I had a 74 H2, one of the brown ones. Bought around 1980 with most of the motor in a box. After a 30 over rebuild and a friend doing some port n polish on the head it fully lived up to the hype of the AWESOME H2 stories. Wow!!!!! Different than anything I’ve ever ridden at the time and with the Denco power pipes sounded like a screaming banshee. As wild as an motocrosser and twice as fast. First experience with 4th and sometimes 5th gear roll on wheelie’s, it definitely made you learn how to ride all over again. So sweet passing everybody, and I mean everybody, on the back wheel and making them eat smoke 🏍💨
@@fucdt Sounds like fun to me! Enjoy and learn all you can. Then you can pass on your knowledge to the next generation. Always loved the H2❤️ I’d have a couple in my collection, if I had a collection 😆
I bought this exact bike in 1973. Same color. Pipes are definitely aftermarket. I did my part to make this bike a rare find. Blue into green flame job, Wheelsmith expansion chambers. Flipped it twice at 55mph+ doing a second gear wheelie. Crazy times! Thanks for bringing back the memories...
Same. Idiots gave it and the 500 a silly name; as idiots do. That name was better sui(t)ed to a Kwak that was years in the future; the GPZ750 turbo. On full boost it was a killer of the novice and the fool-hardy. I once saw a dead human tangled up twenty-ish feet up a tree, courtesy of the GPZ750 turbo. Not pretty.
Wow! what a treat to see this incredible beast, I started out on the street, riding a 74 RD 350, then made the leap to a 70 H-1 500 and then up to my 72 H2 750, I've ridden alot of modern bikes, but the riding experience is like nothing else on a two stroke, I live in Washington state and for two years my H-2 was my only form of transportation, riding it through two winters in the 80's in torrential rain storms, high wind, hail etc. those are years I will never ever forget, I truly feel blessed to have had those memories, I could go on and on about stories of some of the most harrowing rides on it, I'm so jealous of the guy that gets this spectacular beast, I totally understand someone who would buy this for their collection, I just hope they take it on a lengthy ride to experience this incredible motorcycle before putting it out on display for the rest of the world to see and drool over, especially other collectors that don't have one of these mythical fire-breathing time machines, and knowing they may never find one in cherry mint condition like this one, thanks so much for posting this vid, it was such a joy to see it and it really touched a nerve in my memories and got me thinking back of my beautiful H2 and some of the funnest and most terrifying moments of my life were on it.. Thanks Again, be safe.
Quite possibly one of the most dangerous and fun motorcycles ever built. That and the RD400. I have ridden both and that H1 will scare the shit out of you while you are grinning ear to ear! Thanks for keeping all these machines alive. Really want to get to your place someday!
Oh man! We had one on the floor when I worked for Kawasaki at 17 years old! A green one! I always wanted to take a spin on it but it was put up for display. It was a green 750. I love your videos.
I was working in a large Kawasaki shop in Tulsa Oklahoma in the late 70's and early 80's . There are excellent reasons that not many of these exist anymore . We , got a steady stream of H2's and 500's with twisted cranks and grenaded top ends . It's no swipe at the bikes though . These bikes were never intended to be balls out racers . The KZ line was the drag race specials and tough as nails . The two stroke models were supposed to be low cost entry level bikes with some zip . Ridden in stock form they were descent bikes with enough power for a good fun ride . Once the port happy power guys got hold of them they wrecked the bikes reputation . Most of them failed adjust the carb jets correctly and were running them WAY too lean . They also failed realize that air cooled two stroke engines run very hot anyway , the oil injectors couldn't keep up and the lean carbs was the death nail for them .The cranks were just not designed to take the added power or immediate stress of massive traction . Racers would weld the cranks together for strength so be careful of that if you buy one . Making these entry level bikes with mediocre brakes and flexing frames into mad power machines was just not smart . So there are barns and sheds with wrecked and blown up engines of H2's and the 500's that are slowly fading into history . This bike could be a great ride if you leave it alone , make sure the jetting is rich enough and use it like it was intended to be ridden . PK
I had a '76 500 and didn't beat it and after having it for a while I sold it to a bike shop and ran into the guy later and he mentioned the crank was warped. I thought that was odd seeing how I babied it.
@@jackhammer111 The H2 handled pretty well below 100mph. Got the wobbles above. Had decent ground clearance and brakes too. If an H2 and a Z900 were side by side at say 4000 rpm in second gear the H2 would leap ahead. I never had anything beat my H2 or my H1 for that matter.
