Showing posts with label kawasaki. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kawasaki. Show all posts
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Kawasaki Ninja 300 ABS Review
Kawasaki Ninja 300 ABS Review
Kawasaki picked a prime area for a revved-up and prepared to-ride motopress to get its first hands-on appraisal of the 2013 Ninja 300: Skaggs Springs Road. This streaming lace of blacktop flanking Lake Sonoma gives a beautiful course through the beachfront mountains between U.s. 101 and Pacific Coast Highway north of San Francisco. It's additionally truly difficult and engrossing for sportbike riders who are more keen on the following corner as opposed to some superb neglect. As it played out, however, the most recent cycle of Kawasaki's fabulous lightweight sportbike is as just as adroit at touring as it is at zenith strafing.
While more torque over the humblest Ninja's 13,000-rpm rev range from a 47cc knock in relocation to 296cc was a given, the upgraded motor now likewise has a more-loose nature. As per Kawasaki, taller last equipping (42-tooth back sprocket, three down from the 250R) joined with a taller interior top-gear degree permits the six-speed 300 to match the cruising speed of its antecedent while turning far less revs. At a showed 60 mph in top apparatus, the simple tachometer enrolls only 6800 rpm, not the about 9000 rpm of the 250R. That is huge, regardless of the fact that you're not an interstate explorer.
An incomprehensibly more inflexible, semi-twofold support steel edge assumes a key part in the Ninja 300's enhanced execution, also. Indeed with rubber treated front motor mounts, taking care of is sublime. While I felt an indication of buzz through the grasps at any given rpm, vibration is altogether less maintained than on the 250R. Fuel-infusion mapping is right on target, with no slack or staggers. Driveline lash is not unreasonable, either.
Moving is satiny and light, and the expansion of a Japanese F.c.c.-brand shoe grip evacuates any worry about matching motor revs with back wheel rate amid downshifts. To put the new setup under serious scrutiny, I close the throttle, dropped three apparatuses and dumped the grasp while entering an uneven corner. The result? Completely zero back tire-skittering dramatization.
The "support" gimmick of the grasp likewise executes as promoted, yielding pinky-finger-light lever exertion. Similarly as with the 250R, nonetheless, the new grasp has a thin band of engagement that happens essentially at full arrival of the lever. Smooth takeoffs from a stop are effectively attained with little throttle application or grasp slip.
Indeed with its somewhat littler 4.5-gallon gas tank, the Ninja 300 ought to be more qualified for more pulls. The seat is pleasantly cushioned and molded, and it sits only 30.9 inches off the ground.
Similarly as with any little dislodging sportbike, corner velocity is the name of the amusement with this guaranteed 379-pounder. The new frame gives more nonpartisan guiding feel with no hint of the vibe of falling into corners that I've encountered while riding the 250R and Ninja 500. I was likewise satisfied with the improved feeling of hold and solidness that I got from the 140/70-17 IRC back tire, which is 10mm more extensive than the 250R's 130/70-17. Front tire size stays 110/70-17.
We experienced some fairly unpleasant extends of street on our ride, and I'm glad to report that the suspension demonstrated up to the errand. The 37mm routine fork has been dealt with to lighter damping for enhanced ride solace, yet oil level is higher, expanding imperviousness to bottoming under hard braking or over sharp knocks. The stun has firmer damping and a more helpful scope of spring-preload customizability to better oblige a more noteworthy scope of rider weights.
This uneven piece of the ride was additionally a lucky time to toss a leg over a Ninja 300 SE furnished with non-freezing stopping devices. In the event that you can swing the $700 premium, I'd say pull out all the stops. The framework capacities and also those fitted to bicycles that cost significantly more than this Kawasaki. (The base Ninja 300 comes in Ebony or Pearl Stardust White for $4799; include $200 for Lime Green/Ebony with SE illustrations.)
Generally as the opposition had started to close in, Kawasaki has addressed the test. In every sense, the Ninja 300 is a commendable successor to the top of the line Ninja 250R.
2015 Kawasaki Ninja 250SL And Z250SL Review
2015 Kawasaki Ninja 250SL And Z250SL
The Ninja 250SL models was acquainted with the Asian showcase in February with the Z250SL taking after toward the end of April. We weren't anticipating that Kawasaki will present either display outside of Asia, so their dispatch at EICMA was something of a shock. It's farfetched we'll see either show in North America be that as it may, and it'll be intriguing to perceive how Kawasaki's four comparative little uprooting models may part the business.
The 250SL models are fueled by the same fluid cooled, fuel-infused 249cc motor. Kawasaki claims a crest yield of 27.6 hp at 9700 rpm and 16.7 lb-ft. at 8200 rpm, both down from the 300 models' parallel-Twin which guarantees 38.9 hp and 19.9 lb-ft. The single-barrel models do achieve their top numbers at prior rpms however and case solid low- to mid-range torque.
The Ninja 250SL cases a check weight of 332.9 lb. (335.1 lb. with ABS) while the Z250SL claims 326.3 lb (330.6 lb. with ABS), putting them around 45 pounds lighter than the twins. The 300 models, notwithstanding, still have the edge in force to-weight degrees.
The SL models have the same trellis outline. The Z250SL has the same 30.9-inch seat tallness as the 300 models yet the Ninja 250sl is marginally lower at 30.7 inches. The Singles however have shorter wheelbases at 52.4 inches contrasted with 55.3 inches on the Twins. The Z250SL has higher handlebars for a more upright seating position while the Ninja 250SL has more forceful cut ons that are much lower than the ones on the Ninja 300.
The Ninja 250SL and Z250SL utilize the same suspension with a 37mm telescopic fork and spring preload-customizable back stun. The brakes are additionally the same, with a double cylinder caliper snatching the single 290mm front brake circle and a double cylinder caliper combined with the 220mm back plate.
The Ninja 250SL models have their own styling to outwardly separate themselves from the Ninja 300S. The Ninja 250SL has a bit less bodywork than the Ninja 300, uncovering piece of the trellis casing while in advance it dons a solitary headlamp.
European estimating is yet to be affirmed, yet the Ninja 250SL and Z250SL ought to be less extravagant than their 300 partners.
2014 EICMA: 2015 Kawasaki Z300 Review
2014 EICMA: 2015 Kawasaki Z300 Reviews
Kawasaki uncovered another Z300, a stripped adaptation of the Ninja 300 Sportbike. In view of the Z250 beforehand discharged in Asian showcases yet moved up to the bigger 296cc parallel-Twin motor, the Z300 will be offered in European nations.
Inquisitively, the Z300 is only one of the new little dislodging models introduced at EICMA, alongside the single-chamber Ninja 250sl and Z250sl models. Alongside the Ninja 300, Kawasaki now has four comparative entrance level models for Europe. There's no statement yet on North American accessibility for any of the new models, however we trust Kawasaki will at any rate bring the Z300 over to contend with any semblance of the Honda Cb300f.
The Z300 acquires styling signs from Kawasaki's bigger Z models, most strikingly the Z800 (an European demonstrate not offered in the U.s.), especially with its multi-reflector front light. The crisscrossing bodywork covers the sides of the barrels yet leaves the header channels uncovered.
The motor is the same as the one driving the Ninja 300, guaranteeing 38.9 hp at 11000 rpm and 19.9 lb-ft. at 10000 rpm. Force is conveyed through a six-pace transmission and, in the same way as the Ninja 300, a shoe grasp.
The casing is the same as utilized on the Ninja 300, guaranteeing adjusted inflexibility. The 30.8″ seat stature is indistinguishable to the Ninja 300 however the level, wide handlebar prompts a more upright riding position. The suspension and brakes are likewise the same as on the faired Ninja.
Different peculiarities incorporate a simple tachnomoter, LCD show, a 4.5-gallon fuel tank and a check weight of 370 pounds (375 with ABS
PCP Heroes Shootout, Versys 650 vs Scrambler vs MT-07 !
Reach into the pocket where you keep your spare change. Have a rummage – steady now – and see what you can muster. Let’s call it £3.50. What can you get with that? A fancy coffee? A lunchtime meal deal? Or a brand-new 2015 motorcycle like Versys 650, Scrambler or even MT-07 ?
Put that pittance aside each day and it’s £100 a month. For dozens of new bikes, that’s the monthly payment on a Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) finance deal. Now, we’re not daft enough to ignore the initial deposit, or the optional balloon payments after three years, and PCP isn’t right for everybody. But instead of traditional finance more and more riders are using PCP, borrowing just a fraction of a bike’s value, and making some great machines – like the adaptable Kawasaki Versys 650, striking Ducati Scrambler and last year’s Bike of the Year, the Yamaha MT-07 – surprisingly affordable. So then. Lukewarm bean water in a paper cup, or one of these in your garage?
Kawasaki Versys 650
With a Ducati Scrambler to one side and Yamaha’s MT-07 to the other, Kawasaki’s Versys 650 looks like it might be lacking something. The MT is immediately a riot to ride; the Scrambler’s appeal so obvious it barely needs the ignition key. But dig a little deeper and it’s clear the Versys doesn’t come up short at all.
Quite the contrary. After the other two bikes, the Versys feels massively more substantial. Its riding position is taller, grander, and far more welcoming. It’s the only one that makes a 6ft rider feel well accommodated. The seat, for example, is the broadest and plushest. And its height advantage – two inches above the Scrambler’s saddle – also adds welcome legroom between bum and footpegs.
Bars are wide, like the Ducati’s, but the rest of the Versys does so much more to protect the rider. The tank comes up higher and flares out giving knees somewhere to shelter. And when the adjustable screen is wound up to full height, it deflects wind so effectively you can even wave your hand in front of your visor and find nothing but a pocket of still air.
All of this makes Kawasaki’s Versys far less tiring to ride than the other two bikes. Taking advantage of that trait is a petrol tank that’s 50% bigger than the others. The 21-litre capacity means 200 miles between fill-ups is virtually guaranteed. Other improvements for 2015 make it a solid touring choice too. The engine is now rubber mounted at both the front and rear sides, cutting down how much tingly vibration from the 180° parallel twin reaches the rider.
