Book excerpt: The story of the air-cooled 'big' Kawasaki bikes in definitive detail, researched and written in Japan with the full co-operation of the factory. This series of models put the company on the map during the sixties and seventies, helping it to survive a difficult era that saw hundreds of Japanese motorcycle makers reduced to just four. Successful immediately, these models defended Kawasaki's honour on the tracks as well as in the showrooms, handing the company numerous world championship titles. The series was recently revived as part of a retro boom, and a new machine has been launched, delivering the same thrill and charm as its predecessors.