Federal Moto Danger Zone: Kawasaki GPZ 1100 inspired by Top Gun

Federal Moto Danger Zone

Kawasaki GPZ 1100 conversion inspired by Top Gun

Not a GPZ 900 like in the film Top Gun from the 1980s, but a GPZ 1100 served as the basis for the conversion, for which Federal Moto received an order from a customer.

As a Maverick, Tom Cruise piloted an F-14 Tomcat, but one served on the ground below Kawasaki GPZ 900 R as the preferred means of transportation. The film Top Gun was released in 1986. And the customer who commissioned Federal Moto for this conversion is also a child of the 1980s. All good things come in threes, and that’s why the machine for the ‘Danger Zone’ project comes from the 80s – it’s a Kawasaki GPZ 1100, built in 1984. Performance data: 120 hp, 73 Nm maximum torque and 217 km / h top speed.

Honda tank and Suzuki fork

Michael Muller, David Pecaro and Desmond DiGiovanni from Federal Moto decided to strip the GPZ 1100 first and give it a sleeker, more aerodynamic look: "In our opinion she had too much ‘baggage’", says Muller. If the tank looks familiar, it’s because it comes from a modern Honda CB 1100 – with a specially made fuel cap. However, the rest of the body was made with the help of computer modeling and 3D printing, such as the tail section, side panels and headlight housing. The rear subframe and the brackets were made by hand, as was the steel seat pan under which the electronics are hidden. Desmond DiGiovanni, the youngest member of Federal Moto, designed not only the LED headlight unit with integrated indicators, but also the fairing for the rear wheel.

The entire front section is a transplant from a Suzuki GSX 1300 R, which donated the shiny black anodized fork tubes. These are in turn connected by a handlebar stem and an upper triple clamp from Cognito Moto. Cognito Moto also supplied a custom-made hub to attach the 18-inch front rim. The specialists from Relicate took care of the seat made of black leather and suede, and it was upholstered by Dane Utech. The brakes were brought up to date with, among other things, a four-piston brake caliper from Tokico.

In addition to the body, the guys from Federal Moto also took care of the engine. It has been retrofitted to the original specifications – with a frame with four Mikuni carburetors from a 1984 KZ 1000 and intake funnels made of stainless steel with covers on the top that come from the 3D printer. The Cerakote coating system was used for the polished aluminum covers and the collector tubes, which in the USA is mainly used for the surface finishing of firearms. The system is supposed to protect the black coated components on the Kawasaki GPZ 1100 conversion from Federal Moto from corrosion.

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