some wear got into the engine, the other had no problems that he would admit to. The clock on mine read only 7300 miles, just run in for a Kawasaki, according to the grinning dealer.
To nearly kill oneself on the first ride doesn’t exactly endear a machine to you, but after the learner it had so much more performance that I soon overcame my initial hesitation - it anyway ran much better if the mill was kept above 8000rpm! It was an odd old motor, mind, with 40 horses on call but they were never backed up by any of the vertical twin torque that you might expect. Both power and torque were supposed to peak at 11000 revs but anything approaching a steep hill would have me pumping the gearbox down one or even two gears to keep the momentum up.
The DOHC engine really howled away flat out in fourth gear, the buzz that ran through the chassis not that unpleasant - motor and frame well matched to absorb what little vertical twin vibration was produced by the engine at most revs. The six speed gearbox wasn't quite slick, nor brilliantly spaced either - always seemed to be in the wrong ratio. Whilst changes didn’t cause any trauma when I was having fun and games on the throttle, trying to engage gear while clumping along at low revs was another matter. The gearbox just didn’t want to know, the poor old drive chain fluttering away like it wanted to tear itself apart. Which judging from the frequency of adjustment was exactly what it was doing - every couple of days; every day if it rained!
I did find lining the wheels up a chore, as the marks on the adjusters told lies and I had to do it by eye. Also, tightening up the spindle nearly always made the back wheel move slightly. It was crucial both to attain the correct chain adjustment and make sure that the wheels were in line - otherwise the gearbox went really nasty and the handling turned very flighty. The 310Ib machine always had a nervous feel from both of the narrow sixteen inch wheels, but get them slightly out of line and it'd try to twitch its way off the road.
The GPX didn’t look at all light, with its huge expanse of plastic that was already dated when it came out, but both in real terms and in feel it weighed next to nowt. In terms of getting the most from the engine power lack of mass is obviously a good thing, but with sixteen inch wheels geometry and weight distribution assume massive importance. The GPX was far from being spot on but rarely dangerous. The flightiness of the chassis wasn’t that different to my RXS which was knocked around by road bumps and even white lines. The major difference was that instead of 60mph silliness to contend with, the GPX would howl along at 100 to 110mph!
As far as the engine was concerned the top speed was a viable cruising velocity but the chassis went all weird above 90mph. The suspension just wasn’t up to such excessive speeds, going all weak at the knees. Where the quick turning and light mass really gave the machine an edge was through the tighter curves. I still had the impression that the front wheel had a mind of its own, but it didn’t get too out of line. The bike could be hurled from side to side with hardly any effort and thrown inside those lumbering replicas as they hastily braked for the bend. Their riders weren't quite as amused about that as I was.
One time, though, the very swiftness of the front's reaction caught me completely unaware. A bit of cow shite on the entrance to a series of switchbacks went unnoticed until the front wheel touched it. The next thing I knew I was flying through the air, the Japlop had lost its grip and flipped away at an incredible rate. No warning twitch or anything, just a dose of gravel rash. The only good thing.was that speed was relatively mild. Bruised elbow and torn jeans were the major damage to yours truly, plus a nice gash in the helmet.- loads of street credibility there. After I got over the shock, I decided I was lucky the bike hadn't fun me down!
The Kawasaki had lost its momentum by spinning around, taking a nice slice out of a hedgerow and dancing along a bank by the of the road. Bent bars, dented exhaust scratched plastic, plus the usual ruined indicators and back light in a thousand bits. When the shakes had died down, I was able wobble home without too much effort. Some bargaining with the breaker and bodging in the early hours of morning soon had the GPX back on the road. Oh, I also fitted a set of Michelin tyres, not wanting to trust the worn Japlops again. You live and learn, as the saying goes.
This was to be a constant irritation on the GPX. Certain days when it was especially humid the engine developed a strong reluctance to rev cleanly. It was a peaky unit at the best of times, a water-cooled, eight valve twin that needed the same kind of care on the throttle and gearbox as a peaky stroker. However, every time I went back to the dealer to complain, the problem disappeared! I tried many different things to sort it - from very expensive spark plugs to using leaded petrol, but they made not one bit of difference. Talked to a couple of GPX250 riders - one reckoned it was something that happened alter some wear got into the engine, the other had no problems that he would admit to. The clock on mine read only 7300 miles, just run in for a Kawasaki, according to the grinning dealer.
