I came of street riding age in the early 1970's, and grew up on a string of Yamaha RD's and Kawasaki Triples in varying states of tune. Throughout the 70's and 80's, pristine ones with ultra low mileage could be had for very little money, and they were as fast and fun as anything on the road. I have now been an avid motorcyclist for over 50 years, and that era of fast, capable and cheap two strokes were the best years I can remember to have been a biker. I only wish I had kept a few of them.
In 1981 I bought a 1972 Kawasaki H2. I could take on anything stoplight to stoplight if I did my part correctly. Never quite mastered it's harsh power band and had difficulty holding the front wheel down as I only weighed 160lbs at the time. A true adrenaline machine.
@@bikerdood1100 when I bought the H2 it had ape hanger bars and a tall sissy bar. I removed the ape hangers and sissy bar and sported it up by installing clubman bars, rear sets and expansion chambers. Looked fast and menacing even when parked. Sitting on the back of the fuel tank helped keep the front wheel from rising too fast. I enjoy your motorcycle content and presentation. Well done Sir!
My blue streak was bran new in 1973, a blue 1972 750 h2 that I quit school at 16 for a yr to buy. Even the police were amazed at it performance, 34 mm carbs, 20 miles to gallon
My mate had a 550 gt suzuki and i loved it so I got my own as soon as I could back in the 70s. Later I got the 750 gt. I really love the sound of the 2 stroke 3 cyl. I've also owned kawa 400 s3 that I restored. I'm so lucky to be born at the right time and being able to enjoy these bikes.
Before 1980’s GSXR’S started following me home, I had a 73 GT-750 Le Mans with smooth bores, expansion chambers and polished ports. It was grey when I bought it but I managed to get the blue bodywork so it looked a lot like the 73 GT-750 in the video. It was heavy and not great at handling but if you snapped the throttle, it would point straight up. What a great bike and it sounded fantastic.
The Suzuki 2 stroke Triples in the GT Line were Great Bikes, especially the Water Buffalo. They responded very well to basic hot rodding and were stone reliable as well as beautiful.
I moved to South Africa as a fifteen year old in 1975. At that time the traffic cops. and there were plenty of them, all rode the GT750. They soon were swapped over to their new rides, Yammie 650 twins and you could buy the old Suzis for next to nothing at auction; there were loads of them available and nobody wanted them. If only I could have my time over again...Interesting video as usual; thanks.
The H2 was the most exciting bike of all of them in this video. I cried when I sold mine - it was a good one - the crank was nicely balanced and it had heaps of power. With expansion chambers on it - it would power wheel stand at 150 km/hr.
Yes i had a kh250 Microns and K and Ns sounded lovely and a GT380 which ran for years without the Ram Air cover ,nice to see some have survived the years👍
I never owned a two-stroke triple but had a wee shot on a GT750 once and loved it. My only stroker is my DT3, which unfortunately seized on my way back from a charity Easter run. Another addition to my project line!
Ahh the GT380, brings back memories.....Passed my test at 17 in '77 and went from a Yamaha RS125 to the 380, then in '81 had a Yamaha XS750(the weight on that thing).....Always been unlucky with triples because they both seized up on the middle pot.
nothing more chromed and polished than a GT 750 . owned two 380's and a GT750 , my gs 550 and 1000 were streets ahead in all areas but all were great bikes.
Never had that problem got the carbs set right got rid of points that help go for a run and do a plug check engine of and and middle plug a little weak out side plugs perfect and got the middle carb set a little rich and do a plug check middle plug perfect set the oil pump up run a little more and just a little more smoke but it helped never had any middle cylinder problems warm them up and good 2stroke oil and a little in the tank not much egg cup to every full tank mind petrol was cheap them days it never came out on a wet day and not in the winter no salt had a little yamaha 100 just to get to work 3miles and when it was really bad snow had a van to get to work and if was 3ft of snow no work that day the yamaha 100 was washed every night back helped it a lot smaller bikes were fun to top speed about 60 the big bike was in a dry heated garage polished for when the summer came back.
I used to have a "Water bus" (Suzuiki GT750) IN 1973. Loved it! There used to be so many of the 380s, 550s, and 750s back in those days. They were really popular back then!
