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Sportbikes

1989Kawasaki KR1

25 fields on record

The 1989 Kawasaki KR1 is a Japanese sports bike with a 249cc liquid-cooled two-stroke parallel twin making 55 hp and 36.8 Nm. It weighs 123 kg dry and has a 6-speed gearbox and a 16-litre tank.

Capacity: 249.0 ccm
Engine: Parallel Twin, two-stroke
Gearbox: 6-speed
Dry weight: 123.0 kg
Seat height: 855 mm
Power: 55.0 HP (41.0 kW) @ 10500 RPM

⇄ Compare with another bike ＋ Add to garage All model years

Other years 1988 1989

How it rides

Editorial estimate from the spec sheet - not lab tested

Off-road & trail5%

Cornering80%

City riding25%

Daily riding20%

Touring10%

Two-up25%

Track75%

Best for: Sport bike built for its class - everyday, practical use.
Built for: A sport bike from Kawasaki, built around a 249cc engine - a real production model, but this profile is formula-generated from its class and spec sheet rather than individually reviewed.
Not ideal for: Not for serious performance or off-road use.

Scores are derived from the spec sheet using the same model across every bike, so they compare like for like.

Will it fit you?

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Your height

Inseam (optional)

Units

At 855mm, a rider of 68.9" with a 31" (estimated) inseam will reach the ground with tip-toe one foot on the 1989 Kawasaki KR1, with a cramped knee angle of around 75 degrees and a forward-leaning riding position.

Assumes about 30mm of suspension sag once seated. This is an approximation from category-typical geometry, not a measurement of this bike or of you - sit on one before you buy.

More bikes at 821-900 mm — Long Legs →

Find bikes that fit your height →

Reliability & safety

Bike Reliability score, safety recalls and owner complaints

Bike Reliability

How the score works →

out of 100Average

The 1989 Kawasaki KR1 passed its annual roadworthiness test first time 83.3% of the time, 0.6 points below expected for bikes of the same age and mileage. That beats 45% of models.

All years of this model: 48 / 100 (average) from 1,350 tests.

83.3%Passed first time

10.8%Failed outright

5.9%Fixed during test

16,000Typical miles

443Tests

Pass rate by miles ridden

0-10k

88.5%

10-20k

81%

20-30k

82.9%

30-40k

87.5%

All years of this model.

Score by year first registered

19891990

Against its rivals · ranks 5 of 6

#	Model (all years)	Score	Tests
1	Yamaha RD 350 F	76 Good	141
2	Suzuki RG 500 Gamma	66 Good	2,168
3	Gilera Saturno 500	64 Good	208
4	Yamaha TZR 250	59 Average	3,338
5	Kawasaki KR1	48 Average	1,350
6	Suzuki RGV 250 Gamma	39 Below average	2,632

Rivals are the most-viewed bikes on MotorcycleDB in the same category and engine size, from within three years of this model.

From British annual roadworthiness tests, 2005-2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (DVSA MOT test data, Great Britain). How Bike Reliability works.

Full specifications

Engine

Capacity: 249.0 ccm
Power: 55.0 HP (41.0 kW) @ 10500 RPM
Torque: 36.8 Nm (3.8 kgf-m)
Engine type: Parallel Twin, two-stroke
Power/weight ratio: 0.4472 HP/kg (dry)
Bore x stroke: 56.0 x 50.6 mm
Compression: 7.4:1
Cooling system: Liquid
Fuel system: Carburettor
Starting: Kick

Transmission

Gearbox: 6-speed
Transmission type: Manual
Final drive: Chain

Dimensions & weight

Wheelbase: 1365 mm
Overall length: 2005 mm
Seat height: 855 mm
Dry weight: 123.0 kg
Fuel capacity: 16.00 litres

Chassis & suspension

Front suspension: 41mm stanchions, air assisted telescopic fork with unstopped preload adjustment
Rear suspension: Bottom Link Uni-Trak with air adjustable gas shock, unstopped preload, and four-way rebound damping

Brakes & wheels