1966 Kawasaki W1 650
From the Keith Mason collection

Registration No: ACN 232D
Frame No: W1F 03857
MOT: Exempt

• Early Kawasaki inspired by BSA's A10
• Featured in three magazine articles
• Supplied with a dating letter and V5C

Sale room notice :- 3 magazines mentioned in the original description not supplied.

A lifelong motorcycle enthusiast, Keith Mason started working in his local bike shop at the age of 15 before eventually branching out on his own a few years later. From humble beginnings selling secondhand bikes from a small shop, Keith built up the Moto GB empire to become one of the biggest motorcycle retailers and importers in the UK. The group has now grown to include 15 retail shops and is responsible for importing 9 different brands, also supplying many independent dealers, including QJ Motor, Voge, Lambretta, FB Mondial, Morbidelli, SYM and Hero. Keith sadly passed away in 2023, but in recent years he had put together a fantastic collection of his favourite classic bikes, ranging from a humble Honda Express to a beautiful Egli Vincent, documenting his lifetime in the trade. We are pleased to offer all 31 bikes from this collection in our March sale.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries is one of the largest corporations in Japan producing a wide range of products from rolling stock to ships. After taking over the ailing Meguro Motorcycle Company in 1963, which at the time was manufacturing the K1 based on the BSA A7, they began offering bikes under the Kawasaki name in 1965. The first model was a modified K1, which you could say was a BSA A10 copy because it now sported a 650cc motor with improved lubrication, christened the W1. In the late 1960s they built a reputation for high performance 2 stroke twins and triples before returning to four strokes with the four cylinder Z1. With its DOHC 900cc engine offering a top speed of over 130mph it easily became the fastest mass produced bike in the world. The Japanese were often dismissed as just copying European designs, but this W1 represents what the British manufacturers should have been producing in the 1960s. It boasted 50bhp with a top speed of 115mph, the fastest production bike from Japan at the time. Offered in good, original and unmolested condition with some lovely patina, it will be supplied with a dating letter, 2 Keys and a current V5C. This machine is being sold as a collector’s item, part of Keith Masons stunning private collection of Vintage and Classic machines that have all been dry stored for several years and will require recommissioning prior to use.

More images to follow.

For more information, please contact:
Ian Cunningham
ian.cunningham@handh.co.uk
07415871189