I was always in love with the Yamaha GL750, of course the love affair was never consummated since the bike remained a prototype and was never produced commercially but I can always fantasize about the good times we could have had together!
I have never driven a two stroke triple. That engine configuration must be awesome. I love two stroke bikes and had several single cylinder ones. I also like triples, in fact I own a Yamaha XSR900 first gen and the engine is superb. Those classic two stroke triples seem to me that are stunning motorcycles, real gems, I wish I had one of them.
Having been blessed to work in a bikeshop from my early teens way back in 1974 as a trainee mechanic I got to experience and work on just about every bike available then..Two strokes dominated as they where cheaper and many different models available..It hurt when they where phased out due to emissions regulations..even though I still own a few..If the technology that went into developing the 4 stroke went into the 2 stroke further I'm sure emissions would be very similar especially when you consider that we now have very very advanced clean burning practically smokeless diester full synthetic biodegradable 2 cycle lubrication.
Well it wasn’t just emissions in truth They never enjoyed the sales of the equipment four strokes Sometimes it’s about fuel consumption but also I think people assumed that they are less reliable and need more maintenance BS of course but old bias is a hard thing to kill
Loving this channel 👍 back in the day I had a Gt 380, a Kh 250, RD 200 & I used to ride moto X RM 250 , YZ 250 , YZ 465 , Cagiva 250 , & LT 500 Quad All lovely 2 strokes wish I had them all now ☹
Great footage 🎥🎞️🎞️🎬 I've been building and riding motorcycles for most of my life , The 500 cc 3 cylinder 2 stroke engine , built by Kawasaki, was a blast to ride When I was stationed in Hawaii , 🌴⛱️🤙 IT handle the hills and mountains with no problem at any speed , Great design ‼️ ♦️♦️♦️
The Kawasaki Z1 was the top bike to own in the 1970s and 80 s ,a real head turner .The Honda 750 and 500 were also great bikes to ride .We toured Scotland in the 70s with two 2 stroke motorcycles and one 4 stroke bike .it was hard work for the 2 stroke bikes going up steep hills fully loaded ,great memories,loved the smell of 2 stroke back then .
You star..... loved my 380: did 2 up to Scotland and back south, fully loaded. Wanted a 550 but ended up with a GT500......(loved that too....) Thank you.
I used to babysit for a friend on a Saturday night and stayed over until Sunday morning . My payment was a blast home on his P reg silver gt380 as pillion. Loved the bike, unfortunately, never owned one and too expensive to buy now .
Fun facts about the NS400... While a V3, all three crankpins are aligned, which because it's a two stroke essentially makes it an unequal V-twin with the two outer (bottom) cylinders firing together and the inner (upper) cylinder firing 90 degrees later. Plus, only the bottom cylinders are fitted with an exhaust valve as there's scant room for a valve mechanism in the frame area just underneath the airbox etc. Regardless, they're a smooth, reasonably torquey and sweet little bike - not a lot of HP but a brilliant and neutral handler despite the 16" front wheel.
Thanks for nice video! I’ve been wrenching & riding Kawi triples & big fours since the early 70’s and at 67yrs YOUNG still have 2 74H1 500 triples & a 78 kz1000 LTD. All 3 of those bikes ate up & running well registered & ridden oftenvby me & a friend of mine. The wife & I go out on a big v-twin cruiser because the older classic Kawi’s scare the crap out her & aren’t very comfy for her either.
Lusted after a GT380 in Castle Sports, Dagenham after passing my test in April 1977 but Mum said "NO". She did eventually give in though and loaned me the cash for an RD400 in 1978 (From Eddie Grimstead, Eastern Ave, Newbury Park) the partial remains of which came back to my shed in 2020. If anyone out there knows the whereabouts of engine 1479 please give me shout. So, after Mum saying no 46 years ago and 23 years after she passed away I finally got my hands on a 380 in 2020. Lovely.
@@bikerdood1100 Yeah I know, but I can but dream. My mate 'stored' my RD (sans engine) in his back garden. Uncovered for 41 years. I'm suprised there is any metal left............
My stepson ran a nice GT750 Water-bottle, back in the late 70's. I've always been partial to 2-strokes (first bike I rode was a 98cc James Comet, the second a 125cc Bantam D1) and have had 175cc Bantam D14/4, 250 and 350 Jawa's - kept the 350 for 15 years; wish I still had it - and a Yamaha RD250, the last of the air-cooled models. Had lots of 4-strokes, of course. Still riding at 77; a little Suzuki VL250.
