My first bike was an MZ TS125. Stop laughing and don't turn the page over, I had to have something to pass my test on because the government decided I couldn't do it on a 250. After a year I passed my test and bought......yes, a MZ 250. There was no point in buying an expensive 125/250 when I only intended to keep them for a short time.
After six months I found the bike I was looking for. A slightly used Kawasaki GT750P2. I say slightly used, it had 60,000 miles on the clock. Yes, I know what they say about ex-despatch bikes but I was in love with this shifty shafter. I went to the despatch company to get the service record, main bits were a new set of cams and a rebore 10,000 miles ago. Nothing major had been changed, which could mean Kawasaki make tough bikes or something was just about to happen.
The price? 850 big ones, but I got her for £650 with an extra years warranty and a brand new Arai helmet. They assured me they would service the bike and that the battery only needed charging.....I signed for her and then noticed the legend, sold as seen. Only the ignition worked, they told me it was only corroded connectors, so I WD40'd the lot. No joy, in the end it was traced to the ignition black box and two loose wires - a quick solder and everything worked. The shop appeared a little miffed!
The bike was bog standard with genuine wobbly Showa shocks. I heard amazing stories of how to cure the GT's DTs on the bends. Simple, change the rear shocks for Koni Dial-a-Rides but buy the ones made for the normal Z750 (the 750 ones are too short and soft). All the talk about steering dampers, headraces, tyres, etc is a waste of time when the rear shocks don't have any damping and are so soft that the back end gets jacked up and way out of line on the slightest of bumps in a corner.
I recommend Michelin M48/A48 tyres in standard sizes, Dunlops are okay as well. You can get at least 7000 miles out of the rear and 10,000 miles from the front, which includes wheelies and doughnuts. It may not be a race replica but it's great to see the look on other bikers' faces when they can't lose me and see it's a boring old GT. You have to ride it through the various weaves and wobbles, for if you ignore those you'll find that it will stick to its line in a way that reiterates its large tyres and conservative steering geometry. Flickability?
Sure, nothing a bit of brute force and muscular input can't make up for. If you weigh next to nothing you may well have problems, but as a six footer I have never had too many problems. I've had 130mph on the clock and average over 45mpg. The worst I ever got was 35mpg when doing the ton for a few miles on the A46.
The brakes may look dated by today's standards but they were good in '84 and are still good today. Triple discs with a good feel and I found it difficult to lock the back wheel. Dunlopad or Lockheed are good pads and they are quick and easy to change, but don't forget to grease the pin on the caliper and take your time bedding the new pads in. If the bike's left in storage those calipers will certainly seize up.
As for twitching on the overrun this is another myth. It may be true on the caveman's BMW R90 or Guzzis but not on the GT. If you don't believe me, then borrow one and have a go. Don't expect it to pull your arms off, it's smooth and controllable with a decent exhaust note that doesn't upset the cops. Unlike the Wop plodders, the gearchange is reasonably slick and even at this mileage false neutrals are very rare. There are worse boxes on some new bikes!
Two up, I'm able to scrape the pillion's foot and footrest on the tarmac - a stock bike would doubtless be worse, for the Z750 shocks jack up the rear end a little and improve ground clearance. In comparison with some newer plastic replicas, it will rattle a little over rough going, but at least you can feel what the tyres are doing. Wet weather riding is predictable and safe, just as well with all those poor despatch riders having to survive the winter. God, I love summers.
It's worth noting that an overloaded rear carrier can snap the rear subframe. And that GPZ550H2 bars give a much better riding position than the high rise items fitted as stock. PJ1 fork oil and 7psi in the forks help tauten up the front end. The seat is fine solo whilst pillions never seem to complain. Unleaded affects top speed and mpg, stick to four star.
