Kawasaki is bringing the two stroke back!

ML512
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ML512 6/1/2026 11:02am
6/1/2026 11:02am
dn315 wrote:

I keep hearing June 2nd. ML says early June so I’m guessing no later than June 11th for the Kawasaki Embargo 

Spoonguy wrote:

ML...the same dude who contradicted Cooksey saying Husky's factory team was folding? Sorce is only as good as his informer.

I just said on the Husky thing that I hadn't heard that and that riders had existing contracts. 

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dn315
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dn315 6/1/2026 11:22am
6/1/2026 11:22am
dn315 wrote:

I keep hearing June 2nd. ML says early June so I’m guessing no later than June 11th for the Kawasaki Embargo 

Spoonguy wrote:

ML...the same dude who contradicted Cooksey saying Husky's factory team was folding? Sorce is only as good as his informer.

ML512 wrote:

I just said on the Husky thing that I hadn't heard that and that riders had existing contracts. 

Tuesday or Thursday for the Kawasaki Embargo? 

3strokemx
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3strokemx 6/1/2026 11:52am
6/1/2026 11:52am

Bret Michaels of Poison
Bret Michaels of Poison

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Spoonguy
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Spoonguy 6/1/2026 12:34pm
6/1/2026 12:34pm
dn315 wrote:

I keep hearing June 2nd. ML says early June so I’m guessing no later than June 11th for the Kawasaki Embargo 

Spoonguy wrote:

ML...the same dude who contradicted Cooksey saying Husky's factory team was folding? Sorce is only as good as his informer.

ML512 wrote:

I just said on the Husky thing that I hadn't heard that and that riders had existing contracts. 

My apologies ML, my statement was meant to imply sources in this sport are unreliable, not you.

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280driver
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280driver 6/1/2026 1:31pm
6/1/2026 1:31pm

ML, what time will Kawi drop the ‘27s tomorrow?

agn5008
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agn5008 6/1/2026 2:01pm
6/1/2026 2:01pm
3strokemx wrote:

We are much heavier now so the big bore power would be more useful than ever to the common consumer.

plink01 wrote:
Kawi is gonna have to release a KX750 2T if its gonna conform to the average fat fuck American market. A 500 will bog down too...

Kawi is gonna have to release a KX750 2T if its gonna conform to the average fat fuck American market. A 500 will bog down too much and not have enough torque for the typical American Taco Bell warrior.

Yeah dude. Since most of us who ride moto and offroad are soooo out of shape. 

I don’t think the average fat fuck American is interested in a new Kawi 2 stroke. 
 

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dn315
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dn315 6/1/2026 2:06pm
6/1/2026 2:06pm
280driver wrote:

ML, what time will Kawi drop the ‘27s tomorrow?

1pm Eastern if I had to guess 

Richard Tease II 6/1/2026 2:14pm
6/1/2026 2:14pm
Bearuno wrote:
Dry Breaks are (nearly) always a bit scary, with regards to the Family Jewels safety.But, not as scary as this classic 1990 Kawasaki bodge job...

Dry Breaks are (nearly) always a bit scary, with regards to the Family Jewels safety.

But, not as scary as this classic 1990 Kawasaki bodge job ! :

Dave Thorpes SR500 with Add on Tank extension - circa 1990 0.jpg?VersionId=
Rickyisms wrote:
Lots of questions here. What does April 1st mean on the fuel tank? Who’s the guy in a suit and tie at an MX race? Where...

Lots of questions here. What does April 1st mean on the fuel tank? Who’s the guy in a suit and tie at an MX race? Where can I get one of those jackets the Kawi tech is wearing?  

Robgvx wrote:
Kawasaki discovered, just a few days before the first sand GP, that their factory bike, hand built for the reigning world champion, couldn’t do 40+2 in...

Kawasaki discovered, just a few days before the first sand GP, that their factory bike, hand built for the reigning world champion, couldn’t do 40+2 in the soft stuff. So their factory solution was to weld a nut crusher can to the top of the tank to hold a bit more fuel. 

The ‘April 1’ scribble (it was indeed the weekend of April Fools Day) was to try to make light of the incredibly embarrassing situation. They didn’t even have the right green paint!

No idea about the guy in the suit. But the Kawi guy with the bike is Belgian fella Ivan, who wasn’t an official Kawasaki mechanic, but a big Thorpe fan who ended up (along with his pal Eddie) being volunteer helpers for Keith and David Thorpe. Nice gig for a couple of fans. Nice guys, too.


Photo from Valkenswaard, 1990 

Didn't Thorpe hate that bike and went back to the traditional KX500, but Malin liked it better than the traditional KX500.