Two guy on my ship, I was in the Navy, bought two at the far east trader overseas. The bikes were sitting on the pier when we pulled in. Mike went out that first night and never returned, Ernie not being the one to pass a good lesson up laid his down leaving base. Gas spilled and the sparks ignited his and the bike. Norfolk was a pit, the bikes made escapes a fast means to leave it. They didn't corner and if you backed off in the turns, the flexy frame had unrecoverable understeer. The 550 was sick too.
One of my absolute favorite bikes. The Widowmaker. My Dad had the 350 and 500, before I was born in 1973. Although it doesn't corner well, in a straight line, this bike will scare most people, and it has damn good pickup, with a monsterous powerband, making it impossible to keep the front wheel on the ground, when you crack open the throttle These bikes are still damn fast, even with today's standards.
This is the version of the H2 750 that I always thought was the most beautiful. That tail piece simply took my breath the first time I saw a picture of the bike decades ago. I never owned one, nor ever rode one but today I would be scared ride one at any decent speed knowing the frame was not up to the power. My Versys 1000 I have today has a far superior frame but I got to admit it, doesn’t have the thrill to ride, the irony.
Riding this particular without a helmet is out of my wheel house and I rode a 260 rwhp Rocket 3 on a wet slimy salt at Bonneville Speed Week this year. I'm glad his test ride went better than mine did.😁😁
Kick ass music too by Van Halen...The name of the song is Black and Blue. This bike definitely commands respect, and unless you're a damn good rider, this bike will most certainly humble somebody, and make them black and blue, when their ass hits the pavement. I pray that I have an opportunity to ride one someday.
Never underestimate the importance of the high speed wobble damper this thing is equipped with. If you have never experienced this steering wobble before, you will be absolutely at the mercy of fate when it happens. Slowing down doesn't help. I rode these things back in '76. F*cking blast!!!
As the bike was coming towards the camera it dawned on me the sound it makes. It sounds like a six cylinder such as a CBX. That make sense to me as it has the same number of firing cycles per revolution. I remember well when these were new. It is truly a magnificent machine.
I had a couple of 500's one for back up parts, These bikes were crazy fast!!! the average joe who owned one of these (like me) was not ready for this kind of torque on a street bike, I was lucky and never killed myself on mine .....but I did come close a couple times. If you down shifted from 3rd. to 2nd. when going about 50mph and lay that throttle down, your front wheel left the ground......so if you were in a corner you put her in the ditch....lol.....I never had that problem with my BSA or my Norton....lol.......the Yamaha 350 twin was the same. In those days they were the first of their kind and no one was ready their first time out for that kind of acceleration and power band. I saw many go down and the 500 had an added feature they would overheat and the center piston turned into a grenade launcher.......aaaaaa the good old days.
Except for the pipes.. it is identical to my last H2. I had it for 3 years and put 60,000 miles on it. When I got rid of it the CR was still in the 40's. I did run Steen's oil in it for a very long time and it worked well. Great vid... thx.
In ‘75 I bought myself an immaculate ‘72 350 triple and really enjoyed that pocket rocket for my first year of riding. Learned VERY early not to crank the throttle when in the power band. Smaller, but just as quick to certain speeds and especially great in “light to light” speed tests. Put quite a few Honda CB750 and even many other larger displacement bikes at the time in their place....except the next year(?) with the Z-1 900 came the end of my thrills, but I tried!! Lol 😆
I had the 73 H2 which scared me so many times till I had the engine put into a magnum frame, suddenly it not only went like a rocket but handled beautifully.
I think the handling of my H2 was a crucial part of the experience. If you could wrangle an H2 you were accomplishing something that many could not. Scary as hell but it it made you a better rider 👍🏻
@@cooper2439 I have to agree with you about the 1970s bikes making you a better rider as you had to adapt your style to ride around the faults, something that people seem to forget is just how bad tyres were back then, IMO todays tyres have improved just as much as the handling of bikes.
I was going to build a 500cc project triple, and learned EVERYTHING I could about these old Kaws. Studied things on the internet. Met a few experts, to include the original test rider, before the 500cc was ever produced, in 1969. On my friends list is a few of the most knowledgeable people you could ever know, in the Triples "community".. If you need anything, you can either holler at me, or seriously, go to the Kawasaki Triples group on Facebook. These bikes have a massive cult following, with more technical knowledge from playing with them over 5 decades, than you could ever imagine. Btw, if I were going to ding this near-perfect original that these good folks were selling--I'd mention this: Any bike this old that hasn't had a crank rebuild, I don't care what their little compression readings were.. is risking detonation. A guy named Charlie Smith in Maryland is a specialist in these crank rebuilds. I highly recommend him.
