I
n the 1970s world of professional
motocross, deep and wide was the
chasm between the pampered life
of the factory-sponsored racer and
the buzzing pack of self-supported
wannabes. Exotic, finely tuned instru
-
ments known as works bikes served
as steeds for the haves, while the
have-nots plodded along with ma
-
chinery that looked like it had just
been rolled off the showroom floor
because, well, they had just been
rolled off the showroom floor. While
the hand-built exotica were reserved
for the princes of the sport, the stock
bikes were mass-produced for the
plebeians, accessible to all who
could scrape together enough bones
for the manufacturer's suggested
retail price.
CNIIARCHIVES
P98
BY KENT TAYLOR
A WORKS BIKE YOU COULD BUY?
When the limited-
production Kawasaki
KX250 A4 came out in
1978, Kawasaki said
it was an honest-
to-goodness works
motocrosser for
expert riders only.
They also said the
207-pound bike made
40 horsepower at
6500 rpm.
THE 1978 KAWASAKI
KX250 A4