Kawasaki Meguro K3 - Meguro S1 - W230 - W175

[p6x]

Is this the futur? But I could see commutes being done on a 230 cc bikes. Simple and reliable!

Will they ever come to the USA? 

https://www.global-kawasaki-motors.com/w_meguro/en/meguro_k3/index.html

 

Edited Friday at 02:42 PM by p6x

[GuzziMoto]

Future? That looks retro to me. They are cool, but I don't think a 230cc bike would sell well here. A 400cc - 500cc single would be a better option.

The wife and I own two smaller bikes, a pair of Husqvarna 401's. They are great fun to ride. But I am glad they are as big as the are engine wise, I don't think I would enjoy them nearly as much if they were 230cc. In fact, I wish they used the larger KTM single. Even KTM realized they needed more power, as this year that line of bikes gets a longer stroke and more torque. The new ones also get a better dash, ours have a dash that is nearly useless, and they get a larger gas tank it seems. An extra gallon of gas is huge when it only holds 2.4 gallons to begin with. It sucks having to fill up every 100 miles or so.

Edited Friday at 03:08 PM by GuzziMoto

[audiomick]

3 hours ago, GuzziMoto said:

... I don't think a 230cc bike would sell well here....

I seriously doubt that it would sell much in Australia either, but here in Germany it might. Not heaps, but there might be a market.

I reckon it would be serious competition for the Royal Enfield 350, and is quite possibly a better bike into the bargain.

This Enfield:

https://www.royalenfield.com/de/de/motorcycles/classic-350/

 

[GuzziMoto]

To be fair, I think it is cool, especially some of the touches like a bevel cam drive (although the baby versions don't have that it seems). And they are pretty. 

For me, I would want some with more then a 230cc or 250cc engine for where I live. A 500cc single would be great. A 400cc single is okay, but I already have that.

[p6x]

On 2/14/2025 at 9:05 AM, GuzziMoto said:

Future? That looks retro to me.

I meant, the future of motorcycling in part of the worlds where high capacity engines used to rule. I was not hinting at the retro looks of those.

I have a "pied à terre" in Argentina, most of the motorcycles zipping past you in the traffic are small capacity bikes, such as 125/250cc. There are a few exceptions, but it is rare.

The same in Asian countries where small cubed are king. Those 125cc are used as Taxi, in the same way they do in Africa. I worked and lived in Nigeria for 7 years, and either in Port-Harcort or Warri, the fastest way to get anywhere is to take one of those Chinese copy of Honda 125cc. Because the drivers of these bikes do that all throughout the day, it is kind of an incredible experience to piggy back. Drum brakes (may or not work), no light, no safety gear, nothing. And these guys speed through the constant traffic jams.

My last visit in Paris, in November last year, I saw many more of those below 500cc bikes than before, and the scooters of course. In France, there is a regulation that stipulates that after you get your motorcycle driver's license, you can't drive a motorcycle with more than 47.5 hp for two years; its named A2 license.

Last but not least, the A1 license authorize you to drive a 125cc motorcycle or scooter. Many car drivers get their A1, just to commute to work.

That maybe a reason why smaller capacity powered bikes could be the future in countries that used to only have an interested for "big" engines.

Obviously, the USA are different.

[guzzler]

I've often thought that if I were able to have a second bike it'd be a big ( ish ) single. A 500 Bullet but they discontinued them so maybe a Himalayan 450 or even the newer 650 twin in teal which bears a passing resemblance to a bullet. Or a Triumph 400 single or a Vitpilen 401 ...I kinda like these especially in white!

Any of these would be great for a wee blat round the back-roads here which are remarkably like UK country lanes / roads.

All conjecture I'm afraid as the minister wouldn't have a bar of it.....

Cheers  

[p6x]

10 minutes ago, guzzler said:

I've often thought that if I were able to have a second bike it'd be a big ( ish ) single. A 500 Bullet but they discontinued them so maybe a Himalayan 450 or even the newer 650 twin in teal which bears a passing resemblance to a bullet. Or a Triumph 400 single or a Vitpilen 401 ...I kinda like these especially in white!

Any of these would be great for a wee blat round the back-roads here which are remarkably like UK country lanes / roads.

All conjecture I'm afraid as the minister wouldn't have a bar of it.....

Cheers  

If I can make a suggestion, I would propose that you get a Rieju Aventura 500;

This is a 500cc with two 20 liters tanks, and an autonomy of 1000 km. Rieju used to be a Spanish brand. https://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/new-bikes/2024/february/rieju-aventura-500/

Of course, Chinese nowadays.

Now I don't know if Rieju is sold in Australia.

 

[guzzler]

G'day.

I've never even heard of them and doubt they'd be sold here in Oz but with that range it would be ideal for Australia.

However, due to it's new owners, they'd never see a cent of my money!

Cheers 

 

[p6x]

19 hours ago, guzzler said:

G'day.

I've never even heard of them and doubt they'd be sold here in Oz but with that range it would be ideal for Australia.

However, due to it's new owners, they'd never see a cent of my money!

Cheers 

 

Ah, the Chinese syndrome...

Well, I am partial with my wrath; everything got manufactured in China because companies wanted to make as much profit as possible by making it where man hours are cheaper.

I have an annecdote. When I was based in Italy, I did a job close to a very well known Ceramic Italian brand. The Hotel where I was staying was full with asian people. I checked, and was told these people where being trained on the craft of making Ceramic, and later, they would start supplying the brand for the most common stuff, such as the ceramic tiles you have in your bathroom.

They not only transferred the technology, but the machines too. All that spawned Chinese companies to start competing.

During Covid, masks became a commodity; so much that countries realized that all those masks were only manufactured in China.

Going back to motorcycles; most of the motorcycles are no longer made where the brand was born, to the exception of a few. All the Triumph sold in the USA are coming from Asia. The mighty BMW has some models made abroad. If I am not wrong, I think Moto Guzzi does the final assembly in Mandello del Lario, but I think the V100 engines maybe manufactured outside. KTM, we will know on February 25th, will transfer the majority of its manufacturing outside of Austria.

So Rieju says they own Gas Gas now. Gas Gas used to be in KTM portofolio.

What I disliked of the Chinese way to do business, is the obligation to share the technology. Initially, nobody really cared. My company used to manufacture our own proprietary tools in France. They quickly closed down the manufacturing center and exported everything to China. What they did not see coming, is Chinese companies competing for work using similar technology with different names. If they had kept the manufacturing in France, nothing of that would have happened.

What I found hilarious, is the occidental world has lost the ability to innovate...

did you know, that if you wanted to manufacture your EV batteries, all the machines and technology comes from China? this is now the opposite of what it used to be. Plus, they were smart in securing the rare earth required to make the batteries.

I took China as an example, but India is also a target to get things at a cheaper cost. Motorcycles included.

 

[guzzler]

Mate, lets just say I don't think much of their business ethics...

Even less of their political motivations!

Cheers