Damn your fuckin DUMB dude! you only have to change just ONE sprocket! hehehehe, just think IF you changed Both DUH! You need to get out of your mothers basement more often!
Domino, i BET you've NEVER even rode this kind of bike let alone ANY bike in your fuckoff lifetime! Like i said, you NEED to get out of mother's basement more often! GEARING dumbass, gearing will set you free! STOP reliying on Googles CHINESE fuckoff search engines because even they can't count on a human variable when changing gearing DUMBASS!
I was on the back of one of these at over a100 mph. Lots of fun until I couldn’t feel my hands anymore because of the vibration. God I miss those days.
Everyone is a critic. You all know you won’t find the original pipes in good shape. This is a nice piece that you won’t find many of as it is. Crank failure was the main issue as the H1 and H2 shared the same part number crank. This is a wonderful bike. My favorite of the era. Spent much time on one wheel with these.😁
I had a 72 H1b, never had a minutes issue at all. Ran good oil in the injection and didn't remove the air box like so many did. It wasn't a road racer, but that isn't what it was made for. The biggest problem with these bikes was people wouldn't leave them alone. There was nothing wrong with oil injection except a lot of people didn't even know you checked the adjustment, as you did your carbs. Sure, you drag racers should weld the crank. That's cheap compared to all the money put into cylinders and porting, I don't care what kind of bike your beating on, crank welding is where you ought to start if your gonna race street or track. I'm 65 and I still ride a 73 two stroke motorcycle, all stock, never been apart, complete with oil injection. Doug S.
If I recall, these were called the "Widow Makers", in Australia anyway. I borrowed a mates for the weekend because he wanted to borrow my Panelvan. I also had a Honda 750 at the time. Fuck me, when I gave it back I think I said something like "If I owned your bike I would be dead in a week". Compared to my 750 fourstroke, this thing was a rocket.
Being born in 1961 ofcorse this is something to see & hear. Wow... I recently seen a 72 Yamaha & it had been restored like this Gem... I enjoyed the Suzuki TS Bikes 2 Stroke oil injected 185 & 250 & 400 were SWEET. This Bike is a ~Show Stopper ~
I rode a 73 back in the late 70's. It was not stock back then. It was the fastest bike I ever rode in my life. Told my neighbor to never let me back on it because I knew I would die.
Had them all . A gold H2 750 A purple H2 A green H1500 A Maron S3 400 a A Blue S2 350 excellent A White S1 250 which was actually my favorite of all the triples because it reeved the hardest and was just super cool .
I had a few myself a 73 500. A 74 500 Both of those were green a 75 750 two tone purple a 78 750 LTD a 80 750 Spectre a 76 900 a 81 1000 LTD. and a 83 1100 Spectre Then a switched to Honda and bought a 83 V65 magna. Later I got a 83 1100 Shadow Spirit. Now I drive a 2006 VTX 1800
Back in the mid 90s the Japanese actually came over here and we’re trying to buy up all the old Kawasaki’s they could find I had three of the KG 1300s I had a handful of 750s triples and a handful of 500 triples and several KZ 1000 and 900 they were awful upset with me I would not sell them any
The early 500 triples were the real rockets. Absolutely nothing in my town could touch my 500 in the quarter mile. I still don't know how I didn't kill myself on it. Kawasaki had to slow the 500 Mach 3 down so they could sell the H2 750. Believe me, I lived it.
I had a Kawasaki 500 and friends had 750 these bikes were fun to ride and were like riding a rocket...….there was nothing more fun than five of us riding in a pack and getting on the throttle lighting up the neighborhood.
not a fan of 2 stroke sounds but this beast has a meaty. beefy ,throaty sound thats really appealling! with 74hp, these were 12.7 sec 1/4 mi bikes ...they were beasts!
I had a 1972 H1 500 Mach III They are Fast and Fun, But very Dangerous, It was my 5th motorcycle and I was only 14, man I had Big Fun when I was a Teenager!
I like the curve of the seat into the tail section, just I like I love that feature of the Z bikes too. And the tanks of both 2 and 4 stroke Kwackers look great too.
Had a H1 when I was 16. The stock pipes would scrape the ground on a sharp left turn. My buddie Dean had a H2 and had 1 oil seal leak, he would sprint out in front of me and completly coat me with 2 stroke oil. Faceshield was junked.
