Picked up a Kawasaki triple

  • harm
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Picked up a Kawasaki triple

11 Apr 2015 20:08
#667563
Its a 73 350 triple. should be a fun build project!

Its been awhile since i have posted on here. I still think this forum is setup the best of any forums i am a member of!
Tom
Holland, MI

1980 KZ550 ELR

2011 Concours14
2017 KX450 [/color]

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  • SWest
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Re: Picked up a Kawasaki triple

11 Apr 2015 20:14
#667565
Cool, I have a friend that has a 500. He won't ride it though. His wife won't let him.
I never had a ring in my nose. :woohoo:
Steve
Z1b1000 1975 Z1b
kzrider.com/forum/11-projects/598262-kz-...-will-it-live#672882
kzrider.com/forum/2-engine/597654-poser?start=240#704229

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  • davido
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Re: Picked up a Kawasaki triple

11 Apr 2015 23:51
#667593
Wernt these bikes known as 'Widowmakers' ?
www.kzrider.com/forum/11-projects/594313-csr1000-project-build
CB550 (1978)
CB500/4 (1972)*
KZ1000CSR (1981)
XT 600E (1999)
TDM900 (2003)

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  • SWest
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Re: Picked up a Kawasaki triple

12 Apr 2015 05:20
#667603
I know the H2 was a murdercycle.
Steve
Z1b1000 1975 Z1b
kzrider.com/forum/11-projects/598262-kz-...-will-it-live#672882
kzrider.com/forum/2-engine/597654-poser?start=240#704229

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  • Randombeat
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Re: Picked up a Kawasaki triple

12 Apr 2015 06:25
#667613
Why the nicknames, are they dangerous in some way?
1980 KZ750H LTD-- pods-- vance & hines 4-1 --speedo/tach/blinker/switch deletes -- brat style

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  • SWest
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Re: Picked up a Kawasaki triple

12 Apr 2015 06:44
#667616
GOD, I was thinking of buying a H2 750 triple rather than my Z1. Kick start only, Rinnnngdinngdinng! Got on the 405 on ramp, grabbed a hand full, front tire came up, kept shifting gears to get it back down and aborted my ride. That thing was NUTS. I bought the Z1 the next day. MURDERCYCLE
Steve
Z1b1000 1975 Z1b
kzrider.com/forum/11-projects/598262-kz-...-will-it-live#672882
kzrider.com/forum/2-engine/597654-poser?start=240#704229

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  • KZ Rat
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Re: Picked up a Kawasaki triple

12 Apr 2015 08:50 - 12 Apr 2015 08:51
#667633
The center of weight was too far back in the frame i.e when the power came on they had a tendency to wheelie. The power went from weak to full power in about a 300 rpm range and if you weren't expecting it they were known to go over backwards. BTW never armor all the seat on an h2- it gets really exciting really fast! :-)
1979 ltd 1260 1980 ltd 1075 2005 450x for the desert
Last edit: 12 Apr 2015 08:51 by KZ Rat. Reason: grammar

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  • ThatGPzGuy
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Re: Picked up a Kawasaki triple

12 Apr 2015 09:33 - 12 Apr 2015 09:33
#667642
The early H1 500s were wheeelie prone. They were much tamer in the later years. Still a lot of fun...
The 750's were known as widowmakers although most aficionados hate that monikcer. It had more to do with the lousy handling than the raw power although that power is consideable.
One of my favorite MC quotes from a 1973 Cycle review:
The Mach IV is the quickest, most intense; most single-purpose street machine ever built for general consumption, a streaming, purple-eyed monster that does everything with a shriek and whose only God is performance. Lay at its feet the hottest production vehicle you can name—two wheeled or four—and the Mach IV will chuckle, snort, and eat it alive. Its limitations are exactly as you would suspect: the engine makes a lot of racket, it doesn’t have much of a reputation for gas economy, and you have to know what you are doing to live with it in comfort.
Hurrah!
Jim
North GA
2016 Yamaha FJR1300ES
1982 GPz750 R1
1974 Kawasaki H1
1976 Kawasaki KZ400
1979 Yamaha XS650 cafe'
2001 KZ1000P
2001 Yamaha YZ426
1981 Honda XR200 stroked in an '89 CR125 chassis
1965 Mustang
1967 Triumph GT6
1976 Bronco
"If you didn't build it, it's not really yours"
Last edit: 12 Apr 2015 09:33 by ThatGPzGuy.

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  • harm
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Re: Picked up a Kawasaki triple

12 Apr 2015 10:28 - 12 Apr 2015 10:29
#667646
I found this on youtube. This video shows a little about the power band the triples have. At about the one minute mark.

Check it out..


I wanted one because they are pretty unique and you don't see many 2 strokes on the road anymore(or dirt for that matter)
Tom
Holland, MI

1980 KZ550 ELR

2011 Concours14
2017 KX450 [/color]
Last edit: 12 Apr 2015 10:29 by harm.

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  • Kapahulu
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Re: Picked up a Kawasaki triple

12 Apr 2015 12:02
#667656
H2's are known as widowmakers. I have several Kawi triples. They are noisy, get cruddy gas mileage and they're charismatic.
[IMG
1978 KZ1000, 1976 KZ900, 1975 H2, 1973 H1, 1973 H2, 1978 RD400, 1977 RD400, 1974 RD350
2strokeworld.com

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Re: Picked up a Kawasaki triple

12 Apr 2015 12:05
#667658
harm wrote: Its a 73 350 triple. should be a fun build project!
Its been awhile since i have posted on here. I still think this forum is setup the best of any forums i am a member of!
Harm, you should plan on having the crank rebuilt and probably reboring the cylinders. It won't be cheap but you will have a classic that will turn heads.

Two great forums:

www.kawi2strokes.com/forum/

kawasakitriples.myfastforum.org/
1978 KZ1000, 1976 KZ900, 1975 H2, 1973 H1, 1973 H2, 1978 RD400, 1977 RD400, 1974 RD350
2strokeworld.com

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  • SWest
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Re: Picked up a Kawasaki triple

12 Apr 2015 13:08
#667665
I saw a video of checking the balance of the stock H2 crank. They commented they couldn't do any better.
That purple one looks like the one I was about to buy.
Glad I didn't.
Steve
Z1b1000 1975 Z1b
kzrider.com/forum/11-projects/598262-kz-...-will-it-live#672882
kzrider.com/forum/2-engine/597654-poser?start=240#704229

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