I love how the shocks lift to their max travel every time he opens up the throttle. Two strokes will always hold a place in my heart just for this reason
I was observing the exact same thing! And even at low RPMs and not even WOT that thing throws it's weight to the back like nothing. They did have a very short wheelbase though, but that engine is marvelous
Great video, I bought a 1974 green triple in northern Michigan for 900.00 in 1983. I rode it to Fort Hood, Texas. Took me three days because I didn't drive at night. I loved that bike and still wish I had it. Thanks for the video.
Great video, thankyou very much. There was no bike-cam last time I rode one. I was 14 when an older friend invited me to ride his H2 up and down a long winding road in NSW in 1975. The week before he took me to the same place on his mates CB750K single overhead cam (my firstt ride on a road bike). I had and rode a Yamaha GT80a trail bike off road and expected better acceleration from the K. When I rode the H2 I realised that it had real power and enjoyed leaning forward under acceleration to keep the front wheel in contact, and I felt it handled easily around fast bends. One thing my friends discussed was how to ride smoothly because things get wobbly when you don't. I only had Kawasaki and Honda flagship sports-tourers from 1980 to 2012, then I got a Toyota Landcruiser as well. The riding skills I acquired on lightly framed aiir cooled big bikes in the 70's and early 80's serve me well, I would even argue that the superb handling bikes like the current H2's we ride now require less skills to ride hard, but that younger riders don't always develope good skills and therefore often ride terribly and with there hearts in their mouths... as evidenced by non- technical expressions like "insane power." My take on fast smooth riding has always been that I have the right tyre pressures and I 'ride by the seat of my pants and keep my eyes peeled on the next bend.' I thankyou again Sir for this great video and wish you all the best!
I had a (gold) '73 H-2 that I loved. It was the ultimate fun machine and never smoked like the one in the photos. I put a slightly bigger rear sprocket and an Avon rear tire on it and it was a beast.
Nice to see one with stock pipes and jetted correctly for once. And you get on it! Again, most H2 vids are so frustrating…I’m talking to you, jay leno😂
I bought a new H2 in 1974. Immediately changed the front sprocket, dropping it 1 tooth. Lost some on top end but got there quicker. Topped out at 140 MPH at redline
2:39 - the front end goes airborne and the bike heads straight left. That frame was too light and any slight weight shift at that acceleration was scary. Plus, if someone was on the back, they better hold on tight because their legs were flying overhead off the pegs. However, it was easier to flip a 500cc. Killer bikes in more ways than one.
I used to ride a beaten,Yamaha 350 LC (until I got decked!). Once tried a mates crappy H1 500 Kawasaki and that was very scary! It must be total lunacy to ride an H2 750! 30 years ago you could get them for nothing. Maybe its a silly thing to do approaching 50, but I love the strokers !! Now banned for environmental reasons...Perhaps the neighbors all started it off when I got my first 4th hand Fizzie!
Twin disks? Not a bad idea but would make the handling heavier and the bike slower (lol). I had a flat handlear on mine for better control. The sound from the tank is best.
Great Video Sir! Please, I have to ask. I also have a GoPro which I think you used. Are you using a remote mike? If not, what did you do to get such great audio. I have an SR500 I'd like to do the same with but wind noise is horrible. I've tried everything I know but no good news yet.
Hi Marty I am using my a stock gopro with the battery bacpac, so the box beeing larger the holes are further away from the microphone, that might be the explanation. Best regards from the french Alps
1972kawasaki750h2 I have some really interesting period USA mag tests of the bike if you are interested. First edition and some later models with lots of details, pics and power outputs, speeds etc......tested mostly in sunny California !! The first edition Mach IV was by far the best. My brother owned 3 of them !!!! Regards.
In Germany we called that Bike "Witwenmacher"....so much Girls and Mums cryed for his Boys or his friends and husbands.. You needed 3 lanes on German Autobahn .... you get in the fours Gear a wheele and more other crasy things....This Bike was the hell on Earth....but she was so cool - cooler as the hottes girl in Town 😉👍
J'ai fabriqué un kick plus court afin de ne pas avoir cet inconvénient, comme on le voit sur la vidéo, cela fonctionne très bien. Il est vrai qu'avec le kick d'origine il faut impérativement relever le repose pied droit.
Merci pour cette belle vidéo. J'avais 18 ans au moment de la sortie de cette moto. J'avais le permis, mais pas les moyens de me la payer. Elle me faisait vraiment rêver (toujours d'ailleurs). J'avais du me contenter d'une Yam DT400. Le bruit est vraiment addictif. J'avais un pote qui en avait une. Je me souviens des vibrations et de la conso qui n'était pas triste. Prenez en bien soin.
