Absolute first start (No cheating...) of my latest Kawasaki H2 custom Build. “The BASTARD”. It is built from different parts from different bikes, not only H2:s.... Enjoy!
@@Bitcoin-Busa and about 11 second 1/4 out of the box I think it was the HI H2 detune a bit, also know as the widow maker. Points ignition from memory. Nabour complained it had to be tune after he took it out for a ride, The guy only had 2 speeds flat out a parked the joy of the late 60s and early 70s kids today very tame.
Rode these back in the 70's , we called them the widow maker as so many teenage mates lost their lives on them. Suzuki GT's and Yam RD's were all the rage....Honda less so as seen as the sensible option and never seemed to keep up with the rest of us. Happy days remembered by the lucky ones that survived them 👍
@@sdsuch4353 : It wasn't those things that got people killed...it was those wheel stands at 50-70 mph when downshifting from 5th to 4th trying to pass someone...and completely losing control.....that's what killed most riders.
That's a real beauty! My dad had one when I was a kid and I still remember riding that beast! The smile I saw on your face looked exactly like dad's every time he fired his off. You enjoy that machine and keep the shiny parts off the pavement 👍
That is one beautiful machine! The look and sound brings back great memories! I had one in the mid-70’s, and it was a beast! Great video, thank you for sharing! 👍
I will never forget the sounds, smells and looking at the Speedo & Tech on my rides of these bikes, the 400, 500 and 750 I loved every minute of riding those bikes.
I had the 74 GT380 also, rode it all through high school and all through my time in the Air Force. Totally wore it out. After the third overbore sold it for $100 and left to go to college in 80!
When i got into bikes aged 17 back in 1981 the H2 was already a legend. I remember it used to be raved about in "Superbike" magazine as being crazy fast and difficult to manage.....respect.
The first time I rode a Kawasaki 750 back in the early 70's I totally underestimated its performance. I remember I "Goosed" the throttle and quite unexpectedly I lofted the front wheel. I was able to keep the bike in control but I gained an ultimate respect for the bike. We used to call them mosquito repellants because of the amount of smoke they put out. The 500, Mach-3's were even worse, but brutely fast. Back then Kawasaki's were not known for their build quality but they were sure fast!
I worked on an H2 a few years back...got it starting on 1 kick when warm with great idle and decent drivability. Terrible surging if held steady at about 3,500 RPM or so. When I rode it all I could think about was Kawasaki strapped 3 chainsaw engines together and put it in a frame. The fella that owned it also had a 1973 Z-1 which I worked on. The H2 was noticeably quicker than the Z.
My last roadbike was a H2. Funny you mention the surge at 3500rpm. My new Z900RS has cleverly replicated this surging however it is now at 3000rpm . Bless there hearts. I think it gives it character. Others complain about it. Ps My H2 could red Line in top gear 2up. Geez it could pull hard and the RS is a worthy replacement.
They can legislate and bribe what they want BUT classics will always be exempt from incoming laws.. My friend's GPz900r is 39 years old and will never need another MOT after this week. My 1978 RD350 DX/E didn't need a Tax Disc.. My GPz900r was on Classic Insurance the year after I bought it (£99 Fully comp.. agreed value)!!
Beautiful! I have a purple people eater 750 triple from good ol 1975 in the garage waiting to be brought back to life. Your vid is the ultimate inspiration. All the best.
I sure wish I kept my 1972 H2 But I might not be alive today if I did. Having such a fast motorcycle at the age of 18 was a bit to crazy and the throttle response is what was enticing. I would go through a back tire every month. They were hell on wheels in a straight line but would push through the corners. I was glad when I sold it because I knew I was running out of time and was taking way to many chances riding the way I was. I too had drilled out dual disc front brakes and did that ever save me so many times. She sure looks good, mine was blue.
I had a 70 1/2 H1, built it for the quarter mi. Polished it, ported it, Bill Wirges Expansion chambers, Barnett Drag clutch, 4.00x18 Avon slick, drilled the rim and put screws in it to prevent the tire from spinning, while running 6 lbs. pressure, put clip on handlebars on it, then sold it and bought a 72 H2 and did the same thing again, damned things are fast right out of the crate, lol. I'm sorry for taking up so much space & time but I got wound up when I stumbled upon your video. For what it's worth, I'm subbing, gonna leave a thumbs up, and a tap on the bell. Thanks for sharing.
@@kawasakipilot , One more thing, I never encountered a Harley Sportster, or a 750 Honda in stock trim that could pose a threat to either one of the H1 or H2. I'm a Harley 1200 sportster owner now but, I've slowed down quite a bit, lol.
@@BobbyTucker The Hondas were reliable and took you from A to B without any fuss, the sportster appealed to most Americans and the chopper community. The triples were just crazy…..😎😎
I had a 500 same year and the quarter mile might have been just a hair slower but off the line the 500 got the 750 almost every time. Beautiful restoration and I love the sound. Much better than the racket that the stock pipes made
A friend bought one new in the early 70's and he too underestimated it's performance after pulling a wheelie and dragging his back along the asphalt resulting in a huge area of his back skinned and scabbed, after he recovered and had the bike repaired he asked me to take it for a ride one day and I was a little reluctant and scared at first but he told me to just get it going before I opened the throttle up. I swear to this day I strongly remember feeling strong "G" forces pushing my facial area back inside my helmet (like you see in "G" force videos) as I proceeded to wind out each gear towards the maximum redline area on the tach, and one time riding it was enough for me. Later in 1978 I bought a 1975 Kawasaki Z1-900B which was a fast bike also but I don't recall ever having the experience that I had on that H2 750. I've never owned a 2 stoke bike but have ridden other people's they are torquey fast accelerating machines for short distances, but they are NOT built for long rides or for gas mileage.
