1962 Kawasaki Aircraft B8 125cc Streetbike Complete & All Original 1425 miles!!!

[elr658]

You're more likely to encounter a serious vintage Kaw expert for the really early stuff there. My primary interest is bikes beginning with the 1969 Honda CB750 and ends with the 87-88 FZR750-1000. So, as far as Kawasakis, from the Z-1 to the GPz1100s.

[Wolfman1972]

Speaking of Z1's......Did anyone catch that Z1 (Don't recall the year, but I think it was like a '73 or something?) that sold on eBay recently for something like $17,500 & change. It was an awesome bike. If I recall, it only had like 900 miles on it, and it was in showroom condition. I had no idea they were worth that much. What makes them so valuable?

[78_KZ750_Cafe]

inline 4 showroom stock with 900 miles on it, that's why.

It makes me wonder how much a z1300 would go for...





Man, that last pic is like motorcycle porn.

[Wolfman1972]

That is one fine machine, and I'm not ashamed to say that the last pic creates a stir in my nether regions as well, LOL. It almost looks like the #1 cylinder header pipe is kissing the pavement. What years did Kawasaki make the inline sixes, and didn't Honda make one too? Mike

[kawah1c]

Here's the Z1B:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Kawas... 929193QQrdZ1

The Z1300 was produced from 1979 to 1989. Honda had the CBX. Don't know a thing about it. Or any other Honduh for that matter..

[elr658]

KZ1300s from 79-82 ish
ZN1300 Voyager XIIIs (Full tourer, with the fuel injected KZ1300 motor) 84-90ish It's a whole different kind of thing.


www.cbxworld.com Prepare to be wowed.
www.cbxclub.com is the website of the International CBX Owners Association
You will see 100 running CBXs for eack running KZ1300.


As a matter of fact, I did own one. Sold it last year. I miss it.

[bikeaholic]

unreal!!!!!!!!!!!

please keep that bike alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

its rolling history..................

[kawah1c]

[Wolfman1972]

Hi again kawah1c.... I feel stupid, but I don't know what "rotary shift" refers to on the other picture you posted of the 1960's B8 125cc. I see the '89 ZG1300 has "return shift" which I'm assuming is the standard shifting arrangement/pattern found on modern cycles. What is "rotary shift"?

[kawah1c]

I'm not sure, but I think that when you're in top gear and you try to put in another gear, it goes back to 1st gear. That would mean if you're shifting up all the time, you would go 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4 etc. Not good for the tranny if you have top speed in 4th and hammer it into 1st. Probably why they started making return shift pattern.

[rstnick]

Nice find Wolfman. Here's some info I found on the B8's:

[SilverEagle]

WOW, that is some peice of early japanese bike history. Get that puppy restored to stock. I have a 1967 Honda CL450 I'm getting here too.

[lookoutdriftmik]

amazing looking bike man, lucky you. hey, ill give you 80 for it

[78_KZ750_Cafe]

I'm so amazed by the way that on road and off road motorcycle designs started off so similar and have radically diverged in the last 20 ish years.

[Wolfman1972]

Thank you so much, rstnick, for that valuable information. You are the second person to post information that puts my bike at 1963 (or possibly even later) instead of 1962. So far, from what I can gather from all the help from fellow Kawasaki enthusiasts, the B8 was only manufactured from 1963-1966, and the first year that they were exported to the United States was 1964. Now I'm really confused, because the original owner's daughter swore by the fact that the bike was a very early 60's model year. In fact, she was so sure of it that when we transferred the title, she had the model year listed as a 1961, which I now know for sure to be incorrect. Does anyone know how I could definitively pinpoint a date on my B8? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Mike

[metalesp]

That looks like a nice bike you have there Wolfman.
I have to do some restoration on my KZ305 too.
I got a great deal on my bike, I got it for free...

[dropdfocus]

Wolfman1972:
Where in Central PA are you located?

BTW, VERY nice find and VERY sweet bike indeed!!!!!

[Wolfman1972]

Hey dropdfocus....I see we're practically neighbors. My dad grew up in Billtown and graduated from WHS in '65. I live between Washingtonville and Danville.....Mike

[dropdfocus]

A little out of the way, but not too bad. There's a guy with a Ninja 636 from Selinsgrove on here too. We both go to Penn College here in Williamsport (I'm going back for a second time).