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Robgvx
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Robgvx 6/1/2026 2:24pm
6/1/2026 2:24pm
Rickyisms wrote:
Lots of questions here. What does April 1st mean on the fuel tank? Who’s the guy in a suit and tie at an MX race? Where...

Lots of questions here. What does April 1st mean on the fuel tank? Who’s the guy in a suit and tie at an MX race? Where can I get one of those jackets the Kawi tech is wearing?  

Robgvx wrote:
Kawasaki discovered, just a few days before the first sand GP, that their factory bike, hand built for the reigning world champion, couldn’t do 40+2 in...

Kawasaki discovered, just a few days before the first sand GP, that their factory bike, hand built for the reigning world champion, couldn’t do 40+2 in the soft stuff. So their factory solution was to weld a nut crusher can to the top of the tank to hold a bit more fuel. 

The ‘April 1’ scribble (it was indeed the weekend of April Fools Day) was to try to make light of the incredibly embarrassing situation. They didn’t even have the right green paint!

No idea about the guy in the suit. But the Kawi guy with the bike is Belgian fella Ivan, who wasn’t an official Kawasaki mechanic, but a big Thorpe fan who ended up (along with his pal Eddie) being volunteer helpers for Keith and David Thorpe. Nice gig for a couple of fans. Nice guys, too.


Photo from Valkenswaard, 1990 

Richard Tease II wrote:

Didn't Thorpe hate that bike and went back to the traditional KX500, but Malin liked it better than the traditional KX500.

Yep. I rode it, though, and I thought it was pretty good. But for DT, coming off an RC500, and also having crankshafts break (which had plagued the Kawasaki 500 for a few years) won’t have done David’s confidence much good. 

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Nairb#70
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Nairb#70 6/1/2026 2:27pm
6/1/2026 2:27pm Edited Date/Time 6/1/2026 2:30pm
3strokemx wrote:
Bret Michaels of Poison

Bret Michaels of Poison
Bret Michaels of Poison

On the 1987 KX 125 E2.

Falcon
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Falcon 6/1/2026 4:33pm
6/1/2026 4:33pm
mitch199 wrote:
Obviously some folks will know already, but, I wonder if any of the parts from the last gen 250cc 2t from Kawi (05/06) will be carried...

Obviously some folks will know already, but, I wonder if any of the parts from the last gen 250cc 2t from Kawi (05/06) will be carried into the new layout. When they released the KLX300 again, it used the same engine architecture from 1993 but with EFI… although the frame was unchanged too. This engine will need new cases to suit E Start, and fit the KX300X ally frame. What’s the bet on oil tank / vs required premix? 

queen of spodes wrote:
I can see them going with an all new engine but if they did reuse the last gen KX250 engine, that unit could be made into...

I can see them going with an all new engine but if they did reuse the last gen KX250 engine, that unit could be made into a monster. It had a pretty massive mid-range hit. I ran my '07 with a 13 oz flywheel weight to keep it under control

soggy wrote:
I’d be shocked if anything other than some bearings were the same size. It’d be pretty dissapointing if after this long a wait they rolled out...

I’d be shocked if anything other than some bearings were the same size. It’d be pretty dissapointing if after this long a wait they rolled out and engine from 20 years ago. 

I wouldn't be shocked. If Kawasaki uses the cases for any other product somewhere, they would already have the basis for their new bike. This is the company that repurposed a 2-stroke bilge pump for ships and slapped it into a small PWC hull to create the Jet Ski, after all...

Now, if those parts haven't been produced for any reason in the last 5-10 years, I would bet they would have destroyed the tooling by now. It would be almost as expensive to recreate the same engines as it would be to just build a new one. 

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TeamGreen
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TeamGreen 6/1/2026 5:26pm
6/1/2026 5:26pm
queen of spodes wrote:
I can see them going with an all new engine but if they did reuse the last gen KX250 engine, that unit could be made into...

I can see them going with an all new engine but if they did reuse the last gen KX250 engine, that unit could be made into a monster. It had a pretty massive mid-range hit. I ran my '07 with a 13 oz flywheel weight to keep it under control

soggy wrote:
I’d be shocked if anything other than some bearings were the same size. It’d be pretty dissapointing if after this long a wait they rolled out...

I’d be shocked if anything other than some bearings were the same size. It’d be pretty dissapointing if after this long a wait they rolled out and engine from 20 years ago. 

Falcon wrote:
I wouldn't be shocked. If Kawasaki uses the cases for any other product somewhere, they would already have the basis for their new bike. This is...

