The Original Kawasaki H2 was called the 'Widowmaker' for a reason
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ก.ค. 2022
- In 1971 Kawasaki released their second 3 cylinder 2 stroke sportbike, the 750cc H2. This motorcycle became the stuff of legend, holding the fastest quarter mile for its time and often giving its riders a direct path to the afterlife. Here's why this motorcycle became associated with death everywhere it went.
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I am a 67-year-old survivor of the 1972 H-2 750 "widow maker"! My first road bike was the 1972 S2 A which was the best wheelie bike I ever rode and it only cost me $869! I rode it for 2358 miles, just under one year, then I just had to have the H2! Back then the mindset was, break it in hard and it will always run hard! This bike I had the most fun with as I would always leave supercars, even the Datsun 240Z in the smoke that my beast always left behind me! I once got caught by a Rhode Island State Trooper, running back and forth on a brand new four-lane road that was not open yet, testing my skills and he made it plain and simple that he was out to stop me as he jumped the median divider that was a grassy gully that he took out his exhaust system when he did get to the northbound side of this new but still not open highway. He told me to slow down this rocketship and if he ever catches me going over the speed limit, he was going to take my 750 away and throw me in jail and toss the key into a pond! I only stopped this one time for a cop after that! The wobble was there from about 100 to 105 mph and would stay until you had the balls to ride it out to 115 mph, then it would smooth out and top out speed-wise at about 123 mph! I rode that bike until 1974, sold it to my big brother, and then bought the 1974 900 Z1, by then Kawasaki was building a stronger frame with 4 cylinders compared to the three cylinders, was a much smoother and better handling machine in the corners and had a faster top speed! I would pay anything to have another sky blue H2 750 again!
Got one 4sale San Antonio Texas
I remember the first time I ride hard a 2 stroke, it was a 135cc Yamaha Rx king, it was under 20 hp so I underestimate it, but once it hit the powerband, damn..... This bike has no business to be able to pop up a wheelie that easy but it does anyway, and then I fall in love to two strokes ever since 🤣
Bought a 1972 H2 in 1982. Could take on anything on the road stoplight to stoplight if I did my part correctly. Had to take great care shifting to keep the front wheel from going up and over. Adrenaline machine 😃
$869 new. Imagine how much a good condition one is worth now?
I knew nothing about motorcycles when I was a kid. I bought a used 1974 H2-750 to learn how to ride. I can still hear feel and smell that bike. Correct me if I am wrong, I believe neutral was all the way down. I also remember melting many of my tennis shoes on the muffler. Grateful to have survived and learned on a piece of motorcycle history
I'm 71 years old and I remember riding the Kawasaki 750 H2 back in 1972 like it was yesterday. At the time I owned a 750 Honda which I thought was fast until I borrowed my friend's 750 H2 for a night. I was blown away by the raw performance. It made my Honda seem like riding a scooter when it came to speed and torque. The first time I cranked the H2 wide open I ended up doing a wheelie for an entire city block. What a thrill it was growing up back then.
I'll be 90 on Mar 24, '23, and I am very glad I DIDN'T have an H-2 as a demo or I'd have lost some prospective dealers in the process.
yes it was something fast and quiet could sneak up on everything and pass like they standing still with even more power to give you. was thrilling,
Those were the best of times. I had an H1 in 1972-3 when I was 17. It was a lot of fun.
I’m 72 and had one. It was a real crotch rocket
So AWESOME 👌 🙏🤠💯🇺🇸🙏🇬🇧
Had one when I was 17. Why I'm still alive 50 years later is a miracle. Fun though.
Thsts a wierd way of thinking
I bought a 74 H2 from a buddy with less than 600 miles on it. He had Denco expansion chambers put on & carbs tuned by the dealer when he bought it.
He wiped out on a wheelie. He had it totally repaired, replaced the tank, front fender, wheel, bars etc.
I was recuperating from a left turning cage, lost my left leg below the knee. He sold it to me for "all the cash" I had which was $400.00 (his Dad was loaded) so I could get back up on 2 wheels.
The shifter shaft ran all the way through the cases so they could sell them in Europe where they shifted on the right. I took the piece that clamped to the shaft, moved it to the right side, stuck a bolt through a piece of rubber hose, had a SUPER SHORT THROW SHIFTER.
I did not run a rear brake, just used engine & front brake.
I had not been fitted with a prosthetic leg, so learned to ride on another buddies 70 Honda 750 that was a rat bike. It might not have had a clear title...
After ONE drop of the Honda I learned not to do that again, thought I broke my left femur again. Have you ever seen a one legged man pick up a Honda 750 on a gravel road??? It ain't pretty...
I would strap my crutches on the side & HAUL A*S. THAT was a NEAR WIDOWMAKER many times. Yeah I was a little STUPID...
I eventually got a leg fitted. Then I really BONDED with that bike. I put a Barnett clutch kit in it, drag bars & later a "cafe" fairing & a 350 S2 seat on it on it. The 350 seat was shorter & did not want to launch you off the back as bad as the launching ramp that was the 750 version.
It had a WICKED SPEED WOBBLE just over 60MPH. I put a heavier steering damper on it, minimized it a little. I finally figured out if I didn't cruise in the 60 to 65 range it was not a problem. Also if I did get one, you CRANKED IT & it would accelerate out of it.
My Dad rode a 750 Honda that he bought new. We rode together occasionally, but he never would keep up... One day he finally decided he wanted to ride it, I had just serviced the chain, I was excited to let him ride it. He rode around the block a few times, then hit it, front end came up, that was all he wanted. He pulled up, got off said YOU'RE INSANE, went in the house & never asked to ride it again.
Nothing ever came close to it in a drag race. Later my Brother got a Z1-R 1000 that would pull away at over 120, slowly...
I put 21000 GLORIOUS MILES on that bike. Then one day I was riding in traffic & had some kind of a PTSD moment, I barely got pulled off the street, was shaking, almost convulsing, barely got the bike on the stand, dropped to the ground & blew chow. My brother was riding with me. He came back & saw me freaking out. Talked me down, I thought we might have to truck it home. I finally climbed on & rode home in a VERY SLOW & PARANOID manner.
Did not ride at all for a few years, but kept it around. Finally got back on & rode late at night on country roads & little traveled state highways.
MISS that WILD BITCH!!!!
The1971 Norton Dunstall 810 was a bit quicker (Cycle World test 11.9 in the 1/4 mile, first bike they tested to run under 12 seconds, a tenth quicker than the H2 at 12.0), but rare in the USA. A friend of mine had one. The Norton had more of the weight up front, so that may have helped with launches as it was less wheelie prone than the H2. There was a shop, HPI, that souped up Nortons, including a 940 cc kit and cam, but the 1972 Kawasaki Z1 900 was the start of a trend of ever faster bikes. As for the H2, some riders put dual steering dampers (one on each side) to stop the wobbles.
This brings back memories. Back in the mid 70s, i rode a 750 2-stroke Kaw from KY to San Deigo. We lived in KY and a high school friend had joined the Navy and was stationed in San Deigo. He didn't have a car and said if i rode his bike to San Deigo, i could stay a couple of weeks in his apt, see the sights, I'd never seen the ocean, take a trip to Tijuana, and he'd buy an airline ticket back using his military discount. I said sure!
Day one i made it to the west side of St Louis. I camped at a KOA campground. Sunburned so bad because i was so dumb and thought it'd be cool to ride shirtless. There was an angel of a girl working the counter at the campground. She rubbed lotion on my back and shoulders. I paid for my stupidity the rest of the trip wearing long sleeve shirts and staying in cheap hotels because i could hardly move from sunburn.
2nd day i learned another lesson. That being if you are traveling between St. Louis and Denver you better have a room reservation if you want to stay in a hotel. I didn't and almost feel sleep riding into the night. I finally stopped at a all night Waffle House type of place near Goodland, KS. The waitress said there was a boarding house in Goodland so i rode the cobblestone streets around midnight. There were tumbleweeds blowing. The boarding house looked like something out of Gunsmoke. A room w/o AC was three dollars, with AC, six dollars. My sunburn said get the six dollar room. I slept late into the next morning.
Day 3 i left Goodland and hit Denver soon enough, turned north to Cheyenne. Stopped for gas at a truck stop and stuck out like a sore thumb. I was the only person not wearing boots and a cowboy hat. Going through the higher elevations made the engine run way rich. Hard time running so i stopped at a bike shop in Rawlings and asked if maybe be worth adjusting the carbs or re-jetting. They said no since i was going to Deigo. Just go easy. So i spent the night in Laramie. Slept late again. Dreaded riding with that sunburn and my butt eeeas killing me...