The list of tricks in the Versys’s back pocket keeps coming. It’s the only bike here with a reasonable amount of room for a pillion, and the only one with a remote preload adjuster on the shock to let you tailor it for two. Near-invisible slots on the grabrails are ready to take a pair of solid plastic panniers – and if that’s not enough storage, a top box is an option too. It’s almost as if this bike has been built to be ridden places. Fancy that.
In fact, if that sounds good, then there’s even a Grand Tourer version. This adds the full three-piece luggage set, handguards, spotlights, a gear indicator and a 12V socket. It brings the price up to £8135, but that’s still only a few quid more than the Scrambler Urban Enduro – and the Versys packs a far more useful-looking list of bolt-on bits. But don’t let all this practical praise fool you into thinking the Versys is a cut-price straight-line tourer or bland, worthy commuter. The Versys has – no, really – a properly entertaining side. It might be carrying the most timber of this trio, but at 216kg it’s still relatively light. Its high centre of gravity helps it flick sharply into turns too, with no shortage of ground clearance. There’s no lack of steering precision either, thanks to its 17in sports-touring tyres.
The motor is probably the element of the Versys that makes the least fuss. Kawasaki reckon they have rewarded the ER-6-based 649cc twin with an extra 5bhp this year, but I’d be surprised if many made it any further than the brochure. It’s the least impressive motor here, with neither the Scrambler’s thumping gravitas nor the MT’s firepower. What the Versys does offer, at least, is an even flexibility from tickover to the 10.000 RPM redline. Gearing is pleasantly short too, helping it pull through the revs while rarely feeling laboured or overwhelmed.
Genuine faults are minimal, though the one that stands out is the lack of a centrestand. There’s no use looking in the Kawasaki catalogue either – it’s missing there too. In its defence, neither the Scrambler nor MT have one, but it’s more of an omission for the Versys given its obvious daily and/or distance intentions.
In this company the Versys may be short on raw appeal. It’s clearly the least characterful, but its more purposeful and more adaptable remit is just as valid as either of the other two bikes. After a day’s testing on all three machines, when all I want to do is get home as easily and as quickly as possible, there’s barely a moment’s hesitation before stepping towards the Versys.
Kawasaki Versys 650 Specs
Engine : Four stroke, Parallel Twin, DOHC 8-Valve, Liquid Cooled
Capacity : 649 cc
Bore x Stroke : 83 X 60 mm
Compression Ratio : 10,6 : 1
Induction : Fuel Injection
Max Power : 51 kW / 69 HP @ 8.500 RPM
Max Torque : 64 N.m @ 7.000 RPM
Transmission / Drive : 6-Speed / Chain
Frame : Steel Diamond
Front Suspension : 41mm Upside Down Forks, Adjustable Preload and Rebound
Rear Suspension : Monoshock, Adjustable Preload
Front Brakes : 2 x 300 mm Disc, 2-Pot Calipers
Rear Brakes : Single 220 mm Disc, 1-Pot Caliper
Front Tyre : 120/70 - ZR17
Rear Tyre : 160/60 - ZR17
Wheel base : 1.415 mm
Seat Height : 840 mm
Wet Weight : 216 Kg
Fuel Capacity : 21 Litres / 5.5 gal
Economy : 44 mpg / 250 miles
Top Speed : 123,11 mph
Ducati Scrambler Urban Enduro
Behold the most polarising bike of 2015. Judging by the reaction from some riders Ducati’s Scrambler is either a bang-on-trend, whistful nod to the innocent days of uncorrupted, air-cooled simplicity, or it’s a cynical, artificial, style-over-substance cash cow.
But whichever side you fall on, a ride on the Ducati Scrambler is guaranteed to nudge you away from your expectations. Anticipate it to be gutless, and you’ll discover how much harder it grunts from tickover than the Kawasaki Versys 650. Reckon it’ll be outgunned by Yamaha’s rorty MT-07 and you’ll be staggered to find the two bikes share identical power and torque figures. Yet the biggest surprise of all comes from following a Scrambler through town. Folk can’t help but turn their heads. Kids. Mums and dads. Old folk. Everyone. Normal people stop and stare, point, whisper, walk up to it in the street. Following the Scrambler on either of the other bikes, you can’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. You might as well be invisible.
Some of the extra attention might be because this is the Urban Enduro version. It gets faux-military green paint, engine bash plate, high front mudguard, fork protectors, spoked wheels, handlebar brace, mesh-style headlight protector – and that crucial custom-bike must-have, the brown seat. Ribbed for your pleasure. "Urban Enduro" is, surely, an intentional contradiction, unless they expect you to start going straight over roundabouts, feet-up through sponsored flowerbeds. But it’s a handsome thing, standing out from dull streets with obvious, rugged character. No wonder non-motorcyclists are intrigued.
Look past the impressive aesthetics, however, and the Scrambler’s dynamic is more of a mixed bag. The riding position sits you confidently in control, with a low seat height and tall, wide bars reached over a long, thin, surprisingly low petrol tank. It’s a riding position designed for tame town speeds. Here it works brilliantly – both feet reach the floor with ease, the upright stance avoids neck-ache, and the bike feels like it must be light simply because you can see so little of it from onboard.
But pick the speed up and that open, expanded position becomes hard work. Holding speed on an open A-road is quickly tiring. By motorway speeds you become a full-on mainsail, dragging and flapping into the headwind rather than slipping through it. The wide bars do at least mean the low-speed agility is retained, giving easy steering, the Scrambler rolling into turns with a sense that its centre of gravity is somewhere down level with the footpegs.
The sole, four-piston front brake is fine, but the suspension is downright disappointing. The lack of adjustment on the forks and shock suggests it may be budget, but the ride quality is what tells you it’s truly cheap. Bumps that the Versys soaks up and the MT-07 cheerily bounces across are simply crashed straight through by the Scrambler, the impact passed directly to the rider.
At least the motor’s pulses are far more pleasing. There’s a lovely throbby feel from the familiar, 803cc two-valve V-twin. Power is concentrated up to 6000rpm, losing interest quickly thereafter. The clutch is light, though the gearbox could be slicker – there are false neutrals hiding, especially between fifth and sixth. Elsewhere, there’s plenty to like about the Scrambler. One pleasing detail is the way the single throttle cable and brake line arc deliberately from the right twistgrip up, round and over the clock, down behind the headlight. The clock unit itself is neat and modest, a small offset circle, yet its simple shape holds a modern LCD display. And the headlight, another apparently simple roundel, actually holds four white LED strips around its circumference. There’s even more smart modernity under the seat, where a USB charging socket lies waiting to save the day when you forget your phone charger.
Approach the Scrambler thinking it’ll cover distance like a Versys, or handle with the flair of an MT-07, and you’ll leave convinced there’s too much pose and not enough poise. But expect it to be a genuinely easy-going bike to be enjoyed and appreciated in other ways, and you, the Scrambler, and the countless sets of admiring eyes will all get along just fine.
Ducati Scrambler Urban Enduro Specs
Engine : Four stroke, 90° L-Twin, Desmodromic 4-Valve, Air Cooled
Capacity : 803 cc
Bore x Stroke : 88 x 66 mm
Compression Ratio : 11 : 1
Induction : Fuel Injection
Max Power : 55 kW / 74.8 HP @ 8.250 RPM
Max Torque : 68 N.m @ 5.750 RPM
Transmission / Drive : 6-Speed / Chain
Frame : Steel Trellis
Front Suspension : 41mm Upside Down Forks
Rear Suspension : Monoshock, Adjustable Preload
Front Brakes : Single 330 mm Disc, 4-Pot Caliper
Rear Brakes : Single 245 mm Disc, 1-Pot Caliper
Front Tyre : 110/90 - ZR18
Rear Tyre : 180/55 - ZR17
Wheel base : 1.445 mm
Seat Height : 790 mm
Wet Weight : 192 Kg
Fuel Capacity : 13,5 Litres / 3.57 gal
Economy : 49 mpg / 145 miles
Top Speed : 123 mph
Yamaha MT-07
It says a phenomenal amount about the MT-07 that, when it first landed last year, riders started discussing it in the same breath as Triumph’s sensational Street Triple. On paper the Yamaha should have been a closer match for more modest middleweights such as Kawasaki’s ER-6n and Suzuki’s Gladius. But on raw fun factor alone, the MT proudly squared up to a machine that totally overshadowed it on power and, more importantly, price.
But that’s a credit to how the MT-07 makes you feel. It’s a small, light, potent bundle of energy ready to be unleashed whenever and wherever. And most of that magic lies in the peppy 689cc parallel twin. Its pistons fire 270 degrees apart, which means that while it’s closer in design to the Versys’s engine, it’s nearer in feel and sound to the Scrambler’s V-twin.
That said, the Yamaha’s centrepiece clearly feels a lot more modern than the Ducati’s. The MT-07 gains and sheds revs far faster, feels smoother and even uses less petrol while it’s doing it. The resulting surge of drive is not to be taken lightly. Open the Yamaha’s throttle hard in first gear and speed is gathered so instantly that the rear half of the bike just shifts the front wheel clean out of its way.
Crucially, this endlessly addictive punch gets all the engine basics too: high-fidelity fuelling at low revs and small throttle openings is hiccup-free; at motorway speeds it feels calm, even and vibe-free; and the power deliver blends both bottom-end stomp and high-revving excitement to keep all kinds of riders happy. The rest of the bike is just as new as the engine, though in places it doesn’t feel quite so advanced. The glamourless steel frame is largely hidden away, with plastic covers between seat and footpeg masquerading as solid swingarm sideplates. Suspension is about as basic as it gets with right-way-up damper-rod forks and a simple rear shock adjustable for preload only. The ride quality is the softest here – more forgiving than the harsh Ducati, but with less damping and a little more recovery time required than the Versys.
While there’s little flashy about the chassis components, their sum total works brilliantly. The shortest wheelbase here, the least trail and the lightest all-up weight conspire to make the MT-07 delightfully quick-steering. It darts from side to side with utter glee, cheerfully overcoming any potential effects of its surprisingly wide 180-section rear tyre. Of the three bikes here the MT feels the most confident in corners, helped by the fact the whole bike is very compact. The bars are almost too narrow, and the bike is so slim in the middle your ankles feel like they could almost touch in places.
