I remember when I was in high school back around 73 and everybody had those 3 cylinder Kawasaki 2 stroke 500 & 750 bikes.....They were cool and fast....Everybody wanted one including me.
Jack 👍 , I know how the slider clutches work , but don't understand how they are bringing the rpms up while staging ( higher than the clutch setting ) and releasing . I know it is some type of 2 step , but would like to know how they are doing that . Thanks in Advance 👍
@strangeuniverse1 from my memory , the H-2 came out earlier than the Z-1 and was always a tenth or 2 quicker in magazine tests . Hard to remember those 2 being Beasts compared to the bikes of today 🙂 .
@strangeuniverse1 - I tried dragging an H2 750 - with chambers and a mild port job - I couldn't keep the front wheel off the ground so I would have to throttle off and other bikes would beat me. It needed a foot longer swing arm. I could power wheelie at 150 km/hr in 3rd gear.
From racing the tt500s back in the day, and now watching the Motocross riders today I never dreamed I would see people do things like that on a bike. It just blows my mind when I see these competition stunt riders and things flipping bikes and all of the tricks they can do , if a person pulled that off back into 70s and 80s they would have thought that you was a demon or something,
Had a 71 H-1 re did it every nut & bolt painted everything couple of engine mods expansion chambers ran it on a track day in 1978 at Bridgehampton nothing more fun those were the days! These videos bring back some memories thanks for this!
Loved my first bike out of high school. Yamaha rc 350 2-stroke. Rode the hell out of it and then made it a screamer after graduating from American Motorcycle Institute. Love and miss the 2-strokes!
@@karlmorrison7933 I am assuming Yamaha out sold Kawasaki in the early years.. they had 50 cc 125 cc 250 cc 350 cc two strokes they sold millions of R-5's RD-350's RD-400's and they still sold the RZ-350 in USA after Kawasak was gone and the RZ-500 called the RD-500 in most Countries around the World .. in GP racing Yamaha and Suzuki Domintaed but Honda was in there for a while too ..
@@mikeskidmore6754 i should have specified myself sorry, i was 8 years old when the h-2 750 came out in 1972. my dad and 2 uncles bought the s-2 kawasaki 350s. i grew up in western pa and everybody was buying these 2 strokes, yamahas, suzukis, kawis, i dont remember honda making one but my school bus shed was the local hang out and let me say every time a local big mouth would start yappin his mouth my dad and uncles would shut it. no yamaha or suzuki EVER won a drag race against us. finally a big mouth who had money bought a 1972 H2 750 and shut everybodys mouth.
@@karlmorrison7933 Honda I am talking 500 CC Grand Prix racers 150 HP .. 1984 through 2002 .. Yamaha had the TZ-750 and TZ-500 th-cam.com/video/TRFxd_u1o5g/w-d-xo.html
Lived in Southern California in the 70's and bought a 1974 Kawasaki H-1 500, that had a 3 year old expired Cali plate on it, from my cousin. He did not have a title for it, so consequently I never registered it. I rode that bike daily to work and raced it both on the street and the strip at every single opportunity that came my way. It had Denco killer stingers on it with no muffler cans, so it was ear splitting loud. I moved to El Paso, Texas with the H-1 on the rear bumper of my car and continued to use it as almost a daily driver for another couple of years. Sadly the time came for me to part with it, mainly due to the fact that I could not register it. So, I talked with some of my friends in El Paso about selling it in Mexico, where no paperwork was needed. The only problem with this plan was that it was against Mexican Federal Law, at that time, for Americans to sell vehicles in Mexico. But, none the less, I found a dealership in Juarez, MX, which is right across the border from El Paso, that was willing to take a look at it. I had my father follow me in his car and we crossed the bridge over the Rio Grande into Mexico. We drove to the lot and pulled in, where the owner saw us and came out of his office to invite us in. My father and I walked into the office and there sat a Juarez policeman in uniform! Dad and I looked at each other like, oh boy here we go, but it turned out the policeman was just a friend of the car lot owner and was just visiting and could have cared less about what we were up too. Then the owner told me he would give me $800 cash for the bike, which was considerably more than I could have got for it at home, with the only problem being that he did not have the cash at his lot and that we needed to take a drive to his home to get it. That was also a little concerning since we had just met him but it all turned out just fine and we went home $800 richer. About two weeks later I received a phone call from a guy who told me that he had purchased the H-1 in Juarez and they had given him my phone number, from the paperwork we had to fill out, and that I had the title for the bike and could hook him up with it! Unfortunately for him, I of course had no paperwork for the bike and told him straight up that is why I sold it in Mexico. Don't know if he ever worked anything out on the bike or not but the only thing that I do know is how very much I miss hitting the powerband on a three cylinder two stroke with loud ass expansion chambers on it!
