Flat Track Racing: Kawasaki Ninja 650

While much of American Flat Track's limelight is trained on the renewed factory rivalry between Harley-Davidson and Indian, 12 of the 18 machines that lined up for the opening AFT Twins main event in Daytona were powered by Kawasaki's parallel-twin Ninja 650—the privateer engine of choice. Among them was Henry Wiles' unique machine (No. 17), which mimicked the single-cylinder motocrossers that are no longer campaigned in the premier class and which required a different riding style than the more traditional Harley V-twin of Jake Johnson (No. 5). Wiles finished third.