Problems? In all the time I had her the only real problem I had was a leaking gearchange seal. To change this just lean the bike 45 degrees to the right and pull out the old seal after removing all the appropriate bits. This means you don't have to change the oil. Check the starter motor carefully, if it won't catch and rattles then it could be the starter clutch (inside and expensive) or if it whines it could only be the starter motor (a hell of a lot cheaper). The pathetic sidestand cut-out switch should be ripped out and thrown away - find the bullet connector and wire the ends together or it won't go. Something that goes for nearly the whole range of Kawasakis.
The fuel gauge is okay and we have come to an understanding. I love the LEDs, the first time the last block flashes means 50 miles before reserve and 25-30 miles on reserve. Some idiots don't put oil in the bevel drive in which case it'll glow in the dark. The electronic rev counter is connected to the right-hand coil, so if the engine is running rough and rev counter is not working, check the coil connection. That's it, this Jap Crap has few other problems. To stop thieves getting far on your pride and joy, put a toilet roll or rag inside the air filter housing. After two minutes the engine will stop - don't forget to remove it or you could embarrass yourself in town. Another way is to fit a hidden kill switch.
I took my wife to Devon on our honeymoon and over four days we did 1200 miles at an average of 45mpg with speeds between 80-100mph and no complaints from the bike. We stayed at a campsite in Sidmouth who were wonderful and went to a great vegetarian restaurant called Poppys. The roads between Sidmouth and Lands End are excellent with lovely scenery and fast sweeping dual carriageways.
I was doing about 90mph when I saw a dark blue car in the blur free mirrors. I already had six points. It was not the Feds, so I gave chase and was taking bends at over the ton. The dark Vauxhall thing soon chickened out and I waved bye-bye. Secondary vibes from the across the frame DOHC four is a bit harsh at times but not so annoying that it caused you to either back off or lose feeling in your hands.
I would recommend a GT750 to anyone, they are fast enough for most people, they wheelie great and don't have any quirks, like naff camchains or hinged frames. They can be neglected (except for the oil) with few apparent ill effects. Ex-despatch bikes should be checked out carefully, those owned by a company rather than an individual will at least have had regular servicing.
They are the last of the great all-rounders, although the styling is not to everyone's taste but price and reliability make up for it.
J McReynolds
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The first Kawasaki GT750 I bought was in 1986. The dealer had repossessed it after the owner had failed to pay the HP. Less than six months old with only 1350 miles on the clock. My immediate impressions were of massive bulk, a great rush of power and vibration. I complained to the dealer about the latter and he admitted that the carbs had not been balanced since new. That done, the mill was a bit smoother but still not as good as I had expected.
Three months worth of despatch riding put some serious mileage on the GT. The engine appeared bullet-proof but the carbs needed a balance every 500 miles to stop the frenzy of secondary vibes going out of control. It was likely that the youthful first owner had thrashed the motor the moment he swung a leg over it. The engine never felt like a low mileage one should.
The finish on the cycle parts was also poor, with rust breaking out on the engine screws and paint falling off the frame and swinging arm. Okay, so I rode it through the worst of the British winter and didn't much bother with the cleaning chores.
I found the GT heavy in traffic, but got used to it after a month or so. It was quite secure on wet roads, braked predictability and started first press of the button every day. Reliability was the main criteria for a DR bike; the GT's shaft drive was also a relief after rapidly decaying chains on previous bikes.
I soon settled into life with the GT and was looking forward to a couple of years ownership. Disaster occurred when I left the bike in the gutter to deliver a parcel in Kensington High Street. I heard a horrible crunching noise even from the depths of the building. Running back to the street I was too late to suss the offending vehicle but the GT had been crushed to death. Flattened wheels, tank, exhaust, forks, etc. It looked like it had been crushed by a bloody great steam-roller. As I had third party insurance I was sunk.
Three years in a proper job without a bike followed. A two year old 1987 model caught my eye. 23000 miles, a bit rusty but cheap. Smoother than the previous model there was a big flat spot from 2500rpm on until the power kicked in at 5000 revs. Something to do with the holes in the silencers. It needed new tyres so a set of Avons were thrown on and suited the bike well, eliminating a susceptibility to white-lines. It would cruise at up to 80mph but beyond that weaves and wobbles set in despite turning the suspension up to its highest settings.