I took one, brand new, out for a ride on a mountain highway. Stupid strong power surge right at the beginning of the power band made the front lift. When it came down, you’d have to be aiming in the right direction because the front forks had a tendency to flex under lateral loads. Wobblers when pushed. A real screamer. If I could find one today, the frame and fork layout would have to change. But that motor was good one.
3rd gear wheelies at 80 mph,never late to an engagement on this bike,its its own animal,very quick, smoke a Z1 up to about 102 and then the z1 walks right by,i also raced my brothers new first year goldwing,take it till you hit about 105 the wing sails by,but stop light to stop light,nothing beats it except another one,use the best oil,and have the carbs synced by a pro,best money i ever spent,lousy gas mileage,great bike
They are great! I just had to adapt them to fit around the slightly wider swing arm, also from Higgspeed. Great sound! 😎😎 Check out my video of me ridning it. It’s in my channel! 😉
Your smile at 1:09 is priceless, so the bike is... If I was asked which to prefer, a brand new H2R or this one, my answer would be this beauty, without any vacillation. A tear-drop shaped gas tank, side covers - shortly a naked bike, what's more, it is a 2 stroker. This is what a "real" bike is. And "bastard" is a very suitable nick for those widow-maker tough ones.
Why would that be a problem? It’s an easy way to feel for even combustion in all three cylinders. The temperature says a lot! And, as a matter of fact, I am no pro. Just a decent hobby mechanic! 🤔
In the late ' 70 ' s or early ' 80 ' s . I had one like that with the same paint style but mine was the brownish / green with yellow background to the Kawasaki on the tank . It had an oil reservoir for oil injection . No electric start . I bought it used . I remember one time it shut off on me . I was sitting still with the engine idling, then the the engine suddenly stopped . A sudden - dead stop . When I tried to push the crank arm down, it took all my weight, bouncing on it, to get the engine to turn slowly . After several times it finally loosened up and it cranked . I never figured out what happened though . I rode it a while and finally one day, while I was at a red light, it caught on fire . Also at one time, that thing had a bad clutch cable and I could not pull it with just my hand . I had to use my whole arm to pull it in . One rainy day I found out that when I pulled the clutch in, it was not fully disengaged . I was slowing down at an intersection and downshifted . Even though I had the clutch pulled in, the back tire was still engaged . I found out because the back tire started sliding ( I guess I hit an oily section ) . I slid a little ways then plopped down ( the back tire was sliding left and right as I tried to correct ) . I was barely moving when I went down and I had a metal watch band that cut me when my wrist hit the road ... I got up and started back up and went on my way to work ... Forty years later, I still have a little scar left from that .
I had a new H1 in 1976. Very fast up to 80, wouldn't pull much over 100. Main issue was frame and fork flex at speed. I hope you've beefed up the frame and I'd recommend modern forks and triple trees. If those pipes work well, that thing could be even more sketchy. The bike's a beauty, by the way.
Thnx for your kind words! Yeah, the bike is improved here and there with a stronger swing arm and better rear shocks. This is based on a -74 when the frames were greatly improved from factory. It rides and handles just great! You can check it in another video I posted on my channel driving it around Stockholm. 😎
That gets the old heart racing. Great job, sir. Nice and smokeless, too. My first bike was a Suzuki water buffalo. Same sound, but much heavier. Always wanted one of these. But I'm not suffering much as the ortunate owner of the even crazier and rarer KTM 950 Super Enduro. It behaves like a two-stroke with a terrifying power-band that kicks in like a mule and keeps on sending till you reach oblivion.
More beautiful than the original ever was! It's funny to see these bikes these days and see how small they actually were (when they were known as the absolute beast back in the day).
Thank you, sir! I’ve done a few originals over the years but find that a bit boring now... 😳 The specials mean freedom and more creativity in the process. Each to his own, I guess!
I bought an H2C (used) in 1977 and rode it back from near the Kyle of Lochalsh (Highlands) to Surrey - I lost track of the number of times I stopped for petrol ....
I remember a chap I was in tech with had one which had been knocked about. I was only 16 and had a Fizzy. He gave me a go on this monster along the A483 near Wrexham and told me to take it easy as it didn’t handle too well due to the swinging arm bushes needing to be replaced. Anyway I booted it and at 100 mph whilst in the fast lane overtaking the traffic without warning it suddenly went into a horrible tank slapper and I couldn’t keep hold of the bars, so I just let them go and hoped for the best. God knows how, but it suddenly righted itself and I managed to get hold of the bars again. It was the scariest thing that ever happened to me on a motorcycle! My god, the daft things you do when you’re young 🙄
Back in the day 1975 ish if I remember, I friend and I used to go and watch local scrabbling on Sundays ( South coast) . Most bikes then were 4 stroke British stuff but oh the day a local bike seller named Bob Gollner came with his Kwacker 750 triple side car outfit. Thump Thump thump followed by a howling scream
When these 3 cylinder 2 cycle bikes came out they were several orders of magnitude faster than their British and American bikes. Everyone I knew who had the Kaws wrecked them, and most of the wrecks were very serious to death
Very nice. I had a KH250 for a couple years, never a bastard. I rode it like one though.....Did have 2-stroke triple 750 at one point, not a Kwaka; any guesses? Yep, Szki GT750. I miss 2-stroke triples...Enjoy it, it's a beaut!
My mate had one and we parked it outside my girlfriends mums house only to find by morning it had sunk into the new tarmac driveway and joined us in through the front window. Happy days
Lovely bike in great condition amazing to ride feels dangerous at any speed beautiful…….but I just can’t cope with the tinny about to explode sound track
