The Biggest 2-stroke Motorcycles !!! 

I was 62 at the start of this video... but I was 20 again in less than 2 minutes.. 😜 thanks man!

I can still remember the brochure for the Suzuki gt750. Water cooled. Two stroke. Three cylinder. Four exhaust. Five speed motorcycle. Still miss the two strokes. Age 63.

I started riding bikes in Japan 40 years ago. Back then, the government was trying to make it super difficult to get a bike license with which you can ride bike over 400cc. They implemented super difficult riding test which is done in closed course with balance beam etc. I passed on my 9th try and my friends were congratulating me for passing this test so quickly (lol) as I think average was more like 15 times. Many gave up actually as once you failed you have to wait for a while for the next appointment (as government wanted them to.) Anyhow, what I wanted to say was that they had one beaten down GT750 as one of the test bike. This video brought back that memory! It was horrible to take the test with it. I think I passed on Z2 (750cc).

2 stroke engines, beautiful sound, high performance, simple and efficient mechanics.

People really don't understand how quick these really were. I bought a new 500 Kawasaki in '71 and then bought a 750 in 1972. Bought a Z1 in 1974. Somehow I survived and at age 66, I still ride today.

Bought a 750 GT "water Buffalo" brand new back in 1973. Put 78,000+ miles on it in about 7 years. The "+" is because the odometer broke after about 6 years and I probably put at least another 5,000 miles on it. Drove it back and forth from NJ to Virginia many times while in college and also from New Jersey to California and back, going "cross country" with a buddy of mine who rode a BMW 650. That GT750 was super dependable except that it would foul spark plugs. The GT 750 was designed as a tourer and had tremendous torque for a 2 stroke. It was super smooth on the highway. At highway speeds it sounded like an electric motor. It just hummed! Somebody remembered that the disc brakes were not good in the rain and I agree. They also squeeked. I own 5 bikes now but would love to have a GT750 in my garage. I would ride it weekly just like I do my other bikes. I think there is now better 2 stroke oil which would help to lower the amount of smoke. When I warmed that bike up in the morning when the temps were in the 40's or 50's I had to apply the choke for at least a minute and once I got going it would smoke like a son of a bitch for the first minute of riding. I mean, leaving a smoke screen behind that would almost blind anyone driving behind you.! However, all in all, a great bike and the only water cooled production motorcycle in 1973. With the water cooling and double disc brakes it was state of the art.

Had a 1973 H2 which I bought when 16 yrs old. First thing it did was throw me off and teach me about respect. Been riding now for 39 years and have a few spills but still going. When I was 17 I sent my motor to a place in British Columbia called western 2 cycle. I talked to the owner and told him I was looking for more power. He must have felt sorry for me as I only had about 200 bucks to spend. Well he sent back my engine with a stage three denco king cobra set up, ported and polished, rings pistons and jugs and expansion chambers. I put it all together and the thing would wheelie. Not just from start, but in every and any gear up to 60 mph. It would literally smoke the tire at anything below 30 mph. Top speed was Unreachable due to the chassis but it never stopped pulling before I was praying for my life. Sold it to collector when I got married. Cheers. (Wish I still had it)

Bought my new GT-750 in '75 when I was 19 yrs. old. $1550 after rebate. Most incredible machine ever. Nothing like it today. So regret selling.

I had a 71 H1 500 with a few little upgrades done to the engine. Great in a straight line, made me pray more then a few times on the corners!

Oh I love this unique 2-stroke sound from 3 cylinders and that blue smoke.

Those were the days. Engines that were too powerful for the frames, tyres and brakes that didn't work in the rain. Loved it, wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Had 3 GT750's (1 of them ex police) and enough parts to last a lifetime, in the '80's. Engine cases, radiators, consumables... Sold it all for pennies. So kicking myself, now.

The trick with the H2 was to always be pointed in the direction of the nearest trauma center!

Haven't thought about these old two strokes for years thanks for bringing back the memories

When I was a boy, too young to ride my own bike, a neighbour had a GT250. He took me on long rides and the sound is still reverberating in my head. Sends me shivers down my spine.

I rode a Mach 4 on the autobahn in Germany back in the 70’s. Insanity fairly gallops in my family.

