2002 Kawasaki 676cc W650

Please kindly note that this motorbike will be available for viewing by prior appointment in Dortmund: please contact [email protected] for booking.

With the growing popularity of nostalgia-inspired 'retro' styled motorcycles, it was entirely predictable that Kawasaki would reprise its iconic Z1/Z900/Z1000 range in the form of the Zephyr. What no one expected was that the Japanese manufacturer would look back even further – to the W1 of the 1960s – and produce an updated version of one of the first big four-strokes to be badged as a Kawasaki. Introduced in October 1965, the W1 was inspired by the BSA A10 650 twin but differed considerably in internal detail. Although an air-cooled vertical twin like the W1, the W650 departed even further from the original BSA conception, boasting a shaft-driven overhead camshaft, electric starter, and disc-braked cycle parts. Brilliantly styled and well equipped, it appealed to those who craved 1960s style but had no time for the oil leaks, dodgy electrics and general unreliability associated with British bikes of the period.
Since their introduction, the W650 and successor W800 have proved immensely popular with customisers, not least because the Kawasakis look more like 1960s Triumphs than the British firm's current offerings.

The example offered here comes with a manufacturer brochure and a German Fahrzeugbrief (registration document). The machine's mechanical condition is not known (we have been unable to check whether or not the engine turns over).
Offered with key