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Kawasaki model line

JS550

The Kawasaki JS550 is recorded for eight consecutive model years, 1982 to 1989. Every JS550 year on record is a carburetted two-stroke, with the engine recorded as 550.

At a glance

Years made
1982 to 1989
Engine, as the records hold it
550
Strokes
Two-stroke
Fuel system
Carburettor
Hull type
Stand-up
Model years on record
8
Checked
None of the eight JS550 model years verified, which needs a check against the maker's own document, which the row names, and an engine figure; all eight name a source below.

Kawasaki numbers name the engine by its size class and are not measurements: a 550 is a 531, a 650 a 635, a 750 a 743.

  1. 1982
  2. 1983
  3. 1984
  4. 1985
  5. 1986
  6. 1987
  7. 1988
  8. 1989
  • Solid: a row in the table

The Kawasaki JS550 from 1982 to 1989, one square for each model year, a decade to a row; follow a square to its row.

How we know: The 8 JS550 rows in the year table, with each row's grade and the engine cells it prints in bold.

Year by year

No recorded engine, fuel system, stroke count or hull type changes across the JS550's 8 model years.
Model year Engine, as the records hold it Fuel system Strokes Hull type What the record says Source
1982 550 Carburettor Two-stroke Stand-up Debut year. Kawasaki's own parts catalogue carries it for 1982 under code JS550-A1, first of the A series that runs unbroken to the 1988 A7; the 550SX of 1990 opens a new series at JS550-B1. 1
1983 550 Carburettor Two-stroke Stand-up Kawasaki's own parts catalogue carries this machine for 1983 under code JS550-A2. 2
1984 550 Carburettor Two-stroke Stand-up Kawasaki's own parts catalogue carries this machine for 1984 under code JS550-A3. 3
1985 550 Carburettor Two-stroke Stand-up Kawasaki's own parts catalogue carries this machine for 1985 under code JS550-A4. 4
1986 550 Carburettor Two-stroke Stand-up Kawasaki's own parts catalogue carries this machine for 1986 under code JS550-A5. Fills the gap between the 1985 A4 and 1988 A7 rows, which the pre-1990 block header above already describes as graphics and a chin pad rather than a new machine. 5
1987 550 Carburettor Two-stroke Stand-up Kawasaki's own parts catalogue carries this machine for 1987 under code JS550-A6. 6
1988 550 Carburettor Two-stroke Stand-up Kawasaki's own parts catalogue carries this machine for 1988 under code JS550-A7. 7
1989 550 Carburettor Two-stroke Stand-up Kawasaki's own parts catalogue carries this machine for 1989 under code JS550-A8. 8

Sources

  1. Kawasaki Motors Corp USA, Owner Center parts diagrams, 1982 JS550, kawasaki.com Retrieved 2026-09-18. (model year 1982)
  2. Kawasaki Motors Corp USA, Owner Center parts diagrams, 1983 JS550, kawasaki.com Retrieved 2026-09-10. (model year 1983)
  3. Kawasaki Motors Corp USA, Owner Center parts diagrams, 1984 JS550, kawasaki.com Retrieved 2026-09-10. (model year 1984)
  4. Kawasaki Motors Corp USA, Owner Center parts diagrams, 1985 JS550, kawasaki.com Retrieved 2026-09-10. (model year 1985)
  5. Kawasaki Motors Corp USA, Owner Center parts diagrams, 1986 JS550, kawasaki.com Retrieved 2026-09-18. (model year 1986)
  6. Kawasaki Motors Corp USA, Owner Center parts diagrams, 1987 JS550, kawasaki.com Retrieved 2026-09-18. (model year 1987)
  7. Kawasaki Motors Corp USA, Owner Center parts diagrams, 1988 JS550, kawasaki.com Retrieved 2026-09-10. (model year 1988)
  8. Kawasaki Motors Corp USA, Owner Center parts diagrams, 1989 JS550, kawasaki.com Retrieved 2026-09-20. (model year 1989)
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“Kawasaki JS550”, BaddJet archive, https://baddjetarchive.com/reference/kawasaki/js550/

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