Now, if that is not mechanical poetry in motion, I don't know what is... Great video, obviously made from someone that understands the music made by these motors. Thank you very much!
I was a pretty highly ranked motocross racer as a kid (eventually earned my AMA experts license for 125cc and 250cc classes) but when I was a Sr. in H.S. I decided to give it up and was working at Disney World in '74 and bought a like new '72 H2-750 that was chambered and rejetted....the first time I rode it when I got on the throttle I almost went off the back...but by the time I got home (about a 50 mile ride) I was feeling right at home, she felt just like my YZ-250 except she was a street bike...she'd roll the rear tire in 1st gear only using the throttle and would pull power wheelies at 90 mph in 3rd gear. The funny thing was, years later I read how all the magazines said she handled so terribly but to me she handled great, I used to beat Yamaha RD-350's through the twisties,...maybe it was my motocross background.
My uncle had a h2 when i was a teenager. It was the first big bore bike i had ridden and it gave me tingles all over my body riding it. Ive a s2 that gives me all the sensations but in smaller doses.
this bike is not for the novice rider,you've been warned,i owned one for 2 years,they are extremely quick,they will smoke a Z1 or kz 900 up to 100mph,then the bigger inches goes on by,but none the less unless you have dirt or high speed handling experience this bike will kill you,always check the return of your throttle slides before you ride it,it is not a bike to have go wide open,you've been warned,oh yeah the guy below remarked of 3rd gear wheelies at 90 mph.very true
The Mach IV was the fastest bike of all in 1972 Cycle World test which featured all the 750 bikes of the day to incl the Z1 900. First editions of both Kwacks and they were the quickest of all. !!! It also had the most HP and torque !!!!! Even more than the 900 !!! Thats the 2 stroke effect !! And naturally it weighed a ton less than the equally gorgeous first model 900. Both classics and hugely collectible.
and that's because inexperienced riders pissed themselves thinking they could slam the throttle around like on a BSA or Triumph or a Harley. Buy far the fastest accelerating bike 2 years running. If anyone was dumb enough to not take a least a couple of hours working their way up before running it at full throttle they got what they deserved. in comparison testing with five other superbikes of the era the H-2 had the fastest quarter mile speed, the shortest stopping distance, the most horsepower, by far the most horsepower per pound, AND was tied to the hundredth of a second on a for real road course. Of course the testing was done with pro races and pro test riders, not a bunch of wanna be's. And it was the least expensive bike of the bunch. This is the motorcycle that changed the world.
yes cuz in the UK people usually cant drive for shit! I tought my country was bad but oh boy... I moved to the UK and I amazed that its worse than it was at home...
My first bike. Bought used in 1975. Only 1400 miles on it. Like a fool, took it 14000 miles cross-country in 1976. When i got back, I had the engine ported and polished. The heads shaved to increase compression. And a chrome Denco expansion chamber. HOLY SHIT! Fastest 0-60 bike I have had since. And that includes my 1100 Kawi. !
Had a couple of KH250's and a KH400 which for a long time was my idea of a perfect bike, quick enough to be loads of fun and I could just about deal with the 20 ish mpg..........
Did he have to refill so often?I had several Kawasaki 2 stokes in my life,never forget that smell and that sound!I am disappointed that theyare no longer available !
My apologies for not knowing French. Did you have any problems finding parts for your restoration? Did you have to replace any interior gears? Beautiful restoration.
Hi I found all the parts I needed on EBay and other dealers, I replaced some worn parts as gears and clutch. You can translate my site by clicking on the US flag in the upper right corner to get a Google translation or learn french :-)
Sympa comme tout, ta vidéo !!! Il fut un temps où j'étais l'heureux propriétaire d'une Yamaha 400RD de 1979, ce qui m'a valu de pouvoir faire (sur invitation) une journée du H2 Club de France du côté de Aix les Bains. J'ai découvert ce qu'était le "nuage de fumée bleue" si souvent décrit !!! Et la bonne odeur de l'huile 2 temps diffusée par plein de motos, c'est cool ! Je note que tu as fait la vidéo dans un coin que j'adore... Est-ce qu'il serait possible qu'on se retrouve quelque part dans la saison prochaine (2020)? Je roule en VFR maintenant (autre machine d'exception !), mais j'ai toujours la passion du 2T !
Great video ... beautiful bike ... great ride ... Yeah, looks and sounds like a rather dirsty motorcycle. But heard that the Suzuki tripples were the badest bousers at all. Never had one of the famous Tripples ... CB 4 strokes ... nice sound ... even rather tired bikes in comparison to the H2 I guess ... but doesn't matter :)
