THE TANDEM TWIN

It was 1975 when Kawasaki stunned the Grand Prix paddock by unveiling their in-line (“Tandem”) twin cylinder 250, a motorcycle that was destined to become one of the most successful GP bikes ever, and which was joined soon by a 350cc version that was equally fond of the podium.

The KR250 was not an instant success – it took until Assen in 1977 for British rider Mick Grant to score the first GP win – but from then on there was no looking back. Grant took a second GP win at Sweden later in the year, but this was just a taste of the dominance enjoyed by the Big K in the following years.

Of course, Kawasaki had ventured into the quarter litre class before, with the A1R, another disc valve racer that appeared in 1967. It was quick too, but fragile and generally no match for the Yamahas that dominated by sheer weight of numbers on grids worldwide. Unlike the A1R, which was available for