Kawasaki H1 500 triple

[Sparky2nz]

Hi there,
Looking for some advice or information.
Been looking at buying a vintage tq midget speedway car.
The chassis is 1979 & the engine is a Kawasaki H1 500cc.
The car has never run with the engine in it, has carbs on it but dont look complete.
Current owner says the engine will need a rebuild.
So Im wanting to know the availability of engine parts? Is there anyone with experience rebuilding these motors?
Any info will be great
Thanks.

[jasonu]

Hi there,
Looking for some advice or information.
Been looking at buying a vintage tq midget speedway car.
The chassis is 1979 & the engine is a Kawasaki H1 500cc.
The car has never run with the engine in it, has carbs on it but dont look complete.
Current owner says the engine will need a rebuild.
So Im wanting to know the availability of engine parts? Is there anyone with experience rebuilding these motors?
Any info will be great
Thanks.

Cranks are expensive to rebuild.
From what I have seen over here most parts are gettable from places like ebay.

[MIXONE]

Strange choice of motor for a midget.Screaming narrow power band 2 stroke?
Would be better with a 500/4.

[Sparky2nz]

Ok thanks,
Its the only thing putting me off purchasing the car.
My father use to run a kawasaki triple before changing to 2cyclinder VW with supercharger.
Even back then he said they were a hand grenade! He always had two engines & would swap them in & out as each one needed a rebuild.
Is there anyone with parts in NZ for them?

[Paul in NZ]

Ok thanks,
Its the only thing putting me off purchasing the car.
My father use to run a kawasaki triple before changing to 2cyclinder VW with supercharger.
Even back then he said they were a hand grenade! He always had two engines & would swap them in & out as each one needed a rebuild.
Is there anyone with parts in NZ for them?

Yes and no. These things are 40 odd years old and never that mainstream even when new. Used as they were intended they were not grenades at all but raced in a car its understandable how they could be...

Unless you are racing in some historic class with extra points awarded for weird haroldness there are many other easier options I would of thought.

[Sparky2nz]

Yes no doubt there would be better & easier options to repower the car with but im trying to rebuild it as original as it was back in the days of racing.
If it was rebuilt it would be the only vintage 2stroke tq midget running in NZ.

[Paul in NZ]

Yes no doubt there would be better & easier options to repower the car with but im trying to rebuild it as original as it was back in the days of racing.
If it was rebuilt it would be the only vintage 2stroke tq midget running in NZ.

Theres your answer then....

[roogazza]

309522

ahhh ,them were the days !!! :cool:

[TLDV8]

So Im wanting to know the availability of engine parts? Is there anyone with experience rebuilding these motors?
Any info will be great
Thanks.

Pistons and rod kits should be available, they are for the 750, maybe Graham Crosby would have a contact for crankshaft rebuilds since his website shows Kawasaki H2's.
I sent an H2 crankshaft to Neville Lush Racing but he is in Adelaide, he does his own ignition units also.

[Grumph]

While it's do - able, I wouldn't. Your father's experience is a good guide and remember he was doing it when parts were common for the H1's. They are scarce and dear now.
i've been round TQ's for donkey's years and can only remember seeing two 2 strokes in the SI - and hearing about the TZ700 based one in Auckland.
For what you want which is I assume the occasional outing, a 4 stroke is by far the better bet.

[TLDV8]

....and hearing about the TZ700 based one in Auckland.


The one I saw had two four cylinder TZ engines in a Vee, some 15+ years ago.

[jellywrestler]

While it's do - able, I wouldn't. Your father's experience is a good guide and remember he was doing it when parts were common for the H1's. They are scarce and dear now.
i've been round TQ's for donkey's years and can only remember seeing two 2 strokes in the SI - and hearing about the TZ700 based one in Auckland.
For what you want which is I assume the occasional outing, a 4 stroke is by far the better bet.

you're talking about the v8 TZ that bob haldane built greg?

[Grumph]

you're talking about the v8 TZ that bob haldane built greg?

No, that was for a midget. I think the same group had done a four which was TZ based and used 3X350 barrels and 1X250 barrel to get the allowed 675cc for TQ's.
I got as far as a set of cases welded up and a crank pressed up from RD bits. ran out of enthusiasm...Ron Cawood has all my stuff now and is making noises about putting it together on a stand for display purposes....It would at least look impressive.

Ron was as successful as anyone running a 2 stroke - he ran two RD motors, one on each side of the car with separate chain drives. Both of course in front of his knees..