I wouldn't be shocked. If Kawasaki uses the cases for any other product somewhere, they would already have the basis for their new bike. This is the company that repurposed a 2-stroke bilge pump for ships and slapped it into a small PWC hull to create the Jet Ski, after all...

Now, if those parts haven't been produced for any reason in the last 5-10 years, I would bet they would have destroyed the tooling by now. It would be almost as expensive to recreate the same engines as it would be to just build a new one. 

There’s a 125 hiding in that 112 engine….

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roost251
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roost251 6/1/2026 6:03pm
6/1/2026 6:03pm

Any day now, right guys? (says the new yz250 owner)

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hotlasagna 6/1/2026 6:44pm
6/1/2026 6:44pm Edited Date/Time 6/1/2026 6:44pm
roost251 wrote:

Any day now, right guys? (says the new yz250 owner)

9AM EST Tomorrow Morning Wink

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Zoom
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Zoom 6/1/2026 7:14pm
6/1/2026 7:14pm Edited Date/Time 6/1/2026 7:17pm
roost251 wrote:

Any day now, right guys? (says the new yz250 owner)

hotlasagna wrote:

9AM EST Tomorrow Morning Wink

I think this guy knows something, except we are on Daylight Savings Time, so it should say 9AM EDT.

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Gravel
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Gravel 6/1/2026 7:21pm
6/1/2026 7:21pm

If a bike is announced sometime soon, this has gotta be one of the best kept secrets in moto history. 

I haven’t seen any photos, just a few people saying anything, and they were pretty vague. Kawi must have a helluva NDA attorney.

 

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yamathumb
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yamathumb 6/1/2026 7:25pm
6/1/2026 7:25pm

A 125 and 300 would be great news, but the target should've been 70hp. With modes that tame it down. Ala: stark. I mean, duh

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dkurtd
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dkurtd 6/1/2026 7:26pm
6/1/2026 7:26pm
roost251 wrote:

Any day now, right guys? (says the new yz250 owner)

hotlasagna wrote:

9AM EST Tomorrow Morning Wink

Zoom wrote:

I think this guy knows something, except we are on Daylight Savings Time, so it should say 9AM EDT.

So, you two think the headquarters guys in California are going into work at 6am to do a reveal?  

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Newheartpete 6/1/2026 7:31pm
6/1/2026 7:31pm
hotlasagna wrote:

9AM EST Tomorrow Morning Wink

Zoom wrote:

I think this guy knows something, except we are on Daylight Savings Time, so it should say 9AM EDT.

dkurtd wrote:

So, you two think the headquarters guys in California are going into work at 6am to do a reveal?  

10 AM Cali time.  Too late for me to do the math.😂

Gmyersdork
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Gmyersdork 6/1/2026 8:12pm
6/1/2026 8:12pm
Zoom wrote:

I think this guy knows something, except we are on Daylight Savings Time, so it should say 9AM EDT.

dkurtd wrote:

So, you two think the headquarters guys in California are going into work at 6am to do a reveal?  

Newheartpete wrote:

10 AM Cali time.  Too late for me to do the math.😂

You should stay in bed. You guys kill me. There is no new kx coming 

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mx1234
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mx1234 6/2/2026 2:17am
6/2/2026 2:17am

Today

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dn315
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dn315 6/2/2026 3:38am
6/2/2026 3:38am

9am EST, 6am pst

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mitch199
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mitch199 6/2/2026 4:14am
6/2/2026 4:14am

Damn we are close now. 

One final sweet 2t Off-Road Kaw before we really kick this topic into overdrive.

image 623
 

 

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mx_phreek 6/2/2026 5:24am
6/2/2026 5:24am

Guess we all here for same thing, I read somewhere it was today but maybe i was wrong

mx_phreek 6/2/2026 5:27am
6/2/2026 5:27am

 

Funnily I literally just got sent this rn. I dunno if it's fake so🤷🏼‍♂️1000079875 0

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Zoom
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Zoom 6/2/2026 5:29am
6/2/2026 5:29am
dn315 wrote:

9am EST, 6am pst

Close, but we are not on standard time. 

6AM PDT

9AM EDT

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mx_phreek 6/2/2026 5:45am
6/2/2026 5:45am

Tell you what, it's impressive that zero leaks have been leaked in year n half since announced

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LouisianaMotocross 6/2/2026 5:49am
6/2/2026 5:49am Edited Date/Time 6/2/2026 5:49am
mx_phreek wrote:
 Funnily I literally just got sent this rn. I dunno if it's fake so🤷🏼‍♂️

 

Funnily I literally just got sent this rn. I dunno if it's fake so🤷🏼‍♂️1000079875 0

It might be AI but that looks pretty legit. An actual good AI if it is. 

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