@@SternLX You are correct it is from NASCAR. I looked it up and there are several who are credited for having said it. Junior Johnson, Darrell Waltrip and Felix Sabates to name a few.
Started riding British 2-strokes here in Australia as a kid in 1963, by 1971 about a dozen had passed through my hands , including Sun, James, Dot, Francis-Barnett, Cotton, and BSA as well as a a Kawasaki A7 Avenger, but in 1971 I bought a new Mach III A1, and eventually had five Mach III's in my shed! I sold the last of them last year -- time to let someone else enjoy its madness since I'm now in my 70's; and feel it's safer to stick to my Kawasaki Vulcan cruiser now!
Got to ride a H1 back in the 70s a few times and was told it had been hop up as the owner was in the service, I don't know if that's true but that three cylinder was a beast when it came to power, never had the nerves to open it up , just rode it normal as the owner let me take it out lots of times. Can not even wonder what it could do, to me 1 and 2 gear was so touchy in bring up the front wheel and one day in 4 gear i slower power it up not fast not trying to let it run and the dam thing stood right up and i my heart skip a beat as i was rolling off the power as when the front wheel came off the road, had to be doing 55 mph. I thank that was the last time i took it out. Those bikes hear must be real wicket machines Thanks for posting never knew they had two cycle racing like this
As a teen I found my neighbor had a new Kawasaki 500 street bike, which was one of the fastest bikes at the time. We both raced motocross (he on a CZ 250 and I on a Suzuki TM-250), and he let me "borrow" the Kawasaki one night (though I didn't even have a driver's license yet). It was like riding lightning - too fast on the throttle and the front wheel would come up quickly. An amazing bike, and he only sold it to buy the new 750. That blue-striped Kawasaki drag bike reminded me of his 500 as it had the same color scheme.
I recently built a 66cc motorized bicycle and I caught the 2 stroke fever. Though I will never get to ride with the big dawgs with them insane H2 triples, I will enjoy my little creation.
Lived in South Lake Tahoe in 1975. My roommate had a blue H2 750. I had a RD350. Took them both to Hot Bike Engineering in Fremont, CA. They competed with Denco back then. Raced both bikes at Fremont Drag strip. I remember Terry Vance and Byron Hines being there with one of the first Suzuki drag bikes. At least I think it was. Looked like one of the first Pro Stock motorcycles. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe bike was there as well. Hot Bike's rider rode my friends H2. Did low 10 quarter mile with no wheelie bar. I forget what times I was doing on my RD. Low 13's maybe. The good ole days.
I bought a new H-1 in '74,crazy fun light and fast bike! Girls loved it too! It was beautiful! After that was a new KZ900,a fun more civil yet fast bike too. Since then I've had many KZ's,H-2's S-3's and modern bikes too! They're all fun!
Nothing is better at converting fuel into horsepower than a 2-stroke engine. They’re not especially clean, but they are simple, lightweight, and surprisingly reliable. I’ve always had a love of everything 2-stroke. I will miss 2-strokes once the environmental enforcers eventually put an end to them.
I added Kawasaki's dual disc brake kit to my 1973 H2, and installed the longer swing arm from a ('75?) H2. With a 4:00-18 soft tread Dunlop TT-100 on the rear, it would slide over manhole covers when leaned over on corners. It was very stable with the longer swingarm. Sadly, at 2 AM, in 1977, I was hit from behind while entering a freeway, by a drunk driving a Corvette. All witneses reported the 'Vette weaving through traffic at 100 mph. I survived, and the crash wrecked bike is in my man-cave.
I wrenched at a Kawasaki dealer in western New York in the late 70's/early 80's with H2 owner/racer Terry Gilliam. Met Paul Gast and Puppet a few times. I helped a bit with the H2 that Terry set some gas/altered (at the time) records with. I even rode it - once - in the parking lot, no power low but when came on the port and pipe it wanted to loop with the wheelie bars off. everyone found that very amusing...
