06 2000cc Kawasaki Vulcan Classic Lt on 2040-motos

Moto blog

Moto3. Recession racers?

I've sat through enough manufacturer' presentations recently to know that we're in trouble. Ignoring the still booming Asian markets, the rest of the motorcycle World is in free-fall. Even looking at the figures optimistically we're still only selling half the volumes we were in pre-crash 2006.

Kawasaki Reveals Supercharged Inline-Four Engine

Kawasaki announced it is developing what it calls the world’s first supercharger developed by a motorcycle manufacturer. The giant Japanese company called on its extensive experience in working with turbine engines, and distilled the technology for motorcycle applications, showing a supercharged Inline-Four engine at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. No details were given on the size of the sample engine, though diagrams included in Kawasaki’s patent applications for motorcycle superchargers include one image that looks vaguely similar to the Ninja ZX-14R.

You want a nice little car, you do.

We ran a couple of stories last week - both, coincidentally, about new Kawasakis. One was the first peek of the new ZX10R – hot stuff you’d imagine – the other, the new W800 retro parallel twin. I suppose it shouldn’t have shocked us, which story was most popular in terms of hits but it really does mark a seismic shifts in British biking attitudes that the W800 story doubled the hits of the ZX10 piece.