To nearly kill oneself on the first ride doesn’t exactly endear a machine to you, but after the learner it had so much more performance that I soon overcame my initial hesitation - it anyway ran much better if the mill was kept above 8000rpm! It was an odd old motor, mind, with 40 horses on call but they were never backed up by any of the vertical twin torque that you might expect. Both power and torque were supposed to peak at 11000 revs but anything approaching a steep hill would have me pumping the gearbox down one or even two gears to keep the momentum up.
The DOHC engine really howled away flat out in fourth gear, the buzz that ran through the chassis not that unpleasant - motor and frame well matched to absorb what little vertical twin vibration was produced by the engine at most revs. The six speed gearbox wasn't quite slick, nor brilliantly spaced either - always seemed to be in the wrong ratio. Whilst changes didn’t cause any trauma when I was having fun and games on the throttle, trying to engage gear while clumping along at low revs was another matter. The gearbox just didn’t want to know, the poor old drive chain fluttering away like it wanted to tear itself apart. Which judging from the frequency of adjustment was exactly what it was doing - every couple of days; every day if it rained!
I did find lining the wheels up a chore, as the marks on the adjusters told lies and I had to do it by eye. Also, tightening up the spindle nearly always made the back wheel move slightly. It was crucial both to attain the correct chain adjustment and make sure that the wheels were in line - otherwise the gearbox went really nasty and the handling turned very flighty. The 310Ib machine always had a nervous feel from both of the narrow sixteen inch wheels, but get them slightly out of line and it'd try to twitch its way off the road.
The GPX didn’t look at all light, with its huge expanse of plastic that was already dated when it came out, but both in real terms and in feel it weighed next to nowt. In terms of getting the most from the engine power lack of mass is obviously a good thing, but with sixteen inch wheels geometry and weight distribution assume massive importance. The GPX was far from being spot on but rarely dangerous. The flightiness of the chassis wasn’t that different to my RXS which was knocked around by road bumps and even white lines. The major difference was that instead of 60mph silliness to contend with, the GPX would howl along at 100 to 110mph!
As far as the engine was concerned the top speed was a viable cruising velocity but the chassis went all weird above 90mph. The suspension just wasn’t up to such excessive speeds, going all weak at the knees. Where the quick turning and light mass really gave the machine an edge was through the tighter curves. I still had the impression that the front wheel had a mind of its own, but it didn’t get too out of line. The bike could be hurled from side to side with hardly any effort and thrown inside those lumbering replicas as they hastily braked for the bend. Their riders weren't quite as amused about that as I was.
One time, though, the very swiftness of the front's reaction caught me completely unaware. A bit of cow shite on the entrance to a series of switchbacks went unnoticed until the front wheel touched it. The next thing I knew I was flying through the air, the Japlop had lost its grip and flipped away at an incredible rate. No warning twitch or anything, just a dose of gravel rash. The only good thing.was that speed was relatively mild. Bruised elbow and torn jeans were the major damage to yours truly, plus a nice gash in the helmet.- loads of street credibility there. After I got over the shock, I decided I was lucky the bike hadn't fun me down!
The Kawasaki had lost its momentum by spinning around, taking a nice slice out of a hedgerow and dancing along a bank by the of the road. Bent bars, dented exhaust scratched plastic, plus the usual ruined indicators and back light in a thousand bits. When the shakes had died down, I was able wobble home without too much effort. Some bargaining with the breaker and bodging in the early hours of morning soon had the GPX back on the road. Oh, I also fitted a set of Michelin tyres, not wanting to trust the worn Japlops again. You live and learn, as the saying goes.
Since buying the bike I’ve done 8700 miles, had no other major problems. No major expenses except the tyres and fuel at 50-55mpg - the nasty old chain’s still going strong! Given the peaky handling and wild front wheel, I don’t think it’s a brilliant bike to move up to from a mild 125, but experienced motorcyclists will probably find it a handy little second bike or it could even be used as a sole machine by someone after cheap insurance and road tax. I’m not surprised they didn’t last very long, two years is hardly a major model life, is it? The engine turned up in the ZZ-R250, so some hope for spares. A detuned version’s used in the EL250 but not even I would want one of those.
Phil Pearson