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Classic Bike Trackdays

KR250 Tandem Twin
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StrokerBoy
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Joined: 15 Nov 2006
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Location: Oop North, UK

PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 4:43 pm    Post subject: KR250 Tandem Twin Reply with quote

The Kawasaki KR250A - a two-cylinder, watercooled, disc & reed-valve, twin-crank 45bhp oddball. Ally square section frame, 16" front wheel, anti-dive forks - all the kit that was hot-stuff back in 1984. Cool

It fits in somewhere after the KH250 triple but before the KR1 parallel-twin. A bit of a technological dead-end in that it was only made from '84-'87 and then abandoned, although there is a KR250S version with a powervalve system. It was inspired by the all-conquering KR250/350 GP racers, though it's more like two AR125's welded together. Laughing

Completely ignored by Kawasaki UK, 20 were imported by Huddersfield Kawasaki Centre in 1984. I've got one of them - H-reg, mostly original, partially restored (by me), running and usable. I've taken it to the VJMC Lotherton Hall show a couple of times. It was actually a surprise wedding present from my wife in 2002. Shocked

My second one is an unregistered parts donor direct from Japan - mostly complete but rough and not a runner (yet). The third one is my ongoing project - a C-reg grey-import fitted with a ZXR400 USD front end and a KR1 rear wheel/brake. NK Racing did the engineering, now I just need to turn it into a complete bike. Rolling Eyes



The difficulties I found unearthing useful info and parts for these weird bikes led to me starting a dedicated website all about them, where you can find lots more pictures and information :



As a result of running the website, in 2005 the KR Owners Group in Japan invited me to their KR celebration party, where I got to hang out with Kork Ballington, Ken Suzuki and Aki Kiyohara - all key figures in Kawasaki and KR history - and a lot of great people similarly obsessed with 2-stroke Kawasaki's. Very Happy



Last edited by StrokerBoy on Wed Dec 06, 2006 3:26 pm; edited 2 times in total
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gagster55
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 12:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

neat - only ever seen one of those before - it's owned by Doug Perkins, who is a member of the VJMC - uses it to lead the annual ride-out at the AGM.
Diff'rent indeed!
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StrokerBoy
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 1:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

gagster55 wrote:
neat - only ever seen one of those before - it's owned by Doug Perkins, who is a member of the VJMC - uses it to lead the annual ride-out at the AGM.
Diff'rent indeed!

Yeah, I know Doug. Doesn't like having his picture taken though does he ? Laughing

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StrokerBoy
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 4:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nothing much new to say on here. I've still got all 3 KR's and the project hasn't progressed much recently... Embarassed Crying or Very sad

However, I've just managed to accumulate most of the parts needed to convert one of my motors into an 'S' version. That's the powervalve model, although it's quite a clunky implementation compared to the later 'KIPS' setup.



Each barrel has a vertical chamber leading from the top of the exhaust port up to the head. There's a butterfly valve in each chamber operated via a mechanical linkage from a single servo. Within the head, the chambers are joined together with a link pipe.



Obviously the head gasket is different but all the bottom end is the same as far as I know, as are the exhausts. According to the factory, peak power remains the same at 45bhp but the big hole at the bottom and midrange is filled in and there's more torque.

I don't (yet) have the extra black-box that controls the servo so don't hold your breath waiting for me to fit all this and get it sorted. Interesting though innit ? Very Happy
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Crofty
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PostPosted: Fri May 23, 2008 8:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

LOL I just checked Fleabay for "KVSS" and found a vertical sausage stuffer!!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FMA-OMCAN-3KVSS-VERTICAL-SAUSAGE-STUFFER-3-KVSS-3-KVSS_W0QQitemZ360035732444QQihZ023QQcategoryZ95075QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Does it go under the seat????!!!!!! I guess you shove your meat in the top!!
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StrokerBoy
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PostPosted: Sat May 24, 2008 11:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Crofty wrote:
LOL I just checked Fleabay for "KVSS" and found a vertical sausage stuffer!!! Does it go under the seat????!!!!!! I guess you shove your meat in the top!!

Erm, you try it first and let us know how you get on... Shocked :pukeright:
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Crofty
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PostPosted: Sat May 24, 2008 7:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fairs fair, I found it for ya, and it IS your bike...... Rolling Eyes
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StrokerBoy
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 3:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Despite setting this forum up and maintaining a couple of websites, I'm not really much of a techie. Don't tell my boss though, I'm supposed to know all about this stuff. Embarassed

Anyway, it's taken me until now to get a video clip of my KR sorted. I decided to fire it up at the weekend and thought I might as well film it, just to give you all a laugh when it wouldn't start.

StrokerBoy's KR250 on YouTube

The picture quality is cack but now I know what I'm doing I'll borrow the missus' proper camera and sort some action shots out. Wink
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Crofty
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 3:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You even got Kork Ballington to kick her up for ya!! Laughing
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StrokerBoy
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 3:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oops I did it again... Embarassed

Picked up my fourth KR250 yesterday. Original (but rare) red/black paintjob - looks like a baby ZX-Turbo eh ? Cool UK registered on a D-plate, last on the road in 2001. Bit tatty round the edges but all there, except for the lower exhaust, upper heatshield and the sidestand warning switch. Non-standard mirrors, wheels have been painted white.

Not sure what to do with it yet. I've got a spare exhaust so I'll try and get it running and maybe MOT'd. Charged the battery OK, most electrics seem to work. Pumped the tyres up but back one going flat again already. Brakes seem OK but the chain is horrible. Mrs.StrokerBoy has expressed an interest in riding it so maybe there'll be a video clip of two of 'em out together soon... Wink

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StrokerBoy
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 11:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I wanted to get the red/black one running before the end of the year, just to give me something to aim at.

2 days before New Year and I'd not done anything with it. So in a flurry of freezing-cold spanners I robbed the lower exhaust off my spare bike, bodged it on (one sawn-off exhaust stud Rolling Eyes ), swilled the worst of the rust out of the tank, kicked away and...

... it runs ! Very Happy Ticked over nicely on both pots, exhaust not too loud, revs out OK, plenty of nice smoke. I pumped up the back tyre and rode it the length of the drive under its own power just so I can say I rode two of 'em in 2008.

Needs a lot of tidying but I'll try and get it an MOT when the weather gets a bit warmer.

Happy New Year ! Party
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arlurt
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 4:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well done!

It's more than I've achieved... Embarassed
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ScottaKR250



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PostPosted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 9:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah more than I got done as well (mines still sitting half way through it's naked conversion Embarassed ), so hat's off to ya Tim.

Just try and get it finished before next christmas... Wink
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StrokerBoy
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 12:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was vaguely confident it'd run. Andy (the previous owner) said he'd had it running before he nicked the pipe off it, and there were two shiny new plugs nestling among the grime and dead spiders under the tank.

Surprisingly there was also a decent-looking airfilter too - I was expecting an empty airbox or maybe a few tattered bits of 20-year-old sponge. The tank is in a right state - see the colour of the fresh fuel below after using it to swill out the tank.

Cooling system is full of cack too. It needs a proper going-over before I try taking it for an MOT.

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StrokerBoy
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 9:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

6 months since the KR has run Rolling Eyes so with a day off work and some dry warm weather it was time to dig it out and ride it. Tyres needed pumping up, brakes are very spongy but it started up OK. Didn't go far but it was nice to be out on it again. Cool



Haven't done anything to the red/black one yet either, but did fire it up again. HEAR IT RUN ! Laughing
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