BX100 & BX200 Kawasaki BMX Bicycles

Back in the 1970 some of the manufacturers of off-road motorcycles gave selling BMX bicycles a shot. They were not offered for very long but still have a following more than four decades later. Preserved and restored examples can be seen on the specialist forums such as bmxmuseum.com and bmxsociety.com. A link to a post showing examples of a Kawasaki BX200, a Suzuki, and a Yamaha is listed below.

In the meantime let's take a look select pages of an original Owner's Manual which includes assembly instructions and, further below, the Parts Catalog.





















As you see above there were two models--the BX100 and BX200. There were some significant differences (aluminum vs steel parts) but nearly all of the small parts were the same as we can see here in the parts catalog (shown in it's entirety).



























As with my previous post, I  mention that I was very small when these arrived to our dealership. The main thing I remember is how badly I wanted one. Possibly it was the chrome frame. Maybe simply because it was a Kawasaki as I have been fully sold on the brand for as long as I can remember. Either way, I wanted it--never did get one though. In a year or two when I was actually ready for a bike of this size my brother and I each got WEBCO bikes. Which we were happy with.

Another memory of the BX200 and our dealership involves a stunt exhibition. A local BMX rider was recruited to attempt to do an Evel Knievel style jump on a BX200 and jumping over a row of Kawasaki motorcycles. He cleared most of them with the bike's tires landing on the seats of the last couple motorcycles. Also, our Kawasaki green school bus was parked right there so the local newspaper caught it in the photo too.

Also, I do vaguely remember we had some sponsorship role in a MX race that took place at a nearly track in a mostly wooded area. It was like a mini supercross track amongst the trees. Come to think about it--that probably played a big part in my wanting a BMX bike.

To check out the nice examples of the Kaw, Yam, and Suzuk BMX bikes visit this post on the BMX Museum forum: https://bmxmuseum.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=700058.

Share your K, Y, or S BMX bike (or any brand) memories below.

Thanks for looking. Gary  /  kawasaki-yama-zuki

Kawasaki "SAKI SODA" introduced in 1972 only available for a short time. Label features a cool looking little mascot, an image of a 1973 Z1 900 motorcycle, many Flying K's, and claims it is The Good Time Soft Drink to let The Good Guys Roll. 







I was only a small child when this came out but I do have memories of drinking it. Specifically one summer my brother and I were staying the week at our grandparents and some of this was left for them to give us as a treat (if we behaved). If I was comparing it to a current soda I suppose it would be similar to Mountain Dew.

Get a better look at the can here:



The Saki Soda entry on the can collectors website www.canmuseum.com can be reviewed here: https://www.canmuseum.com/Detail.aspx?CanID=38180.

The two companies listed on the can don't seem to exist anymore (not under these names anyway). If anyone knows more about this product, who came up with the idea, more specific release dates, exactly how it was purchased (directly from Kaw or thru a distributor), or any other details please share below.

Thanks for looking. Gary  /  kawasaki-yama-zuki

1987 600R & 600RX Kawasaki Ninja Brochures

Last post: a pair of 1987 Vulcans.
This post: a pair of 1987 Ninjas.

First we have the 1987 ZX600-A3 600R Ninja. This is the standard model, not said to be a limited edition but how many in this paint scheme have you actually seen? We never had many to sell. I suspect since this was the final year for the "A" model they produced a lot less than they had for 1986. This is my favorite paint on an "A" model.



Curiously the back of this brochure lists a 'white' color option that is not shown. If I had ever seen the white variety in person I could not remember what it looked like. Here is the best picture I could find on the interwebs. It was from a European website so it is labeled as a "GPZ" not a Ninja. It looks like a scan of a magazine but it is all we got for now.





Next up is the Limited Edition 1987 ZX600-B1 600RX Ninja. Production of 1000 units with an aluminum frame. Limited to 1000 as stated a couple times in the brochure. We were told at the time that since there were approximately a thousand Kawasaki dealers in the USA that this model was basically one per dealer. We were told the same story the next year regarding the 1988 ZX-10 (future post).









In my opinion 1987 was a great year for 600 Ninjas at least as far as visual design goes--all three looked great.

Thanks for looking. Gary  /  kawasaki-yama-zuki

Bonus/update:

Found a picture of the ZX600-B1 poster Kawasaki created as a promotion. If I recall correctly we had a package of 50 or 100 of these around the same time that the bike was on the showroom floor. I had photo'd this and then sold it on eBay. Judging by the items in the picture the poster measured approx 18" high by 20" wide.

1987 Vulcan 88/88SE Kawasaki Brochures

Another couple of motorcycles I remember there being a buzz of anticipation prior to their finally arriving at our dealership. There were magazine articles and reviews making claims about how much power the new 88 cubic inch engine produced. What would happen if you cranked the throttle from a stand-still. Kawasaki finally had a full-size v-twin. Of course it is still no Harley but then what else is.

First we have the preliminary brochures from the sales/marketing manual. The back sides are somewhat boring looking as they were simply typed-out information. I have shown both as they are different (partly due to the wheels).









Here is the final brochure. It is the first year for both of these models so it got the full 8-page treatment.



















Both the 750 and 1500 Vulcans are very comfortable bikes to ride--comfortable seat and seating position--never wanted to miss an opportunity to ride one of these.

Since we all can't simply own one-of-each, working in the service department is a good option. We took nearly every bike we worked on for a test-ride "to make sure it was safe" before giving back to the customer.

Thanks for looking. Gary  /  kawasaki-yama-zuki