Kawasaki Classic Motorcycles
The notion “classic bike” is really vague but, usually, the machines are considered that if they are at least 15-30 years old. Although modern motorcycles impress us with all those technical innovations, the old vehicles deliver a special feeling. Kawasaki is one of those companies that have produced many exciting machines now considered “old classic.”
A Brief History
The history of the Japanese company began in 1878 when Shozo Kawasaki founded it in Tokyo. In 1960, the manufacturer took over Meguro motorcycles that had been making 500cc machines.
In one year, the company produced its first complete bike, which was the B8 125cc 2-stroke. During the next ten years, the manufacturer released several 50-250cc two-stroke models, the 650W1, the S1, S2, H2, and others. Their machines were used by the winners of different championships, including World Championship in 1969 and 1978.
The Most Popular Classic Motorcycles by Kawasaki
The Kawasaki Z1 was an answer of the manufacturer to CB750 by Honda. It featured a 4-cylinder, air-cooled engine released in 1972. It was the first large-capacity machine by the Japanese manufacturer. Its main rival was the MV Agusta 750, but the bike was much cheaper.
The Kawasaki Triple model was produced from 1968 to 1980. It came with three-cylinder engine ranging from 250 to 750 cc. There were two exhaust pipes located on the right and left sides of the machine. It was the first street motorcycle with CDI.
The Ninja 500R was a 498 cc parallel-twin machine. The classic machine came with a sporty appearance, but it featured standard riding position providing more comfort and versatility. The machine was also popular for a good combination of high performance and inexpensive maintenance. The last bike was produced in 2009.
The Kawasaki ZX-10 Tomcat was introduced in 1988. This classic bike was capable of developing up to 165 mph, which made it the fastest machine at that time. It was the first bike with an aluminum perimeter frame made by the manufacturers. Tomcat was one of those machines that created history for the company.