My friend Frank Mann bought a new H1 500 and immediately put race tyres, dampers, steering damper, expansion chambers, carbs, clip-ons, rearsets, race fairing etc. He had "If some is good, and more is better, then too much is just enough" painted on the fairing. He would wheeley past us 500 Velocette guys with ease... 😂
I always loved 2-stroke bikes. When I was a senior in high school in 75 I bought a used Brigston 350. Sorry for the spelling!! Anyway, I loved it however I had to always use "racing" grade spark plugs in it. And they only lasted about 1.5 weeks!! And boy they were expensive. Regular plugs would clog up in one day of riding from home to school and back home. I loved this video!!
In the early 70s you either went down the 2 stroke or 4 stroke route it was 2 strokes for me right up to having a kettle which I wish I'd not sold. Loved the sound smell the gear indicater. The boys always stuck me at the back coz of the smoke and oil slick. Good fun though
I had a GT750 in the 80s and everything about it was mental. On the day I'd bought it another interested buyer who just arrived a few minutes after I handed over the money was so dissapointed, a preview of people's reaction. Almost everywhere I parked it I came back to find notes attached to the seat offer to buy it. I would throw the bike around like a dirt bike and I was told 'sacrilege!'. Impressive machine to look for the onlooker at and a shock as started up, a crazy sound of three oversized lambretta scooters ziiiiiiing-dingdingdingding-ziiiiiiiingdingdingdingding and then pulling away into distance going through the gears sound like a demonic angry wasp followed by a trail of blue smoke. Crazy 100%. Red JRO 190 P or something I think the registration was. I left it in a locked garage of ex GF and never returned
I had a S1 250 Kawasaki and 2 Suzuki's GT750s back in the day. Great bikes. Love triples also had a Triumph Trident 750v and a Laverda Jota. Now got a MV Agusta 800 brutale.
great range of bikes, pity scott didnt survive, i remember the silk 700 being sold but i think they were expensive, these are a generation of machines we will never see again, no retro kh triples anytime soon, just visited the royal enfield dealer here and saw an electric bike for the first time, not too bad
A friend of mine had a GT380, there was a Water Buffalo in the neighborhood, but the one that really stands out (never heard it run though) was the Mach IV (which was the US designation for the Kawi 750 triple) owned by a guy who worked in the same building I worked in. What you could see were the black expansion chambers and the velocity stacks on the carbs; what didn't show was the porting and polishing done to it. He had time cards from a local track with runs in the 10's. Some time back I ran across a story about the sub-par handling of the early Mack III's; according to the story, it was due to the front and rear wheels not tracking on the same line because of the frames.
I had a 76 GT380. Great bike - It had auto oiling, and it had a problem - It never could run without making a blue streak everywhere it went. It was a thirsty engine - 23 mpg -- Imperial - 4.55 lt. I sold it the day I pushed it a mile - to a gas station - for the third time.
My 2nd bike was an NS400R. I thought it was pretty powerful (relatively speaking). It would lift the front wheel at 80km/hr when you hit the 2 stroke powerband with no trouble.
The scoyt made watercooled 2 strokes. I saw one classic racing at brands hatch. I was shocked at how competative and reliable they were. One of the greatest old 2 strokes ever made. Styling was very subjective.
Oh I’ve covered Scott in a few videos and ridden a couple He also invented kick stat and tele forks Some races used disc valve induction too Amazing things
I bought new and rode in 1976 the “King Killer”, the 1976 Yamaha RD 400c ( Canadian version ), second best bike I’ve had in my life. #1 would have to be the 1983 Honda CB 900 F Super Sport that a did a road trip with my brother down through New Brunswick by way of the Gaspe, down to Halifax and back home (Montreal) by way of Maine, quite a ride.
Had a GT550A Suzuki for 18 months, lovely bike to ride. Was going to get the 750A but Suzuki had just released the GS1000 at the time and I went for one of them instead. Looking back I should have saved my cash and looked for a GT750 as well. Always regret not owning one, they were great bikes.