The bike’s modest proportions are made to feel subliminally smaller than they really are by the fiddly, tiny, rinky-dink switchgear. There aren’t many irritations on an MT-07 but these are right up there. An ugly excess of thread hanging out the back of the chain adjusters is another, and the stubbornly small 14-litre petrol tank a third.
At least there are plenty of positive distractions, such as the impressive all-digital dash unit. It’s the most comprehensive set of clocks here, combining the most sophisticated appearance with the most complete spread of information, including both a fuel gauge and a gear indicator.
The clocks are a sharp reminder that, for all its focus on fun and games, the MT shouldn’t be written off as a plaything. It would excel as a cross-town commuter too. While the Scrambler has the urban image (and, in this case, the name), the Yamaha is easier to ride in traffic. Gearchanges are smoother, the engine pickup more predictable, and the lack of width makes it easier to filter.
It is telling that Yamaha are in the process of expanding the MT-07 platform with new bikes to rival both the Scrambler and Versys more directly. They’ve just unveiled the retro-styled XSR700, and have recently been caught testing a half-faired Tracerstyle model version too. As it is, the MT-07 is a game-changing, standard-defining machine, and one of the most compelling new bike bargains available today. If that same success is going to be applied to even more bikes, it’s very promising indeed.
Yamaha MT-07 Specs
Engine : Four stroke, Parallel twin cylinder, DOHC 8-Valve, Liquid Cooled
Capacity : 689 cc
Bore x Stroke : 80 x 68.6 mm
Compression Ratio : 11.5: 1
Induction : Fuel injection,
Max Power : 55 kW / 74.8 HP @ 9.000 RPM
Max Torque : 68 N.m @ 6.500 RPM
Transmission / Drive : 6-Speed / Chain
Frame : Steel Diamond
Front Suspension : 41mm Telescopic Forks
Rear Suspension : Monoshock, Adjustable Preload
Front Brakes : 2 x 282 mm Discs 4-Pot Calipers
Rear Brakes : Single 245 mm Disc 1-Pot Caliper
Front Tyre : 120/70 ZR 17M/C(58W) (Tubeless)
Rear Tyre : 180/55 ZR 17M/C(73W) (Tubeless)
Wheel base : 1.400 mm
Seat Height : 805 mm
Wet Weight : 182 Kg
Oil Capacity 3.0 Litres
Fuel Capacity : 14 Litres / 3.7 gal
Economy : 55 mpg / 170 miles
Top Speed : 134.85mph
Verdict
This isn’t the kind of comparison where one bike can really "win". These three machines are made for different reasons, and so bought by different riders with different intentions. Instead, what ties them together is the enormous variety and quality of new bikes available for less than £100 a month.
Kawasaki’s Versys 650 will be the most overlooked, despite also being the most capable. Flexible, frugal, agile and comfortable, it genuinely puts several bigger, more expensive all-rounders to shame. It’s a great all-rounder, yet crucially still fun.
You couldn’t ride half as far on the Ducati Scrambler, but you’d be twice as popular when you arrived. Few bikes have an appeal that spreads beyond other motorcyclists, and the pride of ownership this generates is immeasurable. However, it’s Yamaha’s MT-07 that continues to truly standout, and demonstrate why it was achieve the 2014 Bike Of The Year. It’s rewritten middleweight expectations and, with other variants to come, will continue to do so.
The verdict ? Truly brilliant new bikes really are more affordable than ever before.
Price
Kawasaki Versys 650 : £6885
Yamaha MT-07 : £5885 OTR (£7411 as tested)
Ducati Scrambler Enduro : £8131
Typical Finance (base model bikes)
Kawasaki Versys 650 with K-Options PCP: £1200 dep, 36 months £98.26, final cost £2777 – total £7514.36
Yamaha MT-07 With MiYamaha PCP: £1177 dep, 36 month £95.58, final cost £2348 – total £6965.88
Ducati Scrambler Enduro with Ducati TriOptions PCP: £1623.30 dep, 36 months £99, final cost £4199 – total £9564.30
Kawasaki Z300 Review, A2-Compliant Streetfighter !
The Kawasaki Z300 is the Naked version of Ninja 300... The Ninja 300 used to be 250cc, but grew for 2013.
Don’t confuse them with Kawasaki’s recent naked & faired, Kawasaki Z250SL & Ninja 250SL – they are singles, whereas the naked and faired 300s are twins. Like the 250s, the Kawasaki Z300 are compatible with the A2 licence, offering a rung below full-power bikes for the under-24s. Like the 250s, the 300s come in sporty-styled faired Ninja and Z800/1000-styled street-fightery naked.
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| ABS come as standard |
Other differences between the 250s and 300s, aside from the extra cylinder in the engine, concern an increase in chassis dimensions, better brakes and suspension, a bigger fuel tank, and an unfortunate increase in price too. The upshot is a bike that’s engaging, fun and big enough for a full-grown adult. Riding it back-to-back with both 250s, the Kawasaki Z300 is more comfortable and less strained. Its cruising speed is about 10mph higher than on the Z250 – a big difference when you’re doing 75mph rather than 65mph. Suspension has much better damping too.
The Kawasaki Z300 engine can feel a little awkward and juddery at town speeds, but get it up above 8000 RPM – in search of peak power at 11.000 RPM – and it all comes together nicely. It responds well, changes gear slickly and even sounds good ! The price does, however, seem rather steep. The A2-licensing system is confusing enough, and when you’re being asked to spend a couple of years on a small, low-powered bike that costs more than four grand, it’s hard to imagine many takers. A good bike, lost in the labyrinth of our licensing system.
Kawasaki Z300 Specs
Engine : 296cc, Parallel Twin, DOHC 4-Valve per Cylinder, Liquid-Cooled
Power : 39 HP @ 11.000 RPM
Torque : 20 lb.ft @ 10.000RPM
Transmission / Drive : 6-Speed / Chain
Chassis : Steel Diamond
Front Suspension : 37mm Telescopic Forks, 120mm Travel
Rear Suspension : Monoshock, Adjustment Preload
Front Brake : 290 mm Disc, 2-Piston Caliper
Rear Brake : 220 mm Disc, 2-Piston Caliper
Front Tyre : 110/70-17
Rear Tyre : 140/70-17
Wheelbase : 1.405 mm
Rake / Trail : 26° / 82 mm
Seat Height : 785 mm
Kerb Weight : 170 Kg
Fuel Capacity : 17 Litres
Price : £4442
Friday, November 27, 2015
The Complete History of Kawasaki Motorcycles
Kawasaki Motors was the last of the surviving Big Four manufacturers to enter Japan’s motorcycle business, although like its wartime peers Fuji and Mitsubishi it did make an aborted foray into scooter manufacturing during the early 1950s. Details about the vast and diverse Kawasaki Heavy Industries Corporation could fill several volumes, and while Kawasaki documents many of its manufacturing divisions extensively, it dedicates just three pages of its 1997 published history to its motorcycle operations.
This is perhaps appropriate because Kawasaki Motors makes up only a fraction of this vast corporation’s global operations, but it is undoubtedly the conglomerate’s most recognized division. Kawasaki does, however, document the origins of the motorcycle division’s parent firm, the Kawasaki Aircraft Company, in detail in a separate volume. This source illustrates the aircraft manufacturer’s steady growth during the transwar era and leaves little doubt as to the extent of the firm’s technological capabilities.
A late entrant to the motorcycle market, Kawasaki’s rapid success in the field stemmed from a long history of engine and turbine design and manufacturing. In April 1876, Kawasaki Shozo (born 10 August 1837) established the Kawasaki Tsukiji Shipyard alongside the Sumida River in Chuo ward, Tokyo, with the support of Prince Matsukata Masayoshi (1835-1924), who was then Japan’s vice minister of finance. When the first Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1894, the company received extensive orders for ship repairs.
Immediately after the war’s end in 1895, Kawasaki decided to take the company public, and in 1896 the firm was incorporated as the Kawasaki Dockyard Company. As Kawasaki Shozo approached sixty years of age without a son old enough to succeed him, he chose Matsukata Kojiro (1865-1950) to lead the company into the next era. Kojiro, Matsukata Masayoshi’s third son, served as the president of Kawasaki Dockyard for thirty-two years, from 1892 to 1928. During that time, the firm diversified its interests broadly, expanding into shipping and the manufacture of steam turbines, submarines, locomotives, rolling stock, and, of course, aircraft.
As Kawasaki grew, its principal divisions were spun off into separate entities (look at the figure above). The first to branch off was its marine freight department, Kawasaki Steamship Lines, or K-line, which was incorporated in 1919. In 1928, the company’s Hyogo works was incorporated separately as Kawasaki Rolling Stock Manufacturing Company. Kawasaki’s aircraft department had been established in this manufacturing plant in 1918, but in 1922 a new plant for aircraft construction was established at Sohara (today Kakamigahara City) in Gifu prefecture.
Here it began producing its first surveillance biplane, the Type Otsu 1, for Japan’s military. Kawasaki built roughly three hundred of these aircraft over the next five years. The aircraft department was spun off in 1937 as the Kawasaki Aircraft Company Limited. In 1938, the year after Japan’s invasion of China, Kawasaki sought to expand its operations at Gifu, but there was insufficient space to construct additional manufacturing and aircraft testing facilities. Consequently, the Imperial Japanese Army encouraged Kawasaki to construct a new plant just west of Akashi City in Hyogo prefecture, where there was enough land available (1.8 square kilometres, or 0.7 square miles) to build both a new factory and a pilot training ground. Kawasaki then moved its existing Kobe Motors plant to Akashi, where Kawasaki’s motorcycle production later began.
Kawasaki Aircraft designed and built a series of fighter and escort aircraft for Japan’s military until the end of the Second World War. Its products included a long-range escort and ground attack aircraft called the Ki-45 Toryu¯, or "Dragon Slayer," which emerged in September 1941 and was dubbed "Nick" by the Allies. The frame was designed and manufactured by Kawasaki, but it featured a pair of air-cooled, fourteen-cylinder, radial piston engines designed by Mitsubishi Aircraft. From 1941, Kawasaki also produced its own engine through a licensing arrangement with Daimler-Benz. Known as the Ki-61 Hien, or "Flying Swallow" (and called "Tony" by the Allies), this aircraft was based upon the Messerschmitt Aircraft Company’s Me109 and Me210 designs, all the parts for which were purchased from Germany by Japan’s army in June 1941 and January 1943, respectively.
