c.1982 Kawasaki KR250 Grand Prix Racing Motorcycle
Frame no. 601F7818
Engine no. TE 601 101
•Engine professionally refurbished
•Last used at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2014

Few machines in Grand Prix racing's modern era have enjoyed such a lengthy period of dominance as the Kawasaki 'tandem twins' that ruled the 250 and 350 classes from 1978 to 1982, winning 72 GPs and securing eight World Championships for the Japanese manufacturer.

A radical design, the KR250/350 employed the rotary inlet valves that had been a feature of previous Kawasaki two-strokes, but avoided the associated disadvantage of excess width (when applied to a conventional parallel twin) by using two inline cylinders with separate geared-together crankshafts. As well as the advantage of asymmetrical inlet timing, the use of direct crankcase induction via rotary disc valves enabled an extra transfer port to be accommodated in the cylinder where the inlet port would have been, while the tandem arrangement also left more room for the side transfer ports.

After an inauspicious debut season in 1975, the KR250 took a Grand Prix sabbatical in 1976, returning to the fray in '77 in heavily revised form with altered crankshaft phasing and mono-shock rear suspension. Mick Grant scored the KR's debut GP victory at Assen that year and followed up with a win in Sweden, but it was not until Kork Ballington's arrival the following year that the KR posed a serious championship threat. The South African went on to secure both the 250 and 350 World Championships in 1978 and '79, while German Anton Mang took the 250 World Championship in 1980 and '81 and the 350 title in 1981 and '82.

This particular KR250 is believed to have been campaigned by the French rider Jean-François Baldé, although, unfortunately, there is no firm documentary evidence to support this. Further research may yet prove fruitful but bidders should satisfy themselves as to the authenticity. Baldé had begun his Grand Prix career in 1973 in the 500cc class. He scored his first victory (riding a KR250 Kawasaki) in 1981 at the Argentine Grand Prix and went on to finish 2nd in the 250cc World Championship that year, his best-ever result. Consistency was the key to Baldé's success in 1981, the Frenchman scoring points in 10 out of the 12 rounds and finishing on the podium six times. His KR250 was outpaced in 1982 but on the KR350 he secured three World Championship victories, finishing 3rd overall at the season's end. He switched to Yamahas in 1983 and retired at the end of the 1989 GP season. In a 16-year career in Grands Prix, Baldé started over 200 races and finished on the podium's top step five times. Sadly, there were to be no points-scoring finishes in 1989.

An excellent example, the Kawasaki was last used at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in June 2014, although, sadly, the vendor can no longer remember who rode it. Re-commissioning will be required before further use. Copy KR250/350 service manuals are included in the sale.

With the 250cc class now defunct at World Championship level, these purpose-built Grand Prix racers are becoming increasingly collectible and this KR250 represents a wonderful opportunity to acquire an example believed raced by one of France's foremost Grand Prix stars of the 1970s and 1980s.
Offered without key
Footnotes:
All lots are sold 'as is/where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding