Hi KX ,Forum Im a proud new owner which I brought for my Dirt Museum ,of the ex 1978 Jimmy Weirnert's Supercross Factory Bike that Kawasaki Australia brought out for Trev Williams to race in the 79 Mr Motocross Series as Honda and Kwaka didn't have any open class bikes to compete in that year against the Yams of Gall and Suzook and Gunter.
Im purchased it in bits and doing a full Resto on it and have most things ,but really chasing some New or Nice Light Gold Anodized Rims from a A5, can any one help please.
The bike will also part of the VMX story be photographed as the rebuild is going as it is now, and Trev Williams and Kevee Doyle will put back together which they are excited about as I , to preserve our history.
PS I have contacted Rick Cotton who is helping me source a Fibre Glass Tank below his is History and Awesome Knowledge, also you can google Work Bikes and it comes up as only 2 made.
Good to hear from you. Great to see you are going to restore the old 380.
Yes I do know a fair bit about that bike and its place in the Kawa SR history timetable. In 1978 Kawasaki through the season made three different open class works bikes, each upgrade was to firstly cure the handling problems and then find more power. The first one V1.0 was an early season 380 and I think may be the style that you have , the second V2.0 was mid season and was also a 380 but had a different frame, with the frame redesigned to accommodate revised shock geometry and a banana style Swingarm, the banana Swingarm was actually made of two A4 Swingarms.
The third version V3.0 came out in time for the Trans USA series and had the upgraded frame, further improved, and the all new 390 cc engine based on what was to become the KDX400/KX420 engine.
I actually have a V3.0 myself, it was Jimmy Weirnert's bike from the Trans USA series, after the series ended it was bought by Alec Wright who ran Team Kawasaki in the UK, and flown to the UK for Dave Thorpe to ride in the British Support Championship series which he won as a 17 year old, so it has quite some history and is very trick. That is another whole story.
If you can send me a photo of the frame side on view, from both sides, I can confirm which model yours is.
I have the original Trail and Track test of your bike somewhere. I can also send you photos of the 1978 SR genealogy so it all falls into place. There are two other 1978 V1 and V2 380’s in existence that I know of. One V1 is in Sweden and one V2 is in the USA. The one in the USA the guy who owns it actually races it !! Crazy.
http://www.vintageworksbikes.com/1978SR380.html