The aircraft were disassembled and shipped to Japan aboard German navy submarines, and the engineers at Kawasaki Aircraft studied, sketched, and assembled each of the fighters over three-month periods. The engineers found the German designs and production methods highly innovative, but Kawasaki’s test pilots did not consider their performance in the air especially remarkable. Nevertheless, the engine casting plant at Akashi reproduced the Daimler-Benz engine, known as the DB 601-A, which was an inverted, liquid-cooled, V-12 cylinder machine. The resulting Kawasaki powerplant, designated the Ha-40, produced 1,175 horsepower and was the only liquid-cooled fighter engine manufactured in Japan during the war. Not limited to merely copying the Daimler-Benz engine, Kawasaki’s engineers later produced an improved version known as the Ha-140 that produced 1,450 horsepower.
Known to the army as simply the Type-3 fighter, the Ki-61 had its first flight in December 1941 and saw combat for the first time in the spring of 1943 during Japan’s campaign in New Guinea. Over 2,600 units were issued during its production run, and it later served as a defence against US B-29s, although too few remained by 1945 to be a significant deterrent to American air raids. In January 1945, Kawasaki was working on two versions of an updated model called the Ki-61-II, but only ninety-nine were completed before the firm’s engine plant was bombed on 19 January.
In an effort to make use of 275 remaining airframes, Kawasaki’s engineers substituted the Mitsubishi Ha-112-II radial piston engine for the usual V-12 powerplant and issued what it called the Ki-100 fighter. Although this turned out to be a tremendous design that performed exceptionally well against US fighters, too few were produced to be effective against the American advance. Production continued until the company’s operations at Hyogo were bombed by thirty B-29s on 22 June 1945 and again by ninety planes on 26 June, resulting in the destruction of Kawasaki’s engine and assembly plants.
By the time Japan surrendered on 15 August, Kawasaki records that it had designed, tested, and built roughly 11,600 aircraft. Crippling material shortages notwithstanding, the firm contends that its designs remained competitive and that its technical skill was closing in on international standards. With the end of the war, operations were idled until GHQ had assessed Japan’s industrial base and issued its ruling on which plants were to continue peacetime production and which were to be terminated. GHQ banned all aircraft design, testing, and production in the late summer of 1945.
For Kawasaki Aircraft, this directive meant that its bombed-out plants would have to convert, at least temporarily, to the production of other goods. This familiar pattern parallels the experiences of the Suzuki Automatic Loom Company, Nippon Gakki, and the Mitsubishi and Fuji aircraft companies. Early after the war, Kawasaki made arrangements to produce such items as firefighting equipment, duralumin suitcases, electric kettles, radio cabinets, typewriters, farm implements, and small engines. As a former manufacturer of its own V-12 aircraft engines, Kawasaki’s engineers were a uniquely skilled group, but the production of small engines for agricultural use was a significant shift in both purpose and scale. Combined with the difficulty in procuring production material, the Akashi works struggled to stay busy while General Douglas MacArthur and his staff considered its future.
In 1946, GHQ’s strict ban on aircraft production was relaxed, and on 12 June it announced that its total prohibition was “deleted” and replaced by the following order:
This new policy permitted some leeway, and as Kawasaki awaited the opportunity to again manufacture aircraft, its Gifu plant began manufacturing bus and truck bodies as a subcontractor for the Isuzu Motor Company. At this time, Kawasaki Aircraft had three divisions: Kawasaki Aircraft, in Akashi, Hyogo prefecture; Kawasaki Gifu Manufacturing, in Sohara, Gifu prefecture; and Kawasaki Machine Industries, in Takatsuki City, Osaka prefecture. Although Japan’s aircraft industry remained idle until the Treaty of Peace with Japan came into effect in March 1952, former military aircraft producers were called upon to service and repair US aircraft following the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950.
This seven-year delay was a difficult obstacle to overcome, but Kawasaki had been able to maintain a baseline of technical skills and equipment through its interim role as a service subcontractor for the Douglas Aircraft Company of the United States. After aircraft production resumed, Kawasaki began developing the KAL-1 transport plane at its Gifu plant, while its Akashi works focused on the development of helicopters based on an agreement signed in 1952 with the Bell Aircraft Corporation of the United States. In 1954, Kawasaki produced six Kawasaki-Bell 47D-1 helicopters – the first helicopters built in Japan – for the nation’s Ground Self-Defense Forces.
At the end of the 1940s, meanwhile, Kawasaki’s management began laying the groundwork for its foray into motorcycle production. In 1949, aircraft engineers at the Kawasaki Machine Industries plant in Takatsuki began designing the company’s first motorcycle engine, an air-cooled, four-stroke, one-cylinder, overhead-valve, 148 cc machine, which they dubbed the KE, for "Kawasaki Engine." The prototype was completed in 1952, and Kawasaki began manufacturing the design in 1953.
For that purpose, Kawasaki established a subsidiary called Meihatsu Industries to oversee the production and distribution of a scooter equivalent to the Rabbit and Silver Pigeon scooters then being produced by Fuji and Mitsubishi, respectively.121 Kawasaki Machine Industries manufactured the engine in Takatsuki, and the Kawasaki automotive plant at Sohara, Gifu (which continued to build bus bodies for Isuzu) began building scooters with the KE motor in October 1953. Although the new Kawasaki brand scooter was priced competitively at ¥90,000, the company had no effective domestic sales network and therefore discontinued production after completing just two hundred units. As a munitions corporation, its principal customers had theretofore been Japan’s government, major rail companies, the army, the navy, GHQ, Douglas Aircraft, and Bell Helicopter, so Kawasaki did not have a great deal of consumer product sales or marketing experience. Though a skilled manufacturer, Kawasaki had not considered the challenges of bringing its new scooter to market, and the product was a failure.
In February 1954, the Kawasaki Aircraft and Kawasaki Machine Industries divisions merged, and, spotting another opportunity in a converging market, the company’s head office decided in July to enter the motorcycle industry. Under the joint company name of Kawasaki-Meihatsu, the parent company and its subsidiary worked together and followed Yamaha’s lead by developing a 125 cc engine called the KB-5 at the Kawasaki Aircraft plant in Kobe in 1955. At this point, Kawasaki designed and manufactured the engines, and the finished motorcycles were named Meihatsu. The KB-5 engine was installed in the Meihatsu brand 125-500 motorcycle in that year, and customers were pleased by the responsive torque that it produced at low and mid-range rpm.
The same engine was also installed in the Meihatsu 125 Deluxe, which debuted in 1956, and Kawasaki produced a modified version of the engine, called the KB-5A, in 1957. The 125 Deluxe was well received by industry writers, who reported that it reached a top speed of 81.5 km/h (51 mph), and it also completed a 50,000-km (30,068-mile) endurance test without breaking down. Kawasaki-Meihatsu also supplied engines to a variety of contemporary "assembly makers" throughout Japan, such as the Ito Motor Company and the Rocket Company. The latter company, however, judged Kawasaki’s engine too expensive and discontinued its use in the Queen Rocket motorcycle.
By 1959, the company was pleased with the performance of its Kawasaki-Meihatsu motorcycle division, and, like the three companies profiled above, Kawasaki determined that in order to compete effectively, a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant was required. The firm therefore erected a factory at 1-1 Kawasaki-cho, in Akashi, Hyogo prefecture, dedicated to production of complete motorcycles bearing only the name Kawasaki. Construction of the plant began in January 1960, and mass production of the 125 cc Kawasaki New Ace commenced in November of that year. At the Japan Auto Show in October 1960, Kawasaki displayed its newest 125 cc designs for the 1961 model year, the Pet M5 and the B7.
The Pet M5 was styled as a utility motorcycle, but because it boasted Kawasaki’s 125 cc engine, it appealed to firms in Japan’s service industry that wanted more power than Honda’s 50 cc Super Cub could offer. These new products sold well: production rose sharply from 5,400 machines in 1960 to 17,000 in the following year. The former subsidiary Meihatsu Industries, meanwhile, was absorbed by its parent in 1961 and converted into Kawasaki’s sales division under the name Kawasaki Auto Sales.
Kawasaki’s attention turned in 1960 to the troubled Meguro Manufacturing. Meguro was then Japan’s longest-running motorcycle maker, and it had remained one of the industry’s leading firms until the late 1950s. A manufacturing veteran, Meguro had issued its first four-stroke, 500 cc engine in 1937. By the mid-1950s, the styling of its motorcycles bore a strong British influence that was popular with consumers, but when Meguro’s designers tried to update their image in 1958, consumers deemed the new 125 cc, 250 cc, and 350 cc products too heavy, and sales were dismal. Its designers also tried to produce a 50 cc moped, but consumers found it too expensive, and the project was a failure.
In 1960, Meguro agreed to enter into a development partnership with Kawasaki, whose engineers learned a great deal about building four-stroke engines from the senior manufacturer. In 1962, Kawasaki released the first motorcycle both designed and built by its own engineers, the 125 cc B8, which performed well in the market. Kawasaki was the financially dominant partner in the relationship with Meguro, and having learned what it needed to know, it absorbed the elder firm formally in October 1964.
Like the industry’s leading firms, Kawasaki understood that in order to be taken seriously as a manufacturer it had to perform well in races. Well aware that Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha were several laps ahead on the world Grand Prix circuit, Kawasaki decided to focus first on motocross racing, which was growing especially popular in western Japan at that time. In 1963, the company’s designers issued the B8M, a motocross model with a distinctive red fuel tank, and with it Kawasaki’s riders took the top six positions at that year’s Hyogo Prefecture Motocross Tournament. Despite its recent arrival to the sport, Kawasaki went on to win most of the motocross races in western Japan that year, including every event at the Fukui Prefecture Motocross Tournament, prompting the media to dub the Kawasaki racing sensation the "Red Tank Furor." Kawasaki’s dealers rode the wave of media attention, and the company’s reputation continued to hit new highs as it performed well in international races throughout the 1960s.
