1971 Kawasaki 350 A7b Avenger

The design process produced the 247 cc A1Samurai 250 of 1966 and the 338 cc A7 Avenger 350 of 1967. The A1 and A7 use essentially the same frame, engine and gearbox, the A7 gaining extra capacity courtesy of a larger bore size and weighing only 4 kg more than the A1. The A1 and A7 were successful on the US market offering something different to the standard American fare, but with a sting in the tail that would see off many much larger machines at the time. The A7 engine is an air cooled two stroke parallel twin cylinder design which uses rotary disc valve induction and has a bore and stroke of 62 x 56 mm, a 7.0:1 compression ratio, and produces 42 hp @ 8000 rpm and 28.9 ft-lb of torque @ 7000 rpm. Twin Mikuni VM28SC carbs sit outside of the discs that run on the crankshaft ends and are completely encased. Because of this extra width the Kokusan alternator is housed above the 5-speed gearbox and is gear driven. Engine lubrication is by Kawasaki’s Injectolube direct oil injection system. The frame is a double cradle twin tube design with a steering angle of 40 degrees. Front and rear guards are stainless steel. Front suspension is telescopic forks with steel sliders while rear is swinging arm with enclosed coil over shock absorber units. Wheel size is 3.25-18 front and 3.50-18 rear. Braking is by drum brake front and rear with the front being twin leading shoe. The A7 weighs in at 149 kg dry. Kawasaki’s A7 Avenger was produced in the original styling for 1966 & 1967, and received a facelift for 1969. 1970 saw a new coffin shaped tank which was carried over to 1971 with different graphics to match the H1 of that year. This was the last year of the A7 and the S2 350 triple was introduced for 1972. Probably the most famous rider of the A7 in New Zealand was Graeme Crosby who raced it very early on in his career. In fact when the S2 was made available for Crosby to race he couldn’t get off it quick enough and return to his beloved A7!I purchased my 1971 A7B in 2009 from a local restorer. The bike was 90% completed, requiring only the addition of indicators/flasher unit to begin the VIN process and registration. Subsequent work has included sourcing and fitting of a centre stand, a hydraulic steering damper to compliment the friction damper (an original fitment), the replacement of the regulator and rectifier with a modern combo unit, and a tidy up of the wiring. Recently anew battery and set of correct mirrors have been fitted. A lot of time has also been spent sorting carburation and timing (many thanks to Paul de Lautour of Manawatu Motorcycles for his ongoing help and advice) to ensure the engine runs cleanly. Like all old bikes the A7 is a work in progress and there is always an improvement that can be made.

Riding the A7 is a very different experience from more modern machinery (bikes of the ‘70s and ‘80s!). The A7 is a small and light machine that gives the rider a feeling of being perched on top of the bike rather than sitting down into the bike. It turns quickly into corners with little input, but imparts a feeling of nervousness if flicked quickly from side to side or when encountering uneven surfaces, or a change of line mid corner. Despite this nervousness the bike is actually stable and does nothing untoward to cause concern once the rider is accustomed to its idiosyncrasies. The brakes are excellent and are a surprise to many who have ridden it, the 2LS front brake being quite powerful. A change to 90 weight oil in the forks (on the advice of Pete Stevenson – A7 racer) has improved the handling and eliminated chatter under braking. The disc valve engine has surprising torque for 338 cc and holds well on hills requiring few down changes when cruising. Power builds rapidly over 6000 rpm to peak at the 8000 rpm redline. There is also a surprising amount of engine braking for a 2-stroke. The price for this level of performance from a (1960s) mid sized twin is a thirst for fuel. Consumption ranges from 30 – 35 mpg, probably dipping into the 20s if in a hurry. Trips need to be carefully planned around fuel stops based on a 100 mile range. I ride the A7 frequently around the Manawatu on our Sunday rides and last year rode down to Kaiapoi as part of a Blue Haze group attending the 2010 VJMC rally. After the rally we headed through the Lewis pass to Nelson for a night and then back to Palmerston North the next day. The A7 performed faultlessly covering 1400 km in 4 days.