Day 4... made it to Salt Lake City. My girlfriend had a cousin living there and i stayed with the family two nights. I really, really needed the rest. They showed me the sights, went to Park City one day. I walked across a stream flowing with water so cold it'd turn your feet blue... felt great!
Last day, the morning after the second night in Salt Lake, i loaded up the bike and headed for San Deigo. I made it there around midnight. I was a sight. You see, i hadn't been riding bikes for a couple of years and my butt was not ready for this. I was sitting on two pillows i'd bought along the way. I 3eas wearing bibbed overalls and a long sleeve shirt due to the sunburn. The bike had a tall sissy bar and I'd strapped an Army dufflelbag to it with all my stuff and another bad with a few cans of oil. I remember having to remove everything to add the oil every day. But that was the fastest 750 bike i ever rode in my life. Looking back, it was a great trip. I'd line to re-do it sometime... in a car! Thanks for reading if you stuck till the end...
I have my dads H2 in my garage. 3k miles on it, early 71, like a museum piece, the best unrestored original bike I've seen on the interweb, No I will never sell it.
I sold these bikes at a dealer in my area and rode them extensively. The torque was amazing. Lay on the tank, roll on the throttle, and shift each time the front wheel was pointing at the sky. With the H2 the adrenaline rush would cause one to shake for several minutes after climbing off.
Er to
Dd
Similar to my experience with a turbo 900 z1r. Not sure of the nomenclature, just shaking after I got off. Another Kawasaki wheely machine.
Dude! That is exactly how I feel after parking my 2014 Ducati Panigale R. It was still in semi-development for '13 and '14, and I can tell you that when high in revs, it goes nuts.
I am 60 years young, and had the green '73 H1 for my 1st and a repainted white '74 H2, after said H1's oil failed to get injected and threw me into the weeds at speed. Widowmaker indeed! Except I was just 16... These bikes set the stage for my Pani. Keep 'em between the lines, boys!
Kinda like my CR500 if you were game to go WOT.
I had a friend in high school that had one of these in the mid seventies. I had a little Honda CB 350 4 stroke. He used to let me ride it all the time. That bike was absolutely insane! It would do wheelies at 70mph on the interstate. Amazing I lived to tell about it.
Rode my first H-2 in 1974. Sincerely scared the everloving crap out of me. Pulled down on the throttle and when the tach went by 3500 it stood straight up. That thing had me talking to Jesus more than once. Thanks for reviving the memory
many of us had that same experience, it's good we are still alive to tell them. My H1 was hell on wheels. I preferred my buddy's Triumph 650 Twin.
Yamaha's RDs were about the same. The throttle on the RD400 felt like it only had two positions: Idle and omfG!
I was working at the Kawasaki dealership in 73 and we just got our shipment of H2s, I had just put together a gold one, I went back out to get another one, pulled back the plastic and saw that fantastic purple, went to the front office and bought it. My mods made it a very livable bike, dual disks, swing arm bushings, S&W shocks, and Wheelsmith chambers (super loud). It handled not terrible and cured me of loud bikes. Now fast forward to today and having owned all the fastest Ninjas from the GPZ900 on through to the latest H2, my current bike. As much as the orig H2 was a monster, the new one although great handing and stopping is terrifyingly fast (in a good way). The new one truly lives up to the name.
My first street bike was a purple H2 as well. I put drop bars on it and made a kind of Cafe bike. Rode the crap out of it. Still have the scars from the road rash it gave me! Wish I still had it.
I bet that you wish you still had that H2.
@@robertwiebler7470 so true! The guy I sold it to parked it in front of his house and it did not last a week. Stolen just that fast.
I started with my 500 H1 Triple Kaw, and graduated to my H2, 1973 750 triple. The most fun I ever had, drove it for two full years, from last snow to first snow. After my first speed wobble I went to the shop, purchased upside down Z bars and a Rickman full cafe fairing. Both were intended for the Kaw 900 that had just come on the market. I built my own frame for the fairing to fit my H2 and it was a deadly machine - nothing could touch me. I also added a better steering damper, but that was it. I rode her hard, put down every challenger and put her away wet, every time. She never broke - the fairing and dropped bars completely tamed the wheelies, I could stand her up like a modern stunt driver and could keep her down for blazing drag races. Loved that machine !!! Oh, and by the way, the fairing, damper and bars, made a champion road racing. I never lost a race - no matter how short or long.
I had a Kawasaki Mach II 500cc in 1972. Absolute screamer.
I removed all air filter encumbrance. Then added velocity stacks, and "Bill Wirges" racing pipes.
Maximized the fuel ports and only got 22 miles per gallon.
Positively the most fun I ever had on 2 wheels.
Thanks for the memories.
That wobble at high speed brought back some memories.
I am a 58 year old survivor of a modified (90+hp) 1972 H2 750, a 1974 H1 500. I was young and fearless when I bought the H2 @ 18 years old. Acquired the 500 a few years later from a frightened owner. In 1985 I couldn't resist when the Eliminators came out I bought the 900. My garage also housed my old 1975 KE100 and a 1985 Suzuki ALT 175 trike. I held on to and rode all of them for so many years.
The triples were the first to go after my 3rd kid in the 90's. Then once the divorce began I had to liquidate. Everything went except the Eliminator. That finally had to go when I bought my 2nd house and got tired of cleaning the carbs because I didn't ride it like I promised to.
I wish I still had them all !
We must have been separated at birth. 55, got rid of my bikes in the 90's after my second daughter. Divorced, kids are older, and I'm insured. 2010 Ducati Multistrada 1200S next to the lift in the garage. Watch out for the cult of old guys dressed up as storm troopers who want you to accept tall front rims as your personal savior, "Let me tell you about the BMW GS...." Buddies I ride with insist a Ducati can't trail ride. I used to slide the ass end of my CB750 on fire roads... Enjoy the Eliminator.
Haha frightened owner .there were plenty of them .i rode a friens one and was scared shitless..
@Mister Google Fearless = Endangered myself
Reckless= Putting others at risk
@Mister Google haha one goes with the other i think .
Yes, I remember the wobble. It was worse on the 500 than the 750. The oscillations on the 500 made me back off at high speeds. Interestingly, it didn't exist while riding double. I'm sure the extra weight must have had an effect.
The only totally inaccurate statement in this otherwise superb video, is that the Triumph T160 was like the rest of the Japanese multis and its chassis could not handle the power. WHAT? I am sorry but I am old enough to have ridden a T160 for many hard and very fast miles and also have ridden several Honda 750's and owned 2 Kawasaki 900's and take it from me, there is NO COMPARISON at ALL in the handling department. For all its (many, OMG, multiple faults!) there is one bloody thing a T160 did actually do sublimely well, and that is TOTALLY handle its power. I had a Honda 500/4 as my everyday bike and in comparison, the T160 cornered like it was half its weight of my 500 and tracked like it was mounted on rails. In short, it handled like a dream in the context of its time. If you want to hear the truth about historically iconic bikes..... then just ask the people who were young when these bikes first came out, not people who have never ridden them.
I had one in the mid 80s. My brother-in-law had a Honda CB750. We swapped bikes one day and ran a quarter. He got off my bike and said he would never ride it again as it was too dangerous. He had bikes all the way up to a KZ1000 but the conversations would always come back to the H2 and how radical it was.
Agreed! I had a 750 H2 for about 2 months. After the throttle stuck wide open one day to which I had the wits about me to keep the clutch disengaged until I was able to hit the kill switch. That, and the fact that I completely left the ground going too fast over a large bridge in my home town at the time - I ended up selling it to spare my own life. Though I kind of wish I had kept it for the sake of nostalgia, at the time it was the right decision for a young, "no fear", "no brains", 20-something to do.
Funny, I took mine out one day on a newly paved road and opened it up. My throttle stuck as well, there I was going down the road at 100+ MPH trying to get the throttle cable loosened. I thought to myself how stupid this was and how all I wanted to do was go fast on the thing. I sold it that afternoon and never bought another bike. Like you, I wish I had it now, it was a cool bike and they are worth a bunch but also like you selling it was the smart thing to do at the time. Your story was so similar to mine I had to respond. We are probably lucky that cooler heads prevailed.
I traded my Suzuki waterbus on to my H2 Wanganui NZ 1971 ,cops couldn't catch me ,wheelstanded frequently and even went over backwards at a party .So fast ,so much power ,lost my licence 3 times on my blue rocket .
I had 2 they would vibrate so much that your eyes couldn't focus. They would accelerate hard and you could feel the frame flex.
@Retired Bore maybe 100 mph was that sweet spot in 5th gear where the revs were just right.
But like John said in the OP, my eyes also went funny when I rode a 750cc version of the Mach III.
Edit: not sure if it was the g-force from acceleration, or the massive vibration?
Sounds awesomely scary.
@@savage22bolt32 no, it's actually your balls grow bigger and they are making contact and create that vibration
@@donniebunkerboi9975 oh! That's why my undies had gooey stuff when I got off the bike.
Warp drive
I remember when Kawasaki first introduced this bike in the UK.
One astounded reviewer wrote "It's like the speedometer's directly connected to the throttle!" That review has always stuck in my mind, even to this day.
I can't even imagine. My 350 2 stroke felt like that and this bike is like two of them stuck together. It doesn't have a spedometer anymore (just dual pyro's where the speedo used to be), but the tach felt like it just went from 6K to 9K instantly. I can't even imagine a 2 stroke streetbike this big.
@@GamingHelp Yeah, they were a BLAST to ride! But we used to have a saying... Kawasaki, FAST while they last!
It's funny how that goes. The more performance ya tend to squeeze out of something of a given size, the less reliable it tends to get. :) Also, if you're saying you had a chance to ride one of these 750's, my hat's off to you. That bike, ESPECIALLY with a bit of work to make it a bit more peaky, would have scared the pants off me.
@@GamingHelp I always wanted one of the 500cc water cooled 2stroke street legal bikes they never imported to the US ...Suzuki RG500 I think? and the Yamaha RD500? There were some others I cant find a Honda or Kawasaki example but there were some european model ...all looking a lot like factory GP bikes (which of course they would have been much heavier and slower... but still!) I just LUSTED to have something weighing maybe 325llbs and having 140hp or so of blissful 500cc two stroke power! Probably just as well my dream never came true as I got in plenty enough trouble on my 435 pound 100hp GSXR 750 ...but even if a 2 stroke 500 was no lighter or any more powerful? Just having that 2 stroke GP SOUND and sensations would have been SO freaking awesome! Hard to complain in this day and age considering what is available....even my grandpa motorcycle Yamaha Tracer9gt wirh almost 120hp and weighing 450ish with all the cool features is amazing....but it will never feel like Im riding a GP bike from the 80s
@@dougiequick1:Same! I tried to find an RD500 or an RZ500, but I never did. I've only know one person who's ever seen one and he did the porting work on it. After porting all 4 jugs, he said "I'm never porting one of those bikes again". Lol! Honestly, I feel pretty lucky to have found the bike I have. Best part, I still have it! It's in rough shape now, but it's still the same bike. One thing that always blew my mind about 4 strokes is how heavy they are. As a kid in my early 20's, I wasn't actually strong enough to lift a 4 stroke bike back up . But I could do it with my 2 stroke. Because it was basically a 350CC dirt bike with street tires. To say that bike is light is an understatement. The original pipes were probably 25 pounds a piece. I replaced them with ultra thin wall RZ350 race pipes. The center stand got ripped off. Even the battery went. I still needed lights though so what I did was to replace the lead acid battery with a 10,000 uF capacitor. I just tossed the battery and then hooked up the capacitor in it's place. Once the bike was running, the alternator kept the headlights and marker lights on, but the second the engine quit, it was dark. This actually became a problem once. Years ago, a friend was chasing me in his car while I was on my bike on a gravel road (And yes, he knows better). He was so close I could have kicked the front bumper of the car. I knew if I laid the bike down by accident while that close, I was done. So, the first straight away after the river bridge, it was about 300 yards worth of straight section before a long sweeper left turn. So, as soon as I was straight, I started going through gears. Let me tell ya, a 350 might not be big, but it'll go through those first three gears WAY WAY faster than you think it will. I went from being in a bad situation to being screwed as fast as you can say "first gear, second gear, third gear". It was only MAYBE two seconds of wicking on er, but it was too late. I'd reeled in 200 of that 300 yards and I was now doing well over 60mph on a gravel road and the physics were pretty straight forward: There's no way I can make that corner. So, I locked the back brake to dig the tire as much as I could, but it wasn't enough. I low sided the bike just as I entered the corner, then it immediately high sided and pitched me over the top and by this point, the engine quit so now it was black other than the headlight on my friends car (Yes, just one). Did I mention it was nighttime? So suddenly, it's very very dark. And of course, *I* am still doing 60mph on the edge of the gravel road. I keep going straight which means in the next half a second, I went from sliding on gravel to sliding in what LOOKS like a nice soft grassy ditch as the road turns up and to the left. Ditches LOOK soft, but they're not. Like, at all. They're actually full of bottles, stumps and rocks. Lots and lots of stumps and rocks. Sooooo many stumps and rocks. Ughhh.
My first and only cycle was a 750 Kawasaki H2. Probably a 1972 model. It taught me how fast, fun, and free motorcycles feel. Fortunately, it also taught me that I was not mature enough for drive one. Fifty years later, at 73, I'm still too immature.
And that's why you are still here with us. Thanks for sharing your story, and knowing your own limits. Have a great day
Back in 70's I love the sound of this bike
I was just a kid in the late 70's. I managed to wheel and deal for this 3- cylinder Kawi that didn't run. I tinkered with it and soon this beast was awakened. I don't know if I weighed a dollar back then, but I jumped on it and goosed my way to the highway a half block away. When she got straight, I twisted that throttle and grabbed gears. THAT was the fastest thing I'd ever been on. I could barely hold on!! What a ride!!
And oh the shaky steering wheel at 100 sure made you slow down and go whoa!
@@markjones5285 not to mention when you launched one you'd pray it would go straight.
@@markjones5285 you could drive through that wobble if you had the balls... like when a trailer starts to jack knife you can accelerate out of it before the fishtailing started and the bike would pull straight but as you began to slow it would kick in again. I didn't mind straight lines at all but cornering an H2 at speed was always Russian Roulette. You had to lean hard on the front end to keep it over but it will still try to straighten up and the brute force acceleration could cause front wheel hop halfway around a corner. My worst crash on an H2 was 80mph in the dark halfway around a corner the front light bulb blew and I couldn't see a thing so had to lay it down and took out a fence but me and the bike survived. Never trusted that bike ever.
@@markjones5285 If you used a relaxed grip instead of a death grip the bars would move a little at top speed but it would not shake.
Some laugh at the HP numbers of these bikes but it's TWO STROKE POWER. Firing on EVERY engine stroke means it punches waaaay above it's displacement and HP rating. Big 4 Japanese manufacturers didn't give a crap about handling in the 70s because the public didn't give a crap about it. Straight line drag racing was ALL that mattered.
Spot on
I heard that the Kawasakis didnt handle the greatest because their test facility was at an abandoned airport or something like that.
Not many corners there, so let's see how quick we can make it go from one end to the other ?😁
@@MrTheHillfolk and kawi always tended to have a bit higher HP.... but a bit worse handling LOL
.
the H2 is my dream bike
fell in love with 2 smoke triples with a 900cc jet ski...... and the crazy bastards at kawi built a 1200cc version
Back in 74 i was in the process of buying a 400 Kawasaki and when I went back to the dealer that had just remodeled the place they had two crates sitting in the corner with H2 750 in them and I asked what they were they told me and I said well hell give me one of them instead before I left with the bike I got a 14 tooth sprocket for the front went home and put it on the front and got on that thing and revved it up and nailed it and man it just went straight up man I mean I was doing wheelies you could just literally even a third or fourth gear you could just kick it down to fourth gear and nail it would be up in the air that was one of the greatest bikes I had but it did have that front end problem even at 70 miles an hour I was coming up on the turn and it just kept walking across the road I mean it just took me right by the edge of a telephone pole yeah almost took off my left leg and thank God I made it past it but yeah it was great for going straight but it didn't like turns too well wish I still had it I sold it in California
@@georgelupex9000 Yup all that power in a chassis meant for 35hp!!!!!! The Brits say how they were used to full throttle blips in any
gear on their Triumphs. Doing that on the 2 stroke Kaws often resulted in flipping the bike.
Absolutely the fastest vehicle I ever straddled....back in 1974. I had a rootbeer brown with the orange on the tank. Beautiful machine.
I took one for a twenty min spin. It felt like riding a torpedo.
I am 62 and I have had a lot of bikes. This was one of my top five best fun bikes.
I bought an H2 just out of Marine Corps boot camp in late '72. It was $1263 out-the-door. My neighbor buddy had the H1 and I wanted to one up him.
It was the darling of the squadron with enlisted and officers wanting to see it up close. I was even asked to do a trophy run on the flight line. Great memories!!
