Kawasaki Bringing Back Meguro!

[W800]

https://www.zigwheels.com/news-feat...k3-unveiled-in-japan-based-on-the-w800/40367/

• Meguro Motorcycling Company was one of the largest two-wheeler manufacturers in Japan in the 1940s & ’50s.
• It got absorbed by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in 1964.
• The Kawasaki W series bikes are inspired by the Meguro T1 Senior, derived from the BSA A7.

youtu.be/WI5dDD5kLAA

Similar to W800, but styled more retro.

 

[Johndicezx9]

US bound, or a Japan-only model?

 

[berth]

Give Triumph a run for their money.

It would be nice if Honda would retro a 300, with the crhome gas tank and the Honda badges...

 

[VicTim]

Pretty cool. These retro bikes have been the rage for a few years now. I think it says a lot about the age of the average motorcyclist.:afm199

 

[W800]

US bound, or a Japan-only model?

I think Japan only for now, but looks like they registered trademark here too!

Give Triumph a run for their money.

It would be nice if Honda would retro a 300, with the crhome gas tank and the Honda badges...

Yes - I have ridden one of those old 360's - super light!!!

Pretty cool. These retro bikes have been the rage for a few years now. I think it says a lot about the age of the average motorcyclist.:afm199

True! It's interesting to me that the actor on the video was so young - wondering if they are trying to use old brands to reach younger people now? I remember Target did this. When I was growing up, Target stores were considered really cheap (worse than K-Mart). But then they rebranded towards young folks who weren't really aware of the brand baggage.

Interestingly - there's a connection between Harley and Meguro too! That's crazy.

https://www.qwant.com/?q=meguro+harley&client=brz-brave

 

[bergmen]

Meguros were prominent when I lived in Japan 1958-1962.

Dan

 

[Johndicezx9]

Everything old is new again!

 

[bergmen]

Meh - no kick starter. A true retro would only have a kick starter.

Dan

 

[W800]

Meh - no kick starter. A true retro would only have a kick starter.

Dan

If it's like my W800, there's actually a hole for a kickstarter that's blocked off. Looks like it's possible with factory parts to retrofit.


youtu.be/WS30QMxKtjs

 

[W800]

Meguros were prominent when I lived in Japan 1958-1962.

Dan

Nice! I'm still tripping on the Harley connection. According to one of the articles, Meguro invested in Harley after the crash of '29 - and in return got the rights to certain intellectual property, which they then incorporated into their motors. THEN - Kawasaki bought Meguro in the 1960s.

By then, Meguuro had also purchased rights to build the BSA A7. So the W3 traces back to 1920's Harleys and 1950's BSA's.

 

[bobl]

Everything old is new again!

Except me.


.......shit. :afm199

 

[bobl]

Meh - no kick starter. A true retro would only have a kick starter.

Dan

I have a Honda car. No hole for the crank! :laughing

 

[Johndicezx9]

:laughing

 

[W800]

I have a Honda car. No hole for the crank! :laughing

youtu.be/BjLiGqC_YsI

My dad used to have an Aeronca Champion (airplane) - there was only one way to start it, lol. . .

 

[bergmen]

Nice! I'm still tripping on the Harley connection. According to one of the articles, Meguro invested in Harley after the crash of '29 - and in return got the rights to certain intellectual property, which they then incorporated into their motors. THEN - Kawasaki bought Meguro in the 1960s.

By then, Meguuro had also purchased rights to build the BSA A7. So the W3 traces back to 1920's Harleys and 1950's BSA's.

The Japanese version of a Harley was a copy of the 74 flathead known as the Rikuo. They were around when we were there, a huge motorcycle to the riding fraternity and made up until 1962. My Dad (a Harley rider who started riding in 1930) marveled at how exact the copy was, even down to the hand shift on the left alongside the tank.

Dan

 

[W800]

The Japanese version of a Harley was a copy of the 74 flathead known as the Rikuo. They were around when we were there, a huge motorcycle to the riding fraternity and made up until 1962. My Dad (a Harley rider who started riding in 1930) marveled at how exact the copy was, even down to the hand shift on the left alongside the tank.

Dan

Trippy! I just looked that up:

https://www.qwant.com/?q=Rikuo meguro&t=images&client=brz-brave

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/1957-rikuo-qr750

https://www.bike-urious.com/restored-1970-kawasaki-avenger-a7/

Definitely NOT something that Harley talks about in their company history, LOL.

 

[bobl]

After reading the bike-urious article, I wonder where they got the idea that the A1 and A7 engines were developed from the W1. The W1 being a four stroke overhead valve parallel twin, and the A series being rotary valve two stroke. Wonder who wrote that.

 

[CDONA]

I wondered if this thread would go to the Harley side too. I knew about selling tooling for the flatties to Japan

I miss kickers/stomp starters, I've heard of a dealer in Oregon with a kicker package for TW 200's
That parts list for the W800 should do it the same way.

 

[bergmen]

I wondered if this thread would go to the Harley side too. I knew about selling tooling for the flatties to Japan

I miss kickers/stomp starters, I've heard of a dealer in Oregon with a kicker package for TW 200's
That parts list for the W800 should do it the same way.

I wonder how many riders of today could properly kick start a motorcycle with a large twin engine.

In my first year of college, I bought a brand new 1968 Harley Davidson XLCH Sportster. There definitely was a technique to kicking this to life, one that had to be developed over time with trial and error. My Dad being a Harley/Indian rider back in the day gave me a lot of tips.

One complication of Sportsters of that era was the manual left grip spark advance/retard. Forget to retard the spark and you would be looking right into the front of the headlight at the first romp (don't ask me how I know).

Dan

 

[CDONA]

I had a '69 CH too, with all 4 "P" cams.
The other "thing" was the bruise, inside right thigh.