Kawasaki W series

The Kawasaki W series is a line of vertical-twin standard motorcycles that Kawasaki has made since 1965. The original Kawasaki W1, sold as a 1966 model in North America, had the largest engine displacement of any model manufactured in Japan at the time. It grew out of Kawasaki's 1960 interest in the Meguro company, which built a licensed copy of the 500 cc BSA A7 as the Meguro K, and its enlarged 624 cc twin led through the Meguro X-650 prototype to the W1, aimed at the market for classic British twins. The line developed through the W1SS, the W2 also known as the Commander, and the W3 or RS650 of 1973, and ended in 1974 as multi-cylinder machines took over. The retro W650 appeared in 1999 and ran to 2007, the W800 followed in 2011, and a small W175 was introduced in 2017 for South East Asia. The Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan lists the 1966 W1 among its landmarks of Japanese automotive technology.