Sunday
Jan112009
Kawasaki W650
Sunday, January 11, 2009 Now i thought i better post something other than a SR400. I feel like i have been too bias. I love the W650. It looks like a british bike and the japanese manufacturer Kawasaki don't deny they copied some early british bikes. They are proud of what they created. Why wouldnt they be... Its an awesome looking machine and a great start to a cafe racer.
The Kawasaki W650 is designed to resemble British motorcycles of the early 1960's. The styling is particularly based on the Triumph Bonneville. However, while British twin-cylinder motorcycles of the period had pushrod engines, the W650 is distinctive in having an shaft-driven overhead camshaft similar to those used on single-cylinder motorcycles from Ducati and Velocette.
Heres a couple of pics to get you excited. I particularly love the b&W pic...
Reader Comments (3)
It's a nice bike but I'd always feel like I cheated myself by not riding the real deal. There's no substitute for a real Triumph. I don't get why they would go to such effort? It's not like Triumphs are hard to find. I can understand why they sold so few in America.
Ok, old post but I just wanted to link you to the Kawasaki W1
in case you think the W650 was a copy of a Triumph... it's not
it's a copy of their own W1... who was maybe a copy of a british bike, but that's another topic !
:-)
http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/Gallery/Kawasaki%20W1-1965.jpg
Going back in time, Kawasaki W1 came from Meguro's bikes.
Meguro was a Japanese motorbike company, producing frames for BSA from '30 years.......
so the question is:
Who copy Who??
Someone really made a copy??
:-)
Ride in Peace