On the first big run the engine started misfiring, when it finally cut-out it refused to start. By the time I finished the battery was dead from excessive whirring of the starter. Pushed the bike half a mile to a garage (ouch) who agreed to charge the battery. I phoned up the nearest Kawasaki dealer and they reckoned spark plugs. They were right, they need changing ever 2000 to 2500 miles.
Did nearly 9000 miles on that bike without any other serious problems. Then it started to smoke out of the exhausts. Damn, knew I should have checked the valves. It only became noticeable after 10 miles, so I was able to get a trade-in on a 1988 model from the local dubious dealer.
It had 13,4000 miles on the clock, went faster than any of the previous GTs with an indecent need to break the ton, but the vibes above 6000 revs were something else. What I didn't like was the wobbles that hit the chassis at 90mph. I could take the previous bikes' weaves as they never went vicious but this one was something else. Sure enough, when I pulled the tank off there were the tell-tale signs of a straightened frame.
The dealer didn't want to know. Surprise, surprise. The bike was fine as a commuter, so I used it for six months but was never happy taking it on a motorway or a weekend tour. I always felt that it might suddenly let loose. I don't know why, but when the chance of a one year old GT came up in another dealer's I did a trade-in. This time I whipped the tank off to check the frame before handing the cash over.
This was the best one so far. The mill was smooth, the torque prodigious with only the slightest of flat spots and the handling stable up to 110mph, the fastest I'd care to ride on any bike. It came with new Avons, a set of panniers and a polished sheen that suggested much tender loving care.
In a year I did 23000 miles, putting 33000 on the clock. I let the dealer do the valves and carbs twice -about sixty quid, which was a reasonable price to pay for peace of mind. The bike was not entirely free of faults but nothing major. The silencers rotted through, although the paint finish was much better than previous efforts. And the coils failed. Twice! Once near home, the other time miles from anywhere. I put in some Honda items the second time and have not experienced a failure subsequently. The rest of the electrics have been okay, even the horn and lights are passable.
The wheels and discs corroded come the winter, needing much attention. The motor seemed to run poorly in cold, damp weather with the odd bit of misfiring (even with new coils). Cleaning out the petrol filter which was full of rust from corrosion inside the tank did not help! Neither did new spark plugs, which lasted for 4000 to 5000 miles.
The Avons provided decent grip on greasy winter roads, lasting an exceptional 15 to 17000 miles. This was just as well as the twin front discs would grab on occasionally with all the ferocity of a Dobberman attacking a young child. The shaft drive was much less of an intrusion, only the most dumb footwork would cause the back wheel to seize up on downchanges. Back wheel skids were easily controlled even with the 500lbs of mass.
A couple of long holidays, complemented the commuter chores and weekend joy riding. The GT took everything that I could throw at it - I'm not a fast rider and could cope with the bulk of the GT; it is, after all, touted as a tourer and not an all out sportster. Comfort was one of its distinctive plus points. The riding position was an excellent compromise between pain-free town work and comfortable 80mph cruising. A full fairing would help in wet weather but the handling is already heavy enough.
Running costs are low. Fuel at 45 to 50mpg is the only dodgy item as the shaft is maintenance free, the tyres and pads long lasting and expenditure on engine bits down to the occasional new oil filter. Both forks and shocks are covered, so rapid seal wear doesn't occur.
When a bit of excessive vibration started hitting the chassis, I began to think that some serious expense was due. I knew from some other owners that the camchain goes at around 40,000 miles and even a whole top-end rebuild was often needed at that mileage. I also knew a couple of guys who'd done over 200,000 miles without any really serious expense, so they can be tough buggers.