In 1974 when 16 I bought a used Kawasaki gold 250 I believe S1,after every winterI had to push it up the hill,coast down,pop it in gear to get it started,then my grandfather would say "guess Kawasaki lets the good times roll"Still love that sound to this day,im glad I grew up in the 70's

I made a 900cc 4 cylinder 2 stroke by joining together two RD400 engines and oversize Wiseco pistons, water cooled barrels, GT750 radiator, RD350 water pump and air cooled heads, all crammed into a KH400 frame with RD350LC swinging arm, ARE mag wheels, 1 x GT750 front disc with two calipers, four RD350LC pipes, and carbs, happy days! good job petrol was cheaper in those days! it was displayed at the motorcycle show on the MCN stand in Alexandra Palace, London

BADASS! Big, Beautiful Sounding 2 wheelers...faster, simpler times...Thanks for Posting!

For their day the old two strokes were blisteringly fast, but the brakes and handling, not so much.

I have my dad’s H2 750. Metallic orange. 1973 or 1974. Bought it new in upstate New York. My brother pegged the speedometer when he was 16. Also when he was 16 he wiped out on it and spent a few days in the hospital. Dad was not happy. Luckily my brother worked at a Kawasaki dealership that summer and came home with all new parts to do the reconstruction. On one of my brother’s trips for a follow up visit to see his plastic surgeon who fixed up his facial road rash our family was involved in an auto accident. Bro was driving 66 VW bug, mom was front passenger, and I was 9 years old in the back seat. Got creamed at a 4 way stop intersection in the parking lot of South Hills Village Mall (Pittsburgh PA area) by a big ass Buick. This time it was mom in the hospital with stitches in her knee. On impact her knee was impaled by the plastic knob on the VW’s ashtray. This was before cars had any interior safety features like padding or smoothness on any of the dash. Anyway, fast forward to 2021. Dad is gone. Mom is gone. Bro is gone. But I survive. And now my bro’s 29 year old son wants his grandpap’s metallic orange widow maker. What am I to do? Thoughts?

In 1999 I bought a purple and white 72 GT750 with only 9000 miles at a garage sale for $500. It had always been inside and was all original, including the seat. Had to clean the carbs put a battery and rear tire on it. My buddies called it the "Grape Ape". I rode the heck out of it for several years and enjoyed it a lot. The torque and smoothness of power was amazing .That liquid cooling was ahead of its time too. Oh yea that sound was awesome!! It always got people looking due to the color and rarity. Drew lots of compliments on it as well because it was in such good shape people thought it was restored. Even got a couple compliments on about how little it smoked from people behind me on group rides. It would get up and move out too but the handling and braking were definitely old school. That being said it was still a blast to ride and I miss it. I ended up selling it for $1200 when I quit riding and sold my bikes. The guy was happy to get it. I hoped he enjoyed it as much as I did.

Nothing compares to the power of a 2-stroke sound. In this case, 3x! :)

Love 2 stroke smell reminds me of my penton 250 you have sweet bike

I was a passenger on this bike(kawasaki)when i was young, i'll never forget it.

By far the sexiest looking and sounding bike of the 70s!

Before The AMA Banned Multi Cylinder 2 Strokes in the Mid 70's for Dirttrack Racing, there were a few National Number Riders Racing H2's along with the 4 Cylinder TZ Yamahas. On the Mile Tracks they were Missles and definitely faster than the HD XR's or any other 4 stroke. The Street Production H2 right out of the Crate was also a Missle and not for just your average rider.....

Oh God, I can almost smell the two stroke. Bliss!

Don't know how common this was, or maybe how lucky I was, but I had both of these new back in the day. Bought a '74 Green H2 new as a '75 leftover, and also had a Blue '74 Kaw F7 175 that I bought new in early '74. In '76, bought a leftover Red '75 Suz GT750 and turned that into a tourer with Vetter fairing, Bates saddle bags, Rita electronic ignition, Koni shocks & springs, air fork caps, and an "EZ-Berg Custom Contour Saddle". Hung on to the H2 for a while as my local bike, and rode all three bikes for a while until I blew up the H2 at about 7,000 miles. Had it rebuilt and gave it to my brother around 1977. Unlike myself admittedly, my brother could ride a bike, and with some tuning and minor mods, it would take most stock bikes of the time at the stoplights. It would take a Z1 through the gears, and then the Z would catch up and slowly walk away. Used the GT750 some 60,000 miles until I sold it when I bought an '83 Honda Aspencade. I lost track of what happened to the F7, it had over 20,000 miles on it, and disappeared being loaned to friends of friends and so forth, sometime in the early 80's.

