What Size Engine Does A Kawasaki AV50 Have & How Fast Can It Go?

Kawasaki has made motorcycles for years, and it continues to do so with a wide variety of bikes that offer a number of different speeds and engine power, including a range of affordable bikes for beginners. So what about the Kawasaki AV50?

The thing about the Kawasaki AV50 is that it's very much a vintage bike which, according to CMG Full Throttle Network's Visordown, was only in production from 1983 to 1990. That makes it difficult to get ahold of these days — or at least get ahold of at a decent price.

Being an older and smaller bike with a dry weight of only about 154 pounds also means it's not going to be able to keep up with more modern bikes like the Kawasaki Z650RS. That's not to say that the AV50 is useless or underpowered, just that it was never meant to be a powerhouse. Think of it as more of a town house.

Should you be able to find an AV50, don't expect it to leave racing bikes (or most cars for that matter) in the dust. It may look like a miniaturized chopper-style bike — due to the seat placed just above the rear wheel — but performance-wise, it's more like a moped or scooter.

Motorcycles can often be modified to improve performance or boost top speeds, but you're unlikely to find a vintage AV50 in such a state. So with the stock setup, you're looking at a four-stroke, 49cc engine with an output around 5 horsepower at 9,500 rpm and about 2.9 lb-ft of torque at 7,000 rpm.

Webike Japan notes that the AV50's top speed was restricted to 60 kmph (approximately 37 mph) back in 1983, but the 49cc engine wouldn't be likely to exceed 30 to 40 mph, regardless. So the AV50 isn't something that would ever tear up a racetrack, but would work just fine for getting around. Or for showing off your vintage bike.