When I rode in to the nearest Kawasaki dealer I was shocked to see a heavily discounted new GT750 for sale. The 550 version was proving much more popular due to lower insurance, making the 750 cheaper to buy new! Having nothing to lose I asked the dealer for a price on a trade-in deal. The GT was looking a little sad as I had not cleaned it for a while, so I was a bit shocked when he offered what I'd originally paid. That's how I come to be running in a brand new GT750. I'm taking a lot of care with this one and hope to hang on to it for a long time.
H.K.L.
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The new bike had to be reliable and capable of 20,000 miles a year, cheap to run and available for under 2000 notes. My CX500 just managed to survive 200 miles a week, suffering the usual abuse... I'd rebuilt it three times (cam and chain, alternator; dropped valve, camshaft and tensioner; blown valve and alternator). It also handled dangerously - jelly front and rear ends. About the only good points were that it started first time (unless it wasn't going to start at all - failed alternator) and the rear drum brake worked without any attention.
I managed to find an advert for a G reg GT750 with only 12000 miles on the clock. I went to look at the bike, found it looked consistent with minimal riding but there was a disturbing rattle from the bottom end of the mill. My brother had broken and rebuilt a couple of GPz550's, reassured me that it was just normal clutch rattle.
After a test ride and another inspection, I concluded that the only things wrong were a leaking front fork seal (the owner said it was WD40 used to lubricate new seals - it wasn't) and a lack of petrol. He wanted £2200 but rapidly agreed to £2000, which had me worried...
The first note of concern came from the strange way the machine handled around the corners. The next day we (frail and I) travelled to Morecambe (50 miles), with my brother and his girlfriend on my old CX. When we got there he stated that the CX was a death trap - I'd become so used to its strange ways that I thought the GT was bad. A few weeks later I was forced to ride the CX, as the GT's exhaust collets had completely collapsed (corrosion from being stood so long) - the last time I rode the Honda and it scared the shit out of me!
The GT was thus a vast improvement. I concluded that the GT's suspension transmitted to the rider the force of the tyres pushing in the direction you lean, in line with the laws of physics. On the CX, these forces must've been present as it did go around corners. However, the suspension produced enough other forces to convince a rider unused to the machine that the tyres were going in different directions and the frame had a pivot in the middle.
In the first six months on the GT, I replaced the exhaust collets (Motad system), the brake piston seals and pads, the gearchange shaft seal, the tyres, and the front wheel bearings. Which with the exception of the tyres had all failed due to corrosion (corroded pistons killing the brake seals, pads so far gone they fell off their backing plates). I also doubled the mileage, which combined with the above gave me confidence that the clock was reasonably genuine.
In the 18 months I have owned the machine, I've covered 31000 miles in weather that has varied from the scorching heat of last summer (speeds of 90mph producing no wind chill) to the freezing snow of winter. The bike looks much rougher now, mostly due to minor accidents. Such as stopping in Oldham to check that the bag on the pillion seat wasn't about to fall off - as I stepped off the bike I realised there was a slight slope. The bike rolled off the side-stand, crashing the left-hand engine case neatly into the kerb, Liquid metal makes a good repair but doesn't look quite the same.
I fitted the top box from the CX on to the rack as a safe way of carrying objects. This was fine until one weekend I removed the box for a while, replaced it using bungee cords...the 90mph bumps on the M62 were sufficient to knock the box off! I heard it hit the road, and the cars behind swerve/brake/panic. I stopped as the contents included the bike's doc's and my own ID, that I'd have to report to the police anyway.
I knew that I shouldn't attempt to retrieve the bag across three lanes of motorway, especially at 4pm on a week day. However, for some reason I ignored the helpful little arrows directing me towards the nearest emergency phone and headed back toward the box. I guess I was hoping the box had been bounced and bashed to the hard shoulder...no hope, I could see the cars in the fast lane trying to avoid it by cutting up the artics on the inner lanes! Traffic slowed until two lorries screeched to a halt, blocking the whole motorway off and allowing me to retrieve the top box. Lucky! Six months later cameras were installed on that bit of motorway.
