Kawasaki W series
Kawasaki W1SS, a two-carburetor offshoot of the original W1. Note the brake pedal on left side.
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| Manufacturer | Kawasaki Aircraft Industries, later Kawasaki Motorcycle & Engine Company |
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| Also called | Meguro X-650, Kawasaki 650 Commander, Kawasaki RS650 |
| Parent company | Kawasaki Heavy Industries |
| Production | 1965—1974 |
| Assembly | Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan |
| Predecessor | Meguro K1, Kawasaki K2 |
| Successor | Kawasaki W650 |
| Class | Standard |
| Engine | 624 cm3 (38.1 cu in) 4-stroke, inline 2-cylinder, air-cooled, OHV |
| Bore / stroke | 74.0 mm × 72.6 mm (2.91 in × 2.86 in) |
| Compression ratio |
W1 8.7:1 W2 9.0:1 |
| Top speed |
W1 180 km/h (110 mph) W2 185 km/h (115 mph) |
| Power |
W1 50 PS (37 kW; 49 hp) @ 6500 rpm W2 53 PS (39 kW; 52 hp) @ 7000 rpm |
| Ignition type | Battery ignition |
| Transmission | Manual 4-speed |
| Frame type | Steel tube duplex cradle |
| Suspension | F: Telescopic, R: Swing arm |
| Brakes | F: Mechanical drum, double 2 leading R: Mechanical drum, leading trailing |
| Tires | F: 3.25-18, R: 3.50-18 |
| Wheelbase | 1,415 mm (55.7 in) |
| Dimensions |
L: 2,126 mm (83.7 in) W: 880 mm (35 in) H: 1,060 mm (42 in) |
| Weight | 181 kg (399 lb) (dry) |
| Fuel capacity | 15 L (3.3 imp gal; 4.0 US gal) |
| Oil capacity | 3 L (3.2 US qt) |
The Kawasaki W series is a line of motorcycles made by Kawasaki since 1965 that shares some characteristics of classic British vertical-twin standard motorcycles. Sold as a 1966 model in the North American market, the first Kawasaki W1 had the largest engine displacement of any model manufactured in Japan at the time. Kawasaki continued to build models of the W brand similar to the W1 which will go out of production, ending with a "final edition".
In 1960 the Akashi-based Kawasaki Aircraft Company acquired an interest in the Meguro motorcycle company, which had obtained a license to produce a copy of the 500 cc BSA A7. Meguro had been Japan's largest motorcycle manufacturer but in the late 1950s its models had become less competitive and it was short of money. Kawasaki's investment enabled Meguro to launch its A7 copy as the Meguro K.
The BSA A7, Meguro K and their respective derivatives have an overhead valve (i.e., pushrod) straight-twin engine with a pre-unit construction architecture. All have a 360° crankshaft angle, which provides an even firing interval between the two cylinders but high vibration caused by the two pistons rising and falling together.
In 1963 Meguro was taken over one hundred percent by the new Kawasaki Motorcycle Corporation, which maintained the licensing agreement with BSA and continued to build the K model, but due to lubrication problems Kawasaki made engine modifications and the Kawasaki K2 entered production in 1965 with improved crankshaft bearings and a larger oil pump. Since the introduction of the K2, the Meguro K model has tended to become known retrospectively as the K1.
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