1966 Kawasaki 250cc A1 Samurai Racing Motorcycle

• Rare early Kawasaki sports roadster
• Present ownership since 2016
• Kept in dry storage
• Requires recommissioning

Kawasaki's reputation for producing exciting high-performance motorcycles began with the fire-breathing Mach III 500cc triple, yet before the latter's arrival Kawasaki offered two other class-leading sports models: the 250cc A1 Samurai and 350cc A7 Avenger, a pair of air-cooled two-stroke twins that employed disc valve induction. A five-speed gear cluster was contained within the horizontally-split crankcases and there was 'Injectolube' pumped lubrication, while the generator was mounted behind the cylinders, a position dictated by the side-mounted carburettors. The cycle parts were entirely conventional, consisting of a duplex-loop frame with twin-leading-shoe front brake. The result was an undeniably handsome sportster with a claimed 31bhp maximum and a top speed of 103mph, phenomenal figures for a 250 of the day. The Samurai was built from mid-1966 to the end of 1971, though relatively few were imported into the UK, and today this early classic Kawasaki is highly sought after by collectors.

This 'racerised' Kawasaki A1 has belonged to our vendor since 2016. Some sympathetic restoration has been carried out, the aim being to retain as much as possible of the originality and patina of this very good example. The cylinder heads, carburettors and exhaust pipes were removed to facilitate a visual inspection of the engine, and the vendor describes its condition as 'satisfactory'. Kept in a dry, heated garage, the machine has not been started by the vendor and will require recommissioning before further use. The ignition produces a spark and all five gears engage; however, it should be noted that the clutch plates are stuck. The fairing shows traces of underlying blue paintwork, which may provide a clue to the machine's earlier history. Some spares and a service manual are included in the sale. There are no documents with this Lot, which is sold strictly as viewed.
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