I've managed to limit my accidents to minor/stationary/stupid stuff - petrol tank falling off the seat whilst doing a carb balance as I wasn't born with three arms, etc. There was one exception - one morning at 7am I heard a strange sound from behind me and slowed down, to be overtaken by an old Norton 650. I chased after him but was held up by traffic lights and cages. The first bit of clear road I saw him disappear round a left-hand bend and over a bridge. Before the left-hander there was a ninety degree right. As I go around this bend every day I was going quick. Just as I stopped braking and began to lean, I felt the rear end move and noticed that the white-line was very shiny...
As my knee hit it, I looked up to see the rear wheel passing the front and a stone wall in the distance. The damage wasn't great due to the fitment of engine bars two weeks earlier. Once the forks were realigned and the mirrors replaced, I was back on the road. The white-line was shiny due to a coating of diesel (or oil dumped by the Norton? - Ed), combined with the GT's engine braking when the revs dropped below 3000rpm, was too much for the Avon Roadrunner on the rear. I'd fit stickier tyres but at 14000 miles a set I think it's more economic just to ride a bit slower, and not chase Nortons, or better still not let them past.
The engine has only had regular servicing, including a carb balance every 6000 miles, which if neglected produces a rapid reduction in power and fuel economy. The only engine problem was the camchain tensioner, which stuck and required its two wedges replacing and a stiffening of the spring (add a couple of washers).
The bike's been very good on consumables (at least compared to figures in the UMG), helped along by the excellent shaft drive. Both brake pads and tyres do 14000 miles a set, the steering head bearings needed replacing at 35000 miles due to the accident, otherwise only oil and filters get replaced regularly. I'm going to see how far this machine will go - hopefully 100,000 plus miles - simply because I'm too tight to consider buying anything else.
Jim Caunce
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My last trip around Europe was on an ancient CX500 (do they all upgrade to GT's? - Ed) that used as much oil as it did petrol; the expense and embarrassment more than compensated by the exemplary comfort and reliability. I lived for years on my tales of crossing the Pyrenees on my smoking monster, reassured that if the worst happened I could abandon the beast in the nearest field.
Seven years later with my despatcher days far behind me, it emerged that I was off on another trek (to the French Grand Prix), this time aboard a GT750. A 1983 model bought for the trip at a bargain £650. A gleaming red machine in exceptionally good condition. A mere 30k on the clock and Harris exhaust, to boot. With 12 months MOT it seemed almost too good to be true.
There had to be a catch but for once in my life there wasn't, unless one counted the worn rear tyre which would obviously need replacing shortly. The bike started first prod of the starter with a rich boom emitted from the exhaust which clearly rivalled Damon Hill's Williams (some kind of racing car, I think - Ed).
Not having ridden for seven years I had a rude awakening! GT750's are awfully flat below 3000rpm and the Harris exhaust clearly magnified this effect. The bike seemed to be struggling as I let the clutch out and slow progress led to that stomach churning feeling that follows parting with wads of cash. Then the revs hit 3500 - like being hit up the rear by an express train. Regret turned to panic as the horizon ceased to be a distant point. It was a tremendous buy for the money.
Everything seemed to work okay, after changing the rear tyre and oil I set off a week later to travel the continent. We'd agreed that following the GP, we'd tour France and then travel into Spain via Andorra. The Kawasaki performed superbly as we made our way to mid-France for the race in the kind of weather that makes motorcycling a sheer pleasure, though numerous speed traps and tales of fellow travellers meant we kept the speed down. After watching Michael Schumacher cruise to another victory, we headed south.
Passing through the French town of Le Guy, I once again experienced that sinking feeling; the clutch turning heaving and the climbing revs not matching progress. Examination revealed a severely frayed clutch cable which was clinging on by the last two strands. I was struck by the merits by giving the bike a proper service before I started off.