Wow 🤪😃 , The sound 👍. Brought back so many memories, of my younger years. Running RD 125 lC - 250s and a 305 LC . The sound The smell, & that kick in the pants 🤪. When you're in the band 🏍🏍, weeeeeeeeeee 😃😃😃
My wife loves 2 strokes! Usually, the last 2 are her favorites! 😂. But seriously, I acquired and rode a 1976 Suzuki 750 triple around 1997-99. Commonly known as a Water Buffalo due to the liquid cooling. Very cool ole bike! Even with the Vetter fairings and bags it was quite a ripper! I thought I was upgrading by getting a 82 KZ 650 but I was wrong! The suzi was quicker, faster, more comfortable and cornered way way better than the KZ. IMO. Keep up the good work!
I had a 72 and 73 350 back in 1981. Downright scary! I was 4' 11" and weighed 98 pounds! When it hit six grand it was like hitting a nitrous switch! Bring it to 9500 and shift as fast as you can! Had to ride the clutch off the line and it was everything I could do to get my feet up to the pegs in time for second gear! I learned a very important lesson one day. Never try to do a second burnout! I ran behind it as long as I could. I finally let go of the handle bars and watched it scuff the tail light twice and then fall to the right. Took out the injection pump, throttle grip and the left rear turn signal. Fortunately, I had a parts bike in the basement! Sold it that weekend. Went for the safer Suzuki GS 650 L with Vetter fairing, trunk, highway pegs, crash bar and throttle lock. Keeps you from racing... and alive!!
Yamaha Banshee probably the most responsible for people's love of premix! Saw a handful of triples in some Banshees in the 90's at Glamis... Bad... to... the...bone...
Uber Cool......Worlds First Two Bike Two Stroke Seven Second Run....Totally Awesome 😎 Many Many Thanks too Alex,Bill and Jim S for such a great match-up Epic Race Big Thanks too 2 the Legend Mr Paul Gast creator of super fast H2’s Respect Sir😉 And Big Thanks too 2 Jack and ALL the cycledrag.com team for bringing it do us Hope someone can beat that 7.77 record and raise the bar some more....Good Luck All🙂
I remember almost 30 years ago my father sponsored an RG500 Susi for the Manx gran prix (Isle of man). I rode it over the mountain when i was a young man, the power band was 1500 rpm and it was one of the hardest bikes i had ever ridden..... but wooo it was fun.
I see this is bringing out all of us older guys who rode these back in the seventies! lol Damn I wish I had kept some of mine! Great video! Puts a smile on yur face!
Ah man I miss the sound and smell of a hopped up 2 stroke... Used to run a fully modified, stroked and bored, '86 Honda 250r in around Glamis... Never could have dreamed of 165+ mph though... Wicked!
Jack , @ 14:50 right lane had fire spitting on the intake side , would be very interesting to find out what was doing that ... Guessing a head gasket , but it went away and he ran a 7.89 🤔
I used to have a 1985 2 stroke CR500 dirt bike but never a 2 stroke triple Kawi?!?! When I was a kid a neighbor of ours in 1977 had a beautiful purple 2 stroke Kawasaki. I used to run to the window to see him ride out of the driveway. And of course hear it!
I had an H2 . It was a tough to get the mix right. It changed its mind on what mix it liked a lot didn't corner too good but I liked that it was all up and took off like the millennium Falcon!
The first anything I ever drove all by myself was a 2 stroke 80 or so CC Yamaha dirt bike. I was 10 and I can still remember how fast I'd bang through those gears, hitting any jump I could find and my Dad worried I'd wreck it riding it so hard but you know what? My bike was the only running bike at the end of the year LOL! Everyone elses bikes were parked and needing a lot of repairs. I still ride just like I did when I was a scrawny kid in the 80s: Fast and hard but just this side of blowing 'er up or piling her up and to this day, I've never blown up or needlessly ruined a 2 stroke.
RD400's. GT185's. Enduro DT400's had plenty of fun riding all those different bikes. I am 55 now and would not turn down a good deal on a 2 stroke bike if ran across one. I would do my best to ride the wheels off of another 2 stroke bike.
I lived on my two strokes in the 1980s. Me and my buds terrorized the San Fernando Valley on our RZs. Goin thru the Sherman way tunnel under van nuys runway.you shoulda heard that! ❤️ I've had them all, kawi triples, TZRs, RGVs, NSRs. The good old days
The Stock Kawasaki 750 CC Triple was not very fast. It was more of a Mid range RPM toquey bike.. These guys have done a lot of port work to make them so fast..