The most dangerous combination for a rider's life is a recently discharged young Marine and their superbike. Their ghosts wander the desert along Hwy. 62. You can hear them sometimes, when the wind is just right. Sometimes you can make out their words, 'I should'a got a Buick... I should'a got a Buick....'
I'm a survivor. I had one pitch me off @ 110mph. Nothing broken, but left a lot of clothes and skin on the road that evening. Quite the ride! It was like being shot out of a canon when you dialed it up!
yea I had one too and you summed it up with "like being shot out of a cannon"
I still have my 1970 H-1
Still crazy fast.
My first bike was a souped up 73 H1 . It was absolutely fuckin fantastic ! ! ! especially if you had your girl on the back with you ! ! !
I'm also a survivor of a H2, this year I celebrate 50 years on two wheels with my Virago1100. I owned many bikes, but no one compared to the 750 H2 in acceleration (at least the feeling of it), although you had to have balls to hold this beast on the street at higher speeds. Unforgettable...
I was too young to have any of these bikes. When I was 14, my dad finally bought me a Yamaha Enduro 100. I was a tomboy, lived on a farm, and as badly as I wanted a Kawasaki, I wasn't complaining because I had the 2 wheels I wanted to race around 100 acres. In 2005, I finally got my first Kawasaki. A used Ninja 250, and what a difference in handling from the old enduros. I had to learn to lean, not steer. In 2014, I bought a brand new signature green Ninja 300se. Unfortunately I haven't put a lot of miles on it due to health issues, but I go out when I can, county blacktop roads are a lot of fun to ride on, even for a 63yo nana, lol.
i used to trailer my bike out to the country with my truck. To me riding is the most enjoyable on empty roads. Twisty roads with rolling hills and occasional straight-a-ways. Really miss those times.
@@josephdonnelly2663 Yes!! Those roads are the best place to ride.
i use to ride a yamaha special 750 to work during the summer it was a 70 mile round trip till one day i was comming home and the chain broke and the back tire locked up at 70 mph i still count my lucky stars to this day that was the last time i ever rode but before that i really loved the ride if i ever ride again it will never be a yamaha i like you rode my whole childhood for me it was dirt bikes started on a trail 70 worked my way up to a hodaka super rat 125 it was a beast
@@leo42062 I'm so glad I have those memories from my youth. I never worried about getting hurt, just thought of ways I could make things more exciting. I'm hoping I never have something happen to my bike like what happened to yours, and it's good to know you survived it. I don't think I want to know how badly you were injured.
@@survivrs thats the weird part i had a angel on my shoulder when it happened it felt like slo-motion but i came to a stop and thanked god for letting me live kicked the bike off the road and stuck a thumb in the air and made my way home
I do have a 72 H2. When you see a steering dampener on steering head, yet another steering damper added on the side (from factory) really shows that its handling being definitely after thought. Wobble too much? add a damn damper. Still wobble? slap another dampener and you go away now.
I had a plum colored H2 when in the USAF stationed @ Shaw AFB SC in 1977. I rode it to PA, Mardi Gras. Florida and other places. It was so easy to pull the front wheel up even in 5th gear. I remember heading North towards Pittsburgh in WV almost being hit head on when some jerk in oncoming traffic decided to pass in my lane on a two lane road. Fortunately the road was raised and there was a grassy pasture along side the road. I dropped into 4th and opened the throttle propelling me off of the shoulder into the pasture. After I was clear I cracked the throttle again and jumped up the side of the road across the shoulder and back onto the roadway. All was done in reaction with little thought. I was lucky and my adrenaline rush did not subside for at least 30 minutes. I miss that H2.🥲
My dad had both the H1 and H2. He preferred the H2, since it was much better to ride at a normal pace. He has some awesome stories from that period of his life.
Mine as well. Would i wouldn't give to be able to relive that time along side him.
Nice Buell, best handling bike I ever owned. Is that a 03 XB9?
Great times. Now everything is prohibited!
I had a 500 triple during my college years in the late 70's and managed to survive. Awesome bike, but did leave you smelling like 2-stroke oil after a long ride. Next bike was a four cylinder Suzuki 750...but boy I really missed the 500.
I traded a '68 Chevelle SS 396 for a 500 triple back in the mid-'70s when I was stationed in San Diego. Loved that bike. Didn't love it fouling the plugs at times. but loved that it would pull the front wheel in 4th gear. Ah, to be young and dumb again.
What's wrong with smelling like 2 stroke? I'd buy cologne that smelled like that.
@@mikeholland1031 And you would be surrounded by GUYS just loving you.
@@nightster6378 ya. You're probably right.
In 71 I had a Mach 3. Hit the power band with a passenger on the back. The bike stood straight up and my buddy’s helmet hit the pavement. Good times. Traded it for a Z1 in 1973.
😆 good comment.
After owning smaller bikes, I had to have an H1. All I knew was that was fast. In 1972, California required a motorcycle stamp on your license. Took my skills test on that bike. A buddy had a Honda 450 & we chased each other around the back roads. I'd smoke him on the straights & he'd reel me in on the corners. Mine was drum brakes which were totally inadequate. The hinge in the middle was legendary. My buddy just had to top me so he bought an H2. Now that was terrifying. Even the 500 had it's own launch technique. Laying over the tank, I braced myself with my right foot on the passenger footpeg. It red lined immediately so the shifts came pretty fast up to 4th. Beyond 90 was pretty dodgy but in a race you deal with it. Thankfully it had oil injection because it I was always filling up on gas. Glad to have lived to tell about the 70s.
I had a Suzuki water cooled two stroke. Great sound, lots of horsepower and speed. It handle pretty well at speed. I never lost a drag race or a road race.
My dad had an H2 in 1972. He was 34 & I was 6. I will never forget the look, the smell, the "nothing like it" sound and squeezing around his stomach as hard as I could as I held on for dear life. 50 years later I can still remember that sound and what it felt like to grip and twist the throttle sitting on it in our shed. He passed in 1988, unrelated to the bike but reading about it and watching videos about it let's me understand a little more about who he was and his love for speed. These comments make me laugh, smile and tear up. We, who are reading these comments, are different and others would never understand.
That's an awesome story kudos
Similar: I was 7, my dad was 28.
This was 1979 and a Suzuki RD 400.
He made me reach and grab his belt.
I remember neighborhood kids bragging about their dad's 750s and 900s.
My dad caught many of those guys out on the road and nothing could touch that
400cc two stroke.
This should have gotten a lot more likes, great story and underated comment my brethren may your speed demon of a dad rest in piece 🖖👍
I had a new Mach 3 500cc and it lasted me 2 weeks. After school I was riding it to my part time job at Winn Dixie and when cruising down the street at around 50mph and a US mail jeep made a u-turn from the opposite lane and hit me. Next thing I remember was sliding across the pavement with my head bouncing up and down (thank God for helmets). That was the end of my street riding. Spent the next 15 years on dirt bikes racing in enduros. I figured if I wrecked again it'd be my fault as trees don't move. Till this day I love 2 stroke motorcycles. I love the speed & power of 2 strokes when they hit their power band.
I am 69 and owned four of these H2's in my day. I owned a 72, 73, 74, and a 1975. The 72 and 73 were kept stock. The 74 was hot rodded by me and the 75 was treated to a motor from Denco in California. It was said to produce about 90HP. It was insane. It would wheelie when shifting from 4th to 5th at around 120MPH. The front wheel would eventually come down but still was light up to about 143. I wrecked it three times going over 60 MPH and downed it several times at lower speeds.. Broke several bones and lost some skin. I didn't lose too many drag races, don't think I ever lost from a 1st gear roll. Blipped the throttle in first gear once and the instrument cluster bloodied my face. It was a monster. My older brother wanted to ride it and I told him to be careful with the throttle. He went easy thru 1st and 2nd, he then rolled on it in 3rd. The bike stood straight up. He never never wanted to ride it again. All totalled I rode over 30,000 miles on those four bikes. Thanks for the video and the memories rekindled.
In 1966/68 I was Fox Corp.; Kawasaki Regional MGR of 9 States. The first H-2, I rode was one from one of my 3 Kawasaki dealers in St. Louis, this one on Big Bend. I had been riding since 1954, and road racing my Ducati, since '58, and a former BMW Factory "Rennsport" (500cc dohc opposed twin) Down the back straight at Riverside, it would pull the wheels off the Norton Manx's, (500cc) and the 650cc BSA' & Triumphs. The brakes were in the phenomenal category. The back straight @ Riverside was a mile. OOOHHH back to the "Widow Maker" That was and still is the fastest thing I have ever been on, on two wheels. You just aimed it and PULLED THE TRIGGER, and the next thing you knew, you were somewhere NEW to you. .
i had its lil brother....the 500 triple.......2 or 3 sec delay after cracking wide open.....you'd better be hanging on.......1 of the fastest 500's i ever rode....wish i still had it...
