In the late 80’s, Kawi had some success with their KR250 road racer, and released the Kawasaki KR-1 as a wonderful little two-stroke race rep. It was quite successful, triggering increased competition from the big 4, and it set off a 250cc 2-stroke war among the Japanese – unfortunately us Americans didn’t get to enjoy these little demons. Well, 25 years have now passed, so certain states allow for the import and registration of the KR-1…hopefully your state will allow you to enjoy this great bike.
While the KR-1 was one of the faster two-strokes ever built (as noted in the listing, a 1990 speed test clocked the successor to this bike at 139 mph), riders are usually more familiar with the competition – the RGVs, NSRs, and TZRs of the world. Anyone who ever played Tourist Trophy will know what I mean. You got a two-cylinder, reed valve induction motor with a 180 degree firing configuration. KIPS – the Kawasaki Integrated Powervalve System that’s advertised quite heavily on the fairing – was designed to broaden power delivery and was used in other Team Green 2-strokes. Less than 10,000 of the KR-1’s were produced, making it much rarer than the competition. This water-cooled bike produced 59 horsepower and 30 lb-ft of torque.
The seller has included a video of this specific Kawasaki KR-1 here:
This bike has just 5,026 miles and is a lovely example of a rare bike. After just one year of the KR-1, Kawi felt the increased pressure of competition and released the KR-1S as well as KR-1R, so this is one of the less common first year bikes. The cosmetics look to be in excellent shape, and you have to appreciate that the seller took some time to show you photos with bodywork removed.
Find this Kawasaki KR-1 for sale in Newport News, Virginia, with bidding up to $4,000 and the reserve not yet met
