HARRIS KAWASAKI 1260 TURBO
18 October 2005 - Kawasaki

A unique and historic 1260cc turbo-charged motorcycle will be unveiled on the BSR-Aerotek stand at this year’s NEC Motorcycle Show, following its restoration in memory of its late creator, and Company founder, Dave Grant.

This inspirational bike was originally built in 1987 from a wrecked Mk I Harris Z1000 and is a stunning example of a time when engineers and riders strove to improve both handling and performance of the new breed of Japanese super bikes. According to Mat Oxley, who reviewed the machine for Performance Bikes article in 1987;

“Dave’s masterstroke involved turning the bike upside down, in concept at least, by slinging the petrol tank underneath the motor and fixing the turbo above it”

Wendy Grant, Dave’s wife, who now runs the business, recalls;

“I rode this bike back in 1987, when Dave and I were first going out. It was absolutely mad, it pulled your arms out of their sockets when the turbo kicked in…. and I never did try the nitrous button!”

Now the Harris is re-built in 2005 by to mark the 20th Anniversary of the business and in memory of the death of Dave in 2000 following a fatal motorcycle accident.

The Harris has been sat collecting dust at the back of the BSR-Aerotek workshop since 1995, while the Turbo and various other parts sat rusting in a filing cabinet. Now it has been returned to its former glory, with several new additions. These include an R1 front end (with forks approx. 70mm shorter than the standard Z1000 items) to lower the bike and the swinging arm has been extended by 50mm. To maintain a similar riding position, new billet alloy yokes, risers and bars have been a necessary addition, along with AP Dual-ball master cylinder levers.

There have been a number of other cosmetic updates to the seat unit, exhaust tail-pieces, paint scheme, etc.

The Harris Kawasaki 1260 Turbo is also significant for the Company’s own history, as Wendy explains.

“We were just Braided Steel back in the 1987,specialising in braided hoses. It was the difficulty Dave had in sourcing various fasteners for this project that urged him to source and manufacture bike-related bolts himself, setting up the Aerotek range in 1993.”

Hence BSR hydraulic hoses and brake lines have been fitted throughout, complemented by Aerotek alloy, stainless and titanium fasteners.

See the Harris Kawasaki 1260 Turbo on the BSR-Aerotek stand at the NEC Motorcycle Show, 28th October – 6 November 2005, where the Company will be raising money for Winston’s Wish, a Gloucestershire-based charity for bereaved children (www.winstonswish.org.uk).

www.kawasaki.co.uk

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