The H2 was my first motorcycle. I had the money and wanted the fastest bike available. I outran muscle cars after giving them a head start. I did a cross-country trip from NY to LA and back in 1976 to celebrate the bicentennial. I loved the bike. I purchased dirt bikes from Kawasaki for my son and I when he became a teenager. As for me, I went to Ducati 996.
I rode mine from Malmstrom AFB down to almost the Mexican border in California and back in 74.
Ps I ride a GSXR 1000.
Bet you love the Duke more. My Godz, what a gorgeous bike.
@@dragineeztoo61 ducatis are cringe
We had a small crew of riders. We all had older bikes from the 70''s. Honda 400-4's, Kawasaki Triple's. Lots of rides. Lots of memories.
Laying flat on my '72 H-1 at about 130mph on a long sweeping curve... The bike instantly went into a speed wobble when I straightened out at the end of the curve. I'm lucky to be alive...
I loved the H2, I went thru 3 of them, two blue 72's and a purple '73. It wasn't a bike for first time riders. With a '74 swingarm, bronze bushings and heavy duty clutch springs you had a budget rocket that destroyed anything else on the street. I will always think of that time with fondness. At least spare parts were easy to find with all the scrapped wrecks around.
Love that "spare parts" line.
No it wasn't.
Those bikes were dangerous, they don't stand up when given gas they just smoke the tire and then take off with much wheel spin and the front wheel is always off the ground. When you change to second the one I was allowed to drive changed sides of the road instantly with more tire smoke. I had a new CX-500 which I thought was fast and smooth, but that motorcycle (Kawasaki 750) was just dangerous really a raw dog way overpowered motorcycle.
@@chrisbraswell8864 Don't you just love em?! ;)
I hope you got a chance to ride one
I had a 72 H2 fastest motorcycle I ever rode it was scary but a lot of fun these bikes are very collectible in Europe and people pay big money for them now I mailed the heads on my triple which made it even scarier than it was out of the box loved every minute of it
Most exciting bike I had as a teenager. Early 80’s. Had to hide it from my mom.
My dad was a surgeon, who removed a lot of gravel, and fixed broken bones of more than a few guys, and some gals. He told my brothers and me that if he ever caught us riding a motorcycle there would be hell to pay. A friend had a 900 Kawasaki that we would ride up and down the rural road to cool off from the last load of hay. No helmet, no shirt, no glasses, but a LOT OF STUPID. Sorry dad, I know you didn't want to see any of us being wheeled into the E.R. Thank God it never happened. I'm 66 now, and grateful to have acquired some wisdom. Very lucky! Thanks Dad! ❤️
I bought my used 1972 H2 at the local Kawasaki dealer in Calgary. I was 18 and had a fair bit of riding experience. Of all the bikes I have owned, it was the most fun. It also shook itself to pieces as did my friends' 73 he bought new. Honda 750 riders would avoid us when cruising downtown. I think the "Widowmaker" name is kind of silly and is getting a little old and overused. This bike was for experienced riders and there were deaths on all types of motorcycles. I'm 67 as of this year and have fond memories of those times and I survived H2 ownership.
Try a Modified one!
Thanks Jeff - a number of AFM racers were successful with their H2s at places like Sears Point, considered by many a "handling" track. A good friend, Mike Kauzlarich, did particularly well on #818, his electric blue '72. Kauz finished 7th on that bike at the 1978 Sears Point AMA Superbike round…a notable achievement against the high-dollar big four-strokes!
Three years out of high school and a British bike faithful. It was hard to believe how game changing fast those two strokes were.
I lied to my buddy and told him that I had experience riding and he let me take his H2 for a spin. In reality it was the first actual street bike I ever rode. Very thankful to still be alive. It did get me hooked however and 40 years later I still ride albiet with a much more sane PC800. My first bike was the Yamaha triple 750 shaft drive 4 stroke. Still more bike than I should have ever owned but much more civilized than the H2. Had a gs1100ET for a spell. Fastest production bike of 1980 and it definitely was a hoot! These days I am much more happy with a machine that I can pretty much grab as much throttle as I want any time I want (traction permitting) and has plenty of space for gear and such. Every now and then I want to get a modern litre bike just for that pure adrenaline rush but I guess I am ok to be living with my memories of that intoxicating power rush.
I'm 62 my first bike was a Kawasaki 400 twin 4 stroke .
After a few years at 17 in 1977 I bought a 1972 H2 750 with a 3/4 Rickman fairing. No number side covers and I believe it was raced at Mosport Ontario .
I had it 1 day and was doing about 50 mph in 3rd dropped it into second and nearly rear-ended a car turning way up ahead .
The front went up and I jumped on the rear break and front break when both were on the ground .
Best race bike when Yamaha RD 350s came downtown .
They weren't sure how big it was and thought 350 or 400 triple.
When we raced light to light the Rd was quick . Kawasaki's 750 2 stroke
was fast period. They were already in 4th gear when I hit second and blew by like they were standing still . When I said look at your motor size then look at mine.
Then when I rev up they got it . I kept it for a year and couldn't corner with it just straight lines.
Sold it bought a 400 honda four and I fell in love.
The 72 was good but I wish I kept the Honda 1976.
Wish I had 900 Kawasaki 4 stroke 4 but my cousin killed himself with his.
Nice to remember the days .
"Best" thing I remember about mine (in the early 80's) was the built in James Bond smoke screen! I did something "silly once" (once - uh huh) on mine and a cop came after me. UP shifted a gear or two to load it down and hammered it. Left a thick trail for him to find his way through for a few blocks - saw his lights dip down as he hit the brakes. :D
The Great Escape!
For a old guy who used to ride these bikes, just listening to the sound of one here on my laptop, makes my heart race and relive what it was like. With good tires and proper oil in the forks etc. I never had trouble even one the twisty roads I had no trouble. You could find the limits easy and hold short of that and still other bikes really could not do any better. They felt lighter and torquier than the four strokes. Like I said that triple 2-stroke going through the gears is pure excitement!!
You are correct all the widowmaker nonsense was simply the idiots that of course would wind up abusing the motorcycles rather than riding them sanely...I mean EVERY production motorcycle back then had very real limits with dire consequences to ignore if one pushed too far ....suspension and tires were shat compared to today so the fact that it was not most stable frame was simply one more reason not be looney tunes...As a Kawi mechanic I rode a ton of H1 and H2s between uncrating servicing repairing and installing various improvements (mainly pipes and K&N pod air cleaners on half of triples and modding the airbox and cutting the baffles on the other half...I dont think anyone kept em stock because it was such an easy motor to improve just with breathing) I never had any trouble riding those bikes in the twisty canyon pass a couple miles from our dealership...a motorcycle tells you if you listen when to back off but you could push a triple to some pretty fast speeds without it feeling at all stupid...I am certain I would throw rocks at one today hopping off my Tracer 9gt on to one ....my stock overweight grandpa bike would destroy the old stock triples in ANY kind of riding scenerio other than something like seat height curb weight and the two stroke howl sound tract....but for their day? For well under a thousand dollars out the door brand new? Pretty hard to beat if one was after thrills in early 70s! Me? I loved my 350RD (Shop owners did not appreciate their mechanic riding a Yamaha though lol)
@@dougiequick1 I was a Kawasaki Shop mechanic also. The shop had a few Pro Stock drag bikes, a flow bench etc. and we were paid cash to test ride the bikes after hours that were modified. Good old days.
I started riding in '69 and remember these fondly. They earned the reputation you mention. The same thing happened in the early '80s with the turbo bikes. Development of other machines ended the big 2 strokes of the '70s where insurance companies ended the turbo bikes. They were both real handfuls that required experienced riders with sense to ride and survive. Thank you for the memories!
I bought one in 1973 and loved it. It was scary fast. nothing in the world would beat it in 1/4 mile. Scary Fast!
Yep, I had an original H2 (when new) for about a month and a half. Went into a sweeping curve exiting a highway @ 60 -70 mph and it shook so bad I thought I was going to die. I wrapped the throttle and it pulled out of the death wobble. I traded it in the next day. The following year Kawasaki put steering dampers on the H2's and it seemed to fix the problem.
Same thing happened to me. Racing down a hill, high speed wobble from 100 mph down to about 44- the longest 15 seconds of my life.