@@RodgerMyers Thats why they made 74 HP at 6,800 RPM's correct ..? Sure expansion chanpers and some port work will bring them to life.. 55 kW (74 hp) @ 6800 rpm
@@mikeskidmore6754 I was just guessing at the rpm where they fell on their face ... I could not remember . Had a few stock h-2 & h-1 with and without chambers... still fell on their face . Had a H-2 that I went 9.7 many years ago . It had a FBG engine , yet still didn't rev very high . Never knew what rpm it turned , just learned to shift before it nosed over . Skinny guy I bought it from went 9.4 . Read the post where the guy said H2s were record holders in et no way did H-2s keep the stock 750 record ( 12.2 ? ) for 25 years . Did a quick search and could not find out what a 85 750 GSXR went stock , but seen they had 25 more hp , a 6 speed tranny and had to be lighter ...
@@rubyr.4812 I'm not the person who posted that they were not that fast stock , but your post furthers that contention ... They ran 12.2 or 12.3 stock . The 900 Kawk was only a tenth quicker , but revved . The H2 did not rev very high . The original posters other post saying 74hp @ 6800 sounds right . I think you are taking the post incorrectly . Back then , they were fast as was the SOHC 750 Honda a couple years earlier .
My brother owned a Suzuki GT380 when I was around 10 yrs old, he took me for a ride on it one day, hit 80 mph in a few seconds, scarred the sh*t out of me...he got into a bad wreck one day on Van Nuys Blvd when he was 16 and never rode again after that.
Sniff, sniff, Ahh the smell of 110 octane! Very distinctive smell from the pit area. Love it, Love it! And hows that f150, you lucky bugger, I'd like one with a fisher minute mount plow!
Rode Kawasaki H2s many years ago. Happy to still be alive! LOL Those things tried to kill me many times!
I remember when I was in high school back around 73 and everybody had those 3 cylinder Kawasaki 2 stroke 500 & 750 bikes.....They were cool and fast....Everybody wanted one including me.
Likethosrkaws
In 73 750s were doing high 11s
Same here, same years. Good times without the entire planet watch & listening to ya just so people can complain....
This makes me miss my kawasaki 750. Ill never forget that ride when it came out in 72
My friend had a 72 H-2 I had a 71 H-1 wish I had it too!
Me 2!
Jack 👍 , I know how the slider clutches work , but don't understand how they are bringing the rpms up while staging ( higher than the clutch setting ) and releasing . I know it is some type of 2 step , but would like to know how they are doing that . Thanks in Advance 👍
@strangeuniverse1 from my memory , the H-2 came out earlier than the Z-1 and was always a tenth or 2 quicker in magazine tests . Hard to remember those 2 being Beasts compared to the bikes of today 🙂 .
@strangeuniverse1 - I tried dragging an H2 750 -
with chambers and a mild port job -
I couldn't keep the front wheel off the ground
so I would have to throttle off and other bikes would beat me.
It needed a foot longer swing arm.
I could power wheelie at 150 km/hr in 3rd gear.
the man is absolutely correct you are one of the best commentators I've ever heard as well thank you
I raced motocross in the early 70's! I LOVE TWO STROKES!
I raced in San Diego county too. Awesome memories!
From racing the tt500s back in the day, and now watching the Motocross riders today I never dreamed I would see people do things like that on a bike. It just blows my mind when I see these competition stunt riders and things flipping bikes and all of the tricks they can do , if a person pulled that off back into 70s and 80s they would have thought that you was a demon or something,
The Original H2 ! they are beasts !
I loved my H2. Blown out with Wisco pistons and Barnett clutch and set back shifter. 9.8 street legal in the 1980s.
I still have my 1982 yz 490...
That 490j ain't no joke !!!!
Love the 2 smokes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!............more, more, more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cool,excellent job interviewing! Love the bike at 12:45, kick started it first try and puts it in gear with his hand that's wild
Had a 71 H-1 re did it every nut & bolt painted everything couple of engine mods expansion chambers ran it on a track day in 1978 at Bridgehampton nothing more fun those were the days! These videos bring back some memories thanks for this!
I'm living in the UK & watching all your uploads all the time, awesome. Stay safe everyone.. Gazza
I never thought there'll be two stroke drag race, maaan this place is like 2-stroke heaven
I love two strokes. More smiles per mile!!!
My whole teenage years were nothing but two strokes W.F.O., OH YEAH BABY!!!
ya,, the old triple death machines ,, love them
Loved my first bike out of high school. Yamaha rc 350 2-stroke. Rode the hell out of it and then made it a screamer after graduating from American Motorcycle Institute. Love and miss the 2-strokes!
Squeeze bang blow, that’s the way a 2 stroke goes.
Music to my ears
@@GhostOfDamned and a smell in the air!
