1968 Kawasaki Bushwhacker 175 F-3 - 5-Page Vintage Motorcycle Test Article

Description

1968 Kawasaki Bushwhacker 175 F-3 - 5-Page Vintage Motorcycle Test  Article
Original, vintage magazine article.
Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm) each page
Condition: Good
ELECTRIC
SCRAMBLER
Kawasaki's 175cc 'Bushwhacker.
WHY IS IT many trail machines
weigh over 230 pounds and yet
have a lOOcc engine that produces less
than ten horsepower? This is a question
that plagues many people, especially in
the light of most 250cc racing scram-
blers. A current day 250 racer weighs
in the neighborhood of 225/235
pounds and has somewhere near 30/35
horsepower. Why is it necessary to
build a trail bike that weighs more than
this?
Our question has been answered by
Kawasaki. Since the introduction of
the Bushwhacker, a 175cc single cylin-
der trail bike, they have enjoyed
enormous success. Why? That’s easy.
Not only does it weigh less than 235
pounds, 225 to be exact, but it departs
from the normal Japanese line of
thinking in that it has a 175cc engine.
Why no one thought of this earlier is a
big surprise to us, but whatever the
reason it gave Kawasaki a chance to
get a big jump on their competitors.
And jump they did. Not only did they
decide upon the 175 engine but they
wrapped around it a sound tube frame
and most important, they hung suspen-
sion units at both ends that do the job.
As many of our steady readers
know, Cycle Guide has championed
the use of suspension components that
work properly. We have blasted the
Japanese industry, including Kawa-
saki, for making dampening units that
were hardly one step above a rigid
frame. We had just about given up
hope until two months ago when our
Associate Editor tested the Kawasaki
road racer. At that time he was pleas-
antly surprised, shocked would be a
better word, with what he found for
forks and shocks. J he Bushwhacker
also shocked us in that the suspension
actually does what it is supposed to,
namely smooth out the ride over the
whoop-te-do's. Part of this revelation
can be laid at the feet of the light
weight but the suspension travel is
more than adequate; just over four
inches at the front and just under three
at the rear. We're not stopping our
vendetta for better suspension, the
Bushwhacker's could be better, but at
this point of Japanese development it’s
a lot better than what’s in second place.
The engine follows along in the
Kawasaki trend. It is a single cylinder
that utilizes a rotary valve for the...
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