Picture: Playing in the dirt, 238cc Kawasaki, Kami Seya, Japan, 1969
I talked with the dealer that is holding the REB He still hasn't done anything with it as he is negotiating on my behalf with CMW for a three week extension on the warranty. I guess he wants to get the warranty thing nailed down before he starts replacing parts. He thinks the lifters are the problem, general consensious on the Yahoo groups is that it is a valve seat problem. I would just as soon not have to pay for his education so I'm not getting nasty with him about getting it fixed. Who knows maybe he is right on, I looked at the lifters and they look fine to me, but what the hell do I know?
As I am prone to do when REBless I look at old pictures and play with the computer. The above picture was taken in 1969 when I was stationed at the US Naval Security Group Activity in Kami Seya, Japan. The bike is a 238cc Kawasaki F21M, one of the first Japanese motocrossers. I bought it used, I think it was a '67 or '68. It had Ceriani forks, and I later put on a hotter rotary valve, larger carb and a different pipe. On tight tracks it was competitive but the Yamahas could out run it on the longer tracks. I had a novice class racing license and competed in many races while in Japan. Races were also regularly hosted at Atsugi NAS. Once in awhile we would hold "All American" meets with just Americans, I was much more successful in those than the ones with the Japanese.
I shipped the bike to Hawaii when I left Japan and it was stolen from my driveway. Never got it back, damn that was a fun bike. Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
P.S. That "thing" in the background is a Wullenweber Circular Disposed Antenna Array, also know as an elephant cage.
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