🦂 7.85 "All Motor" 😢😢😢 this brought such a nostalgic yet happy tear to my eye !!! Thank you CycleDrag for posting this 💜❤💜 much love
I had a 1974 kawi 250 twin street bike with chambers and carb work ran strong and loved that crackle sound .
I have three, 2 stroke dirtbikes. I need one of these H2s!!! So cool!
2stoke power all the way love my 2stokes 👍👍
I wish more people would race two strokes, like RD400’s and RZ350’s.
Kawasaki 750 triples.
kawasaki owned the 2 stroke era brother.
@@karlmorrison7933 I am assuming Yamaha out sold Kawasaki in the early years.. they had 50 cc 125 cc 250 cc 350 cc two strokes they sold millions of R-5's RD-350's RD-400's and they still sold the RZ-350 in USA after Kawasak was gone and the RZ-500 called the RD-500 in most Countries around the World .. in GP racing Yamaha and Suzuki Domintaed but Honda was in there for a while too ..
@@mikeskidmore6754 i should have specified myself sorry, i was 8 years old when the h-2 750 came out in 1972. my dad and 2 uncles bought the s-2 kawasaki 350s. i grew up in western pa and everybody was buying these 2 strokes, yamahas, suzukis, kawis, i dont remember honda making one but my school bus shed was the local hang out and let me say every time a local big mouth would start yappin his mouth my dad and uncles would shut it. no yamaha or suzuki EVER won a drag race against us. finally a big mouth who had money bought a 1972 H2 750 and shut everybodys mouth.
@@karlmorrison7933 Honda I am talking 500 CC Grand Prix racers 150 HP ..
1984 through 2002 .. Yamaha had the TZ-750 and TZ-500
th-cam.com/video/TRFxd_u1o5g/w-d-xo.html
my 1974 S3-400 Mach ll It was a bad ass Bike no one could keep up with it in my little town loved that bike
Lived in Southern California in the 70's and bought a 1974 Kawasaki H-1 500, that had a 3 year old expired Cali plate on it, from my cousin. He did not have a title for it, so consequently I never registered it. I rode that bike daily to work and raced it both on the street and the strip at every single opportunity that came my way. It had Denco killer stingers on it with no muffler cans, so it was ear splitting loud. I moved to El Paso, Texas with the H-1 on the rear bumper of my car and continued to use it as almost a daily driver for another couple of years. Sadly the time came for me to part with it, mainly due to the fact that I could not register it. So, I talked with some of my friends in El Paso about selling it in Mexico, where no paperwork was needed. The only problem with this plan was that it was against Mexican Federal Law, at that time, for Americans to sell vehicles in Mexico. But, none the less, I found a dealership in Juarez, MX, which is right across the border from El Paso, that was willing to take a look at it. I had my father follow me in his car and we crossed the bridge over the Rio Grande into Mexico. We drove to the lot and pulled in, where the owner saw us and came out of his office to invite us in. My father and I walked into the office and there sat a Juarez policeman in uniform! Dad and I looked at each other like, oh boy here we go, but it turned out the policeman was just a friend of the car lot owner and was just visiting and could have cared less about what we were up too. Then the owner told me he would give me $800 cash for the bike, which was considerably more than I could have got for it at home, with the only problem being that he did not have the cash at his lot and that we needed to take a drive to his home to get it. That was also a little concerning since we had just met him but it all turned out just fine and we went home $800 richer. About two weeks later I received a phone call from a guy who told me that he had purchased the H-1 in Juarez and they had given him my phone number, from the paperwork we had to fill out, and that I had the title for the bike and could hook him up with it! Unfortunately for him, I of course had no paperwork for the bike and told him straight up that is why I sold it in Mexico. Don't know if he ever worked anything out on the bike or not but the only thing that I do know is how very much I miss hitting the powerband on a three cylinder two stroke with loud ass expansion chambers on it!
I bought a new Kawasaki 500 in 1971, out if 19 motorcycles I've owned, it is in my top 5!!!!
I forget who said "the best way to make a small fortune in racing is to start with a big one."
It's from NASCAR, I know that much. Was probably one of the old timers like Richard Petty or Junior Johnson.
Laughed my butt off....so true.
@@SternLX You are correct it is from NASCAR. I looked it up and there are several who are credited for having said it. Junior Johnson, Darrell Waltrip and Felix Sabates to name a few.
Any real man that has any fever learns that about his hobby/insanity...
BIll Baxter is a Sportsman. He was happy to see his main competitor, Chongris, make history before his eyes. Good bunch of guys.
Awesome channel bro. You do a great job!