Had a 75-76 550 , that I rode from Seattle WA. to Hartford CT after my service time was over. It was my first bike, it went through everything rain, sleet, snow, sun. My lasting impression of it is a quick motor on a buckboard wagon!
I'm now close to 70 and I own an 85 Vulcan 700 it too is plenty of boost even though there are much more powerful ones out there. How you drive when you're 20 something and when you're 70 is two different things!
Yes it is! You value life and sanity a bit more lol. Just sold my last bike. Traffic zipping around to fast everywhere pretty much did it. Glad to see your still motoring!
I got my first taste of the H2 750cc when I was in the USMC. My friend had borrowed my MGB to go on a date and he gave me his H2 to ride. On my way to Cherry Point from Bogue Field one day, two cars were drag racing down 9 mile road and ran me into the ditch. I crashed Jim's bike and he saw the crash as he was headed to Cherry Point just behind me. I ended up in the hospital for 3 days with temporary amnesia. I used to ride behind Jim on his bike and he always pulled it up onto one wheel. We rode from Cherry Point to Morehead City on one wheel. Scared me to death when he first did a wheelie with me on the back. After I got out of the USMC, and after I was married, I went and bought a Kawasaki 400 KH400. Could never keep the front wheels on the ground. Torque machine just like the H2 and the KW500. W Rusty Lane K9POW in eastern Tennessee
A friend of mine had the 3 cylinder air cooled Kawasaki 500 Mark III, a real crotch rocket....I had a 76 Suzuki "Water Buffalo" 750 cc water cooled, 3 cylinder, and 2 stroke beast.... :)
This brought back memories. I had one of the first 500's made in 1969. The serial number was in the thirties. As a teenager I thought wheelies were cool. One of my first wheelies came from a stop sign with a friend riding on the back. He slid off the bike taking me with him, while the bike went down the street on one wheel. The guy behind us in a car was pounding the steering wheel with his hands laughing his head off. We pushed the 500 all the way to the bike shop. Got it repaired and was back in the saddle again.
Beleave it is not the 1969wasthe quickest one ever.made you should of kept yours...ive had 2 stokes my hole life the 750 was a grate bike just to.much engine at a estimated 81 hp it was just to much
Thats a lot of hp for a 72 2 stroke back.then but kawasaki has always ben.like that when.its realy fast they want it even faster that thinking done the 750 in
@@rickwaldron4255 it was rated @74 and had about 60-65 at the wheel.
Don't put Armor-all on the seat!!
Yes those were the days
I had several Kawasaki 2-stroke triples when I was much younger. Like another commenter wrote, the "throttle was like a wheelie rheostat." That is completely true, even on the smaller displacement models I owned and rode. You had to be an experienced rider to ride them.
You didn’t HAVE to be an experienced rider to ride them, but you had to be an experienced rider to survive them!
@@Coltnz1 So true! As a survivor I totally concur. 😄
I know on the 500 at 120mph, gets wheel wobble... I crushed the seat with my ass cheeks hanging on for dear life.
I never rode that killing machine again.
It was a blast getting to 120 ....
I got my H2 by sheer chance. I was 19 and already had a Suzuki Intruder 1400. My boss tells me one day to drive out to a house his mom bought at auction and help her clean it out. The place was huge and whoever owned it before had held onto anything of value for about 50 years. In the garage was a motorcycle under a tarp. The boss's mom told me I could have the motorcycle for helping her. When I got it home my dad comes out and starts with "uh I hope you don't think you're going to keep that!" I didn't understand because I already had a 1400cc and this was half of that. He helped me clean it and get running. All it wanted to do was get up on the back wheel. After less than 5 minutes I understood why it worried him. That weekend a friend of mine was wiped out by a snowbird in her Lincoln Town Car. The H2 only had 1200miles on it and it sold faster than it rode.
My younger brother bought another 500 with a 650 cobrajet kit on the carbs that was built for racing. It too had a wheelie rheostat throttle! I had a 79 Yamaha XS 1100 that never scared me like that badass Lil 500! And I got my XS 100 up to 145 mph. on a deserted country road once! That 500 had a wicked powerband that would hit you in the cajones!
gorgeous bike.
I bought my H2 750 in 1974 when I was 18 and I rode it like I stole it every time! I started riding my buddies 500 triple when I was 16 and underage because he liked riding my 125 Kawasaki off road. Man, I was hooked on the face shaking g force rocket speed of these bikes. I have ridden Harleys for many years but that Emron Blue H2 750 was the fastest craziest coolest bike! With NO Fear, I could pop wheelies in every gear and outrun everything that wanted to try me. It was some of the greatest craziest times in my life and I was lucky enough to enjoy it and survive it.
I once owned an H1 500, my buddy up the street had an H2 750. Both of these bikes were absolutely crazy
I had a 71 H1, just like the one in the video.
I owned a 71 H1 in the day. I will always remember the first time I held the throttle wide open merging onto an interstate freeway. All went well until the rev counter hit the sweet spot in the power band. My rear end started sliding back in the seat and I had to hold tightly onto the handle bars to keep from falling off the back of the bike!
Both scary and exhilarating at the same time.
PS when the 750 H2 came out I toyed with the idea of upgrading….in retrospect, after viewing your video perhaps it was a good idea I didn’t!…
Thanks for posting the video … it brought back many memories from that era…😎
I made the mistake of polishing the seat, I soon rubbed the polish off with my jeans while sliding back and forth .
They needed 'Strait Bars" and a close eye on tire pressure.
The motor lives on....in almost every high-performance snowmobile. Thankfully I was a couple years late for the H2: my first street bike was a 1977 Suzuki GS750. Probably the "safest" superbike ever since unlike the Kawi 900, it's frame never wobbled, and cafe style fairings were not often seen yet. I had a windjammer. I also had a RL250 and a RM250. Effects of "On any Sunday". By early 80s I left bikes till about 2005, which probably saved my life.
I tried a friend's H2. 750 once and the thing surprised me by standing nearly straight up when I opened the throttle quickly in 3rd gear.
Those bikes were crazy.
It's been my experience that the big 2 strokes don't have a power ban they are all power. I want to ride that bike. I've only rode a cr500 as the biggest.
When the KZ 1100 & GS 1100 came out I was riding a KZ 900. I could beat most of the bigger one's simply because I had been riding longer & they were afraid to open up the carbs! Lol... 160 mph on the speedometer was impressive.
We called my 71-750 the death cycle it was so fast and so well balanced you would try things you would usually think twice about on most other bike's, lent to a friend who didn't lock it up ! I still miss it but then again the way I rode that baby, I might not still be kicking today!!
I had a '74 H2. Stopped at a bar one night to get a beer. When I walked out about a hour later, I no longer had an H2. Still miss that rocket. Best I can figure, somebody else wasn't ready for me yet.
I had the 500. I’m 70 now. My bike was bought used with extremely low miles 6000. I did the expansion chambers, rear sets, stacks and clip ons. And a two tooth smaller main sprocket.
It was insane. Ridden normally it was a DREAM, Roll on the dinosaur juice and you could enter other dimensions. I also pulled out the silencers.
They were absolutely amazing bikes 🏍️.
7:23 the EXACT bike I had. If I had it to do over again I would still have picked this bike.
My father owned a Kawasaki Kz1000 in 1977 and my mother took one ride with him and made him sell it. She told him you're not leaving me alone with 3 children just so you can turn yourself into jelly. I never got the chance to ride. But he got the Honda CB 750 and never took my mom for a ride just for that reason. I remember sitting on the back behind my dad with my sister in front and her feet up on the top pegs. No helmet zipping around town. I loved it
I had a 1972 H1 as a teenager. Next was a 74 H2. I couldn't believe how much better in every aspect it was. Still handled like an wet sponge, just not as bad and far more controllable . The less peaky power band and increased low end torq, improved street able ride and WAY LESS smoke. I think the H1 was a far more dangerous bike hence it was called the widow maker years before the H2 hit the market. The H2 didn't deserve that name quite like the H1 did. I think if you used the term" W M" back then most people in the Kawasaki circles, clearly knew you meant the H1. Time erased the differences and all Kawasaki triples inherited the ominous nickname. Both of these bikes didn't make it another week before being wrecked, when I finally sold them. The new owners did live. I rode that H2 right up to my next one. An "82" KZ1000J. FF in 2020 I got a Z900RS Cafe. Let the good times roll again!
The H2 and the H1 were preceded by the Kawasaki Mach III 500cc triple - on which I won my first race at Phillip Island (Victoria, Australia) in 1969. The Mach III was the original Japanese (Kawasaki) “widow maker”, not the first bike to be so-named.
I also had a mach lll and it was a real ripper . It had one large disk brake in front and a steering damper . Never dropped it .
