Kawasaki Zephyr: the Seventies Revisited

Kawasaki Zephyr: The Seventies Revisited

ROUNDUP

WHILE THE REST OF AMERica discovers itself through memories of the Sixties, motorcycling seems to be in the midst of a full-blown Seventies revival, with standard-style motorcycles cropping up all over. In the last couple years each of the Big Four manufacturers have trotted out a Seventies retro-bike. Yamaha has its Radian. Honda its CB-1. Suzuki its new GS500. And now Kawasaki has its Zephyr. Though the Zephyr is currently sold only in the Japanese domestic market, it is nonetheless the latest of the new-age standard motorcycles.

By taking an air-cooled, 399cc, inline-Four engine from the old GPz line and placing it in a painted, round-tube frame, Kawasaki has designed a traditional-looking motorcycle. one reminiscent of the American performance custombuilts of the late 1970s. Kawasaki claims the bike puts out 46 horsepower. weighs 390 pounds and uses a six-speed transmission, a combination that ought to give the bike pretty good performance. A chromed. 4-into-l exhaust system, triple disc brakes and 39mm-diameter fork tubes give the machine a decidedly pumped-up. sporting appearance. Low-profile tires contribute to the performance image, a wide. 140/7018 Bridgestone Excedra on the rear and a 1 lí0/80-17 up front.

In addition, the Zephyr has plenty of neat details. For example, the engine cases, the head and the cylinders are painted in a light blue-gray and . % are accentuated" by \ % buffed-aluminum \ covers. There are . X, twin reservoir-equipmwp*. ped rear shocks for a classic look, and an f'ygaluminum swingarm \ with eccentric axle ™ ^ adjusters. Also, the Zephyr features a medium-rise handlebar and a round headlight.

The Zephyr met with positive reviews when it was unveiled at a Kawasaki rally earlier this summer, and Kawasaki personnel claim that some people wanted to buy the bike on the spot. Others were enticed, but suggested that the bike come with a larger eneine, say a 500 or 550cc. As of now, there are no plans to bring the Zephyr to the U.S. But if the public reception was any indication, we just might see the bike here early next year, just in time for the spring riding season.

Camron E. Bussard