Thank you for this awesome content
I ran a slightly modified RD400 that was a solid 12 second performer - I always wondered what it would do on nitrous.
2stroke madness danm i love it!!!
Started riding British 2-strokes here in Australia as a kid in 1963, by 1971 about a dozen had passed through my hands , including Sun, James, Dot, Francis-Barnett, Cotton, and BSA as well as a a Kawasaki A7 Avenger, but in 1971 I bought a new Mach III A1, and eventually had five Mach III's in my shed! I sold the last of them last year -- time to let someone else enjoy its madness since I'm now in my 70's; and feel it's safer to stick to my Kawasaki Vulcan cruiser now!
Got to ride a H1 back in the 70s a few times and was told it had been hop up as the owner was in the service, I don't know if that's true but that three cylinder was a beast when it came to power, never had the nerves to open it up , just rode it normal as the owner let me take it out lots of times.
Can not even wonder what it could do, to me 1 and 2 gear was so touchy in bring up the front wheel and one day in 4 gear i slower power it up not fast not trying to let it run and the dam thing stood right up and i my heart skip a beat as i was rolling off the power as when the front wheel came off the road, had to be doing 55 mph. I thank that was the last time i took it out.
Those bikes hear must be real wicket machines
Thanks for posting never knew they had two cycle racing like this
As a teen I found my neighbor had a new Kawasaki 500 street bike, which was one of the fastest bikes at the time. We both raced motocross (he on a CZ 250 and I on a Suzuki TM-250), and he let me "borrow" the Kawasaki one night (though I didn't even have a driver's license yet). It was like riding lightning - too fast on the throttle and the front wheel would come up quickly. An amazing bike, and he only sold it to buy the new 750. That blue-striped Kawasaki drag bike reminded me of his 500 as it had the same color scheme.
I had a Denco 792 H2 street bike.
" Kick Start my Heart !!! "
I recently built a 66cc motorized bicycle and I caught the 2 stroke fever. Though I will never get to ride with the big dawgs with them insane H2 triples, I will enjoy my little creation.
I had an H2 back in the early 90s
Lived in South Lake Tahoe in 1975. My roommate had a blue H2 750. I had a RD350. Took them both to Hot Bike Engineering in Fremont, CA. They competed with Denco back then. Raced both bikes at Fremont Drag strip. I remember Terry Vance and Byron Hines being there with one of the first Suzuki drag bikes. At least I think it was. Looked like one of the first Pro Stock motorcycles. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe bike was there as well. Hot Bike's rider rode my friends H2. Did low 10 quarter mile with no wheelie bar. I forget what times I was doing on my RD. Low 13's maybe. The good ole days.
love the sound thy make
Lucky to have owned a 72 & 74 H2 ! Love the popcorn poppers👍⚡😎
Had a RD 350
I bought a new H-1 in '74,crazy fun light and fast bike! Girls loved it too! It was beautiful! After that was a new KZ900,a fun more civil yet fast bike too. Since then I've had many KZ's,H-2's S-3's and modern bikes too! They're all fun!
awesome start up noise!!
Nothing is better at converting fuel into horsepower than a 2-stroke engine. They’re not especially clean, but they are simple, lightweight, and surprisingly reliable. I’ve always had a love of everything 2-stroke. I will miss 2-strokes once the environmental enforcers eventually put an end to them.
You are the best Jack
I added Kawasaki's dual disc brake kit to my 1973 H2, and installed the longer swing arm from a ('75?) H2. With a 4:00-18 soft tread Dunlop TT-100 on the rear, it would slide over manhole covers when leaned over on corners. It was very stable with the longer swingarm.
Sadly, at 2 AM, in 1977, I was hit from behind while entering a freeway, by a drunk driving a Corvette. All witneses reported the 'Vette weaving through traffic at 100 mph. I survived, and the crash wrecked bike is in my man-cave.
Great Video Thanks, What will you do with the s2 350 Drag?? is there a 350 class ?
I wrenched at a Kawasaki dealer in western New York in the late 70's/early 80's with H2 owner/racer Terry Gilliam. Met Paul Gast and Puppet a few times. I helped a bit with the H2 that Terry set some gas/altered (at the time) records with. I even rode it - once - in the parking lot, no power low but when came on the port and pipe it wanted to loop with the wheelie bars off. everyone found that very amusing...
My first bike ever when I was in high school was a 73 Yamaha DT250. Taught myself how to work on it and loved riding it.
love 2 strokes, had a 71 H1 and a 74 rd 350 so much fun back in the 70,s
I had a 1975 750 H2 and loved it.
