KWAKING UP!

Readers interested in the W3 article may like a look at a 1965 W1 I rebuilt with a lot of help from my son during lockdown. Frame #0052, so an early one. It started as a long fork chopper with many parts missing, so we decided to build a nice, riding bike as near standard as possible. Interesting facts? We found a full roller-ball pressed-up end-feed crank; an engine shock absorber and another one in the rear hub; duplex primary drive; confusing gears with neutral above first so it’s N, then 1, 2, 3, 4 down; a replaceable paper filter in the oil tank, and many more nice touches.

Everything over-engineered and listed as built by Kawasaki Aircraft Co.

Neil Williams

I found Alan Cathcart’s write-up about the Kawasaki W3 very interesting. I was aware of these machines, but didn’t know thatmuchaboutthem,althoughirealisedtheyoverlapped with the Z1. This article filled in lots of gaps in my knowledge. I always enjoy learning about the rarer machines and prototypes made by the larger manufacturers.

Paul Henshaw, member 3709

I loved the article on the W3 in RC210. We never got those here in the USA, but I thought you’d get a kick out of this photo. My second bike was a 1968 W2TT. I’ve never seen another one. It vibrated like St Vitus Dance on meth. Sounded cool, though… Perry Pessia