Kawasaki GPz750T Turbo: Kawasaki Boost

Words: Jeff Ware Photography: Heather Ware/Keith Muir

Released in 1983 but developed from 1981 onwards, the 750 Turbo smashed all but the CX650 out of the water with top speed and blew all of them away over the 1/4-mile with an incredible 10.71 recorded at the World Press Test by Jay Gleason. That is a fast time in 2020 let alone back then and after riding the 750 Turbo I truly believe that it is capable of sub 11s. It’s an amazing bike!

What a machine…. Simply stunning but a bit too early.

With a whopping 112hp@8500rpm and big torque at 73.1ft-lbs@6500rpm, the 750 hauls and is great fun to ride.

Knee down on a 40-year-old motorbike! Luckily The Farm has so much amazing grip. 

The standard 750 was a great sportsbike and the Turbo retains that great handling and the sleek looks, which are improved thanks to the Turbo spoiler.

The 1980s turbo era…. Can’t beat it. 

Original mufflers must be rare… 

The engine got a deeper sump and extra oil scavenge pump as well as dedicated turbo headers and revised suspension. Geometry was raked out from 26º to 28º to make clearance for the front-mount turbo.

Digital Fuel Injection 

I hopped on the 750 and immediately felt the sporting heritage. It is low. It is long (a trend of the era) and sleek, with full fairing, clip-on ‘bars, rear set footpegs and a long reach to the ‘bars giving a tucked in position.

10,000rpm redline. There is also a boost gauge, which is so cool! 

The styling, including the paint, sets the 750 Turbo above the others in every sense. This bike means business.

The Kawasaki turbo system is by far the best set-up from the turbo era.

I head out on the 750 and crack up laughing in my helmet by turn one at the end of the long uphill front chute. This thing hammers! It really is quick for a 1983 model motorcycle. After riding almost every naturally aspirated and turbo charged bike from the era, then jumping on this at the end of the test day, it is not dissimilar to how I felt riding the new Kawasaki H2 recently. I’m blown away.

Such a gorgeous bike. Back in the day, sportsbikes still had centre-stands! 

The 750 is laggy despite the front mounted turbo – but a lot of the lag is due to the ultra-low compression ratio.

Tiny forks by modern standards. 

Uni-Track rear suspension system. 

Once the turbo starts to spool up, however, and boost comes on strong, the 750 Turbo takes off like crazy and revs hard all the way to redline – it just keeps on pulling gear after gear. I even got some wheelspin off some turns.

Cable actuated clutch, immaculate switches and original grips.

No ride modes here! Just the throttle for traction control. 

And just when I was buzzing with adrenaline from the mighty acceleration (for the era), the thrills increase as I try to stop the thing!

The brakes were terrible, the last of that era before the mid 1980s saw big brake improvements. 

The mag wheels are good looking, we have to admit. 

The 750 Turbo brakes are grossly inadequate as is front for support and rear shock control. It doesn’t handle nearly as well as the CX650, however, it absolutely hammers so that more than makes up for it!

Jeff had to be careful off the corners as even with the modern-ish tyres fitted, the 750 would still spin the rear tyre! 

I think the Kawasaki 750 Turbo will and should go down in history as one of the coolest bikes ever made – and Kawasaki has done it again with the mighty and manic supercharged H2 and other supercharged Kwakas. Let’s all hope we are about to experience another forced induction era from the Japanese – and that we can enjoy it without insurance or road tax penalties killing them off again…

The GPz750T was surprisingly not too bad handling, considering how old school the chassis is. 

TOP SPEEDS (OFFICIAL FACTORY CLAIMS)

GPz – 238km/h

1/4-MILE TIMES (OFFICIAL FACTORY CLAIMS)

GPz – 11.2@125mph

SPECIFICATIONS KAWASAKI GPz750 TURBO

Engine: Turbocharged air-cooled inline four-cylinder DOHC, eight-valve, four-stroke, 738cc, 7.8:1 compression ratio, 66 x 54mm bore x stroke, five-speed gearbox, wet multi-plate clutch, electronic fuel injection

Chassis: Steel single spine frame, Kayaba anti-dive conventional forks, Uni-Trac rear suspension with alloy swingarm, dual front rotors with single-piston callipers (f) and single rear rotor, 110/90-18in (f) and 130/90-18in (r) tyres, 1490mm wheelbase, 780mm seat height, 223kg dry weight, 241kg wet weight, 18L fuel capacity.

Performance: 112hp@8500rpm, 73.1lb-ft@6500rpm

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