Yeah.... I Remember the Older guys in the neighborhood had H2's & Suzuki 2 Stroke Triples. Sounded like a SWARM of Metallic! Angry Bees! With that greenish Wonderfull! Smoke!! Great Memories! Gravesend Bklyn's BADDEST ASSES! Was a Wonderfull time ! God Bless...
My first street bike. I loved to pull the baffles out of the mufflers. When 3 of us were riding together you could hear the warbling sound all over town. Those huge Mikuni carbs were nice but it was 160 miles from home to college, it was sucking fumes and sometimes didnt make it. Pretty hard to keep a rear tire on it.
In the early sixties there was a hangout for the Malibu surfing crowd called Cappy's. Owned by Cappy Kaplan, all the gang used to go there. Any relation ? Frankie, Dee Dee and all their friends. And also, Eric Von Zipper and the Rats and Mice. The place was the coolest. Look into it, it had the most amazing artwork on the walls !
I was riding a t120 bonnie when these big kawi,s came to town. Boy were they quick! Away from the lights or on the straight they were an awsome machine. I never bought one tho. I opted for a cb 500 four in 73.
I've got a big triple collection just over the boerder in Canada. If you guys make your way up here you're more than welcome to pop by and rip on some 2 stroke!
Even now in 2020 that bike still looks so good. The tail section looks much better than bikes these days
I regularly watch your channel , this video is 6yrs ago & great to see how much you & the museum have evolved..well done.
I had a 74 H2, one of the brown ones. Bought around 1980 with most of the motor in a box. After a 30 over rebuild and a friend doing some port n polish on the head it fully lived up to the hype of the AWESOME H2 stories. Wow!!!!! Different than anything I’ve ever ridden at the time and with the Denco power pipes sounded like a screaming banshee. As wild as an motocrosser and twice as fast. First experience with 4th and sometimes 5th gear roll on wheelie’s, it definitely made you learn how to ride all over again. So sweet passing everybody, and I mean everybody, on the back wheel and making them eat smoke 🏍💨
i get to help restore 2 1973 h2's here in maryland. its going to be awesome!!!!! frames are painted and ready.😀
@@fucdt Sounds like fun to me!
Enjoy and learn all you can. Then you can pass on your knowledge to the next generation. Always loved the H2❤️
I’d have a couple in my collection, if I had a collection 😆
I bought this exact bike in 1973. Same color. Pipes are definitely aftermarket. I did my part to make this bike a rare find. Blue into green flame job, Wheelsmith expansion chambers. Flipped it twice at 55mph+ doing a second gear wheelie. Crazy times! Thanks for bringing back the memories...
Pretty but WRONG Pipes~
Same. Idiots gave it and the 500 a silly name; as idiots do. That name was better sui(t)ed to a Kwak that was years in the future; the GPZ750 turbo. On full boost it was a killer of the novice and the fool-hardy. I once saw a dead human tangled up twenty-ish feet up a tree, courtesy of the GPZ750 turbo. Not pretty.
In the 70’s, having a ride on a firend’s one, i traveled 50 meters on a single wheel whitout ever realizing it, he told me when i stopped.
Sounds dreamy smooth
Wow! what a treat to see this incredible beast, I started out on the street, riding a 74 RD 350, then made the leap to a 70 H-1 500 and then up to my 72 H2 750, I've ridden alot of modern bikes, but the riding experience is like nothing else on a two stroke, I live in Washington state and for two years my H-2 was my only form of transportation, riding it through two winters in the 80's in torrential rain storms, high wind, hail etc. those are years I will never ever forget, I truly feel blessed to have had those memories, I could go on and on about stories of some of the most harrowing rides on it, I'm so jealous of the guy that gets this spectacular beast, I totally understand someone who would buy this for their collection, I just hope they take it on a lengthy ride to experience this incredible motorcycle before putting it out on display for the rest of the world to see and drool over, especially other collectors that don't have one of these mythical fire-breathing time machines, and knowing they may never find one in cherry mint condition like this one, thanks so much for posting this vid, it was such a joy to see it and it really touched a nerve in my memories and got me thinking back of my beautiful H2 and some of the funnest and most terrifying moments of my life were on it..
Thanks Again, be safe.
I don't care how fast it is ! Needs to be in my living room ! Piece of history ! Love it.. sitting still !!
John Dibianca I've got an H1 in my living room. 🤓
I've got a gsxr in my kitchen.
