05-28-2022, 12:09 PM
Back to the W650-W800 topic, I thought I'd share a little opinion. I had ridden a W650back when they were nearly new, and thought they were wonderful, light feeling, toss-able twins, although I ended up on the Bonneville team instead.
But the interest never went away completely, and a couple months ago, I bought one with a motor apart, with 18k on it. The lower bevel gears were destroyed and the top end was off, so the engine needed to come apart completely. Because I had bought it from a second owner, the symptoms or cause are unknown.
Anyway, the bevel-driven lower (and upper) cam drive has lots of parts and shims and spacers that have to be perfect. I've been through a couple bevel-drive Ducati motors, and these are much worse than I recall them to be. In an age of reliable cam chains and belts, this was unforgivable for Kawasaki. When it's together, we'll see how it is. Pushrods would have been better.
But the interest never went away completely, and a couple months ago, I bought one with a motor apart, with 18k on it. The lower bevel gears were destroyed and the top end was off, so the engine needed to come apart completely. Because I had bought it from a second owner, the symptoms or cause are unknown.
Anyway, the bevel-driven lower (and upper) cam drive has lots of parts and shims and spacers that have to be perfect. I've been through a couple bevel-drive Ducati motors, and these are much worse than I recall them to be. In an age of reliable cam chains and belts, this was unforgivable for Kawasaki. When it's together, we'll see how it is. Pushrods would have been better.