I have never really believed in miracles, but finding a moped and cycle shop whose owner dashed out to help me fit a universal clutch cable was rather too surreal for me. With no French except merci, I dashed to the local supermarket and rewarded my saviours goodwill with a dozen bottles of finest French beer.
The next 800 miles flowed easily beneath our wheels and the trip up the Pyrenees was superb. The return trip was a trouble free two day sprint back across France, with only one scare. I checked the oil one morning, to my horror there wasn't a glimmer of lubricant in the sight-glass. A top up from the local garage restored the level and frequent checks revealed no further movement. I can only surmise that the exceptionally hot weather and a 400 mile, 90mph dash along the autoroutes of southern France had resulted in exceptional oil loss. Back home in Britain once again, the level stayed constant.
The GT's now done 40,000 miles, being used to commute from Manchester to Liverpool daily (okay, in fine weather) and is superbly reliable. It's both comfortable and cheap to run. I may fit a higher handlebar set for further touring, but that low bar position is my only complaint as it does irritate over long distances. Fuel consumption seems very poor at 40mpg - I put this down to the Harris exhaust rather than the rider. The front pads sticking until warm, but some copper grease on the pistons should cure that. I don't intend to do much more than change the oil, plugs and filter for this summer's continental cruising. Kawasaki still advertise this bike as low maintenance and low budget - I agree!
At the price I paid for my bike I rate it as excellent value. There is no way I could afford to run anything more expensive and the reliability of the Kawasaki means that running costs are kept to a minimum. I may fit a small Z750 bikini-style fairing to keep off the worst of the breeze, but that will be the limit of my spending. I rate this bike an excellent buy!
Colin Turner
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I had a look at several GT's before deciding on the four year old with 21000 miles on the clock. The engine sounded and felt like it was just run in - seriously, Kawasaki's do need a bit more running in than other models before they perform at their best. I was also tempted by the GT550 but in riding comparisons I found the bigger bike's stronger torque and power much more to my liking. Had I just been going to whizz around town I might've settled for the smaller bike but as long distance cruising was on the cards I preferred a bit more capacity.
The GT's have been around forever, haven't succumbed to fashion. Offer, instead, highly practical riding - shaft drive, covered suspension, big tank and, of course, that robust four cylinder motor which can trace its ancestry, if not all of its engineering, back to the 1973 Z1. People haven't just gone around the clock on them, they've done over a quarter of a million miles!
I had no worries about my one-owner. Saddled her up with my soft panniers, settled down for a bit of serious touring. GT's aren't really slow. They don't have the kind of acceleration that will turn your brain to mincemeat. What they do is wind themselves up to a high cruising speed and sit there come what may. Okay, it doesn't have a 175mph top end - thank God! But it'll burn along at the ton-ten without any complaints and in reasonable comfort.
That's too high for me, makes me a sitting target for the plod. I much prefer 85 to 95mph, which is just staying with the motorway traffic and unlikely to have the cops in an unreasonable rage. It also helps with the fuel - around 50mpg as opposed to 35mpg at 110mph. The engine feels like it can hold this speed all day...
I was a bit surprised when I pulled up after 760 miles in the first day to find that the engine sounded like a bag of nails. Even when I hurriedly turned it off, the metal crackled and ticked loudly as it cooled off. The external surface of the four cylinder mill was hot enough to make an omelette, though I don't know why anyone would want to do that.
I was too tired to figure it out then, stashed the bike in my friend's house in Glasgow. In the morning all was revealed. The oil level had sunk perilously low, didn't even register, though there was still a lot there when I drained it off. I should have done an oil change when I bought the bike, but was in too much of a hurry to do some riding. The level was at the maximum when I set out and there weren't any apparent oil leaks.
I think it was more down to the oldness of the lubricant than any design fault - it never lost oil at that rate again. It's always worth changing the oil every 1000 miles on these designs and checking it at each fuel stop - it takes about 750 miles for it to burn off from the maximum to minimum level. This is just a fact of life with GT's!