How do I get one of your stickers to promote your fantastic channel here in the UK?
Wow 🤪😃 , The sound 👍. Brought back so many memories, of my younger years. Running RD 125 lC - 250s and a 305 LC . The sound The smell, & that kick in the pants 🤪. When you're in the band 🏍🏍, weeeeeeeeeee 😃😃😃
when you are the band
Very good, big like had a h2 back in the day
My wife loves 2 strokes! Usually, the last 2 are her favorites! 😂. But seriously, I acquired and rode a 1976 Suzuki 750 triple around 1997-99. Commonly known as a Water Buffalo due to the liquid cooling. Very cool ole bike! Even with the Vetter fairings and bags it was quite a ripper! I thought I was upgrading by getting a 82 KZ 650 but I was wrong! The suzi was quicker, faster, more comfortable and cornered way way better than the KZ. IMO. Keep up the good work!
I had a 72 and 73 350 back in 1981. Downright scary! I was 4' 11" and weighed 98 pounds! When it hit six grand it was like hitting a nitrous switch! Bring it to 9500 and shift as fast as you can! Had to ride the clutch off the line and it was everything I could do to get my feet up to the pegs in time for second gear! I learned a very important lesson one day. Never try to do a second burnout! I ran behind it as long as I could. I finally let go of the handle bars and watched it scuff the tail light twice and then fall to the right. Took out the injection pump, throttle grip and the left rear turn signal. Fortunately, I had a parts bike in the basement! Sold it that weekend. Went for the safer Suzuki GS 650 L with Vetter fairing, trunk, highway pegs, crash bar and throttle lock. Keeps you from racing... and alive!!
Who doesn't miss that sound & smell! 😎🤘
Yamaha Banshee probably the most responsible for people's love of premix! Saw a handful of triples in some Banshees in the 90's at Glamis... Bad... to... the...bone...
Uber Cool......Worlds First Two Bike Two Stroke Seven Second Run....Totally Awesome 😎
Many Many Thanks too Alex,Bill and Jim S for such a great match-up Epic Race
Big Thanks too 2 the Legend Mr Paul Gast creator of super fast H2’s Respect Sir😉
And Big Thanks too 2 Jack and ALL the cycledrag.com team for bringing it do us
Hope someone can beat that 7.77 record and raise the bar some more....Good Luck All🙂
I remember almost 30 years ago my father sponsored an RG500 Susi for the Manx gran prix (Isle of man). I rode it over the mountain when i was a young man, the power band was 1500 rpm and it was one of the hardest bikes i had ever ridden..... but wooo it was fun.
I see this is bringing out all of us older guys who rode these back in the seventies! lol Damn I wish I had kept some of mine! Great video! Puts a smile on yur face!
Still miss my H-1's, they made music not noise! Wheelie monsters 4 sure.
yeah, I love 2 bangers. can't you smell the Blendz All?
Love the sounds
Ah man I miss the sound and smell of a hopped up 2 stroke... Used to run a fully modified, stroked and bored, '86 Honda 250r in around Glamis... Never could have dreamed of 165+ mph though... Wicked!
Jack , try to find out what rpm they are shifting the 7.8 H2s for us 🙏
My old H2 that ran 10.30's was shifted at 11,000-11,500
I used to get my Klotz transfusion every spring.
Jack , @ 14:50 right lane had fire spitting on the intake side , would be very interesting to find out what was doing that ... Guessing a head gasket , but it went away and he ran a 7.89 🤔
Are you telling me I coulda slapped together six of the 1980 can-am 125 I had and it woulda been this much fun? Damn!
Smoked a ZX14!! Incredible!!! Nothing like a triple 2 stroke!!!
I've seen a few Kawasaki triple engines in dirt bike frames used in hill climbing racing man do they sound good in person!
I used to have a 1985 2 stroke CR500 dirt bike but never a 2 stroke triple Kawi?!?! When I was a kid a neighbor of ours in 1977 had a beautiful purple 2 stroke Kawasaki. I used to run to the window to see him ride out of the driveway. And of course hear it!
Idk why but I love the tire size they use for these. So square and narrow
Ah the memories, I still have one H-2
I'm 57
I had a few 4 stroke 500 750 900
But 2 stroke shits on them all I'm hooked
I had an H2 . It was a tough to get the mix right. It changed its mind on what mix it liked a lot didn't corner too good but I liked that it was all up and took off like the millennium Falcon!
That’s funny because I wore down the rubber on my pegs. 72, H2 500
@@lowprofile2412 I had the 750. By todays standards it was a tank for a sport bike.lol!