Quite possibly one of the most dangerous and fun motorcycles ever built. That and the RD400. I have ridden both and that H1 will scare the shit out of you while you are grinning ear to ear! Thanks for keeping all these machines alive. Really want to get to your place someday!
I remember driving one back in the 80s scared the shit out of me! totally uncontrollable!God I loved it
Hahaha,you ever ride a Vmax they are worse..love them bikes!!!! Led Sleds rule!!!!!
My first bike. 1972.
H 2 mach IV.
I survived it. THANK YOU LORD JESUS. Greetings from DANIEL Germany.
Oh man! We had one on the floor when I worked for Kawasaki at 17 years old! A green one! I always wanted to take a spin on it but it was put up for display. It was a green 750. I love your videos.
Ah the music ,it just makes me wanna buy one !
I have always loved dark purple on cars and bikes. It just looks awesome!
I was working in a large Kawasaki shop in Tulsa Oklahoma in the late 70's and early 80's . There are excellent reasons that not many of these exist anymore . We , got a steady stream of H2's and 500's with twisted cranks and grenaded top ends . It's no swipe at the bikes though . These bikes were never intended to be balls out racers . The KZ line was the drag race specials and tough as nails . The two stroke models were supposed to be low cost entry level bikes with some zip . Ridden in stock form they were descent bikes with enough power for a good fun ride . Once the port happy power guys got hold of them they wrecked the bikes reputation . Most of them failed adjust the carb jets correctly and were running them WAY too lean . They also failed realize that air cooled two stroke engines run very hot anyway , the oil injectors couldn't keep up and the lean carbs was the death nail for them .The cranks were just not designed to take the added power or immediate stress of massive traction . Racers would weld the cranks together for strength so be careful of that if you buy one . Making these entry level bikes with mediocre brakes and flexing frames into mad power machines was just not smart . So there are barns and sheds with wrecked and blown up engines of H2's and the 500's that are slowly fading into history . This bike could be a great ride if you leave it alone , make sure the jetting is rich enough and use it like it was intended to be ridden . PK
Go here:
th-cam.com/video/ALJtkogKY-Q/w-d-xo.html
and see what Alpal wrote in the intro - a lot of information.
I had a '76 500 and didn't beat it and after having it for a while I sold it to a bike shop and ran into the guy later and he mentioned the crank was warped. I thought that was odd seeing how I babied it.
@@jackhammer111 The H2 handled pretty well below 100mph. Got the wobbles above. Had decent ground clearance and brakes too. If an H2 and a Z900 were side by side at say 4000 rpm in second gear the H2 would leap ahead. I never had anything beat my H2 or my H1 for that matter.
Entry level bike!!? Lol!
I'm from Tulsa
The sweet smell, the smoke and that sound with pipes! Yes, I'm drooling right now. I would seriously consider giving up my Harley for that!
lol
One of the most beautiful bikes ever built
Absolutely beautiful. That sound is is perfect and brings back so many childhood memories. I love the 3 cylinder Kawasakis.
A real gem in that colour. It ought to stay in a museum and only be ridden seldomly on a track. So pretty
Motocross experiences was a plus.
The Widow maker.
Two guy on my ship, I was in the Navy, bought two at the far east trader overseas. The bikes were sitting on the pier when we pulled in. Mike went out that first night and never returned, Ernie not being the one to pass a good lesson up laid his down leaving base. Gas spilled and the sparks ignited his and the bike. Norfolk was a pit, the bikes made escapes a fast means to leave it. They didn't corner and if you backed off in the turns, the flexy frame had unrecoverable understeer. The 550 was sick too.
One of my absolute favorite bikes. The Widowmaker. My Dad had the 350 and 500, before I was born in 1973. Although it doesn't corner well, in a straight line, this bike will scare most people, and it has damn good pickup, with a monsterous powerband, making it impossible to keep the front wheel on the ground, when you crack open the throttle
These bikes are still damn fast, even with today's standards.
I am I pretty sure I could pull deliberate wheelies at 90 MPH on my '72 500
Very, very nice. Wish it were mine. I own a 1976 KH500. Love the two stroke triples!
Man I love those old triples
This is the version of the H2 750 that I always thought was the most beautiful. That tail piece simply took my breath the first time I saw a picture of the bike decades ago. I never owned one, nor ever rode one but today I would be scared ride one at any decent speed knowing the frame was not up to the power. My Versys 1000 I have today has a far superior frame but I got to admit it, doesn’t have the thrill to ride, the irony.
