Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125976
Green Meanies return with a vengeance ( 00 ........ Kawasaki bounced back from its low 1974 racing profile with two new water-cooled road racers and plans to campaign both the AMA and FlM championship circuits this year. On spec, the KR250 should heat up the AMA lightweight competition co nsiderably . Go in g to a double-crank, in -line twin layout, they got the case-width to a bare minimum. There's so much air between the engine cases and the lo wer frame tubes, it makes the frame look as though it were designed for a wider engine. The powerhead is alumin um throughout, with metal-sprayed cylinder lin ers , while the gea rcase is 'magnesium . The dual cran ks are co unter-rotating and geared toge ther, with th e primary dri ve off th e rear crank and thc ignition sender unit on the right side o f the front crank. The rotary valves overlap to close up the cylinder spacing fo re and aft. Detailin g on the KR250 (and on its sister-ship KR 750) is missile grade throughout - right down to the bare-essentials machining on shock m o un t bolts and other hardware. Much of the same technology reappears in t he KR750, only in more m assive form . The transfe r ports on the water-cooled triple are ne sted a t an ang le to allow closer cy lin der spacing. There 's a six-speed gearbox at last (seven speeds on the 250), and the exhaust system is bunched in tigh t un der the bike's cen t erline . The frames of both m achines fo llow the same general plan - a double loop cradle with t he upper tubes wr app ed in a "U" aro u nd the fro n t of the fuel tank where they join t he top of the steering head. The swingarm pivot area is quite wide in both fra mes, and the loops are t ied to gether side-to-side at several points rather than attempt true triangulation. The KR750 still uses oil injection, fed from a one-quart tank in the seat-back, Oil pump, water pump and tach drive are clustered in one geardr ive body off the end of the crank. The KR250 is strictly premix lubrication (t wo explicitly labelled fuel cans in the pit and no screwups, huh, fellas?) ONTESA THIS MESSAGE IS FOR RIDERS WHO, IN 1974, TRIED DIFFERENT BIKES . ... UNSUCCESSFULLY. IN 1975, WE INVITE YOU TO TRY MON TESA. 250 ENDURO Frame: Chrome moly. Suspension : The best Betor with 7'1.>" front and rear travel (new gas-oil shock abso rbe rs on V-75 1. New engine porting with greater and broader powe r band . New conical exhaust. Swinging arm bushings in o il. Stainless steel spokes . Conical hubs. Dutch lWlN AIR filter. Akront mud less rims. Electronic ignition. Rugged nylon fende rs. Five-speed synchronized transmission. Your nearest Montesa dealer: ALASK A Th, Compet.tion Shop 174 547 W,llow 51. Fa,ro.n k, . AK 99 70 1 (90 7 14 56· 59 20 The Sh.de T, .. 420 1 ~d Rd . Spa _d. AI( 99503 (9071 271 ·595 9 HAWAII 1"- Motort. Inc. 90 1 C;lhforn<;ll A.... Wah i_ . HI 96 786 1 081 621-8 660 8 AR IZONA A" zoool Spo n Cyel" 2 102 W. P, orl a Phoornilt. AZ 8 5029 16021 944-5529 o.ert Cyel. 4 132 E. $pefodway Tuem n. AZ B571 6 1602 1 32 7--62 46 ~lIUki Dr Yu"" 17 01 . Ih A... . Yu"". A. 8 5364 Z 16021 72&1 446 Okey'. Cycl e Shop P.o . 80>1201 AZ 95 623 16021896- 908 4 Tyl" , Indi.n M.C. 14 E, Uni"eu lty Tempe . AZ 85 282 16021968 -6 137 SO. CAL IFORNIA Or.cl~. C&n tom Crtv Sporl c«. 15721 S. A, lIInl ic Com pt o n. CA 90221 f2131635-8058 CyeleCltel. 2J 19c..a...... 51. 5.in Bert\ilrd.nQ. CA 92 44 1 17 141 88 7 2600 Th. Cyel. W«k. 1200 W. Whitt ;.". Blwf. loI Hab'oI. CA 9002 1 (2 13) 691 ·3273 Don' , Cyc'. &.I " 1108 W. Ho ll Onll11io . CA 91762 17 14 1 98 6-5002 Mil&ion H~II M.C. 8730 ~ I....cl' Bhod. Sepulwrd a. CA 9 1J4 3 12 13 1 785-4 289 Sw: ulr.i of c.li'OO'n l ' 560 El Ca jM Blvd . EI Caj on , CA 92020 (7 14 1 442·77 4 7 Su:ruki C,ty na S. l . 