In parallel, export sales had begun in 1960 and were supported by Kawasaki’s reputation for designing larger, faster motorcycles than its competitors The company’s product development engineers broke new ground in 1965 by designing Kawasaki’s first 650 cc motorcycle, the W1. Powered by an air-cooled, two-stroke, parallel twin-cylinder engine featuring rotary disk valves, the W1 was aimed at both Japanese and Western consumers. Its styling owed much to the machines once produced by former partner Meguro, which had closely resembled British makes. The W1 marked Kawasaki’s arrival in the United States as a “big bike” maker.
Thereafter, steady progress in international racing improved Kawasaki’s position as a world-class competitor and manufacturer. In 1966, Kawasaki’s first 125 cc Grand Prix racing machine, the KAC Special, took seventh and eighth places in the final race of the FIM (Fédération internationale de motocyclisme) World Championship. In the same year, its 250 cc A1R racing model finished second in the All-Japan Championship. At the Singapore Grand Prix race in 1967, Kawasaki entered the 350 cc class race with its A7R and took both first and second places, while the 250 cc A1R finished second and third. Determined to improve its standing in 125 cc class races, Kawasaki also developed a new machine for the Japan round of the 1967 FIM World Championship. Known as the KA-2, it boasted a liquid-cooled, V-4, 124 cc engine, and with it Kawasaki’s race team took third and fourth places.
In 1968, the company issued a three-cylinder, 500 cc production model known overseas as the H1 (and domestically as the 500SS Mach III) that could reach 200 km/h (124 mph), prompting significant safety concerns throughout Japan. In 1969, Kawasaki rider Dave Simmonds at last scored victories in both the West German Grand Prix and the Isle of Mann TT Race, winning that year’s overall championship series atop his KR1. Although several years behind its principal rivals, Kawasaki had finally arrived at the podium to confirm its status as one of Japan’s Big Four manufacturers.
In 1970, just a year after Kawasaki’s three machinery divisions merged to form Kawasaki Heavy Industries, annual motorcycle production neared 150,000 units. In 1972, Kawasaki bid to out-gun its leading rival, Honda, by producing Japan’s largest postwar export motorcycle to date – a 900 cc machine named the Z1. Nicknamed “New York Steak” during its five-year development program, the Z1 was powered by the world’s first air-cooled, in-line four-cylinder engine, which boasted dual overhead camshafts. The bold marketing strategy behind the Z1 was met with enthusiasm by consumers, and it enjoyed strong reviews and sales.
In Japan, the domestic Z2 was released in 1973 with only 750 cc and also enjoyed widespread popularity, but the overseas success of the Z1 kept Kawasaki on top as the maker of Japan’s largest production motorcycle for much of the decade. Honda did not begin issuing 900 cc machines until the late 1970s.
Having set its sights on the motorcycle market, Kawasaki was clearly a powerful competitor. The wartime experience earned while producing the Daimler-Benz 601-A aircraft engine was its principal technological advantage over firms that had produced nothing but motorcycles for the last four decades. Furthermore, its determined investment in a brand-new, fully automated manufacturing plant set the stage for its late-entry bid for market share. Timing, in this case, was critical, for the vast majority of makers had already departed from the industry when Kawasaki built its dedicated motorcycle manufacturing plant at Akashi in 1960. Armed with products designed and built by Kawasaki Aircraft and fuelled by international racing victories, Kawasaki Motors was well positioned to move into the motorcycle market of the 1960s, and the firm capitalized fully on its financial advantage over even the most veteran manufacturers.
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This is perhaps appropriate because Kawasaki Motors makes up only a fraction of this vast corporation’s global operations, but it is undoubtedly the conglomerate’s most recognized division. Kawasaki does, however, document the origins of the motorcycle division’s parent firm, the Kawasaki Aircraft Company, in detail in a separate volume. This source illustrates the aircraft manufacturer’s steady growth during the transwar era and leaves little doubt as to the extent of the firm’s technological capabilities.
A late entrant to the motorcycle market, Kawasaki’s rapid success in the field stemmed from a long history of engine and turbine design and manufacturing. In April 1876, Kawasaki Shozo (born 10 August 1837) established the Kawasaki Tsukiji Shipyard alongside the Sumida River in Chuo ward, Tokyo, with the support of Prince Matsukata Masayoshi (1835-1924), who was then Japan’s vice minister of finance. When the first Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1894, the company received extensive orders for ship repairs.
Immediately after the war’s end in 1895, Kawasaki decided to take the company public, and in 1896 the firm was incorporated as the Kawasaki Dockyard Company. As Kawasaki Shozo approached sixty years of age without a son old enough to succeed him, he chose Matsukata Kojiro (1865-1950) to lead the company into the next era. Kojiro, Matsukata Masayoshi’s third son, served as the president of Kawasaki Dockyard for thirty-two years, from 1892 to 1928. During that time, the firm diversified its interests broadly, expanding into shipping and the manufacture of steam turbines, submarines, locomotives, rolling stock, and, of course, aircraft.
As Kawasaki grew, its principal divisions were spun off into separate entities (look at the figure above). The first to branch off was its marine freight department, Kawasaki Steamship Lines, or K-line, which was incorporated in 1919. In 1928, the company’s Hyogo works was incorporated separately as Kawasaki Rolling Stock Manufacturing Company. Kawasaki’s aircraft department had been established in this manufacturing plant in 1918, but in 1922 a new plant for aircraft construction was established at Sohara (today Kakamigahara City) in Gifu prefecture.
Here it began producing its first surveillance biplane, the Type Otsu 1, for Japan’s military. Kawasaki built roughly three hundred of these aircraft over the next five years. The aircraft department was spun off in 1937 as the Kawasaki Aircraft Company Limited. In 1938, the year after Japan’s invasion of China, Kawasaki sought to expand its operations at Gifu, but there was insufficient space to construct additional manufacturing and aircraft testing facilities. Consequently, the Imperial Japanese Army encouraged Kawasaki to construct a new plant just west of Akashi City in Hyogo prefecture, where there was enough land available (1.8 square kilometres, or 0.7 square miles) to build both a new factory and a pilot training ground. Kawasaki then moved its existing Kobe Motors plant to Akashi, where Kawasaki’s motorcycle production later began.
Kawasaki Aircraft designed and built a series of fighter and escort aircraft for Japan’s military until the end of the Second World War. Its products included a long-range escort and ground attack aircraft called the Ki-45 Toryu¯, or "Dragon Slayer," which emerged in September 1941 and was dubbed "Nick" by the Allies. The frame was designed and manufactured by Kawasaki, but it featured a pair of air-cooled, fourteen-cylinder, radial piston engines designed by Mitsubishi Aircraft. From 1941, Kawasaki also produced its own engine through a licensing arrangement with Daimler-Benz. Known as the Ki-61 Hien, or "Flying Swallow" (and called "Tony" by the Allies), this aircraft was based upon the Messerschmitt Aircraft Company’s Me109 and Me210 designs, all the parts for which were purchased from Germany by Japan’s army in June 1941 and January 1943, respectively.
The aircraft were disassembled and shipped to Japan aboard German navy submarines, and the engineers at Kawasaki Aircraft studied, sketched, and assembled each of the fighters over three-month periods. The engineers found the German designs and production methods highly innovative, but Kawasaki’s test pilots did not consider their performance in the air especially remarkable. Nevertheless, the engine casting plant at Akashi reproduced the Daimler-Benz engine, known as the DB 601-A, which was an inverted, liquid-cooled, V-12 cylinder machine. The resulting Kawasaki powerplant, designated the Ha-40, produced 1,175 horsepower and was the only liquid-cooled fighter engine manufactured in Japan during the war. Not limited to merely copying the Daimler-Benz engine, Kawasaki’s engineers later produced an improved version known as the Ha-140 that produced 1,450 horsepower.
Known to the army as simply the Type-3 fighter, the Ki-61 had its first flight in December 1941 and saw combat for the first time in the spring of 1943 during Japan’s campaign in New Guinea. Over 2,600 units were issued during its production run, and it later served as a defence against US B-29s, although too few remained by 1945 to be a significant deterrent to American air raids. In January 1945, Kawasaki was working on two versions of an updated model called the Ki-61-II, but only ninety-nine were completed before the firm’s engine plant was bombed on 19 January.
In an effort to make use of 275 remaining airframes, Kawasaki’s engineers substituted the Mitsubishi Ha-112-II radial piston engine for the usual V-12 powerplant and issued what it called the Ki-100 fighter. Although this turned out to be a tremendous design that performed exceptionally well against US fighters, too few were produced to be effective against the American advance. Production continued until the company’s operations at Hyogo were bombed by thirty B-29s on 22 June 1945 and again by ninety planes on 26 June, resulting in the destruction of Kawasaki’s engine and assembly plants.
By the time Japan surrendered on 15 August, Kawasaki records that it had designed, tested, and built roughly 11,600 aircraft. Crippling material shortages notwithstanding, the firm contends that its designs remained competitive and that its technical skill was closing in on international standards. With the end of the war, operations were idled until GHQ had assessed Japan’s industrial base and issued its ruling on which plants were to continue peacetime production and which were to be terminated. GHQ banned all aircraft design, testing, and production in the late summer of 1945.
For Kawasaki Aircraft, this directive meant that its bombed-out plants would have to convert, at least temporarily, to the production of other goods. This familiar pattern parallels the experiences of the Suzuki Automatic Loom Company, Nippon Gakki, and the Mitsubishi and Fuji aircraft companies. Early after the war, Kawasaki made arrangements to produce such items as firefighting equipment, duralumin suitcases, electric kettles, radio cabinets, typewriters, farm implements, and small engines. As a former manufacturer of its own V-12 aircraft engines, Kawasaki’s engineers were a uniquely skilled group, but the production of small engines for agricultural use was a significant shift in both purpose and scale. Combined with the difficulty in procuring production material, the Akashi works struggled to stay busy while General Douglas MacArthur and his staff considered its future.
In 1946, GHQ’s strict ban on aircraft production was relaxed, and on 12 June it announced that its total prohibition was “deleted” and replaced by the following order:
" You will permit no individual or group under your jurisdiction to develop or execute plans for the design, manufacture, procurement or operation of any aircraft, components or devices designed therefor; or for procurement outside of Japan of such services, except as specifically authorized by the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers."