All the H1's were known as Mach III's, from 69 to 75 and the H2's were known as Mach IV's. As far as I know, it "was" the H1 that first had the term widowmaker. In the UK at least and pretty sure that the H1 500's were faster than the H2 750's.
@@stanian2
The H2 was slightly faster than the H1. There was also a difference in acceleration but not all the way through. The H1 was faster than the H2 at some points and vice versa
e nannte man doch auch schnellstes Kamel das läuft. St. |
Those were the days when you had to avoid the sheep shit all over the track LOL!
Never rode the 750 but did the 500. Whacked the throttle and my hands quickly came off the handlebars! Luckily as I laid across the tank, it slowed so I could re-establish control. Crazy torque. They had some design issues with the triples as the center cylinder was often starved for oil. Very common for these things to seize up. Watched my buddy fish tailing it on the highway at 55 mph! Nice video and history.
I had a purple 750 h2 in the 70s, its good this wasnt my first bike, back when I was a wildman.
I had the 350 triple back in high school..it was actually pretty smooth and had plenty of power on the freeway..
Had the 350 twin, 68 or 69 model, bought in 70s second hand. Lovely bike. Roy b, Cape Town, south Africa.
I was a big fan of these triples. My first was a 1971 H1. After that I had a 73 and 75 H1. Also had a 1972 H2 and a couple 74 H2's. Sure miss those bikes but the fond memories will stay with me.
I too had and now have a 71 H1 ,first in 1973 and they were the original widow makers. A year later bought a 74 H2. Throttle was incredibly responsive. the only bike close to the 71H1 was the 72 Norton Commando with the Combat engine , nicknamed Hand Grenades , many blew up. widow makers vs hand grenades. That was the life for crazy kids !
Owned a 1973 H2 for 2 years and had a few close calls. Glad I sold it. It’s an evil machine.
I'm a survivor of a mint '72 H2 as my DD in '97. It steered like a 2x4 on roller skates. Death wobble. Crabwalk. Pure terror. It -forced- you to really want a helmet. I made many guys on the hottest bikes of that era riders cry...and choke. The only guys that could take it in a straight line was the turbo's. I sold it for $900 in '98-99 (lol). Looking back I really feel bad for my neighbors that had to hear me starting that thing at 5 every morning.
This bike was the preamble to the next step in performance bikes. In the mid 70's Kawasaki came out with the KZ 750 (4Cyl), the KZ 900 and the the KZ 1000. My cousin had all three. Nothing on the road could keep up with these bikes!
Man you said it all
I had my H1 for about a year in the mid 80s. Street ported, with tuned expansion chamber exhaust, and larger tuned carbs. I pulled over 140mph on a bike for the first time on that scary heifer. And traded about a month later for a 350 Bighorn that was modded for street manners. Haven't regretted it for a second, I was gonna die on that thing.
Cool story
That would be, “....over 140mph indicated...”
I had both but loved the H1 never dropped it either . The big horn 350 was a great wheelie machine . Blew the piston on that one .
lol @140, it was barely 120.
My first bike was a brand new 1970 (or 71) Kawasaki 500 triple....it was blue with a drum front brake.
I bought it in Montreal and it cost me 1300 CAD. The only "problem" I ever had with the bike was that EVERYBODY wanted to drag race me at stoplights....and I NEVER lost one of those encounters.
The power from the engine was so great that the clutch was prone to slipping. A mechanic friend of mine solved that problem by substituting Triumph 500 valve springs for the Kawasaki's clutch springs. This made the clutch lever a whole lot harder to squeeze but instantly cured the slipping clutch problem.
I took that bike on a trip from Montreal down to New York...and then out to Salt Lake City and back.
I made it over the highest pass across the Rockies...but just barely....there just was not enough oxygen up that high to feed that engine and the last couple of uphill miles were at full throttle, going about 20 miles an hour with the direct oil injection feeding so much oil into the mix that I was in my own cloud of blue smoke the whole time. Back at a reasonable altitude in Utah the engine power was noticeably lacking after that....I stopped right in front of a motorcycle shop, got off the bike, took the tool kit out and removed the three heads. I got a knife and scrapped a good half inch of black carbon from the heads...put the heads back on and then walked into the shop and asked them if I could rent a torque wrench from them for ten minutes. They, of course, had been watching me the whole time from inside.
A mechanic came out and torqued my heads for me. We chatted for a while and he wished me well...no money changed hands....and the Kawasaki never missed a beat all the way back to Montreal!
On the last day of the trip I drove from Toronto to Montreal in three hours...never much going below 100 MPH the whole time....and still can't believe my luck at not getting stopped as I was expecting it!
Just imagine doing that today! YOU'D BE IN JAIL!.....Cheers, F
61 year old rider. My first bike was a 72 R5 Yamaha 350. My second was a 500 Suzuki twin. Then I got a 72 H2 750! I cannot count the times I almost died on that bike however it was so much fun! I bought mine in 76 and nothing could keep up until they came out with the 1000cc in the early 80s.
As a skinny kid in highschool, I owned an '76 H1 I will never forget that bike, it was an animal. I would have to scooch up on the tank to keep the front end down when getting on it. As I recall it had a 5 up shift pattern which made all the sense in the world. No missed shifts with that long throw between 1 - n - 2 on most other bikes. It also had a steering damper to help keep that front end stable. Something about that bike just made it special. I really enjoyed it.
It's been so long I totally forgot abt the 5 up shift pattern
1976 was the Kh500. Last year of the 500.
It hat a 1-n-2 3 4 5 Transmission
Maybe you had a 1975 h1
@@Austriamach3 that very well could have been, it was a long time ago. It definitely has the five up pattern and a steering stabilizer. It was probably 76 that I had it..
Wonderful trip down memory lane, but the 1st thing to remember back in 1972 the legal limit was 55mph... I owned a Honda 350 K4 the perfect bike for the era, my best friend on the other hand owned an H2 the fastest bike in the known universe. Good times, thanks.
"Legal limit"? LOL
Had a 69 yamaha 350 2 stroke road bike. Excellent bike, rode it from Texas to Seattle, with passenger. Hogs could not keep up. Government regulations killed the 2 strokes, more govt stupidity. Everything said about the speed and handling of the large Kawasaki 2 strokes is true.
Don't know what State you lived in. But in 1972 the speed limit on Texas Interstates was 70mph. Didn't make it to 55 until January 1974. By order of President Nixon. I remember seeing TXDOT changing the speed limit signs on I45 in Galveston County.
@@lindycorgey2743 Correct!! 55mph was federally mandated in 1974, due to the "gas crisis." Wonder what lawmakers from 50 years ago would call $5.00 regular, and $6.00 premium? I call THAT a gas crisis!!!!
All of us from those days remember riding them. I’ve always liked Kawasaki and I can’t remember not riding whatever bike they offered when I would buy a new motorcycle. In my sixties and still love riding. Makes me feel good !
I was 17 in July 1982 When I bought my first 'true' road bike ..the 350 S2..at the time us kids would start to work hard, the summers a year before turning 18...so we had the cash to pay for driving license & insurance but mainly bying our bike or car at least 1 year before the legal age (in France)...the 350 cc was also a 'nasty' little bike looking pretty much like the 750...I'm 56 today and still miss those bike..they really had a soul...
The H1 was the most frighting thing I ever road (briefly, I was happy to give it back) - The front wheel was offset about an inch from the rear wheel which was aggravated by poor dampening - this was a straight-line demon PERIOD. My brother owned an H2 and he NEVER lost a drag race till he lined up with a Kaw 900 in '74 - He bought a 900 the next week
My H2 had a steering damper on it. I assume it was after market. I never noticed a problem with handling and I have owned a dozen other motorcycles.
Yeah & the KZ900 was a much better handling, better looking, & better sounding bike the the triples! I never did like the sound, look, or smoke of the triples.
I also had a ride on the new Kawasaki 900. Now that was a nice bike. Kind of like riding a bored and stroked Honda 750.
The 900 around here was called the "kamikaze 900". You had to be suicidal to ride one.
I had an H1 (1975 model) and my brother had an H2. When I got my Z1-R I raced my brothers H2 and lost. There is no way in hell a Z-1 900 was faster than an H2. My Z1-R with 1105cc Wiseco kit, ported head, 38mm intake valves, 485 intake 465 exhaust cams, and Denco Pro FX exhaust couldnt beat his Denco H2. I worked at a cycle shop in Ft Lauderdale Florida that built performance engines and an H2 could smoke a mighty GS1100.
