In 1971, Kawasaki introduced the quarter-liter S1 to complement the existing 350cc S2, 500cc H1, and 750cc H2 models in their two-stroke, 3-cylinder lineup. It was marketed as the sportiest 250 of the time, and it initially lived up to the billing. But as US laws got stricter over time, the S1 got declawed and by 1976 it had evolved into the KH250, which Kawasaki advertised as “the sophisticated triple that’s unique in the world.” The product positioning had clearly changed – in a period ad Kawi highlights “the more comfortable 2-level seat like the ones fitted to larger Kawasaki road bikes. It’s better for both rider and passenger and will be appreciated on longer weekend hauls in the country.“
Later KH models (like the one featured) got a disc brake and a flatter powerband to help with ease of use. For more information, check out this comparison by Practical Sportsbikes on MCN about the KH250 and its competition from Suzuki and Yamaha, in which they say, “what the KH delivers is a real visceral riding experience. It’s raw, exhilarating and exciting – and it attracted the most attention of all three test bikes.” And yet, none of that will matter with this bike because riding it will hurt the value so it probably will never be ridden in the future.
This example is claimed to be “unused” and never registered though the seller says it had been started once 25 years ago. It comes with paperwork from the initial sale. The odometer shows 3.7 miles and those are said to be from the original owner “pushing it around his workshop for the last 39 years.” Everything is said to be original though the chrome spark plug cap covers are missing. Despite the lack of use, Father Time has resulted in a little bit of patina – don’t worry, it’s still in good cosmetic shape.
Find this basically new Kawi for sale in Pontypridd, Wales with an asking price of approximately $14,005