This new policy permitted some leeway, and as Kawasaki awaited the opportunity to again manufacture aircraft, its Gifu plant began manufacturing bus and truck bodies as a subcontractor for the Isuzu Motor Company. At this time, Kawasaki Aircraft had three divisions: Kawasaki Aircraft, in Akashi, Hyogo prefecture; Kawasaki Gifu Manufacturing, in Sohara, Gifu prefecture; and Kawasaki Machine Industries, in Takatsuki City, Osaka prefecture. Although Japan’s aircraft industry remained idle until the Treaty of Peace with Japan came into effect in March 1952, former military aircraft producers were called upon to service and repair US aircraft following the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950.
This seven-year delay was a difficult obstacle to overcome, but Kawasaki had been able to maintain a baseline of technical skills and equipment through its interim role as a service subcontractor for the Douglas Aircraft Company of the United States. After aircraft production resumed, Kawasaki began developing the KAL-1 transport plane at its Gifu plant, while its Akashi works focused on the development of helicopters based on an agreement signed in 1952 with the Bell Aircraft Corporation of the United States. In 1954, Kawasaki produced six Kawasaki-Bell 47D-1 helicopters – the first helicopters built in Japan – for the nation’s Ground Self-Defense Forces.
At the end of the 1940s, meanwhile, Kawasaki’s management began laying the groundwork for its foray into motorcycle production. In 1949, aircraft engineers at the Kawasaki Machine Industries plant in Takatsuki began designing the company’s first motorcycle engine, an air-cooled, four-stroke, one-cylinder, overhead-valve, 148 cc machine, which they dubbed the KE, for "Kawasaki Engine." The prototype was completed in 1952, and Kawasaki began manufacturing the design in 1953.
For that purpose, Kawasaki established a subsidiary called Meihatsu Industries to oversee the production and distribution of a scooter equivalent to the Rabbit and Silver Pigeon scooters then being produced by Fuji and Mitsubishi, respectively.121 Kawasaki Machine Industries manufactured the engine in Takatsuki, and the Kawasaki automotive plant at Sohara, Gifu (which continued to build bus bodies for Isuzu) began building scooters with the KE motor in October 1953. Although the new Kawasaki brand scooter was priced competitively at ¥90,000, the company had no effective domestic sales network and therefore discontinued production after completing just two hundred units. As a munitions corporation, its principal customers had theretofore been Japan’s government, major rail companies, the army, the navy, GHQ, Douglas Aircraft, and Bell Helicopter, so Kawasaki did not have a great deal of consumer product sales or marketing experience. Though a skilled manufacturer, Kawasaki had not considered the challenges of bringing its new scooter to market, and the product was a failure.
In February 1954, the Kawasaki Aircraft and Kawasaki Machine Industries divisions merged, and, spotting another opportunity in a converging market, the company’s head office decided in July to enter the motorcycle industry. Under the joint company name of Kawasaki-Meihatsu, the parent company and its subsidiary worked together and followed Yamaha’s lead by developing a 125 cc engine called the KB-5 at the Kawasaki Aircraft plant in Kobe in 1955. At this point, Kawasaki designed and manufactured the engines, and the finished motorcycles were named Meihatsu. The KB-5 engine was installed in the Meihatsu brand 125-500 motorcycle in that year, and customers were pleased by the responsive torque that it produced at low and mid-range rpm.
The same engine was also installed in the Meihatsu 125 Deluxe, which debuted in 1956, and Kawasaki produced a modified version of the engine, called the KB-5A, in 1957. The 125 Deluxe was well received by industry writers, who reported that it reached a top speed of 81.5 km/h (51 mph), and it also completed a 50,000-km (30,068-mile) endurance test without breaking down. Kawasaki-Meihatsu also supplied engines to a variety of contemporary "assembly makers" throughout Japan, such as the Ito Motor Company and the Rocket Company. The latter company, however, judged Kawasaki’s engine too expensive and discontinued its use in the Queen Rocket motorcycle.
By 1959, the company was pleased with the performance of its Kawasaki-Meihatsu motorcycle division, and, like the three companies profiled above, Kawasaki determined that in order to compete effectively, a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant was required. The firm therefore erected a factory at 1-1 Kawasaki-cho, in Akashi, Hyogo prefecture, dedicated to production of complete motorcycles bearing only the name Kawasaki. Construction of the plant began in January 1960, and mass production of the 125 cc Kawasaki New Ace commenced in November of that year. At the Japan Auto Show in October 1960, Kawasaki displayed its newest 125 cc designs for the 1961 model year, the Pet M5 and the B7.
The Pet M5 was styled as a utility motorcycle, but because it boasted Kawasaki’s 125 cc engine, it appealed to firms in Japan’s service industry that wanted more power than Honda’s 50 cc Super Cub could offer. These new products sold well: production rose sharply from 5,400 machines in 1960 to 17,000 in the following year. The former subsidiary Meihatsu Industries, meanwhile, was absorbed by its parent in 1961 and converted into Kawasaki’s sales division under the name Kawasaki Auto Sales.
Kawasaki’s attention turned in 1960 to the troubled Meguro Manufacturing. Meguro was then Japan’s longest-running motorcycle maker, and it had remained one of the industry’s leading firms until the late 1950s. A manufacturing veteran, Meguro had issued its first four-stroke, 500 cc engine in 1937. By the mid-1950s, the styling of its motorcycles bore a strong British influence that was popular with consumers, but when Meguro’s designers tried to update their image in 1958, consumers deemed the new 125 cc, 250 cc, and 350 cc products too heavy, and sales were dismal. Its designers also tried to produce a 50 cc moped, but consumers found it too expensive, and the project was a failure.
In 1960, Meguro agreed to enter into a development partnership with Kawasaki, whose engineers learned a great deal about building four-stroke engines from the senior manufacturer. In 1962, Kawasaki released the first motorcycle both designed and built by its own engineers, the 125 cc B8, which performed well in the market. Kawasaki was the financially dominant partner in the relationship with Meguro, and having learned what it needed to know, it absorbed the elder firm formally in October 1964.
Like the industry’s leading firms, Kawasaki understood that in order to be taken seriously as a manufacturer it had to perform well in races. Well aware that Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha were several laps ahead on the world Grand Prix circuit, Kawasaki decided to focus first on motocross racing, which was growing especially popular in western Japan at that time. In 1963, the company’s designers issued the B8M, a motocross model with a distinctive red fuel tank, and with it Kawasaki’s riders took the top six positions at that year’s Hyogo Prefecture Motocross Tournament. Despite its recent arrival to the sport, Kawasaki went on to win most of the motocross races in western Japan that year, including every event at the Fukui Prefecture Motocross Tournament, prompting the media to dub the Kawasaki racing sensation the "Red Tank Furor." Kawasaki’s dealers rode the wave of media attention, and the company’s reputation continued to hit new highs as it performed well in international races throughout the 1960s.
In parallel, export sales had begun in 1960 and were supported by Kawasaki’s reputation for designing larger, faster motorcycles than its competitors The company’s product development engineers broke new ground in 1965 by designing Kawasaki’s first 650 cc motorcycle, the W1. Powered by an air-cooled, two-stroke, parallel twin-cylinder engine featuring rotary disk valves, the W1 was aimed at both Japanese and Western consumers. Its styling owed much to the machines once produced by former partner Meguro, which had closely resembled British makes. The W1 marked Kawasaki’s arrival in the United States as a “big bike” maker.
Thereafter, steady progress in international racing improved Kawasaki’s position as a world-class competitor and manufacturer. In 1966, Kawasaki’s first 125 cc Grand Prix racing machine, the KAC Special, took seventh and eighth places in the final race of the FIM (Fédération internationale de motocyclisme) World Championship. In the same year, its 250 cc A1R racing model finished second in the All-Japan Championship. At the Singapore Grand Prix race in 1967, Kawasaki entered the 350 cc class race with its A7R and took both first and second places, while the 250 cc A1R finished second and third. Determined to improve its standing in 125 cc class races, Kawasaki also developed a new machine for the Japan round of the 1967 FIM World Championship. Known as the KA-2, it boasted a liquid-cooled, V-4, 124 cc engine, and with it Kawasaki’s race team took third and fourth places.
In 1968, the company issued a three-cylinder, 500 cc production model known overseas as the H1 (and domestically as the 500SS Mach III) that could reach 200 km/h (124 mph), prompting significant safety concerns throughout Japan. In 1969, Kawasaki rider Dave Simmonds at last scored victories in both the West German Grand Prix and the Isle of Mann TT Race, winning that year’s overall championship series atop his KR1. Although several years behind its principal rivals, Kawasaki had finally arrived at the podium to confirm its status as one of Japan’s Big Four manufacturers.
In 1970, just a year after Kawasaki’s three machinery divisions merged to form Kawasaki Heavy Industries, annual motorcycle production neared 150,000 units. In 1972, Kawasaki bid to out-gun its leading rival, Honda, by producing Japan’s largest postwar export motorcycle to date – a 900 cc machine named the Z1. Nicknamed “New York Steak” during its five-year development program, the Z1 was powered by the world’s first air-cooled, in-line four-cylinder engine, which boasted dual overhead camshafts. The bold marketing strategy behind the Z1 was met with enthusiasm by consumers, and it enjoyed strong reviews and sales.
In Japan, the domestic Z2 was released in 1973 with only 750 cc and also enjoyed widespread popularity, but the overseas success of the Z1 kept Kawasaki on top as the maker of Japan’s largest production motorcycle for much of the decade. Honda did not begin issuing 900 cc machines until the late 1970s.
Having set its sights on the motorcycle market, Kawasaki was clearly a powerful competitor. The wartime experience earned while producing the Daimler-Benz 601-A aircraft engine was its principal technological advantage over firms that had produced nothing but motorcycles for the last four decades. Furthermore, its determined investment in a brand-new, fully automated manufacturing plant set the stage for its late-entry bid for market share. Timing, in this case, was critical, for the vast majority of makers had already departed from the industry when Kawasaki built its dedicated motorcycle manufacturing plant at Akashi in 1960. Armed with products designed and built by Kawasaki Aircraft and fuelled by international racing victories, Kawasaki Motors was well positioned to move into the motorcycle market of the 1960s, and the firm capitalized fully on its financial advantage over even the most veteran manufacturers.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Kawasaki ZRX1100, Strong Presence !