That just put a big kool-aid smile on my face!
Riding this particular without a helmet is out of my wheel house and I rode a 260 rwhp Rocket 3 on a wet slimy salt at Bonneville Speed Week this year. I'm glad his test ride went better than mine did.😁😁
Kick ass music too by Van Halen...The name of the song is Black and Blue. This bike definitely commands respect, and unless you're a damn good rider, this bike will most certainly humble somebody, and make them black and blue, when their ass hits the pavement. I pray that I have an opportunity to ride one someday.
Never underestimate the importance of the high speed wobble damper this thing is equipped with. If you have never experienced this steering wobble before, you will be absolutely at the mercy of fate when it happens. Slowing down doesn't help. I rode these things back in '76. F*cking blast!!!
As the bike was coming towards the camera it dawned on me the sound it makes. It sounds like a six cylinder such as a CBX. That make sense to me as it has the same number of firing cycles per revolution. I remember well when these were new. It is truly a magnificent machine.
I had a couple of 500's one for back up parts, These bikes were crazy fast!!! the average joe who owned one of these (like me) was not ready for this kind of torque on a street bike, I was lucky and never killed myself on mine .....but I did come close a couple times. If you down shifted from 3rd. to 2nd. when going about 50mph and lay that throttle down, your front wheel left the ground......so if you were in a corner you put her in the ditch....lol.....I never had that problem with my BSA or my Norton....lol.......the Yamaha 350 twin was the same. In those days they were the first of their kind and no one was ready their first time out for that kind of acceleration and power band. I saw many go down and the 500 had an added feature they would overheat and the center piston turned into a grenade launcher.......aaaaaa the good old days.
Super cool bike sounds great with the expansion boxes on, looks fantastic. 😎
Except for the pipes.. it is identical to my last H2. I had it for 3 years and put 60,000 miles on it. When I got rid of it the CR was still in the 40's. I did run Steen's oil in it for a very long time and it worked well. Great vid... thx.
This is such a beauty!! Definitely a museum piece!
I just love the ride with no helmet. That was great. Bring me back to a time when America was free. Thanks
Cool Song, cool Bike, cool guy. Looks awesome!👍
That sound is the best beat ever heard 👂
This particular bike right here looks to me like it is second to none show room quality like day one so beautiful melts my heart
Piece of two stroke art.!
In ‘75 I bought myself an immaculate ‘72 350 triple and really enjoyed that pocket rocket for my first year of riding. Learned VERY early not to crank the throttle when in the power band. Smaller, but just as quick to certain speeds and especially great in “light to light” speed tests. Put quite a few Honda CB750 and even many other larger displacement bikes at the time in their place....except the next year(?) with the Z-1 900 came the end of my thrills, but I tried!! Lol 😆
I had the 73 H2 which scared me so many times till I had the engine put into a magnum frame, suddenly it not only went like a rocket but handled beautifully.
You ruined a classic, shame on you !
To each their own yeah sounds like a large frame I think lighter is always better. Not as smooth but fast reaction
I think the handling of my H2 was a crucial part of the experience. If you could wrangle an H2 you were accomplishing something that many could not.
Scary as hell but it it made you a better rider 👍🏻
@@cooper2439 I have to agree with you about the 1970s bikes making you a better rider as you had to adapt your style to ride around the faults, something that people seem to forget is just how bad tyres were back then, IMO todays tyres have improved just as much as the handling of bikes.
I owned three of these over the years, only one was purple, I sure wish I had kept it.
I was going to build a 500cc project triple, and learned EVERYTHING I could about these old Kaws. Studied things on the internet.
Met a few experts, to include the original test rider, before the 500cc was ever produced, in 1969.
On my friends list is a few of the most knowledgeable people you could ever know, in the Triples "community"..
If you need anything, you can either holler at me, or seriously, go to the Kawasaki Triples group on Facebook.
These bikes have a massive cult following, with more technical knowledge from playing with them over 5 decades, than you could ever imagine.
Btw, if I were going to ding this near-perfect original that these good folks were selling--I'd mention this:
Any bike this old that hasn't had a crank rebuild, I don't care what their little compression readings were.. is risking detonation.
A guy named Charlie Smith in Maryland is a specialist in these crank rebuilds.
I highly recommend him.
This bike is worth about £12,000 in the U.K. at the moment. Triples have a big following over here.
