There’s a lot to be said for a good old-fashioned muscle bike. And in the 1980s, the Kawasaki GPZ900R was the benchmark. It didn’t have any of the nanny state electronics we’re used to today, but the raucous, liquid-cooled DOHC four punched out 113 solid horses—and propelled the GPZ to 150 mph or more. No…
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It’s been over thirty years since Tom Cruise blasted across the screen in an F14 Tomcat, in the cult classic Top Gun. But who remembers the motorcycle he rode in the film? We do: it was a red and black Kawasaki GPZ900R. Photographer Paolo Sandolfini wasn’t even born when Top Gun came out, but he’s…
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The 1980s get a bad rap. Music, fashion and hairstyles are all cheap targets—and 1980s motorcycles haven’t fared much better. But if there’s a bike that deserves a second chance, it’s Kawasaki’s blindingly fast GPz900R. The narrow 16-valve engine was light years ahead of others in the technology stakes, and pumped out 115 bhp from…
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There’s a small list of landmark motorcycles: those that moved the game forward, upsetting expectations and changing the market for ever. In the 1980s, one of those bikes was the Kawasaki GPz900R. This immaculate resto-mod from Tokyo’s AC Sanctuary is a reminder of how good that bike was. For starters, it was lighter than the…
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