Maybe other retro-look bikes handled better, or went faster, or were more ‘true’ to the originals, but nothing looked as good as the Kawasaki ZRX1100.
Kawasaki did retro first and did it well with the Zephyr range in the early 1990s, in a series of 550, 750 and 1100 air-cooled offerings, but the Kawasaki ZRX1100 range was moving things on a little. Three versions saw light of day: a naked, round-headlight ‘N’ version, a half-faired ‘S’ which was launched in 2001 and the one we want to talk about – the ZRX1100R, which was launched in 1997.
All models used the water-cooled 1052cc motor from the ZZ-R1100, detuned to around 106 HP, placed in a tubular frame, with a braced swingarm and twin Kayaba piggyback reservoir shocks. The coup de grace for the R was the adoption of a small, rectangular bikini fairing, which aped the Eddie Lawson Replicas of the early 1980s. Originally launched in a silver or purple, the Kawasaki ZRX1100 R looked good, but when it adopted an ELR-esque green with stripes, it suddenly really looked the part and things went mad from there.
Other old Zed-stylee colours were silver with black stripes and a Firecracker red with blue and silver stripes. For us retro-mad riders in the late 1990s, it was manna from heaven. For 2001 the engine capacity went up to 1164cc and claimed 120 HP just prior to the ZZ-R1200 coming out.
Other manufacturers got on board. Okay, Yamaha was already there with the air-cooled XJR1200 of 1995, which also morphed into a 1300 version. Suzuki came along later with the wibbly-wobbly handling GSX1400 (and no GS-style nose-cone, shame) and Honda with the CB1000 and then CB1300s. But none of them could really touch the Kawasaki ZRX1100 for character. Problems on them were solid. On the one I had, the only issue was with the age-old issues of finish on the motor and various hangers. Brakes (six-pot Tokicos) needed looking after too, and downpipes soon lost colour or began to rust.
Specials builders love these bikes. Sharing the ZZ-R engine meant you could put the original cams back in and with other changes liberate 150 HP. The chassis tarted up with better brakes, pukka ELR paint and extended swingarms and the like. This popularity is reflected in owners clubs on both sides of the pond – not unnaturally the Americans love ’em – and strong residuals.
Prices tentatively start at £1500. We’ve seen good, solid 1100s in our own ads for £1800 – while eBay and the like sees these bikes start around £2000-£2500. We’ve also seen low-mile, late model (03-06) 1200Rs go for up to five grand! No-wonder Z-Power’s Dave Marsden tucked away one of the last 1200Rs in the UK. We’ve yet to hear of someone buying the less loved (but almost identical) Sand converting one to look like an R, but it must be possible? Sadly, the new Kawasaki ZRX never came to the UK...
Kawasaki ZRX1100 Specs
Engine : 1.052cc, 4-Stroke, Liquid Cooled, Transverse Four Cylinder, DOHC 4-Valves per cylinder.
Bore x Stroke : 79 x 59.4 mm
Compression Ratio : 10.1:1
Induction : 4x 36mm Mikuni Carbs
Max Power : 106 HP (77.3 kW) @ 8.700 RPM
Max Torque : 98 N.m @ 7.000 RPM
Transmission : 5 Speed, Chain
Wheelbase : 1.450 mm
Seat Height : 790 mm
Dry Weight : 222 kg
Fuel Capacity : 20 Litres
Frame : Double Cradle Tubular Steel
Front Suspension : 43mm Telescopic Forks, Adjustable Preload, Compression and Rebound.
Rear Suspension : Dual shocks, Adjustable Preload, Compression and Rebound.
Front Brakes : 2 x 310 mm Discs, 6-Piston Calipers
Rear Brakes : 250 mm Disc, 2-Piston Caliper
Front Tyre : 120/70 - ZR17
Rear Tyre : 170/60 - ZR17
Kawasaki ZRX1100 Used Price : £2000 - £2500
Kawasaki Z250SL Review, Cheap - Cheerfull - Chirpy 250 !
Tucked in, Tacho up near 10.500 RPM, and the speedo flits back and forth between 94 and 95mph. Yes, the road’s been straight for well over a mile and it’s slightly down hill, but for a 249cc single the Kawasaki Z250SL is tramping along. As it should. It’s a vivid green Kawasaki and folklore confirms vivid green Kawasakis are fast.
Not that speed is the reason behind the Kawasaki Z250SL. Kawasaki’s marketing waffle might call it ‘a supernaked in its own right’ but the 250 is targeting new riders and commuters. It’s the physical size of a 125, with a tiny 1.330 mm wheelbase and weighs just 148kg, and has an exhaust note like a stifled yawn. It’s as intimidating and easy to ride as a playpark swing.
With wheels close together, a sharp 24˚ head angle, not much weight and even less trail, the Kawasaki Z250SL alters direction with simply a clench of the appropriate bum cheek. Controls are natural and light, gears slip in with a tap, there are proper bungee hooks, and it nips across town with the menace (and as much noise) as the vicar’s pushbike. The tank rarely needs fuel either. Chirpy daily workhorse? Oh yes.
Yet the Kawasaki Z250SL offers a bit more. Glance down at the shape of the shimmering fuel tank and you could be on an ER-6. The display is similar (similar-ish) to the one on a Z1000, and the flat-bar riding position is very Zed too – elbows tipped out, body propped forward, feet tucked up and gaze focused ahead. Switchgear is as found on other, bigger Kwaks, as are the fit and finish – it all feels reassuringly Team Green.
Skip down a suitably knotted backwater and the Kawasaki Z250SL ricochets eagerly from corner to corner. Its low weight, skinny tyres and basic suspension mean the ride is fidgety, but it’s amusing, not irritating. More power than expected from the front brake, too. And the motor’s sweet. It’s as happy pursuing the limiter through tightly-packed third, fourth and fifth gears as it is thrumming smoothly in the middle of its revs, or pottering around unflustered as low as 2.000 RPM. Even ridden with no restraint at all it gives 70mpg.
Mirrors fill with tingles at 60mph. Larger riders can feel like they’re wearing a green G-string, and the Dunlop tyres are terrifying in the wet. But it’s hard not to like the Kawasaki Z250SL. Kawasaki’s small-bike range looks cluttered, the Zed joined by a faired Ninja 250SL, Twin-cylinder Ninja 300 and naked Z300 variant, plus the KLX250 (in Indonesia, where the 250 is made, there’s also the old Ninja 250R and a pile of two-strokes – a total of 23 bikes from 150 to 300cc).
However, the Kawasaki Z250SL is different enough to the 300cc twins on pace, feel, size and price to justify itself. And while Suzuki’s Inazuma 250 is the same price, it’s nothing like as inspiring as the Kwak. Civilised and merry commuter with the engagement and zip for weekend amusement. It’s a tiddler, but it’s a good tiddler.
Kawasaki Z250SL Specs
Engine : 249cc Single-Cylinder, DOHC 4-Valve, Liquid-Cooled
Power : 27.6 HP @ 9.700 RPM
Torque : 16.7 lb.ft @ 8.200 RPM
Top Speed : 95 Mph
Rake/Trail : 24° / 90 mm
Wheelbase : 1.330 mm
Wet Weight : 148 Kg
Seat Height : 785 mm
Tank Capacity : 11 Litres
Economy : 72 mpg / 174 Miles (Tested)
Frame : Steel Tubular Diamond
Front Suspension : 37 mm Telescopic Fork
Rear Suspension : Monoshock Uni-Trak with Adjustable Spring Preload
Front Brakes : 290 mm Disc, 2-Piston Caliper
Rear Brake : 220 mm Disc, 2-Piston Caliper
Front Tyre : 100/80 - R17
Rear Tyre : 130/70 - R17
Price : £3742
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Kawasaki Z1, The True King !
It was called The King, and for years Kawasaki’s Z1 had no pretenders to its crown. With an electronically tested top speed of 134 mph in 1973, Kawasaki’s entry into the big four-cylinder bike market had an impact few have ever matched.
Its roots go back to 1967, when Kawasaki’s rapid two-strokes were frightening unwary riders with their wheel-standing habits and offending bureaucracy with their blue exhaust fumes. America was a vital market for the company, and was known to be planning legislation to control exhaust pollution, so engineer Gyoichi Inamura was appointed head of a team developing a new fourstroke model.
Their answer was a 750cc four cylinder, but Honda announced their own CB750 Four in 1968. The goalposts in the game of international success had been moved.
Kawasaki’s answer, codenamed T103, was running by 1970. By May 1972 production was under way and at the Cologne Show that September the Kawasaki Z1 was launched. It came with 82 HP @ 8.500 RPM, a top speed that made it the fastest production bike in the world, and it would purr through town at a whisper with no more than 83 decibels coming from the four upswept silencers.
Available in a combination of Candy Apple and Orange, the black cylinder block with the tips of its fins polished alloy highlights, a proud "900 Double Overhead Camshaft" badge on the sidepanels, it was a real stunner.
In Britain, it was yours for £1088, if you were lucky enough to afford the payments. Rich people could, while poorer but enthusiastic people said they would, whatever sacrifice they had to make. Some dug deeper for the optional second front disc, that didn’t become standard until the 1976 Model KZ900-A4.
It was not the best handling bike on the road, and when some magazine tester rode it through the speed trap at 134 mph it weaved and wobbled so much the timekeeper thought he was about to witness the fastest leg-off in the paper’s history. But the bike came back under control to an enthusiastic write-up. That year Motorcyclenews readers voted the Kawasaki Z1 MCN Motorcycle of the Year.
The engine became the definitive ‘bullet proof’ power unit. In 1973, at Daytona Speedway, Florida, a Kawasaki Z1 set a class world record of 150.8 mph (241 km/h) for ten kilometres and went on to average 109.6 mph for 24 Hours, another world record. Drag racers and sprinters, led by Holland’s importer Henk Vink, supercharged the Kawasaki Z1 900 engine to dominate their own sport. British chassis makers like the Rickman Brothers produced frames to tame the 82 bhp power and make it the fastest on straight roads or twisties.