I had a beautiful 73 like this one . Nice bike turned more heads than most bikes
Baddest Old school 750
God those larger 2 strokes sound amazing
I've never rode a 750 but I've rode a H1 500 a few times and in 3rd gear at 40mph, you crack the throttle, INSTANT Wheelie fact!
Damn your fuckin DUMB dude! you only have to change just ONE sprocket! hehehehe, just think IF you changed Both DUH! You need to get out of your mothers basement more often!
Domino, i BET you've NEVER even rode this kind of bike let alone ANY bike in your fuckoff lifetime! Like i said, you NEED to get out of mother's basement more often! GEARING dumbass, gearing will set you free! STOP reliying on Googles CHINESE fuckoff search engines because even they can't count on a human variable when changing gearing DUMBASS!
I'm partial to the '72 H2 BUT the purple 73 is the most beautiful! Gorgeous bike!!
Love that sound. Yeah, had one in the 70's.
I was on the back of one of these at over a100 mph. Lots of fun until I couldn’t feel my hands anymore because of the vibration. God I miss those days.
Everyone is a critic. You all know you won’t find the original pipes in good shape. This is a nice piece that you won’t find many of as it is. Crank failure was the main issue as the H1 and H2 shared the same part number crank. This is a wonderful bike. My favorite of the era. Spent much time on one wheel with these.😁
OMG, that sound brings back so many memories, KZ’s ruled the streets!!!! I can remember dragging in my TA , I new to stay away from these !!!!
I had a 72 H1b, never had a minutes issue at all. Ran good oil in the injection and didn't remove the air box like so many did. It wasn't a road racer, but that isn't what it was made for. The biggest problem with these bikes was people wouldn't leave them alone. There was nothing wrong with oil injection except a lot of people didn't even know you checked the adjustment, as you did your carbs. Sure, you drag racers should weld the crank. That's cheap compared to all the money put into cylinders and porting, I don't care what kind of bike your beating on, crank welding is where you ought to start if your gonna race street or track. I'm 65 and I still ride a 73 two stroke motorcycle, all stock, never been apart, complete with oil injection. Doug S.
I was 17 years old in 1973, bought a purple H2 brand new for $1,200.00 My best buddy Steve got a gold one.An amazing pair they were!!
$1200? They saw you morning.
I restored that same bike. Same color. Sold on eBay for $17.5k this last summer. Cool to see another one.
If I recall, these were called the "Widow Makers", in Australia anyway. I borrowed a mates for the weekend because he wanted to borrow my Panelvan. I also had a Honda 750 at the time. Fuck me, when I gave it back I think I said something like "If I owned your bike I would be dead in a week". Compared to my 750 fourstroke, this thing was a rocket.
I owned one 40 years ago. It was a blast to ride. Not good for long trips though, I remember the insides of my thighs getting numb.
Amazing bike. 1973!! Stunning. One look at this bike and you realise why our British bike manufacturers were doomed.
I remember those bikes when I was a teenager, they were the rice rockets of the day!
Being born in 1961 ofcorse this is something to see & hear. Wow... I recently seen a 72 Yamaha & it had been restored like this Gem... I enjoyed the Suzuki TS Bikes 2 Stroke oil injected 185 & 250 & 400 were SWEET.
This Bike is a
~Show Stopper ~
I rode a 73 back in the late 70's. It was not stock back then. It was the fastest bike I ever rode in my life. Told my neighbor to never let me back on it because I knew I would die.
sassed1 2many.... Very smart decision.
sounds so damn good!
Two Stroke Insanity at its best!! A very nice Smog Monster!
Boy do I miss that sound!!!!
What a bike, what a colour…however the beard steals the show…awesome 😃👍
Had them all .
A gold H2 750
A purple H2
A green H1500
A Maron S3 400 a
A Blue S2 350 excellent
A White S1 250 which was actually my favorite of all the triples because it reeved the hardest and was just super cool .
I had a few myself a 73 500. A 74 500 Both of those were green a 75 750 two tone purple a 78 750 LTD a 80 750 Spectre a 76 900 a 81 1000 LTD. and a 83 1100 Spectre Then a switched to Honda and bought a 83 V65 magna. Later I got a 83 1100 Shadow Spirit. Now I drive a 2006 VTX 1800
I LOVE YOUR SHOW ROOM! NICE 2 STROKE ALSO.
Back in the mid 90s the Japanese actually came over here and we’re trying to buy up all the old Kawasaki’s they could find I had three of the KG 1300s I had a handful of 750s triples and a handful of 500 triples and several KZ 1000 and 900 they were awful upset with me I would not sell them any
I sent back 2 Honda CBX's back to Japan in the '90s.