Back in the day I had the 1971 Yamaha R5 350. I remember when the Kawasaki came out. Didn’t know anyone that had one but remember it being called the “widow maker”. I rode my R5 from Michigan to Oregon for a summer job with the US Forest Service. Near the end of the summer I traded it in for the Yamaha 650. At the end of the job rode the 650 from Oregon to Texas then back to Michigan.
Two friends had the 650. I remember the headlight bulb was sealed into the fixture so they had to replace a large sealed beam style light, even though there was just a bulb inside.
@@stevek8829 : It was so long ago I don’t remember that. I don’t think I ever had to replace the bulb. That next summer I got a summer job again but was able to put the bike in the backseat of an 1960’s Dodge Seneca width wise. Had taken the tail lite off and the front off. It just fit in. Rode it all over Oregon during the weekend then put it in a trailer to bring back to Michigan. I later sold it. Needed money for wedding.
I had both the 500 and 750 as a kid growing up in Oregon. Then I discovered the "hinge" in the middle of the frame that caused hanging off to be nearly impossible at speed. So I got a Ducati 900 Desmo to satisfy my need for speed AND handling. Once, I did a wheelie on my old 750 for the length of the block before I changed gears! Kissing the instrument cluster was a common experience that no other bike ever gave me, not even my Duck.
One point that you didn't really make ... they were absolutely drop dead gorgeous. Especially that Mach IV in purple ... that was (and is) a thing of beauty.
Had a 74 H 1 MK III , the 500 triple . thing was an absolute quarter mile machine , loved it . The harder you ran it the better it ran . Had the oil injectors pumping in a little extra , when i got on it , it looked like a destroyer laying down a smoke screen :)
I paid $1395 for a new Gold with red stripe tank. At 16 and 9mths. It was all gears up neutral at the bottom. Kickstart after moving right leg. From 3000 in any gear it would launch beautiful Wheelies up onto balance piont. 2 up impossible not to shifting at 90 mph from 3rd to 4 th she would lift off. Konis and Metzelers with steering damper " standard) clicked 3 fixed any handling. I used to hole the header pipes. Great brakes. And in top gear roll ons eat my K2. Suzuki Waterbottle was close but it had a speed wobblecat 105. The 500. The Twin Drum brake. Sounded better. Had a slippery seat and hit its powerband at 5800. It was the original Widow maker. Frame flex poor brakes same 1/4 mile as the 750. The fuel consumption was as high as 8 to 11 mpg doing burnouts. Tyres lasted 3000 miles. From Morisset to Peats Ridge was the range at 20 - 30 mpg. 45 if you sat on speed limit. But she rattled at a constant speed. Love passing. Like a Jet fighter exploding past leaving a cloud of smoke. The CDI insured plugs kept clean. No middle cylinder over heating. Loved being 2 up at night pulling mammoth wheelies headlight in the sky for the 1st 3 gears
In the early 70's I considered H1 & H2 but opted for the Suzuki Titan 500 two stroke. While I was envious Kawasaki's speed I preferred the durability of my Titan. I took a month long 4000 tour across America with no issues.
Great videos
Thanks
I had a Suzuki Titan 500 two stroke and after a few years traded up to a Suzuki GT750 two stroke. Neither were nutso performance machines but they both were comfortable and reliable motorcycles that I think are often overlooked when people look back to that era. I remember H1 & H2 as flashy show-off bikes that weren't very reliable and would sometimes seize if you ran them hard (as their owners tended to do).
@@ddavidson5 I later got a GT750 and it was rock solid and it accelerated well from 50 to 70 mph fairly fast.
I had both the H1 and the H2.
Before them I had a GT 250.
What you said about Kawasaki and Suzuki is just right.
Two strokes from Kawasaki were the kings of hp but... Suzuki made the same kind of engines in a very reliable way.
No questions about it.
Greetings from Brazil.
@@ddavidson5 that sounds like a pretty standard career on bikes and I had that as well, GT500 then 750. I still own both of these bikes as I never sold any of my bikes.
I ended on VMax 1200 and now 1700, like the GT750 big heavy bikes with Superbike performance but relaxed to ride - and rock solid.
Back then I would have preferred the Kawasaki's but I couldn't afford.
Now I am happy that I ended on the GTs of Suzuki. In my eyes even today among the most beautiful bikes ever
Didn't they call that the 'Elephant ' motor ?
I had a 1973. Back in 1975. Senior year in HS. In Pennsylvania. A group of us rode our bikes to school. Everyday. Even in the snow (both feet down, boot skiing). Great bike. Great memories.
Kawasaki and horsepower really go hand and hand and I think it started with the original H2. You see that today with the new H2, even though it comes from the factory with 220 horsepower they can be tuned up to 310 horsepower. You get the impression that as soon as another company beats that number, they will top them.
Great memory I had 2 H1. My 2nd one we pumped up to almost 100 hp it was insane fast I raced it every weekend so much fun thanks for the great video
I had a 350 Avenger that was fed from the sides kontrolled by lides there with meant that you could change the opening times independent of the pistons. If I was going touring I had one set of slides for that, if I wanted to wip my friends on Norton commandos I put in a sharper set of discs! ;-) Next was an H1 500cc that I also used for racing. The pipes was built after adwise from the Eas German guru Valter Kaden who also gave tips on the porting after been given the original specs. It was faster than the MV Agusta on the Anderstorp straight but had no chance on the lap time due to bad brakes and wobbly frame dispite strengtening in strategic places. 15 years later I bought a second hand 750 H2 that i strengthend the frame on i the strategic places I learnt about on the H1 and built a new rear swing arm in square steel plus some other modifications including extractor pipes with minimum silencing and porting again. Fuel consumtion was just under one liter / 10 km if I drowe calmly and going up to 1, 4 L / 10 km in high speed. I was not interested in drag racing but nobody ever accelerated faster. I regret selling it!
My first motorcycle was the H1 500 triple .... WHAT A RUSH !!! I eventually put DENCO expansion chambers on it ( headers for 4 strokes) and when she got into the "Power Band" and the front end came up... OMG !!!! It was amazing. I kept that bike in top condition and it NEVER failed me. I really miss it..
I went pillion when a mate bought one. Front wheel came up when it hit the powerband, it bucked its way around corners, absolutely flew. Never been more glad to get of a motorcycle
I drove one too. The power was amazing but the brakes, frame, shock absorbers were all very poor in handling this power.
It was just a terrible bike overall in handling. Dangerous and very unpractical in every day use. Consumming a lot of gas too with lots of polution.
One of the worst bikes ever produced.
I bought one, used, with 100 miles on the clock, in 1972. The first owner dropped it while leaving the dealers parking lot, and he never wanted to get on it again. Your description of this lightweight monster is ohhhh so true. So many cyclists and muscle car owners that thought they had a fast machine were completely humbled by my 750 H2. I'm 77 now, and I still think fondly of my 4 year ownership of this bike. I've had Honda's, Suzuki Yamaha and Harley's, but none of them equaled the thrills and excitement I enjoyed with that H2. Good times.
My experience with Kawasaki was a 1974 Kawasaki 900 which I heard was also nicknamed “widow maker” I loved that bike! I was 19 years old and weighed about 130 lbs, 5ft 7in. I could barely keep it upright when I came to a stop. I did some pretty stupid things on that bike. Kinda surprised I’m still here. Fond memories for sure. 👍
Ditto for me...only my dad took it away and sold it after seeing me pass him on the 55 frwy going over 100. I was only 17 and was a little too crazy back then! I bought a used Charger after that and supercharged that hemi so it was almost as much fun!
"Hemi Hunter"
Had a 1975 Z1 900. 142 mhp down Hollow Creek hill. Jackson SC. I'm surprised too.
When they come out with the 900 I’m sure you remember the tv ad that said the 900 was the fastest stock bike in the 1/4 mile. Well everyone around me in Perú, Indiana said they have never seen Chuck run his 750 have they. When I stilled raced I’ve never been beat by anything in the 1/4 mile drag race. My 750 two stroke was the thing I’m telling you. The track I ran at most of the time would let me run expansion chambers and they just didn’t know the head gaskets were missing too. GOD I miss those days. Oh yeah I dropped it at 97 mph and lived to tell about it.
Your awesome man
It's amazing that my father and brothers survived the era of the widowmakers..
I just remember my dad's story about how his brother put on a seat bar and pegs so a passenger could ride on it. He picked my dad up. They were at a light, my father was leaning back with his feet on the road..his brother decided to show off in traffic, punched it through a red light right before it changed, popping a wheelie off the line and leaving my father standing in the road, at the light lol
Hilarious! And what a sight for those around them....
That is just too funny, i bet when they got home dad said give me the key boy....