The 903cc Z1 evolved, with minor modifications and colour and styling changes, from its 1973 form to the A4 version of 1976. The most obvious change in its successful life was a change to natural alloy cylinder finish on the 1974 Z10A version. For 1977 it was replaced by the Z1000, but the lean, mean Kawasaki Z1 is still remembered as the real thing. "The True King".
Kawasaki Z1 Specifications
Manufacturing : Kawasaki
Model : Z1 (Z1 900)
Production Year : 1972 - 1976
Engine : 4-Stroke, Air-Cooled, Inline 4 Cylinder DOHC 8 Valve
Bore x Stroke : 66 x 66 mm
Cylinder capacity : 903 cc
Fuel Supply System : Carburetor Mikuni VM 28mm
Compression ratio : 8.5: 1
Transmission : 5 - Speed
Ignition : CDI
Starter : Electric & Kick Starter
Max Power : 82 HP @ 8500 RPM
Max Torque : 73.5 N.m @ 7,000 RPM
Top Speed : 216 Km / h
Dimensions L x W x H : 2.200 x 685 x 1.170 mm
Wheelbase: 1.490 mm
Ground Clearance: 135 mm
Dry weight : 230 kg
Fuel tank capacity: 18 L
Frame : Tubular Steel Double Cradle
Front Suspension : Telescopic Fork 36 mm
Rear Suspension : Dual Shock, Adjustable
Front Brakes : Single Hydraulic disc 296mm, 2 Pots
Rear Brakes : Brake Drum (Drum) 7.9 Inches
Front Tires : 3:25 - 19
Rear tires : 4.00 - 18
Sunday, November 15, 2015
KX 65 Kawasaki 2011
2011 Kawasaki KX 65
Team Green™ Motocross Glory Starts Here.
With its high-revving and deliciously powerful two-stroke engine, lightweight and agile chassis, disc brakes, long-travel suspension and small size, the KX65 can help teach energetic youngsters the basics – and much more – of what’s arguably the most physically demanding sport in the world.Competitive riders have to start somewhere – and Kawasaki’s KX™65 is a perfect place to develop high-performance riding skills.
Younger riders who race their KX65 at designated events are eligible to receive support from Team Green™, Kawasaki’s amateur racing support program. Each year, Team Green provides regional support vehicles and highly trained technicians at more than 100 events, offering technical information and assistance to those who race Kawasaki products.It all starts with the KX65’s liquid-cooled, 64cc two-stroke engine, which pumps out surprising levels of power considering its small displacement.
Mated to a smooth-shifting six-speed transmission with a manual clutch, the compact powerplant is bolted to a semi-double-cradle steel frame. Like its older KX siblings, the KX65’s swing arm uses Kawasaki’s legendary UNI-TRAK® linkage system, which alters leverage on the rear shock as the suspension is compressed, so that small bumps receive light damping and larger bumps receive progressively firmer damping for a smoother ride and better control. Both the shock and fork boast four-way adjustable rebound damping for optimal handling.
Kawasaki KX 65-2011
*Details & Features
Electrofusion Cylinder
• Advanced exhaust and transfer ports increase power and performance at higher rpm
• Bridge between exhaust ports is machined for increased reliability and resistance to wear and seizure
• Lightweight cylinder liner transfers heat efficiently for cooler running.
Liquid Cooling
• Large radiator provides more consistent engine temperatures, keeping power output strong throughout the moto
• Cooling system offers greater reliability and less engine wear.
*64cc Two-stroke Engine.
• High capacity ignition coil delivers a higher secondary voltage for a hotter spark, and the punchier response improves acceleration
• Connecting rod
big-end bearing features a cage for added durability
• Primary gear is secured using a lock-nut to help reduce mechanical noise
• The oil seal
of the left crankcase has a stopper for increased engine reliability
• Metafoam gaskets are used for the generator cover, water pump
cover and water pump elbow for improved sealing.
• Digital ignition offers ideal timing for optimal throttle response throughout the rev range
• Ignition rotor features rare-earth magnets, making it smaller, lighter and more durable. Its low inertial moment improves low-rpm response.
*Six-speed Transmission
• Positive action and rugged durability.
• Hard chrome-finished shift-fork ends resist wear.
• Manual clutch mechanism mirrors larger KX models.
• Clutch cover gasket made of metal-carbon composite material.
*Nitrogen-charged Shock
• Four-way adjustable rebound damping offers a variety of settings for various track conditions.
• External reservoir helps maintain consistent damping.
• Rebuildable aluminum body.
2011 Kawasaki KX 65
ENGINE
Two-stroke single
Displacement: 64.7cc
Bore x Stroke: 44.5 x 41.6mm
Cooling System: Liquid
Carburetion: Mikuni VM24SS
Induction: Four-petal reed valve
Compression ratio: 8.4: 1
Ignition: Digital CDI.
Front brakes / rear brakes: Hydraulic disc / Disc
Overall length: 62.6 in.
Overall width: 29.9 in.
Overall height: 37.6 in.
Ground clearance: 12
Seat height: 29.9 in.
Curb weight: 132.2 lbs.
Fuel capacity: 1.0 gal.
Wheelbase: 44.1 in.
Color Choices: Lime Green
Transmission: Six-speed
Final drive: Chain
Frame Type: Semi-double-cradle, high-tensile steel
Rake/Trail: 27 degrees / 2.4 in.
Front suspension
/ wheel travel: 33mm leading axle conventional fork with four-way rebound damping / 8.3 in.
Rear suspension / wheel travel: UNI-TRAK® single shock system with four-way rebound damping and fully adjustable spring preload / 9.4
Front Tire Size: 60/100x14
Rear Tire Size: 80/100x12
-The specifications mentioned here apply to and have been achieved by production models under standard operating conditions. We intend only to give a fair description of the vehicle and its performance capabilities but these specifications may not apply to every machine supplied for sale. Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. reserves the right to alter specifications without prior notice.
2011 Kawasaki KX 65
Read more »
Team Green™ Motocross Glory Starts Here.
With its high-revving and deliciously powerful two-stroke engine, lightweight and agile chassis, disc brakes, long-travel suspension and small size, the KX65 can help teach energetic youngsters the basics – and much more – of what’s arguably the most physically demanding sport in the world.Competitive riders have to start somewhere – and Kawasaki’s KX™65 is a perfect place to develop high-performance riding skills.
Younger riders who race their KX65 at designated events are eligible to receive support from Team Green™, Kawasaki’s amateur racing support program. Each year, Team Green provides regional support vehicles and highly trained technicians at more than 100 events, offering technical information and assistance to those who race Kawasaki products.It all starts with the KX65’s liquid-cooled, 64cc two-stroke engine, which pumps out surprising levels of power considering its small displacement.
Mated to a smooth-shifting six-speed transmission with a manual clutch, the compact powerplant is bolted to a semi-double-cradle steel frame. Like its older KX siblings, the KX65’s swing arm uses Kawasaki’s legendary UNI-TRAK® linkage system, which alters leverage on the rear shock as the suspension is compressed, so that small bumps receive light damping and larger bumps receive progressively firmer damping for a smoother ride and better control. Both the shock and fork boast four-way adjustable rebound damping for optimal handling.
Kawasaki KX 65-2011
*Details & Features
Electrofusion Cylinder
• Advanced exhaust and transfer ports increase power and performance at higher rpm
• Bridge between exhaust ports is machined for increased reliability and resistance to wear and seizure
• Lightweight cylinder liner transfers heat efficiently for cooler running.
Liquid Cooling
• Large radiator provides more consistent engine temperatures, keeping power output strong throughout the moto
• Cooling system offers greater reliability and less engine wear.
*64cc Two-stroke Engine.
• High capacity ignition coil delivers a higher secondary voltage for a hotter spark, and the punchier response improves acceleration
• Connecting rod
big-end bearing features a cage for added durability
• Primary gear is secured using a lock-nut to help reduce mechanical noise
• The oil seal
of the left crankcase has a stopper for increased engine reliability
• Metafoam gaskets are used for the generator cover, water pump
cover and water pump elbow for improved sealing.
• Digital ignition offers ideal timing for optimal throttle response throughout the rev range
• Ignition rotor features rare-earth magnets, making it smaller, lighter and more durable. Its low inertial moment improves low-rpm response.
*Six-speed Transmission
• Positive action and rugged durability.
• Hard chrome-finished shift-fork ends resist wear.
• Manual clutch mechanism mirrors larger KX models.
• Clutch cover gasket made of metal-carbon composite material.
*Nitrogen-charged Shock
• Four-way adjustable rebound damping offers a variety of settings for various track conditions.
• External reservoir helps maintain consistent damping.
• Rebuildable aluminum body.
2011 Kawasaki KX 65
ENGINE
Two-stroke single
Displacement: 64.7cc
Bore x Stroke: 44.5 x 41.6mm
Cooling System: Liquid
Carburetion: Mikuni VM24SS
Induction: Four-petal reed valve
Compression ratio: 8.4: 1
Ignition: Digital CDI.
Front brakes / rear brakes: Hydraulic disc / Disc
Overall length: 62.6 in.
Overall width: 29.9 in.
Overall height: 37.6 in.
Ground clearance: 12
Seat height: 29.9 in.
Curb weight: 132.2 lbs.
Fuel capacity: 1.0 gal.
Wheelbase: 44.1 in.
Color Choices: Lime Green
Transmission: Six-speed
Final drive: Chain
Frame Type: Semi-double-cradle, high-tensile steel
Rake/Trail: 27 degrees / 2.4 in.
Front suspension
/ wheel travel: 33mm leading axle conventional fork with four-way rebound damping / 8.3 in.
Rear suspension / wheel travel: UNI-TRAK® single shock system with four-way rebound damping and fully adjustable spring preload / 9.4
Front Tire Size: 60/100x14
Rear Tire Size: 80/100x12
-The specifications mentioned here apply to and have been achieved by production models under standard operating conditions. We intend only to give a fair description of the vehicle and its performance capabilities but these specifications may not apply to every machine supplied for sale. Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. reserves the right to alter specifications without prior notice.
2011 Kawasaki KX 65
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