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The GPZ is a Kawasaki bike that they consider one of their Super Sport models. The 1984 Kawasaki GPZ550 has been called the best all round Sports bike of the mid 80's era. Pic to the left. (imagine it black and it looks alot like Ken's bike)

Now, I have no idea what year Ken's bike is or the specs. Just knowing that it is a GPZ is not much help tracking down info. So frustrating! I do know that the 1985 and 1986 550 models came black with red trim - the colors of Ken's bike in the anime. That is assuming that it is a 550 - it could always be a 750, 900, 1100 whatever....I have pretty much ruled out the 900 and 1100. But that still leaves alot of bikes to go through in my search to narrow down just which bike and which year it is. 

New News as of 3/5/01!! I emailed Kyoko Tsuchiya [she did the Weiß "An Assassin and White Shaman manga] and asked her about the bike she used as a model. Here is her reply:

"Hello. The establishment that Hidaka Ken rides on the motorcycle is that the person in charge of anime made up his mind. I can't answer about it because it is manga, the charge. I am sorry. kawasaki GPZ(1100) page http://www.duke.edu/~scottjoe/GPz1100.html Kyoko Tsuchiya machsoul@netomo.com" 

Judging by her reply, I am going to research the GPZ1100 again on the off chance that it could be it. Though I would have sworn that it wasn't. Still the dates for the 1100 are more correct for the radio show since it started in 1997 I believe. That would put it more reasonable that the older models even though they technically 'look' more like Ken's bike.

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