K10 1997-98

Model Details

Frame No from: KH125K-17001; engine No from: KH125DE014293 original colour schemes: Ebony & Firecracker Red. 12v electrical system. Engine range same as for K5-K10. Plain colour schemes, no decals on tank, rear cowl or side panels. Tank badge is a stuck-on vinyl print rather than a 3D plastic moulded 'Kawasaki' with screws.

This is it, the very last of the official KH125's in the UK. Looking at the frame numbers, Kawasaki was selling less than a thousand KH models a year now. New registrations for the K10 went beyond 1998 into 1999 (and probably beyond); they weren't exactly selling like hot cakes at this point and lingered at the dealers like a bad smell. The KH was a little old fashioned with its 2-stroke engine and staid design. The motorbike commuter that had been a major target for the KH125 had largely disappeared throughout the 90's because you couldn't ride a 125 indefinitely on a car licence any more, you had to pay for CBT's every couple of years or pass a specific bike test. What was the point? Might as well go to work in your car.

The fairing look was 'in' even on smaller cc bikes and the KH couldn't compete in attracting the younger learners who wanted to pose on something a little more sporty looking. Ironically the fashion wheel continues to turn with 'retro' being the 'thing' at the time of writing. 

So, the last of the UK KH125's was released in 1997/8. The Ebony colour scheme remained but the Sunbeam Red appears to have been replaced by Firecracker Red. The UK K10 parts micro-fiche agrees, showing the side panels, fuel tank and seat cowling in Ebony and Firecracker Red options. As for decals, I've only seen K10's in plain colours and no graphics, (see images below). Where previous micro-fiches had drawings of the graphics on the panels, tank and seat cowling, the K10 micro-fiche lists them as plain except for the Kawasaki badges (which are stickers and not moulded badges on the K10). 

I've seen some blurry images online of Kawasaki's 1997 & 1998 fold-out poster brochures containing their full bike range including the K10. It seems to show the KH125 with the usual pinstripe graphics on the tank and the picture of the red bike seems to be a Sunbeam Red version and not the darker Firecracker Red. Given the evidence, the K10 actually came in plain Ebony and Firecracker Red and Kawasaki used pictures of an older K9 model in their 1997 & 1998 brochures.

I'm not really sure how many of these K10's are still knocking around. As it was the last model to be produced you'd think that they would be common but that appears not to be the case. I have the feeling that they sold so poorly that there are few of them out there. At the time of writing I've only seen five for sale on eBay. I have no idea if any specific model advertising literature was produced for the K10, somehow I rather doubt it but if you know better then please send me a scan for this page - in fact any info on the short-lived K10 would be welcome.

This was the last of the official KH125's in the UK. Sadly, a two decade era was over for Kawasaki's KH125. She had a good run.