TOPIC:

Remembering when the Kaw 500 two strokes first appeared and were kicking and leaving for dead all our Honda 750's, Harley's and Brit bikes.

Enter the Kaw 750 2-stroke. Unreal. And would hold its own against the Z1 in acceleration. Stock vs stock. But a hopped-up "Yoshimira" Z1 would pull away from a stock 750 2-stroke.

"Widow Maker" ??? I do remember the head-shake in a straight line acceleration exercise aboard a fairly new 750 over 37 years ago, and it is not a pleasant recollection, but definitely made an impression. And yet my more able friends were road racing the darn things (including the one I rode) and winning. Go figure. That said, riding the Kaw 750 2 stroke was awesome, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat -- just for the pure unmitigated joy of raw acceleration.

Post edited by: Patton, at: 2007/08/29 19:07

Brich,

Did the guy in Paterson ever get back to you about the 650?

-Jonathan

i want another two stroke tripple so bad, i'm kicking myself over selling my gt550 in good running mechanical order, but not rolling or cosmetic order, for 20$

then my grandmother forced the sale of the mint 1972 gt750 waterbuffalo for 1,800$ (reminded her of granddad.)

i want a two stroke tripple so bad, halp!


this vid makes me sad (the ending)



Post edited by: themachine, at: 2007/08/29 20:44

Talman wrote:

Brich,

Did the guy in Paterson ever get back to you about the 650?

-Jonathan

Yeah he told me he just sold it. I told him if the buyer fell through to let me know. I told him I would even give a few more bucks and pick it up that night. He said if the guy fell through he would let me know.

I was scoping a H1 on eBay in Hunterdon County, but I think I need to stop and just finish my Z1. Plus, riding season is over, so I may just wait till next season, save some cash and buy a nice H2 or RZ-350

it is a fun ride.

Post edited by: kwakagoose, at: 2007/08/29 21:10

i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb42/jimgoose2/100_0288.jpg

Dude!!!! Can I hang out with you in your garage??

Awesome stuff man!!

My brother in-law gave me a 71 H1. I just have to figure out how to get it from Maryland to Florida..

Check out these links. Tons of info and vids.

www.kawasakitriplesworldwide.com/gallery.html

kawasakitriplesworldwide.com/phpBB2/index.php

brich,

I haven't gotten your PM yet, I'll check my other email address tomorrow, it might have gone there. Ask whatever you want, I've rebuilt several of these things, and re-gretted selling the H2 many times over. I might part with the H1, but if I ever get another H2, I'll never part with that.

Riding a 69 or 70 (it's red, I checked for the 1970, also the first two years have the scalloped fuel tank cut outs on the sides) or a 72 H2 is more fun than a human should have. Lordy, don't stop me now!!!!11

The accelleration as the bike goes from 5,000 to 7,000 as it hits it's power band is a real scream. Hang on baby! the front wheel is coming up! Especially the H1's. Pretty much nobody home at 5 grand, then 6 grand hits and the thing just comes alive.

Parts are available, Purple Haze Racing out of Colorado has most parts you need. Or Rick Brett out of England. It does help to be a good part scrounger for these bikes and watch Ebay a lot. Most things come up sooner or later.

Damon Kirkland out of Dothan Alabama does the cranks. (he did mine)

The rest of the engine and bike is straight forward Kawasaki two stroke. Once you've done one, they're pretty much all the same. It seems like the same mind created most of the enduros and two stroke street bikes. (1972 to 1975)

I've got straight pipes on the 77 KZ1000 I own and I really like the sound, but nothing beats a wound up H2. Chambers or not, don't matter, in fact I like them a little better with the stock exhaust, but pull out and cut the silencer/fiberglass unit in approximately 1/2. Then you get great sound without the supersonic "crack".

Riding a H2 is like riding three KX250's at once, and I love my KX250.


Yeah, they vibrate something fierce, smoke a little, "cackle" alot, handle like shit, but who cares?

Once you ride one of these things, they'll have to surgically remove the smile from your face.

I had an H1, it was the blue model. It smoked really heavy when getting it on but it'd really fly. I still think it's the quickest bike I've ever been on. Problem was that after it warmed up it'd go right onto over heated. Actually it'd take twenty miles or so but once it got hot the pistons would slap so badly that I first thought a bearing had come apart. If you'd let it cool down I'd be back to running like a sewing machine.

It just made too much power for the heat that it could get rid of. I traded it on my 76 KZ900.

KZCSI

Post edited by: KZCSI, at: 2007/08/29 23:11

Check this link out.

www.purplehazeracing.com/site/index.asp?...19&page=3030&ad=6055

Post edited by: harm, at: 2007/08/30 06:50

brich wrote:

Talman wrote:

Brich,

Plus, riding season is over, so I may just wait till next season, save some cash and buy a nice H2 or RZ-350

Over? Did he say over? Nothing's over unless we say it is! Was it over when the German's bombed Pearl Harbor? (Germans? Let him go, he's on a roll) Hell no! And it ain't over now. Who's with me?

Sorry for the Animal House reference. It always pops in my head when someone says something is over.