MEGURO:K2

MEGURO: Meguro K2

In the 1960s, the majority of the bikes in the Japanese motorcycle market were small-displacement machines in the 125cc class. Comparatively, the huge displacement and abundant power of the 4-stroke 624 cm3 W1 made it stand head and shoulders above the crowd, and become an object of longing for Japanese riders. For Kawasaki, the W1 meant recognition on the world stage as a big-bike manufacturer. It also marked the start of the Kawasaki’s Quest for Speed, a passion that led to the development of numerous legendary models.

It was an era when all but a few Japanese motorcycles were small-displacement machines. Kawasaki was one of the first to introduce a big bike, powered by a 496 cm3 OHV Parallel Twin, the world standard of the time. The engine’s roots could be found in the Twin engine of the same displacement produced by Meguro Manufacturing Co. Motorcycle Works, a well-known bike manufacturer established in 1927. Kawasaki absorbed Meguro in the 1960s, inheriting the motorcycle technology they had been developing since before World War II. The 1965 K2 was based on the Meguro’s K Series models and redesigned by Kawasaki Aircraft Co. Ltd. to increase its durability and top-speed performance. A prototype model based on the K2 evolved into the W1 released the following year.