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.
This specific Kawasaki KR-1S (VIN: KR250C-0002**) has a solid 42,400 km, and it seems to be a ’10 footer’. There’s a few minor cosmetic issues, but beggars can’t be choosers with a bike this rare.
Find this Kawasaki KR-1S for sale in Chiba, Japan with an opening bid of $4,200