VOLUME ISSUE FEBRUARY , P131
ram in the great outdoors? And
what happened when that two-
wheeled wild animal needed to
get civilized and run down to the
Gas'n'Git for a gallon of milk?
In the August 15, 1972, issue
of Cycle News, the crew put the
big Kaw to the test. The Bighorn,
like its competitors, was a large
(for that time) two-stroke single.
Unlike the others, the Kawasaki
utilized a rotary-valve configura
-
tion. Suzuki used this design
as well, but only on its smaller
(100cc and under) motorcycles.
The CN crew explained the pros
and cons of Kawasaki's choice.
"The rotary-valve engine is
both a complement and a detrac
-
tion to an enduro machine," they
wrote. "It is often easier to get
a good power spreader with the
disc valve, because the design
-
ers aren't stuck with symmetrical
intake timing. [It] does have a
good low end…on the other hand,
you could whiz along the free
-
way at a road racer-like 80 mph,
and there was more available if
you requested it. The 33 claimed
horsepower seems to be at least
as accurate as anyone else's
claims."
The disadvantages listed dealt
with the extra bulk resulting from
the rotary-valve system. With
the carburetor mounted on the
side of the crankcase, the likeli
-
hood of "some portion of getting
bopped by an antagonistic rock
or stump" increases. "It also
has the effect of decreasing the
ground clearance…and lessening
the number of narrow spots that
it can fit through." Performance-
wise, the rotary valve setup was
a winner, as the test crew liked
the throttle response as well as
"a lack of peakiness."
A good powerplant needs a
good home. The Bighorn's chas
-
sis was standard fare for the
time, with a mild-steel frame and
a suspension setup with limited
adjustment options. Kawasaki
was unique in its use of the Hatta
brand fork, which allowed the
rider to move the front axle for-
ward or rearward. Spring tension
could also be altered somewhat.
Making things different doesn't
always make things better, how-
ever, and the test omitted any ref-
erence to the actual performance
of the front forks.
"The 350 single is full of
torque and puts out adequate
power throughout the rev range.
But it also vibrates a lot and
makes longer rides less than
pleasant. The hands receive a
goodly buzz, the feet get mas
-
saged, and at some rpm set-
tings, the seat seems to hum. In
the dirt, you get bounced enough
that the vibes aren't that notice-
able."
In conclusion, the staff wasn't
too smitten with this bike, which
was no surprise, as the '70s crew
wasn't very fond of any enduro
machine in those days. Devoid of
gadgetry (which hadn't yet been
invented anyway) and free of
complexity, the Kawasaki Bighorn
lived in an era when riding motor
-
cycles was more about freedom
and less about convenience. It
may not have been the big ram on
campus, but it was high fun and
low-tech. A no-headache kind of
motorcycle.
CN
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The Bighorn
was a fairly
decent
motorcycle,
but not good
enough to keep
it in production.