The H2 and it's little brother the H1 500cc triples were beasts. Both had frame flex problems at high speed, though the H2 had a beefier frame that flexed less than the H1. I know for a fact that the H2 could do 143 mph as my brother was clocked by the Texas Highway Patrol on the flat roads of west TX. He lost his license for that one.

here I sit with a very big smile. High school days Kaw 3 cylinder two cycle. Crisp but went like a tornado in a straight line. Oh and easy on the brakes and suspension. If I remember the 500 came first and then 750. We nick named them death machine. The power curve was unbelievable. Ten thumbs up here. :)

I had a pair of "Flying Kettles" they were fabulous(ish). I had a 3rd that i gassed, that was very interesting to say the least it was like what I thought being shot out of a Cannon would feel like, & whatever the tyre's, it was always shit on the corners.

OMG a GT 750 with wireless start.The "water buffalo". Also, remember, the H1 and H2 were 5 up.. Neutral was at the bottom.

On the early Mach 4, they were stock with about 74-75 HP. With good expansion pipes and a simple rejet to a slightly larger main and a more open air box, they would run north of 80 HP (quite a lot for a 420 lb. scooter. @ 7000 rpm, they would do well over 120, close to 130 (or perhaps a snick more if you could coax it towards redline @ 7500 rpm. Even stock, sub 12 second quarters were not unheard of, and with the above mods, an 11.5 was certainly within reach. The water buffalo was a bit slower in the quarter (mostly due to weighing about 100 lbs. more) but with some tweeks with jetting, expansion pipes and a better breather was just about as fast on top end, but was much more solid feeling towards the top... I had a '72 H2 (before they were tamed down a bit) and it was a beast to ride: grab the grips and hang on and hope the front tire stayed on the ground. And if it rained, keep it in the garage. A good bud had a water buffalo and it handled much better at any speed.

Loved my Kawasaki triples. Had 11 of them.

The Water Buffalo is my favorite(Suzuki).

The Kawasaki 2 stroke triples were the most beautiful sounding bikes ever.It was the sound alone that made me buy my first learner bike,the KH 250,they all sounded fantastic With the standard pipes fitted,fitting expansion chambers detracted from the sound somewhat.The GT 380 and 750 didn't sound too bad either.

H2 One of the best sounding bikes ever with aftermarket pipes.

The second day of my brothers senior year of high school he and a buddy left home and took his friend’s Kawasaki 250 triple across country, 2 up without telling anyone they were leaving from Massachusetts to California. Somehow they came back before graduation and graduated. Left in 1975 and came home in 1976. Later on I had a 400 and 500 triple. Loved these bikes

I remember when every high school in medium to large cities was littered with Kawasaki H-2 , Yamaha RD, and Honda CB750 stacked like cord wood.

You just can't beat 2 stroke

I had a GT 380. But 3 of my friends had H1's. They were the shit. Boggy below 5k rpm, but when the tach hit 5k, they were insanely fun. The front end would just loft, and you could hold it there, shifting through the gears. One of my buddies traded his H1 for an H2. He always had to have the fastest. He also had a 440 'Cuda with tunnel ram and 2 quads. I rode his H2. Fun bike, but I always liked the H1 better. He was killed on his H2 coming home one night. That slowed us down...for awhile. Long time ago. RIP Mike...

Jalapeño bikes in the 1970 did everything right on it!!

GREAT VID!!!SAME as a LOT of guys here, I had a 500 then the 750 in the 70s when they were born. I can still remember cranking it up and a smile would come on my face as the revs climbed really fast with the speedo pretty much keeping up. ALWAYS a smile UNTIL they put some of those dang TURNS in the road! Lost the smile pretty quick after hitting the make believe brakes and wishing it had an anchor instead. I always TRIED to be careful but these had a way of making you stupid as soon as you sat on the seat...! They came and went but my 72 Kawa 175 Enduro followed me everywhere and we traveled Alaska together n the mid 70s when I moved there. Had that bike a LONG time! I think it was because no other bike I knew of had the TWO POSITION RAKE FRONT WHEEL! LONG LIVE 2 STROKE! Oh, wait.....

Ah, the Suzuki GT750 Kettle... That takes me back!

