Kawasaki Bringing Back Meguro!

[bergmen]

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

Oh yes, I learned right away (the hard way) to kick slightly "bow-legged" to clear the upper shock mount.

Dan

 

[W800]

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.

My Royal Enfield had a kick starter. Big 500cc thumper. What was cool was that it had an automatic compression release. Below around 500 RPM, the valve train was designed so that the valves didn't close all the way. Even then, if you didn't do things a certain way - it was - um "bad."

Like "break your ankle bad if you drink too much soy milk bad."

:laughing

 

[W800]

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.

Yes - it's a super low compression engine too. I think I will check the W800 FB page and see if anyone has done this. I kind of miss kick starting my RE, actually.

 

[W800]

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.

I think they messed up. It was the BSA A7 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSA_A7 that influenced the W1.

 

[Tom Liberatore]

I think Kawasaki is on to something, a lot of us old codgers want a lightweight machine that looks like a proper motorcycle. I contacted Triumph about this but they are not interested, still English I guess.........

I completely misconstrued what this was about and thought that Kawasaki was going to make a lightweight 350 twin styled like the BSA, I don't know how this happened other than this years harvest was mighty potent. My first bike was a 1961 BSA Lightning, it never ran.

 

[W800]

I think Kawasaki is on to something, a lot of us old codgers want a lightweight machine that looks like a proper motorcycle. I contacted Triumph about this but they are not interested, still English I guess.........

My Kawasaki still doesn't leak oil, so not super authentic. To be fair, my Indian Royal Enfield didn't leak oil either, LOL.

What's interesting to me is the provenance - there's a direct connection between BSA and Kawasaki because Kawasaki bought Meguro, which owned BSA IP rights. So there's a direct line all the way back.

I am not sure if Triumph bought anything other than the name itself?

 

[TTTom]

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...

how about a new CB350?

made for the Indian market

 

[W800]

how about a new CB350?

made for the Indian market

They get all the cool small bikes now! Huge market.

 

[W800]

I think Kawasaki is on to something, a lot of us old codgers want a lightweight machine that looks like a proper motorcycle. I contacted Triumph about this but they are not interested, still English I guess.........

I completely misconstrued what this was about and thought that Kawasaki was going to make a lightweight 350 twin styled like the BSA, I don't know how this happened other than this years harvest was mighty potent. My first bike was a 1961 BSA Lightning, it never ran.

I used to ride one of these when I was a kid:

https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/ducati/Ducati_175_sport.html

I don't even know who owned it. They just kept it at my dad's airplane hanger and said anyone was welcome to ride it. It was surprisingly fun off road behind the airport. Sometimes would take it up to 70 or 80 on the taxiway too. I remember it because the tank was shaped funny.

It's possible that the retro bikes are being aimed at old folks like me and also Millennials who want something cool.

ETA: the 1970's were crazy. We had a neighbor who had a 3 cylinder two-stroke Kawasaki and would let the neighborhood kids ride it. It was 500cc's but made 60hp back when the 750cc Honda was making about 65. It was legitimately scary.

 

[Climber]

how about a new CB350?

made for the Indian market

Wow, that brings back so many memories!

My first bike was a 1972 CB350 that I bought in 76 just before turning 15. I practically lived on that bike. Great first bike, heavy and not a ton of power, kept me from getting into too much trouble.

 

[Blankpage]

Digging that little CB. Probably not ever gonna buy one though.

 

[Tom Liberatore]

I used to ride one of these when I was a kid:

https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/ducati/Ducati_175_sport.html

I don't even know who owned it. They just kept it at my dad's airplane hanger and said anyone was welcome to ride it. It was surprisingly fun off road behind the airport. Sometimes would take it up to 70 or 80 on the taxiway too. I remember it because the tank was shaped funny.

It's possible that the retro bikes are being aimed at old folks like me and also Millennials who want something cool.

ETA: the 1970's were crazy. We had a neighbor who had a 3 cylinder two-stroke Kawasaki and would let the neighborhood kids ride it. It was 500cc's but made 60hp back when the 750cc Honda was making about 65. It was legitimately scary.

Here is the one that I rode, Bettor forks, extended swing arm, 30mm carb, Bates seat and P-pad, pic from 1968 or so.

 

[W800]

Here is the one that I rode, Bettor forks, extended swing arm, 30mm carb, Bates seat and P-pad, pic from 1968 or so.

Nice! That was back when ALL bikes were dual sports. I love those tires too.