Still got my 77 B model and will never let it go. It was the dealers demo bike and being replaced due to the GS750 I bought it with 300 miles on the clock. In 1979. Just love it and all the oil burners.
I was lucky enough to have a Suzuki GT 750 B. I just loved the acceleration, with Avon road runners on it did the twisty bit a little better but if you had a full tank of fuel it could be a handful in the bends. I loved the look of the thing aswell. I wish i never sold it.
Ho posseduto il 750 e il 500 mach Kawasaki negli anni 70.Accellerazioni da infarto...lasciavo indietro i miei amici su Honda, Laverda, Suzuki e Jamaha, avvolti in una bellissima nuvola di fumo azzurro...altri tempi che nostalgia 😊❤.
As a kid I worked my way through the Suzuki GT family - started with the 380, then the 550 and eventualy got a ratty 750. After that I jumped onto a 1100 Katana - happy days!
@@bikerdood1100 aye! For some wierd reason I decided to turn mine (brand new!) into a rat-bike and sprayed it matt black (a fist full of rattle cans, several beers and a wet weekend in my Mums garage!)
Kawasakis last triple two stroke, stayed on sale because it was the only one that could get through emissions. Sounded great although twins like the Rd and X7 were faster, but less cool
Learn a lot from the 'dood'. Love that Scott 3S. Only rode the Kawi 500 (H1 ?)once and not the 750. I was surprised at the amount of buzz through the bars and the pegs. I was disappointed but that's just me. Locally on 'kijiji ontario' an H1 is for sale for $18,999 Canadian dollars ! The seller does say "it vibrates, smokes, drinks gas wildly, is temperamental but NO other bike offers such an experience". I think I'll keep the Norton. I haven't checked lately to see if the H1 has sold.
My experience with these bikes is around a mates GT 380 I have seen 2 of the 3 surviving Scott’s the motor is very impressive on the flesh. The Sammy Miller museum in the south of England has the only runner
Hi guys. I own and still ride the Suzuki RF900Rt. I'd love to see what you think about these much overlooked bikes. Also, to say thanks so much for all the great videos you've already done.Great job.Thanks.
You are right about the gt 380 and 550. Had one. Very reliable. Not quite as fast as Kawasaki or Yamaha but better handling. Road the Blueridge Parkway, I 40, and I 85 with mine. Did quite well and had didital gear read.
In my teens & twenty's you could by any of the Kawasaki 3cyl.-2strokes for a 5-8 hundred dollors. I owned them all Kawi. S1-350 , S2-400 H1-500 & the " Widow maker " H-2 750 S- Signified Street & the H- Highway . And I had a Yamaha RD-350 & RD-400 The RD-400 was SICK , it would easily wheelie in the first 3 gears . My favorite Jap. Bike was my Screening Yellow Honda CB-400FSS SuperSport , 4Cylinder with a 4into one Factory header & a 5 speed gearbox . Everyone loved that bike , except the police . 👮🏍️🐷🏍️😱🚁
Awesome Video..im old enough to have been a UK learner pre 1983..i had so many excellent Jap 250cc two strokes between 1979-83 i had a Suzuki GT250, a Yamaha RD250 and and Suzuki X7 when you are a young rider those 250's seemed like full size much bigger bikes especially the RD250 it had quite some road presence..its kind of unfortunate these days that bikes that were popular in the 70's and 80's are mega expensive because there are so many people in their 50's and 60's who really want to relive their youth by buying a bike they owned around that period like the bikes mentioned above..I was looking to buy a Kawasaki Z650 possibly my favourite bike i owned in the 1980's bu the prices for a good one are astronomically high even for a 50,000 miler..its strange that bikes from the 1990 rarely suffer the same fate and are definitely a better second hand buy
I started riding in 1970, I remember these machines quite well. I always loved and still love 2-strokes. To me they are killed off for no good reason. I still own and ride a 125cc Peugeot motorscooter next to my 4-stroke bikes. Especially the GT750 was and is a great bike. A good effort from Suzuki to create a civilised 2-stroke. I have ridden a H2 once. Scary, senseless bike. To me not a serious machine and till this day I cannot look upon Kawasaki as a serious brand...