Nice!
Because they couldn't get bikes over 250 cc
The early 500 triples were the real rockets. Absolutely nothing in my town could touch my 500 in the quarter mile. I still don't know how I didn't kill myself on it. Kawasaki had to slow the 500 Mach 3 down so they could sell the H2 750. Believe me, I lived it.
I need a tranquilizer! My heart is beating way too fast. I almost started shaking when I saw this bike. I love it!
I had a Kawasaki 500 and friends had 750 these bikes were fun to ride and were like riding a rocket...….there was nothing more fun than five of us riding in a pack and getting on the throttle lighting up the neighborhood.
not a fan of 2 stroke sounds but this beast has a meaty. beefy ,throaty sound thats really appealling! with 74hp, these were 12.7 sec 1/4 mi bikes ...they were beasts!
that thing looks and sounds wicked
What a sound. Beautiful
Had a 75 red H2 new. What an animal. Have owned five Kawi triples since then. Nothing sounds like these things at 8,000.
I had a red 75 too, and still dream of it today. Added Denco chambers, carb and clutch work. Nothing could touch it!
I had a 1972 H1 500 Mach III
They are Fast and Fun, But very Dangerous, It was my 5th motorcycle and I was only 14, man I had Big Fun when I was a Teenager!
The most beautiful 2 stroke sound I've ever listened.. Real Music
To think my dad owned an h2 and later a z1 built by pops yosimura. Beautiful bike
Gorgeous BEAST!!!
Gotta love a Kawk triple in purple haven’t you? Beeeeuuuutiiiiifulllllll ❤️
I like the curve of the seat into the tail section, just I like I love that feature of the Z bikes too. And the tanks of both 2 and 4 stroke Kwackers look great too.
TommyTwobats road one in 1974, had lots of problems taking off from a stop, but that flat slick seat! My butt tried to slide off at full throttle!
Had a H1 when I was 16. The stock pipes would scrape the ground on a sharp left turn. My buddie Dean had a H2 and had 1 oil seal leak, he would sprint out in front of me and completly coat me with 2 stroke oil. Faceshield was junked.
THAT THING SOUNDS INSANE!!!!!
Man, she's a beauty!
Yeah.... I Remember the Older guys in the neighborhood had H2's & Suzuki 2 Stroke Triples. Sounded like a SWARM of Metallic! Angry Bees! With that greenish Wonderfull! Smoke!! Great Memories! Gravesend Bklyn's BADDEST ASSES! Was a Wonderfull time ! God Bless...
My first street bike. I loved to pull the baffles out of the mufflers. When 3 of us were riding together you could hear the warbling sound all over town. Those huge Mikuni carbs were nice but it was 160 miles from home to college, it was sucking fumes and sometimes didnt make it. Pretty hard to keep a rear tire on it.
In the early sixties there was a hangout for the Malibu surfing crowd called Cappy's. Owned by Cappy Kaplan, all the gang used to go there. Any relation ? Frankie, Dee Dee and all their friends. And also, Eric Von Zipper and the Rats and Mice. The place was the coolest. Look into it, it had the most amazing artwork on the walls !
Fricking beautiful
I was riding a t120 bonnie when these big kawi,s came to town. Boy were they quick! Away from the lights or on the straight they were an awsome machine. I never bought one tho. I opted for a cb 500 four in 73.
King of the hill for a moment in time
I think everyone of my generation had heard of these, beautiful but crazy machine.
Had all of them the Yamaha n Suzuki also but this and the 900 absolutely INSANE..WISH I HAD JUST 1 THESE DAYS...WILD TIMES. TOTLALY. WILD
Love that sound and looks beautiful too
Work of art
Great narration as always!
What a beautiful piece
It's a beautiful bike my fav color . I want one had one in 76
Most Excellent..Great Colour too..😎😎🇬🇧🏍🏍🇺🇸
Wow what a great sound. I have a rz350 project can’t wait to get on it and rippp !!
Been a year. How's it coming along?
I wish i could give a thousand 👍🏻s up , wow , brilliant
I've got a big triple collection just over the boerder in Canada. If you guys make your way up here you're more than welcome to pop by and rip on some 2 stroke!
Hell yes text me 860 916 9784
Absolute dream 👍🏼🏍
My neighbor John had a blue one like this. The bike shown here has the major wow factor needle pegged on the gauge!
I don’t need to hear Sammy.... just let the triple sing!