The First Kawasaki - The B8
Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 7:53 pmIn October 1962, the first motorcycle to carry the Kawasaki name was produced by the Kawasaki Meguro Manufacturing Company. (Meguro models and Kawasaki Aircraft models will be dealt with in seperate threads.)
The B8 was produced for the 1963 season, and was a typical utilitarian motorcycle of the period, but it proved to be very popular in Japan due to its reliability (sound familiar ??).
It was a single cyclinder 125cc 2-stroke, with a unit-construction 4-speed rotary-shift gearbox. Maximum power for the 54 x 54mm was quoted as 8bhp !! yes you read that right 8 mighty hp at 6,000rpm !! Mmmmm think of the acceleration, it would just about snap you out of a deep sleep...
Lubrication on this model was by pre-mix only, this was well before the days of 'Superlube' auto-lubrication ( a bit like Neka spitting in his palm...)
The frame consisted of a pressed-steel backbone, suspension was telescopic forks and a rear swinging arm with twin rear shock absorbers. In a move that was 30 years ahead of its time, the little kwakka was fited with 16" wheels front and rear !!!
Even in those days, handling was a priority !!
Drum brakes were fitted front and rear, and final drive was by an enclosed chain. Only a single seat was provided (once again, with the 'racing' touch), and a rear rack (the original sports-tourer
)
The B8 will seem completely unremarkable today, however it was to spawn a whole range of motorcyles over the next few years, including the B8M. This motocrosser became so successful that it truly established the Kawasaki name in both the competition world and the global marketplace.
Once I get the scanner working again, I wil try and ensure that a couple of photos of each model that gets a run here is attached, so you can see just for yourself how shitty the old bikes looked !! Actually, some of them looked pretty ace for 60's bikes.
cheers
The B8 was produced for the 1963 season, and was a typical utilitarian motorcycle of the period, but it proved to be very popular in Japan due to its reliability (sound familiar ??).
It was a single cyclinder 125cc 2-stroke, with a unit-construction 4-speed rotary-shift gearbox. Maximum power for the 54 x 54mm was quoted as 8bhp !! yes you read that right 8 mighty hp at 6,000rpm !! Mmmmm think of the acceleration, it would just about snap you out of a deep sleep...
Lubrication on this model was by pre-mix only, this was well before the days of 'Superlube' auto-lubrication ( a bit like Neka spitting in his palm...)
The frame consisted of a pressed-steel backbone, suspension was telescopic forks and a rear swinging arm with twin rear shock absorbers. In a move that was 30 years ahead of its time, the little kwakka was fited with 16" wheels front and rear !!!
Even in those days, handling was a priority !!
Drum brakes were fitted front and rear, and final drive was by an enclosed chain. Only a single seat was provided (once again, with the 'racing' touch), and a rear rack (the original sports-tourer
)
The B8 will seem completely unremarkable today, however it was to spawn a whole range of motorcyles over the next few years, including the B8M. This motocrosser became so successful that it truly established the Kawasaki name in both the competition world and the global marketplace.
Once I get the scanner working again, I wil try and ensure that a couple of photos of each model that gets a run here is attached, so you can see just for yourself how shitty the old bikes looked !!
Actually, some of them looked pretty ace for 60's bikes.
cheers
........*scratches head*.......I think its the Yamaha TR2 factory racer, circa 1968 ? around that vintage anyway.....
, its a 1969 model.
