mattylad Posted February 26, 2009 Report Share Posted February 26, 2009 I am looking for some pictures, preferably colour for a friend of mine in France to finish off a Gollner Kawa. Also is anyone currently using one in twinshock trials and can they tell me what rear shocks you are using. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted February 26, 2009 Report Share Posted February 26, 2009 Not on a Gollner, but I'm using Falcons on a standard KT and they work very well. I've had them with a slightly longer top mounting (12mm approx) to help with the steering and also dropped the yokes about 25mm but Gollner may well have different steering so applying same mods to that may not work the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b40rt Posted February 26, 2009 Report Share Posted February 26, 2009 Not on a Gollner, but I'm using Falcons on a standard KT and they work very well.I've had them with a slightly longer top mounting (12mm approx) to help with the steering and also dropped the yokes about 25mm but Gollner may well have different steering so applying same mods to that may not work the same. How do you like the KT ? Not a bike that I found to be exceptional in any department, but still not a bad bike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted February 26, 2009 Report Share Posted February 26, 2009 How do you like the KT ? Not a bike that I found to be exceptional in any department, but still not a bad bike. I like it a lot, not because I think it is better than other bikes of it's era or because it's different, but purely because I liked the look of them when they came out. A local lad had one from new and it just left an impression that stayed. There was something about them, they just looked nice, I wanted one (no money - no chance) and have wanted one ever since. By the time I got to be able to ride trials regularly, their day had gone (if it ever came as they had a pretty bad press here) and it was all SWM, Beamish, Bultaco, Ossa, Montesa, first Fantics etc. All the KTs had been parked in sheds or suffered from being mated to sidecars. It was probably 20 odd years before I saw another. I had a quick ride on it and thought it wasn't too bad, never got to try a section on it but realised I still wanted one... Managed to get one last year which apart from being the wrong colour was in very good nick and benfitted from a full engine rebuild. I've ridden it in quite a few events now and I really enjoy riding it. The handling could be better, there are two things that let it down a bit but it is nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be given the general consensus of opinion about them. The steering is a little slow and is very similar to an M49 Sherpa, in overall handling also without feeling quite as cumbersome. However, even though it is slow steering the turning circle is very tight and it steers well around nadgery stuff. It's shortcoming is that if it goes off line up a rocky stream or gully it can't immediately be brought back on line, it needs feet rather than inches to reign back in. The other shortcoming is the front forks which have a nice action but like most Jap forks of the era are too softly sprung and damped - for my weight anyway. Uprated springs work well but the damping is still soft and they top out. Still trying to sort that out. As mentioned in previous post, the rear suspension works well and using the Falcons with superlight damping and 60lbs springs, it has a nice action with plenty of feel. Brakes are superb by drum standards and probably the best I've come across, no doubt - I use genuine Kwak shoes. Clutch is reasonably light although not really needed in sections but if it is necessary to clutch and brake the bike is very comfortable and stable doing so, unlike an Ossa or Bultaco of the same era which bends and twists underneath you in protest. The engine was the biggest surprise and is much more torquey and powerful than I expected - better than a TY250 which I was assured it wasn't but which I've always found flat. It has a big flywheel weight fitted and plonks reasonably well but feels like it could do with more weight still. It will pull 3rd gear no problem if required. It grips very well (again, relative to bikes of the era, not a GasGas...) and the motor will really rev. It has a slight powerband that you can feel 'come on the pipe' halfway up the rev range -if you want revs it's got them. Overall I'm very pleased with it, not the best twinshock by any means, if I get on my Majesty afterwards it's a world apart as you'd expect, but I enjoy riding it and although it's not important to me, it gets a lot of attention - A spectator at the first classic round wouldn't let me leave for the next section until he'd got photos of it. It's been 100% reliable (kiss of death) maintenance is minimal, nothing gets in the airbox or carb, haven't had to clean the filter once in over 20 rides, the brakes work even when wet and if they do fade through water ingress it only takes a 3 or 4 second ride with them on to get them back. It's a real shame Kawasaki didn't continue with it. The motor is quite light and performs well but the frame is seriously over engineered and heavy. If they had developed it further with quicker steering, lighter frame, better fork action it could have easily been on a par with the rest - and if only they'd put that works 330 into production.... I've never tried a Gollner, no doubt it must be an improvement but for some reason, they have no appeal to me over the original. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b40rt Posted February 27, 2009 Report Share Posted February 27, 2009 I think that is a very accurate assessment of the KT. Must be a few of them kicking about this part of the world as I seem to remember 4/5 at the time. My one was very reliable and was used to commute as well as compete. I would be interested to try one one with modern tires, rear shocks etc. The only problem I had was it ran out of sparks during a very damp period, the cure at the time was to put the CDI unit somewhere warm for a few days. As you say the forks were not a strong point, I recall that sometimes they would kick back for no apparent reason, usually sending you off in the wrong direction. Do you use the chain oiler ? I doubt it as it was fantastic for spraying the stuff everywhere, or not coming out at all. Do you think it will ever achieve classic status? Ross Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattylad Posted February 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2009 Many thanks for the replies, certainly an interesting perspective. I myself have never ridden one but will remedy that this summer. Any period brochure pics would be fantastic. My friend has gone with the geen Kawa tank and not the gollner yellow peril as I think they were known. In my whole riding experience i have only ever seen 1 compete in a trial that was in south yorshire in the late seventies ridden by a guy called Chris Pears I think. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b40rt Posted February 27, 2009 Report Share Posted February 27, 2009 Many thanks for the replies, certainly an interesting perspective.I myself have never ridden one but will remedy that this summer. Any period brochure pics would be fantastic. My friend has gone with the geen Kawa tank and not the gollner yellow peril as I think they were known. In my whole riding experience i have only ever seen 1 compete in a trial that was in south yorshire in the late seventies ridden by a guy called Chris Pears I think. I think I might have the original book that came with it, more like a workshop manual if memory serves. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted February 27, 2009 Report Share Posted February 27, 2009 No Ross, the chain oiler has been blanked off by a previous owner but for the reasons you state, I never bother with them anyway. One of those nice designer touches that looks good on the draftboard but has no practical use whatsoever. Whether it will ever reach any sort of status I don't know, and truthfully, not really bothered as the stuff I have is for my own enjoyment and not for what others think, but people probably don't bother with them as they are berated severely for being utterly uncompetitive, which, having now owned and ridden one, isn't really accurate. No they aren't the best but they aren't that far away. At least it meant I got mine cheap and is one of the best buys I've ever had, a real wash and go bike (I'm really going to regret this one weekend, in the middle of some moors, I just know it...) I have noticed on ebay though that the last 2 or 3 that were on fetched more than I thought they would, one went for twice what I paid for mine and it wasn't in as good condition, so who knows what they may start fetching. They seem to fetch less in the US as one or two recent nice examples didn't sell. Swiss rider Jack Aebi (who rides each year in th SSDT) rides a totally standard KT, even the shocks, in classic trials in France/Belgium etc and has won more than once on it against good riders on better bikes. They found it stored in a barn, totally original. Mattylad, take a look at this site as there are links from it with loads of pictures of KTs http://members.tripod.com/kawasakiKT/index-4.html I agree with your mate on the colour for his Gollner, the green/white looks better than the yellow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arun1664 Posted February 27, 2009 Report Share Posted February 27, 2009 (edited) Not sure if this will work but a picture of an outstanding KT I took at the 2004 Stafford Show, hope its of interest http://www.flickr.com/photos/arun1664/3314562720/ Edited February 27, 2009 by arun1664 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy m Posted February 27, 2009 Report Share Posted February 27, 2009 I think as Kawasaki were the smallest of the big 4 as they say they were at the time pushing the road bikes Z900s (lost count how many I owned) the 2 stroke triples as well as others. They didn't want to be left behind as road bikes were selling like hot cakes back then and the Kt didn't last as it was only sold in small numbers over here. Saw one at HCTC trial last Sunday a regular from South Wales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrispears Posted October 19, 2014 Report Share Posted October 19, 2014 Hi, just found your post about the kt 250 - yes it was me who used to ride it in the middle 70's. Good bike, very reliable, I'd recommend it for classic twin shocks. Still riding today on a Beta 4 stroke, lots of old faces started trialing again. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2stroke4stroke Posted October 22, 2014 Report Share Posted October 22, 2014 It's interesting how opinions/preferences can vary. I had a KT at the time and the really soft suspension was a good point, to me, and, as you say, the brakes. However I couldn't get on with the lack of flywheel weight (compared to what we were used to with Bultos etc). Also they didn't really run too well at higher revs, suffering detonation etc (this mattered in those days as most trials had roadwork), and the Alec Wright suggested remedy of removing the outer electrode of the spark plug had no effect beyond demonstrating what a powerful spark the system produced. It would not be fair to comment on performance in the sections as it had the Japanese tyres and I wasn't keen to spend on proper rubber given the other problems and didn't keep it long. Kawasaki UK commissioned Napier College in Edinburgh to do some work and I rode an early version of that without knowing the mods, other than an Amal carb, and don't recall much difference. I think the bike ended up somewhere over 300cc but I suppose the demise of the KT prevented adoption of any improvements. That bike still exists in a shed up here. I always thought that all Kawasaki had to do at design stage was copy the porting etc from one of the Spanish bikes but, hey, that approach didn't work for Italjet :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted October 22, 2014 Report Share Posted October 22, 2014 I had a standard KT a few years ago, not a Gollner, and rode it for a couple of years in various trials including a good number of Miller rounds. I found the engine to be very good, torquey enough meaning 2nd and 3rd gears could be used in sections without problem. Much better than the TY engine. No detonation issues either in sections or on the road. The clutch worked well and wasn't too heavy. Suspension was comparable with most from that era but the front forks were not quite as good in their damping and spring rate as an Ossa. Rear suspension had Falcons and worked well with plenty of feel. Brakes were very good Chassis felt like an early 70s Sherpa with a long fork rake and slow steering but it felt more stable when trying to clutch/brake in tight stuff. I liked it a lot and it was perfectly capable of dealing with anything in most of today's classic events. In its era, with a little more development I'm sure they could have been a great bike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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