1970 Kawasaki 650 WI Motorcycle

Description

A pioneering industrialist, Shozo Kawasaki’s company was founded in Tokyo and manufactured everything from locomotives to steel components, diversifying into aircraft in 1937 and, from the end of the Second World War, motorcycle engines. In 1960 Kawasaki merged with Japan’s oldest motorcycle manufacturer, Meguro Works, and the company’s first foray into four-stroke design combined the resources of both, with Meguro’s engineers taking charge of the chassis design while Kawasaki developed the engine. Drawing heavily on BSA’s parallel twin, Kawasaki’s new WI model displaced 650cc, making it the largest Japanese motorcycle on the market, and was aimed squarely at the lucrative American market. Starting with a pushrod design (an overhead camshaft had been rejected as too time consuming), Kawasaki’s engineers improved crankshaft lubrication, with a wet sump, and used ball and roller bearings instead of the usual plain big-end bearings. The gearbox was a separate four-speed unit with duplex chain primary drive and an old-fashioned kick-start and chain-driven DC generator harked back to an earlier era. The WI’s frame was also closely related to the BSA A7s, with a full cradle design featuring twin shock rear suspension and telescopic front forks. Performance of the big four-stroke was relatively leisurely, partly due to the high curb weight, but it excelled as a long distance cruiser and was a popular seller both at home and in certain export markets like Australia. Kawasaki updated the WI through the latter part of the 1960s, with twin carburettors, and the model (including the W2 and W3 derivatives) soldiered on until 1975. Today these classic Japanese bikes enjoy a loyal following around the world and are becoming increasingly collectible.