Well for me two strokes lose their advantages as they get bigger. By the late 70s and even before really the four stroke 750s were out performing them so I think even without the emissions they wouldn’t have survived. In the 70s emissions regs were very much a US thing but in the rest of the world they were very much on the way out poor fuel consumption did not help at all after the fuel crisis
@@bikerdood1100 It is not just about performance, at least not to me. Multi cilinder 2-strokes run very smooth, the GT750 probably the best of all in this respect. If you look at the yearly mileage most bikes make, neither emissions nor fuel consumption is really an issue. The green fascists do not seem to get that... I just got myself a '96 XJ900S Diversion from its first owner who rode about 1000 km... Mileages under 5000 km a year are quite common... I ride a lot more, yet I seem to be an exception...
Back in the 70s and 80s, I noticed usually around 8 k miles, many of the 2 strokes were worn out. Folks downshifted for engine braking. With the throttle closed, they starved for oil. Too much of this wore them out early. I bought every used Kawasaki triple I could til they were all gone. The Suzukis were most reliable though. Loved 2 stroke power.
Doesn’t quite fit as many used oil direct into the crankcase Quality of oils in the 70s plus inaccurate combustion from points ignition etc played a part too
@@markosborne9558well there’s a split cable which controls flow from the pump On 20s Scott’s there was no throttle link but the pump did get faster of course and was adjustable. Have stripped the odd stroker in my time Not a Scott sadly
In the late 60s Suzuki had a monster 500 twin two stroke.They were EVIL FAST.if you tweaked them larger carbs cleaned up and polished the ports and do the piston skirts too and a set of chamber pipes and it was ready to go beat on the Honda 4s on the road courses of the time ..I think it was called a TITAN
I had a 1975 Kawasaki S3 (400 cc) for a couple of years and it would match the 1974 Z-1B I bought a couple of years later up to about 60-65 mph in an all-out drag race, at less than half the displacement of the big 4-stroke 4 cylinder. It was a fun little bike, but like the other 3 cylinder 2 strokes, didn't handle all that well on a twisty road. For that matter, the Z-1B needed some frame and swingarm tweaks to make it a good canyon carver.
Well the nature of two strokes is that they feel fast, Sometimes the math can tell a different story however. The impression from the saddle isn’t always a true reflection.
@@bikerdood1100 I know my comparison is accurate because I raced the Z-1B I later bought against the S3 I owned at the time. I could hang with him up to about 65 until greater displacement and torque took over and he'd pull away. The fact that the S3 was about 75 pounds lighter also helped.
There was also the french built Motobecane 350 triple from the 1970s,and also a long defunct Japanese brand called Olympus made a two stroke triiple in the early 1960s
I have a 76 RD400.. I was born in 70 so it was before my time.. and when i actually got into motorcycles the two-strokes were gone.... but for some damn reason I love 2-stroke engines and Ive always owned one or another. few rz350's and all the motocross bikes are two strokes. Just bought a Husqvarana 150 efi and its amazing. My RD400 is completely stock and makes good power off idle into the mid then starts to tap out.. all my other two strokes were modified or with aftermarket chambers and were all peaky and totally gutless off idle into the mid... lemme tell you.. after riding the RD its a FAR better road bike. I can leave it in 6th gear and leave it there as I go around sharp corners.. open the throttle and it just starts to build speed without much fuss. I tell every I talk to online with these old bikes to put everything back to stock cause they will be amazed how good it becomes as a street bike commuter.
The gs1000 red and white had one sound lovely back in 1979 King of the road crome back at back of bike ,Always got the lok from people in the towns ,have you got a view on one Gs1000 kevin
A mate had a GT 380, though it could not keep up with RD400's it was better at pillion duty, personal experience. Another mate, a big lad had a GT 550, he could not keep up with my brother on his RD 400, which had different reed valves & expansion chambers. It was a real jekyll & hyde bike.
KH 250 bikes in the 70’s would very often be used and abused by learners, so a little dodgy as a secondhand prospect. Also I think (I could be wrong) that they shared the same chassis with the 400 so were always going to be comparatively overweight/underpowered. Cracking looking bike though…and a nice sunny Sunday classic these days.