The first anything I ever drove all by myself was a 2 stroke 80 or so CC Yamaha dirt bike. I was 10 and I can still remember how fast I'd bang through those gears, hitting any jump I could find and my Dad worried I'd wreck it riding it so hard but you know what? My bike was the only running bike at the end of the year LOL! Everyone elses bikes were parked and needing a lot of repairs. I still ride just like I did when I was a scrawny kid in the 80s: Fast and hard but just this side of blowing 'er up or piling her up and to this day, I've never blown up or needlessly ruined a 2 stroke.
I need to get myself a 2 stroke
*should
@@abdullahmualif4202 sure should brother 👍
I love my 2 strokes.my missus thinks I'm mad reving them up all the time
I tell her it gives me wood 🏁
Always wanted an original H2.
What kind of 1/8 mile et is Hughes running when going that fast in a 1/4 mile
high 4s
AWESOME
I'm so glad I had an H 2. But one like Baxter's with 172 HP would be really different.
I’d love to see a Yamaha RZ500 set up for drag
Here come the awkwardly close camera encounters
Love the Smell & Sound of 2Strokes!
RD400's. GT185's. Enduro DT400's had plenty of fun riding all those different bikes. I am 55 now and would not turn down a good deal on a 2 stroke bike if ran across one. I would do my best to ride the wheels off of another 2 stroke bike.
Jack , in a video of your's , you said something about Baxter's bike catching fire ... Did it & how much damage if it did ? 👍
That one belongs to Alex Hughes. I think the bike sustained quite a bit of damage, but thankfully he’s ok!
👍, Thanks
Is the nitrous H-2 still at 750cc ?
Dude was making his lunch!!!!!!!
I lived on my two strokes in the 1980s. Me and my buds terrorized the San Fernando Valley on our RZs. Goin thru the Sherman way tunnel under van nuys runway.you shoulda heard that! ❤️ I've had them all, kawi triples, TZRs, RGVs, NSRs. The good old days
The Stock Kawasaki 750 CC Triple was not very fast. It was more of a Mid range RPM toquey bike.. These guys have done a lot of port work to make them so fast..
Stock not fast? It only held the 750 record for 25years. THATS FAST
Correct , they fell on their face about 8,000 .
@@RodgerMyers Thats why they made 74 HP at 6,800 RPM's correct ..? Sure expansion chanpers and some port work will bring them to life..
55 kW (74 hp) @ 6800 rpm
@@mikeskidmore6754 I was just guessing at the rpm where they fell on their face ... I could not remember . Had a few stock h-2 & h-1 with and without chambers... still fell on their face . Had a H-2 that I went 9.7 many years ago . It had a FBG engine , yet still didn't rev very high . Never knew what rpm it turned , just learned to shift before it nosed over . Skinny guy I bought it from went 9.4 . Read the post where the guy said H2s were record holders in et no way did H-2s keep the stock 750 record ( 12.2 ? ) for 25 years . Did a quick search and could not find out what a 85 750 GSXR went stock , but seen they had 25 more hp , a 6 speed tranny and had to be lighter ...
@@rubyr.4812 I'm not the person who posted that they were not that fast stock , but your post furthers that contention ... They ran 12.2 or 12.3 stock . The 900 Kawk was only a tenth quicker , but revved . The H2 did not rev very high . The original posters other post saying 74hp @ 6800 sounds right . I think you are taking the post incorrectly . Back then , they were fast as was the SOHC 750 Honda a couple years earlier .
I owned an H1 500 it was scary as hell in corners
Where is this race track?
SGMP is right outside of Valdosta, Ga
@@turbomustang8417 well, since I’m only a hour away I’ll have to check it out!
@@cosmyccowboy They host a lot races. If you into cars it is where Duck X hosts the Lights out series
Had a GT 550 with expansion chambers. I wish I never sold it
My brother owned a Suzuki GT380 when I was around 10 yrs old, he took me for a ride on it one day, hit 80 mph in a few seconds, scarred the sh*t out of me...he got into a bad wreck one day on Van Nuys Blvd when he was 16 and never rode again after that.
Wasn't it Eddie Duhamel that used to have the smoking joes on his bike as well?
I used to have a Yamaha RZ350 and it went like the clappers!
how much hp do these things make
Sniff, sniff, Ahh the smell of 110 octane! Very distinctive smell from the pit area. Love it, Love it! And hows that f150, you lucky bugger, I'd like one with a fisher minute mount plow!
and a lot of skill to go that fast and balls
How many horses are they making?