As I recall, those Kawi's were the fastest production bikes available when they came out. My next door neighbor bought a 1975 750 brand new and let me take it out for a spin...OMG it was scary fast! Later I bought a used 500 with carb synch issues and it was less fast but....

Sounds like a nest of pissed off bumble bees 🐝. For a 50 year old bike, it’s in immaculate condition. Thank you for sharing your video post

Never been happier to get off a bike as much as the H2.

A friend had a GT750 “kettle”. The acceleration was insane if you kept it on its power band.

For sure, captures the spirit of 2-stroke!

I just got my barn find GT750 un seized and running for the first time last weekend! the exhaust note shook my whole shed.

Some memories..! I serviced and rode many of the Kaw. and Suzuki triples with the dealership I worked at in the '70s. After a while, it was quite noticeable how more refined feeling the Suzuki's were compared to the Kawasakis. The H-2 left the impression that it was an engine trying to destroy itself with it's harshness. We had several H-2s that got warranty crankshaft replacements due to main bearing cages coming apart - similar problem in a few of their singles also. Improvement made with crimped instead of riveted cages. Both the big 750s were notorious smokers, something that probably led to all four stroke models in a few years. The GT-750 had small scavenging mechanisms to rid pooling of oil in the crank chambers but it seemed ineffective over time.

THIS is where the word “knarley” came from.

I had a friend in the early 80’s that had a run down GT750. He took me for a ride as a pillion (I hate riding pillion), what a bike!

The Kaw - hard to control out of the gate - it was a Very FINE line between keeping the front end on the ground and keeping the rear wheel from breaking free. The 500 had pretty much the same issues.

I travelled the roads of Europe thin on my kettle, in the eighties. It was so damn reliable, and had no problems with the crappy gasoline you had to buy on the other side of the Iron Curtain. Eventually it died but that was my fault. I still kick my self for wrecking it. Never rode the kawa, but damn, it's a good looking bike. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. :)

The first bike I ever rode was the same timeframe and the Kawasaki's had the 5 up shift pattern, good times. PS: Those bikes are GORGEOUS!

Boy 'o Boy did that bring back memories - I had the Kettle back in the early Eighties. Thanx for the Upload

Apik tenan, om👍 salam ko Jawa Timur, Indonesia

i remember seeing the kawasaki 750, so exotic and dramatic

I used to have a GT 750 ! One of the fastest bikes I have ever owened the water buffalo I believe they called it! Wish I still had it but I was young and dumb ! I got pulled over quite often! Cheers eveyone!

Ah a kawa H2, man i never should have sell it. Had some frame stability issues but man what a bike.

I had one of these back in the early seventies, fast as hell but didn’t handle very well, what a bike.

Sure wish the manufacturers would go back to making these. I sure miss them.

Amazing sound !

2Т рулит!! Звук какой красивый!

The 72 H-2 was developed to be the fastest production vehicle and it was,the Kettle was a touring bike and alot slower. They were both good at what they were designed for and both very dependable bikes according to the experts.Also the H-2 didn't handle any worse than any other 72 except it had to be respected or it would bite back,then of course it was the bikes fault........Lol Also the Widowmaker was the 500,not the 750

there is just some thing about the sound of a kawasaki nice

- un pur sang des 2 temps !

In H.S. a friend of mine's brother had one of the Kawasaki 750s. I only got to ride on the back briefly, but even that was something I never forgot. They were definitely considered to be bikes that had enough power to make them inherently dangerous for the average rider.

Coolest straight way racers ever.just cant stop em.

MAN, SHE LOOKS BRAND NEW!!! AWESOME!!!! MAKES ME MISS MY 2 STROKE, YAMAHA BANSHEE & MY BLASTER! NOTHING LIKE A 2 STROKE!!!

These would scare you, they don’t look it it but they were absolutely terrifying fast

Iconic machines 'The widow maker' and 'The kettle'. good stuff thanks...

That H2 is a killer!

The original 500 cc "Mach III" by Kawasaki was never matched. I don't recall the larger 750 being any faster. the Mach III's were head shaking widow makers, but 3rd gear wheelies were now within the reach of the common man. They immediately became the fastest bike in America upon introduction.

They use to handle like a 10 speed bicycle but in a strait line they were awwwwwww inspiring.

