The Kawasaki AR50 is a 49 cc air-cooled two-stroke moped that Kawasaki Heavy Industries built in “A” and “C” form from 1981 until 1994 for the United Kingdom and until 1996 or 1997 for other markets.
Kawasaki AR50 at a glance
| Maker | Kawasaki Heavy Industries |
|---|---|
| Produced | 1981–1994 (UK); to 1996–97 elsewhere |
| Class | 50 cc moped |
| Engine | 49 cc air-cooled two-stroke |
| Transmission | five-speed (six-speed overseas) |
| Weight | 78 kg (172 lb) |
| Rear suspension | Uni-Trak on all models |
| Versions | A (1981) and C (from 1983) |
| Related model | AE enduro with wire-spoke wheels |
A short article: the English Wikipedia entry is brief, and only its facts are used here. The old record carried a video of an AR80, a different model, so no video is shown.
History of the Kawasaki AR50
The AR50 was Kawasaki’s small sports moped of the early 1980s, aimed at the British sixteen-year-old market where 50 cc machines were the first step on two wheels. It used an air-cooled two-stroke engine, a five-speed gearbox at home and a six-speed unit in some export markets, and weighed 78 kg.
A and C versions
The original “A” models were replaced in 1983 by the “C” models, which were mechanically similar but wore a sports handlebar fairing and a rear grab-handle in place of the earlier sport tail. The C version stayed in production, with only minor and mainly cosmetic changes, for the rest of the model’s life.
Related models
A related AE model was offered as an off-road or enduro-style machine with cycle-style wire-spoke wheels instead of the five-spoke cast wheels of the AR. All versions used Kawasaki’s Uni-Trak rear suspension.
Design and features
- Uni-Trak rear suspension: the linkage system Kawasaki used on its larger machines, fitted to a 50 cc moped.
- Five-speed gearbox: more ratios than most mopeds of the period, six speeds in some export markets.
- Light weight: 78 kg made the AR50 easy for new riders to handle.
- Fairing on the C: the 1983 update added a sports handlebar fairing and a grab-handle.
Kawasaki AR50 versions
- AR50 A (1981–1983): unfaired original with a sport tail.
- AR50 C (1983–1994): handlebar fairing, grab-handle, otherwise unchanged.
- AE enduro: off-road style with wire-spoke wheels.
The AR50 was one of Kawasaki’s small two-strokes; the bigger KMX took the same idea to 125 cc. More Kawasaki models are in the Kawasaki collection.
Sources
- Kawasaki AR50, English Wikipedia: production years, versions, weight, suspension