After filling her up with new oil, the engine went back to rustling away contentedly. The next little problem came when the engine started cutting out in the heavy Scottish rains. I was on my way to say hello to the Loch Ness monster and felt like dumping the bike in the loch! The thing was hopping along like a one legged kangaroo as the power came in and out.
When I looked down at the engine the problem was immediately obvious - a fireworks display between plug caps and cylinder head. Very impressive, if I wanted to set up the begging bowl. A few squirts of WD40 kept the worst of it at bay until I could buy some decent caps...what had the previous owner done in the wet - got off and pushed?
Later, riding hard down the M1, I had a rear tyre blow out at 90mph. The shaft drive was normally pretty unobtrusive but this time it whipped the back end into a real frenzy. The tyre was on its last legs so I shouldn't have been that surprised when it was ripped to shreds. Worse still, the rim ended up dented! The steering on the GT's is very conservative, favouring stability against cornering ease, and it was this alone that stopped me being thrown off in a blur of tearing skin and muscle. The rescue services proved their worth.
A secondhand wheel with reasonable Metz tyre was acquired for less than the cost of new rubber. It was at this point that I discovered the shaft's splines had never been greased and that the swinging arm bearings were just starting to go loose. This shouldn't be a problem at a mere 20,000 miles, so I began to suspect that the bike might be clocked.
After fixing these irritants a few months of hardcore commuting went by, basically not much fun as I was clocking up the overtime. The GT was a bit heavy for the madness of town trawling but it got there in the end. The front brake wasn't fierce enough to match some of the caged antics and I had a heavy fight with the bars on a few occasions to avoid hitting cars.
The nastiest thing that happened, given that the exhaust was quite loud, was when a pedestrian walked out in front of the GT. He just didn't expect a bike to fly between the rows of dead cages. I braked and screamed abuse at him at the same time. Hit his leg at about 15mph. What a wimp, he was screaming with the pain of it all. He was blocking my escape with his prostrate form so I ended up taking a right ear-battering from the cops. Of course, a couple of helpful witnesses popped up out of the sewers, or somewhere, reckoning I'd been doing at least 120mph! Amazingly, the cages barely moved a foot in all the time it took to sort out the mess. Last I heard, he was having pins put in his leg but no-one has tried to sue or arrest me; it was just the luck of the draw.
With quite heavy showers every day, the GT was becoming a bit ratty. Some rust on the frame and fasteners, plus squeaking calipers and rattling baffles. A nice run was obviously what was needed. It was sunny when I set out on the Saturday but after an hour it was thunder and lightning all the way to the Pennines. The GT's quite secure on wet roads as long as a careful throttle hand's employed - otherwise the shaft drive's directness can catch the back wheel out.
I survived the weekend with a drenching and the GT looked like it'd been mud wrestling, even though the guards give reasonable protection. Hate to think what would have happened if I'd had an exposed chain to worry about as well.
As long as the suspension was turned up to its highest settings, handling was generally competent and comfort good. It is a heavy old bus that reacts to worn out rubber with a bit of gentle wallowing but it never, unlike the old Kawasaki fours, turns really vicious. It's a bit like a BMW in that it needs to be set up for corners and doesn't react well to sudden changes of direction. It comes down to getting used to the bike and adapting in small ways to its mannerisms. Well worth the effort.
As little as £1500 will secure a decent example with 30-40,000 miles on its clock. A grand will buy something with a reasonable motor but worn out chassis. £500 buys one with over a 100,000 miles under its wheels and it's down to the gods how much life is left in it - if it's been at all well treated it could double that or it might just be on its last legs. Either way there are loads of spares in breakers, no need to buy expensive new bits. Two grand should secure a low mileage, near immaculate example. I can't see any reason to pay more than that, not unless you want to make dealers rich.
Bill Rawlings