Loved my GT750.....then I bought a 500 Interceptor and “had” to sell the Suzuki as it seemed to suddenly have no handling or brakes.

I remember seeing these old two strokes on the streets of the UK back in the 70's. You have a very nice machine there, just a shame about the non standard exhausts. My personal favourite was the Suzuki GT750 water cooled "Kettle" as we called them back then. Not forgetting the awesome Kawasaki 900 Z1 which is probably my favourite bike of all time. Happy Daze.I never got to own any of them, but my brother got a GT750 back in 1986 and I got to take it around the block. Loved that sound.

The engines were light years ahead of the tires, brakes and frames. Had a H1 and was stupid enough to soup it up, yes it was fast and dangerous. I think the frame must have been made out of electrical conduit at best, high speed wobbles were something you learned to deal with on a regular basis. Still ride but would never get on a H1 or H2 on a bet, the GT750 yes.

i still have my Kawasaki 350 S2!

The widowmaker 😣

From 15 years old to 19 years old an H1 500 was my primary transportation. My buddy had the H2. From 35mph to 90 it was a rocket then above 100 it had potential to wobble so there was the occasion where you had to slide way back on the seat slowly and loosen your grip and contemplate your religious beliefs as you pray for stability to return. It didn't have the best brakes either but it was so quick and so much fun and of all the cool bikes I have had I still miss my triple.

I was 18 years old and I had to have one of those only they had just came out. Mine was a red Mach 3 750 . I was sadly disappointed. Riding it home the middle carburetor FELL OFF! Get over 80 mph bad front end wobble! I didn’t keep it very long Now the Suzuki GT mine was a 500 I really liked that much better machine... mine was blue too I really miss the old big two strokes. I was 14 when I got a Yamaha yd-s 3 Catalina. 250. Candy apple red with a white pearl inset. Loved the sound nothing like that today!

Ive had them all. My first big bike was a h1. A cop radar me at 105 got my first reckless driving ticket on it in 1983. I still have a gt550 and a 73 rd350😁. And a suzuki bking of course. It does 150 effortlessly😁 amazing how they have evolved

I was there in 1977 drooling over the KH750 and GT750 but I got wiff these were two machines that were way too mad for me. Didn't the H2 become known as "the widowmaker"? - all the same, it was a great time as the Japanese were designing and making such fantastic machines, exciting. we loved them, however, many people died or got seriously injured.

God loves 2-Strokes

750 kawa, la moto la plus rapide entre deux pompes à essence en 1970.bons souvenirs.

that's a widow maker right there

I liked two stroke motorcycles, I owned two T-500 twins. Never a mention of these super reliable motorcycles. One was built to the Daytona 200 specs and it was a beast.

My dream back in 72.. My friend had this bike when I was only 14 and it was just epic when he started it and turned his hat backwards and went home on the back wheel. All of us young kids just dreamed of this bike 😂😁

Kawasaki sounds insane torque 😍

GeeAWDD that was an awesome sound!, wheres the green an the purple Kaw's??. lov the ol expansion chambers tho, hahaaaa. kids? look it up, its like a header only the two-stroke needs a certain amount of back pressure, not just an open header pipe. had a lil tank under the side cover for the two-stroke oil, and even auto-mixed it for U! hows that for modern technology?!- u didnt have to mix yur gas an oil in a can then add to tank anymore. wow, so advanced. and yeah put the right peg up so when kick-starting u didnt nail yur shin on it. an if u slipped off the kick?...an that thing came up hit u? owwwwwie.

I had a H2 750 (same color) when l was a teenager in the 70s. Before I had my license l would rev the bike in my garage. I LOVED THE SOUND! Get going in 1st gear, THEN HIT SECOND! What a rocket, unbelievable! I owed my mom $, she said sell the bike. I'll forget the debt. I did, good thing. Our l probably wouldn't be typing now. LOL

Kawi 750 H2 , what a ride !

My third motorcycle (second new), was a 1974 Suzuki GT550 (three cylinder), when I was 15. It had "Ram Air" cooling, and was a rocket that was very easy to wheelie.

I love how they had two smaller bore pipes running from the middle cylinder on the GT-750 --- I hate when people run all the pipes into ONE and make one side of the bike look 'stripped'

And now I'm off to Craigslist. :)

All this bike needs is a good rider to truly show it off...

It's wonderful tout see again thèses motos. I was fifteen years