8 ,.. A", . Inglewood. CA 90301 (21 3 167 4 ·143 1 Vic', Com pett ti on $hop 6236 M,u.o n Gor p Rd . San Diego. CA 91 2 10 17 141 28....7095 Wfttnttns1et" Sport Crda n l9 Wft1m rnster A.... Whtm ,nll.,. . CA 92638 f7 141 893-700 7 Wheel ltnll h Motorc yck1o 3641 Mc Fadden Sant.. Anil. CA 92704 (7 14)839.0150 Hond a 0 1 Aclandl 406 W Rudland ~ Red lands . CA a& E Cycl" Eng _& Supp ly 114O-A I(,..m., Blwf Anahe. m. CA 9 2806 NO. CALIFO RNIA c.rm tch Mi HOI\de 7833 Fa,roaks Blvd. Cat mlch..r. CA 95608 (91 6 19 44 ·13 18 CYcl. M., in 56 Bol," 1n Road F,.rlu. CA 94 93 0 14 15 1 453·168 0 Dudtey &. Son 620 V...I" 51. Hoin ord . CA 93230 t r209 1582-9370 e..,. M.C. c.n,... 107 S. NH - SI. e..l.,. . CA 9 3121 12091 59 2·2766 F,_CycI.C1I'. 2250 E. McK,n l.y St . F, ,,, no , CA 93703 (209 ) 2 33-18 34 Hayalr. Cyel. 2589 ·2593 1It SI li... rmo,. CA 94 5 50 14 15 1 44 7-446 0 MoorelloSoni 2 ·143 1 a. cue Dr. s.ntllC'uz. CA 95060 1 .w!l1 4 7So36 19 R a. J Honda Shop 510 Couch S I. VanllJo, CA 945 90 (707 169 1-494 4 Redw ood Motonpot ts 1825 Tomhn lOn 51, Eu reke. CA 95501 f707 1 443 -406 5 Selby MoIOl' 346 EI Cllmil\O R. .. RlICtwood City . CA 94062 (4 151 369-4 112 o & l Sport Cy e' " Stit+" Rout. No . 1 plymo u th. CA 95669 Impa ,1 Cyc le No . 1 62 03 Yowm, te B1Yd MeMl1o . CA 95 35 1 Impa rl Cyel" No . 2 60B Por l" r A.... Stoc kto n. CAo So . Taho. Sport , 1Io Cyel n PO Bolt 84 38 So . TilhOl! CA 95 731 . TUJJ>tlV CYC les JOOEl Cun,no Mt . V_. CA 94040 Sou m Clry Cvcl e Shop Sl l May fa •• So . Sa n F ran CiSC CA 9 4 08 0 O, 14 15)583·3519 IDAHO Cvd' Servic. 0,. 5 120 Hill Road Bo'il' . 1083703 I2OBI 345- 3 153 Don', T.... &. Cvek 35 7 4 th A..... N.W. Tw,n F. lI, . 10 83301 12011 1 73J.OB 1B Hylton·, HOf'dII 719 Nor th Main Moscow . 10 8 384J 1200 1 882-7n1 51.... EI.cute 80 . 119 R.thd , um. to 8 38 58 1208 1687·2011 WIIl.e. Mech . 10 Eng. 1230 N. Skylln. 0 r, Idaho F. II, . 10 8 3401 f2OB15 23.(1871 NEVADA Cym Fun 90S S. Rock Blvd . Sc-ks. /\IV 69710 170 21 J58·5233 c.w.', Cyd. Shop Torn '. Cy cl . Cent..12305. M ain Sptoc_ty Cye" 449 5 Tab l, R ock Rd . 2009 Po rt land A... . . L. Vegas. NV 89 104 1702 1 38 2 ·6600 Cwnl'lIl POII' OR 97501 'II. 150 31 664· 2756 Walla W. lla . WA 99 362 {509 1525 ·12 12 UTAH Eastmon, Cvel. WOttd Ev,,' en . WA 982 04 1206 1337· 303 1 OREGO N Gill,n, En'.'Pt.... 15 10 So u th Corw;:ord Eugene. OR 97 403 15031 746- :124 2 Compn;tton Mot:~ 1(_ 8340 S.W. Barbu, Blvd. Port land . OR 972 19 150 31 24!)·3181 TIw Cve.. l.... 409 Nort h F.rtl SI. P~t Off ICII Bo . 1265 LoI G,ande. OR 9 7850 150 31 96 3·24 12 JIoJMo~ 3620 S. E. P ~' 51. Por tland . OR 9 7202 1503 1 235 -8938 , , -_ki o f R-*,u.g 2976 Nonh."t D,amo nd ROII'bu rg. OR 15031 672-88 55 Village Span Cye ln 1011/\1 . 91h Conage Gro .... OR 97 42. Mon tesa Motors. Inc.. 3657 Beverly Blvd .• Los A ngeles, CA 90004 . Teleph one: 21 3·M ON ·T ESA C a. G Cycl, SIll.. 2331 S. SUIt. SI, 5IIlt Lak . City . VT 84 115 180 11 48 7·26 12 Sporu; & Cycle Cft". 596 E. TllblltnllCt. 51. GlIOfgll VT 84770 . mOil 673--2'221 Gland P" . Cyel. C, nt.. J994 W !)4Q(I Sou th Kearns. UT 84 118 I(lftr; ', PtllCl lOn Cycle ' 45 1 W. 121h Ogd, n. UT 84404 WA. HINGT ON S Bu,i,n Mon' ... 1502 6 h I A..... So . Seattle. WA 98148 12061 242 .02 56 W.l. Inc. 14 1 St:erll("View O, iv. Longview . WA 98632 12061 42 5-7628 Cycl. s.a..• Svt. 3401 Mllin 51. Union Gap . WA 98903 lS091 453-2103 Mon_ McMon Un""';_ 3456 Martm WoIy Olymplil . WA 98506 12061 45&8685 Pw I~'.IM. 61 1·tOOfn sr., S.W. TKOmoI WA 98 499 . (206 1 588 ·183 7 Sports Cyel.. 4820 N. Merk. 1 Spo koln". WA 99202 (509 1 489 -6!iOO Od,..', Cycl. Sho p 1616 S. Col"" l,, Walla Willla. WA 99 362 15091 525 ·12 12 dll KilrIIlV·OhoICl.on CV Workt S320 E....9'""" WilY E"" . I1. WA 98 704 12061 38 7·303 1 3