Greetings from NobleHops - FNG

Greetings to all,

My name is Nils, online I am usually "NobleHops". Let me dispel any suspicion of me ascribing nobility to myself with that moniker, it's actually a reference to (Mmmmm!) beer. Thus spake Wikipedia:

"The term "noble hops" traditionally refers to varieties of hops which are low in bitterness and high in aroma. They are the European cultivars or races Hallertau, Tettnanger, Spalt, and Saaz.[33] They are not bred as "modern" hop varieties but they are wild hops found and named for a specific region or city in which they were first found or by the farmer which found them or first propagated them."

So that's me, low in bitterness, but high in aroma . I live in Tucson, Arizona, a recent transplant to the desert from Boston, by way of California. Married, ex tech geek, sort-of failing at retirement, more on that later.

With that out of the way, lets talk about bikes. I love them, same as you. The current stable includes a BMW R1200GS, Suzuki DRZ400, (2) 1980 Honda CBXs, a 1977 Honda CB400F, a 1975 Kawasaki H2 750, and of course a 1975 Kawasaki Z1 900, the object of our affection here.

The 400F was the most recent 'big' project, was just finally finished, have a skim of that project here if you like:








The CBX is also restored...











and I just did a fast 1-month sprucing-up of the H2.












I'm just tearing into the Z1 now, will post up a project thread on that next. Would be very grateful to tap the collective wisdom here as I go, will try to contribute an entertaining build thread with a few "oops" knuckles in return. Thanks in advance for your help with my Z1.

I told a friend the owner of Handy Cycles I was buying a 1975 Z1b. He showed me his H2 750 and said I could have it for $900 and it will blow the Z1's away. I got on the bike and took it to the 405 FWY on ramp and nailed it. I couldn't keep the front end down. Went through all the gears, came back shaking, said no thanks and bought the Z1 the next day. Now that was a Murdercycle. My Z1b had 84 miles on it. A demo and have owned it ever sense. No regrets.
Steve

swest wrote: I told a friend the owner of Handy Cycles I was buying a 1975 Z1b. He showed me his H2 750 and said I could have it for $900 and it will blow the Z1's away. I got on the bike and took it to the 405 FWY on ramp and nailed it. I couldn't keep the front end down. Went through all the gears, came back shaking, said no thanks and bought the Z1 the next day. Now that was a Murdercycle. My Z1b had 84 miles on it. A demo and have owned it ever sense. No regrets.
Steve

Yeah, I had it out for a quick burst around the parking lot a couple of days ago, and in second gear the front end was...light, and it's just been revived after sitting for some years. I can't fathom how they raced these things with that lightswitch powerband. The two-stroke thing is impressive, but frankly Not For Me .

Lovely job on the Hondas. Especially the 400/4. A friend had one back in the 70s. Great bike

JR wrote: Lovely job on the Hondas. Especially the 400/4. A friend had one back in the 70s. Great bike

Thanks a lot JR!

Welcome Aboard Hops

Nice Bikes. But that tracked snow blower in the garage really got my attention :lol:
Living in Tucson you may want to consider selling that beast :laugh:

Street Fighter LTD wrote: Welcome Aboard Hops

Nice Bikes. But that tracked snow blower in the garage really got my attention :lol:
Living in Tucson you may want to consider selling that beast :laugh:

A+ SF, sharp eyes! That photo is from when I first dug into the CBX in...2010?

That is a tracked Honda 7/28 and I sold it to my neighbor when we moved from MA 2 1/2 years ago. He said it saved his bacon this winter, as you can imagine, Fantastic machine but of the two Hondas in the photo the CBX was faster and chicks dig it more .

Welcome from a fellow Tusonan transplant. Nice looking rides you have there. I knew an H-2 owner back inthe early 80's and it was build up and raced at the Las Vegas race track up the road from Nellis AFB. Perhaps we can meet up at BikeNight at the Barrio Brewery sometime. Check out the TVMR (Tucson Vintage Motorcycle Riders) group on yahoo.

azman857 wrote: Welcome from a fellow Tusonan transplant. Nice looking rides you have there. I knew an H-2 owner back inthe early 80's and it was build up and raced at the Las Vegas race track up the road from Nellis AFB. Perhaps we can meet up at BikeNight at the Barrio Brewery sometime. Check out the TVMR (Tucson Vintage Motorcycle Riders) group on yahoo.

Thanks man, much appreciated. I do lurk around the TVMR group, showed my two Hondas at the event last fall, have been to Barrio a half-dozen times. Let's definitely meet and say hi!

N.