Well they would certainly have been rebuilt by now. I always think that 250’is the perfect capacity for a two stroke. I’ve always fancied the KH for that reason, compared to the Rd and x7 twins the KH is indeed a little slower and heavier but they sound great and are a lot more fun than four stroke twins of the period
From South Africa... MY MAN ! 💪 Suzukie GT' s all of them.. what I aspired to when I was cutting my teeth on the T 500 & later the GT 500... I can smell.that 2 stroke oil 🛢 in my screen.. Thanks "a ton" for them memories what's gonna sit with me all day this Sunday... Mostly we called the 750 as "the kettle" & the "water-buff" PLEASE 🙏 🙏 review the titan from the famous hideous purple color, and excessive crome badging, onto the GT 500
Had a GT550A, the best top end I ever got was 105 mph on the speedo so not very quick. It felt faster than it actually was. Tried a piper 3 into 1 on it, sounded great but killed the power. Used it daily to get me to work but sold it as my 1.6 car was better on fuel and kept me dry through the winter. Did buy a GT 750 and totally rebuilt it. Finished the chassis and was half way through the engine when my marriage went tits up and she wanted half the value of the bike ! Put the thing on my drive and punctured the bottom of the tank and put a match to it, a very sad end to what would have been a immaculate vintage bike. Think what I regret the most there was not only the couple of grand I put into it but that I never got to ride it. Shame I only have that tainted memory of it.
My brother has a gt 750 I got it running for him we rode it for awhile now he’s given it to his son who is slowly rebuilding it but parts are hard to find
A lot of Japanese market bikes made it there 250 is a bit small to need 3 cylinders A lot of complexity for 0 gain . Was true of the Kh250 it sounded great but was slower than the twin cylinder competition
I remember reading a UK road test on a Bridgestone (yes, the Japanese tyre company I believe) 350 two-stroke triple. Rotary-valve induction made for a wide motor. Are there any around now, I wonder?
Yes I remember the Suski. Gt 550 it was smooth enough to put a coin on the motor and it would stay there. I was riding an XS 650 yummie Of course it surprised me Two of my pals had H 1 and H 2s crazy fast. No brakes No chassis. 😅. Oh well we where young.........
@@bikerdood1100 - I don't know anyone who kept those high bars on. Even with flat bars you couldn't keep the front wheel down on an H2 so actually they were hopeless at drag racing as you had to keep throttling off.
I had a '76 GT750 exactly like that one, the same blue color and everything. But the previous owner had put one of those huge Windjammer fairings on it and since my dad had the title to it and I was a minor, he made me keep the fairing on it. It was really nice on the usually straight interstate highways of America. But it handled like an overloaded wheelbarrow. I almost got killed on it when I went into a curve faster than it was able to lean into the curve. I had to carefully hit the brakes just right and get her slowed down or I would have hit an oncoming car. I kept her much slower in curves and corners after that!! A horrendously bad handling motorcycle, especially compared to the GS750 that replaced it in short order, which handled like a dream. I rode a friends GS750 and couldn't believe it was the same brand motorcycle! I then bought a GS1000E in '78 which also was a great handler.
I had a GT550 in my 20s Love the bike but that was the only way I could get to work and it was winter time working off sift the people that I lived around didn’t like me when I fired the 550 off😂
My Army buddy in 1975 had a Suzuki 380 triple two stroke while I had a Honda 550 four cylinder four stroke. I could out accelerate and beat him on top speed but really they were very comparable. In the early 1980s I got a Suzuki Titan 500 two cylinder two stroke that I loved. I loved it so much I bought another Titan in the mid 2000s. Motorcycles have always been my daily commuter but my wife and I are older now and live in America so we have a Harley Davidson Electra Glide Classic.
I've seen a Scott triple and it's a truly superb looking bike. Next , the Suzuki 2 stoke triples were a bit to sensible compared to the bonkers Kawasaki triples. Back in the dim and distant past the Kawasaki kh 250 was not the fastest but it was the best sounding. Oh dear now the Honda ns 400 , it sounded like 3 old men farting in the garden shed and had similar performance. If you really want a good air cooled two stroke triple park a dt 175 next to an x7....
Was involved in a bit of club road racing when the Honda ns 400 came out.. it was such a disappointment compared to the Suzuki rg 500. ( forget the dreadful Yamaha rd 500 ypvs) . Your right Kawasaki triples went around corners like a three legged camel but the sound of one with at set of expansion chambers...