 Back in 1989, with some help from my father, I purchased my first Kawasaki KE-175. It was a 1982 D4 model, and as it turned out, was with out a doubt, the best bike I ever had. It went everywhere I went, and while it got the full service each month, it also got worked hard. It was ridden year around, and on the roughest terrain one could throw at a bike...and it never let me down. I think a lot of that reliability had to do with the nikasil lined cylinder and the oil injection system. This particular bike was my best friend, it was the first bike I rode on the street (without a permit.....then with one), and i'm sure I put thousands of km's on it. In 1993 I sold the bike, and it turned out to be one of the biggest mistakes I ever made. To be honest, I have been kicking myself in the ass about it ever since. I vowed many years ago to hunt it down and get it back, but after many years and conversations, it seems the original KE has disappeared, and my hopes dashed. The next step was to place an add and see if one like it turned up as they were known for good handling and reliability, so in the end, if I could find one the same, I would be in business but....no luck. Where had all the KE's gone? On the night of Nov 16/2013, I turn on, of all things, Facebook, and there in front of me sits a 1980 Kawasaki KE-175 D2....really good shape, running condition, and road plated.....Was I really seeing this, Did the earth reverse poles?...well, after slapping myself in the face, I re-read the add...it was real, and it was an hour away from home!! Friday morning I head for work, and send the seller a text, followed by a phone call thanks to canada411....eventually a time was set up for later that day. I hit the highway as soon as possible, and with the foot to the floor in my Honda Acty truck, and a whopping top speed of 90km/h, I headed for Mayfield, N.B. It started one kick from cold, and that unique sound that the reed valve ke's make was music to my ears...like a song you havn't heard in two decades....hell, I could almost hear Eric Clapton singing "hello old friend". Anyway, after a fairly good inspection, the deal was made, the bike loaded on the Acty, and I was east bound and down. The pics below are of the recovery and a few taken the next day. It was a long time coming, but better late than never!!     |
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