Kawasaki W650

Every month Steve Cooper frommthe Vintage JapaneseMotorcycle Club pickks out another great examplel off classicli OrientOitall metal.l

BRITISH nostalgia is stroonger than ever in themotorcycle worldw – look at the popularity of Triumpph’smodern Bonneville. The retro-styyyledmachines capturemuch of the stylee and attitude thatmany bikers want too experience or re-live. But theere is a Japanese alternative – the KawasakiW650.K

Sold in the UK from1990 to 2006, some owners claaimits profilep is more accurate to the original machines of the past. Check outo the swoopy seat; just like thhe one in dad’s album. Those sileencers? Pure British styling. The petrool tank with its chrome badge, coontrasting colours and rubber knnee pads straight out of the Fifties; they could have come off the drawing boardb of JackWickes (go look him up).

The sidee panels look like oldfashionedd oil tanks, gaitered forks maintain the illusion and, for crying out loud, even the disc-brake carrier looks likee one of those devilishly dangerouus single leading shoe drum brakes. AArguably Kawasaki did a better jobb with Meriden’s legacy than Hincckley.

Fortunaately it’s not all show and bluster – Kawasaki’s best-ever retro is somethhing of a tour de force in the engine deepartment. Although smallish bby modern standards, the 676cc mootor knocks out a fairly creditable 50bhp at a not too frantic 70000rpm.p

If you wwant a non-sports bike with somme genuine style that doesn’t ddemand to be ridden like a racetrackk refugee, the W650 is worth connsidering. Tucked away in that coompact parallel twin are eight valvves and a balance shaft to reduce viibration. The long stroke delivers ppower in a loping manner, and makees the most of the 21lb-ft of torque.

Forget flailing metal chains or toothed rubber belts,, the Kawasaki drives its cams via a bevel drive mechanissmrunning up the right- haand side of themotor. Know that thhe orriginal V-twin Ducatis used exactly thhe same system. Oh, and the bike sttill haas a kick-start to back up its electricc foot; a single feature that to some mmakes it a ‘real’ bike.

TThe Kawasaki is never going to emmbarrass an EN-6R in the handlingg staakes, but it corners a lot better thann mmanymight expect. With lower bars, soome decent rear shocks and possibly stiiffer fork springs it’ll go around beends far more capably thanmany oof itss ilk, and canmake a very enjoyable B--road hustler. The KawasakiW650 isi onne of thosemachines that some seee ass a blank canvas for tweaking, tuninng anndmodifying and it seems to work raather well.

FFlat trackers, scramblers and cafe raacers have all been very successfullyy prroduced fromthis bike. And if you waanted to add a little gravitas and kuudos to ownership, look out for exraacer JamesWitham’s take on the bike. He and amate have created a paair of stunning street scramblers thhat paarody theW650’s progenitor while taking their aesthetic cues fromearlyy Seeventies Kawasaki strokers.

NotN so long ago the Japanese factories were accused of not being in touch with their heritage. The bosses’ mindsetm was that yesterday had already gone, and in order to generaate prrofit and developmotorcycles they neeeded to look to the future. With thhe deemographicgp gettinggg older,, mmanufacturers have suddenly seen thhe futuremay well lie in the past. Thhe W650 apes the company’s eaarliest four-stroke twins; the long-ruunning W1 andW2 series.

These bikes came courtesy of Kawasaki’s takeover of the ailling Meguro company. With suitaable revisions and a capacity hikee from500 to 650cc, Kawasaki had a pottential Brit beater that sold well in Jaapan, but failed tomake significant inrooads into Europe or the USA. By the ennd of the model’s run it was sporting foorks, brakes, clocks and sundry running gear originally destined for thhe legendary Z1 900.

Quite why the Japanese Meguro factory would consider prodducing a 500cc push-rod parallel twinn might seem odd until you pick up on one key point. They were licenseed the design by the mighty BSA emmpire, which no longer needed to producep its A7 500 twin. So, the W6500 has as much historic authenticitty as the modern Triumphs...p or pposssiblyy even more.

Whatever Japanese classic youy own, you’ll be welcomed by the VJJMC – visit the website or telephonee and join one of themost vibrant classic clubs.

The VJMC; run by motorcyclistsis for motorcyclistsis www.vjmc.com membership_vjmc@yahoo.co.uk Membershipp enquiriesq onlyy 01634 361825/07948 563280 Mon-Fri 9am- 5.30pm