GTR ignorance

[zedmeister]

Thanks OC, i have been to have a look at the triumph trophy today, god awful bike, it makes a goldwing look small, BMW through and through but misses the plot. I was offered a test ride but declined. i would have thought they would have put wavy discs and decent looking wheels on it. While we were there a couple were being talked through and shown through the maize of settings  including the radio but the sales guy got lost with it and gave up ( know your product knowledge ) averall pretty underwhelmed.

[Redrat]

I can no longer accept the bias and rating given by motorcycle magazines towards the GTR - unfavourable comments like 'the Versys 1000 is better two-up tourer' and a suspect 40mpg statistic leave me uncomfortable as to their ability to test a bike - I have therefore cancelled my subscriptions to 'Bike' and 'Ride'.

[Lonewolf]

Redrat I take with a pinch of salt most of what I read in bike mags and nearly everything which is in MCN is a load of bollocks and that gets totally ignored.


I personally like RIDE magazine and I will one day get around to subscribing to it. 40 mpg is a load of tosh though for the GTR, I've had well over 60 mpg and consistently mile after mile.

[howard]

I agree most mags are being  paid by BMW and Triumph to promote there products.
In referance to mpg quoted most of them are in the low 40s. In the real world and having done 12k on my bike from new, and its averaged 50mpg.
One might get 60mpg downhill or hardly using the throttle but my figure is based on normal use and most of the miles are 2 up.....
Brill bike shame about the poor press it gets.

[Debs]

Poor press is only down to someones opinion and not the majority. Thats why I never buy Newspapers.

Best way to make an informed opinion is to buy the bike and run it for a year to get a real understanding of it... Thats my opinion anyway.. 

[100milesaway]

I couldn't agree more about bike mags and papers. They must live in a different world than the rest of us. I can only imagine what kind of riding would lead to a fuel figure of 40 mpg from a GTR, I have kept check on mine, and from new to its present 17,000 miles mine has consistently returned 55mpg. Maybe road tests by bike mags should actually be carried out by members of the public,  who were actually in the market to buy the same or similar as the bike on test, this would ensure a far more balanced view on what bikes had to offer, and also what riders were looking for to meet their bike requirments. I once, not too long ago took notice of a bike mags verdict on a bike they had on test, I actually decided to buy one, but within minutes of owning it I just knew that I had made a grave error. Most of the things the mag had said about that bike, were simply not true, and made me think, that there is a back hand culture involved within the bike press. Is it just me,or do most mags/papers make a great fuss bulling up certain manufacturers       Honda, Bmw, Triumph       whilst giving the cold shoulder to others?  I have decided that the best way to show my anger at the situation is NOT to buy bike mags/papers. Most folk know what they want, and shouldn't need brain washing by these characters, who are not much more than free loading muppets.

[2kwacks]

The 2012 Red is an unusual colour, which I quite like, however I'd be even more impressed if it was more Burgundy and less Brown,

I'm sure that in the States there used to be a Burgundy option

Good luck with your search

I think the arabian red looks the dogs bollocks ..ho! I would even go as far as saying.. as nice as the magnesium grey colour

[Debs]

Most folk know what they want, and shouldn't need brain washing by these characters, who are not much more than free loading muppets.

I couldn't have said it better myself 

[Lonewolf]

One might get 60mpg downhill or hardly using the throttle but my figure is based on normal use and most of the miles are 2 up.....

Howard, negatory good buddy. I've seen 100milesaway ride and believe me when I say he is a rapid (& safe) biker. He is getting 55mpg and has done so for the last 17k, that's not just coincidence or luck. I may not ride as fast as him but trust me when I say that 60+ mpg is very easily achievable without having to ride like Miss Daisy.


2kwacks mentions frequently the ride back from The Cotswolds earlier this year where he and I and Asif were tootling along at a fair pace. Even under those circumstances I was returning 55-58 mpg.

[O.C.]

Agreed, a figure of 40 mpg for the GTR is utter tosh.

I easily managed 52 + mpg two up, fully loaded, in atrocious weather returning from Cornwall this year, and I achieve a higher figure (53 -55mpg) at all other times.

I too can confirm that 100 miles away doesn't hang about when out riding, and I, of all people on here should know, as we ride out as a group frequently, and whatsmore we absolutely Do NOt use "A" roads or motorways, country lanes are the order of the day............bloody good fun too 

[Debs]

The speeds I ride at I think mine is closer to the 40 mpg

[Boomer]

Me too. I average around 44Mpg.

The bike mags can only test the GTR as it comes from the factory.
So, they have NO IDEA how good it gets when ya fit decent tyres.
Personally I have ridden a few FJR1300s and they are about the closest you will get to the GTR1400.
The new Trophy is competition for the K1200RT/Norge/PanEuropean.

Kawasaki don't pay for much advertising so of course the mags & papers focus on BMW/Triumph.
I business you focus on the people who pay your wages!!

[Rossendale Rider]

When comparing MPG it's probably not a good idea to believe what your instrumentation is telling you.  When 2kwacks and I went on our late summer trip to Scotland, we were riding together and refuelling together.  Our instuments were showing approximately 10mpg difference.  Mine being the smaller

[Boomer]

I don't. My Average MPG shows 46Mpg over the last 1000 miles.
My calculations over the same period work out at 44Mpg.
Miles covered taken from the odometer and worked out using (miles/litres) *4.54.
My GTR does almost exactly 10 miles per litre.

[mecki]

My computer display shows an average of just under 52 mpg and I haven't reset it since I got the bike (10K+).
It used to be in the mid 40s but ever since I started to switch to ECO mode most of the time it has gone up to over 50.
I know that I normally use less than 1 litre of fuel per 10 miles because that's what I can see when I fill up.
200 miles travelled and 18-19 litres of fuel to fill her up. Sometimes a bit more and sometimes even less.
So that ties in with what the computer tells me. 
I have to admit she gets a bit thirstier in winter when I mainly use the bike for short distances in the city, though.