Post Listing Update: this KR-1 did not meet reserve despite 42 bids up to $7,900 on eBay in Seattle, Washington.
In the late 80’s, Kawi had some success with their KR250 road racer so they released the 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 (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. 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. For more on the KR-1 (actually, the S model), check out this look back from 2019 by MCN.
This example (VIN: kr250b0024280) has 8,298 miles and it’s currently titled in Washington state. It was recently detailed and serviced with a carb clean, new spark plugs, chain, air filter, brake pads, oil change, fluid flush, and new tires. Every component is said to work as they should, and there’s a reasonable amount of minor scratches considering the age of the machine. You gotta love those LeoVince SBK exhausts!
Find this Kawasaki KR-1 for sale in Seattle, Washington with bidding up to $4,000