The Kawasaki KR-1 is a sports motorcycle with a two-stroke engine that Kawasaki built from 1988 to 1992. Its 249 cc liquid-cooled twin was mounted across the frame and drove through a six-speed gearbox.
Kawasaki KR-1 at a glance
| Maker | Kawasaki |
|---|---|
| Produced | 1988–1992 |
| Class | 250 cc two-stroke sports bike |
| Engine | 249 cc liquid-cooled two-stroke parallel twin |
| Bore × stroke | 56 × 50.6 mm |
| Power valve | KIPS exhaust valve |
| Brakes | two-piston discs: two front, one rear |
| KR-1 | 1988–1989, three-spoke wheels, black silencers |
| KR-1S | 1989–1992, new expansion chambers and five-spoke wheels |
| KR-1R | closer gearbox ratios and a larger carburettor |
Based on one source, the Italian Wikipedia article on the KR-1; there is no English article. The old record carried a video of a KR150, a different model, so no video is shown.
History of the Kawasaki KR-1
The KR-1 was Kawasaki’s 250 cc two-stroke sports bike of the late 1980s, part of the quarter-litre class that was then the most competitive road-going category in Japan and Europe. Its two-cylinder inline two-stroke engine was liquid-cooled, with a bore of 56 mm and a stroke of 50.6 mm for a total displacement of 249 cm³.
KR-1, 1988–1989
The first version had black silencers matching the expansion chambers, three-spoke wheels and two-piston disc brakes — two discs at the front and one at the rear, with the rear caliper mounted on an oscillating plate. It used the KIPS exhaust power valve.
KR-1S, 1989–1992
The S differed from the original with new expansion chambers and silencers and five-spoke wheels.
KR-1R
Built in the same years as the S, the R had a new close-ratio gearbox and a larger carburettor.
Design and features
- KIPS exhaust valve: Kawasaki’s power valve system to widen the two-stroke powerband.
- Two-stroke twin: a compact, light engine in the classic quarter-litre layout.
- Strong brakes: twin front discs and a rear disc, with the rear caliper on an oscillating plate.
- Three versions: the standard KR-1, the updated S and the close-ratio R.
Kawasaki KR-1 versions
- KR-1 (1988–1989): black silencers, three-spoke wheels.
- KR-1S (1989–1992): new chambers and silencers, five-spoke wheels.
- KR-1R: close-ratio gearbox, larger carburettor.
The KR-1 belongs to Kawasaki’s two-stroke sports line alongside the H1 Mach III. More models are in the Kawasaki collection.
Sources
- Kawasaki KR-1, Italian Wikipedia: engine, versions, brakes
