The GPZ 750 was introduced by Kawasaki in 1982. This model significantly improved on the performance of the preceding KZ 750. The changes began at the front of the bike, with taper bearings in the steering head instead of the spherical bearings of the KZ 750. The upper plate of the fork also differed with the clip-on GPZ with aluminium handgrips replacing the traditional handlebar. The GPZ 750 offered increased power, a higher compression ratio and camshafts designed to offer improved valve performance.