Kawasaki H1 - 500cc triple

[karbonblack]

Hi Peter,

I was a second year student at Nayland College and your name rings a bell. I remember the line-up of Jappers outside the college in the years 69-72. Stingers, T20's, a Titan, but mostly small singles.

My mate Grahame had a Suzuki 90 or something and he dropped it into the creek up at Marsden Valley where he wrote it off and broke some ribs and an arm. His old man then bought him a Titan? Go figure?

Grant Sheen owned the first Kawasaki Mach III in Nelson. Did he really wheel-stand it through the first intersecton down from the Chez Elco one night? Whatever happened to him? I heard he was a photographer somewhere. I hope that he made good. Madness really, but that was what the bike brought out in the rider. I think he used to run with the Wilkinson boys and maybe Colin Neighbours? I bought a crapped out BSA A10 off Colin for $198. It's funny how I remember these things.

I was a bit of a git with a step through 50cc Suzuki at the time. The shame. Now running a '69 CB750 and a '73 Z1 Jaffa.

PM me if you think you might like to ride with the Classic Japanese Motorcycle Group down here in Christchurch. We're a pre 1980 bike group. We also have a show scheduled for April 4th and 5th so you might like to show your Mach III.

Hmmm, I hate to admit this but I lost my license for doing a wheelstand through the lights just down the street from Chez Elco on my Mach III so it must have been a regular event! Other bikes I had when I was a Nayland were a 125cc Suzuki Wolf (just like a Stinger - mine was blue) and a Yamaha R5 (mine was orange and white). I would love to ride with your group but these days the oldest bike in my collection is a 1982 MH900R.

I like your taste in bikes, I replaced my first Mach III with a Red CB750 K0.

[merv]

I did my first serious wheelie on a H1. On Granville Railway bridge.

That wasn't when the bridge was lying on a train was it?

[pete376403]

On my 20th birthday I paid a $100 deposit on a (private sale) blue Mach III.
Had been modified for racing - it raced at Gracefield and Porirua (anyone else remember the round the shopping centre circuit?) IIRC the class was "sports production" - had alloy rims, AM4 brake linings, ports had been cleaned up and non essential weight removed. Possibly the rear shocks had been replaced with Girlings, which were considered top stuff back then. Went like stink.
Then the owner buggered off to Australia and I never saw it, or my $100 again.
And thats as close as I ever came to owning a Kawi triple

[SPman]

That's the one,and those are the road TT100's he races on.Eric says a 500 has never tossed him,but the 750 has a few times....Paeroa a few years ago for sure.

Where he was first race bin of the day......I was at the road across by the start line and we heard this scraping noise from the back straight on the first lap. We all turned around, in time to see Eric and bike go sliding past the end of the road, thinking, "wtf - how the hell did he do that?".......

[Motu]

There was a kerfuffle at the start and their tyres went cold.I was down watching them go up and over the hill with my brother...I saw Eric go through mid pack flat on the pegs at a hell of a pace....shee it,you are pushing it I thought.On the restart he didn't come around.By the time I got to his pit a couple of races later,the bike was there....but not Eric,he spent the rest of the day in the pub.

[dangerous]

haha, this thread is funny with all the old codgers reminising... I wana be like that one day

[Kickaha]

haha, this thread is funny with all the old codgers reminising... I wana be like that one day

Anyone who has been subject to your drunken ramblings on the subject of the CX500 would say you already are

[TLDV8]

haha, this thread is funny with all the old codgers reminising... I wana be like that one day

I still remember very clearly the day i test rode my H2B from Mollers.
On departure on the epic first voyage the bike which was parked by the curb pointing toward the traffic was placed into first gear,Hmmm,something wrong with the gearbox with a no go,the gear lever was then raised into second and appropriate (lots ) of revolutions were applied to suit the gear.
Things became quite exciting very quickly as i attempted to stay on and steer into traffic.
Anyone who has ridden any H2 will know why.

When everyone rode RD's or Hustlers there was only one choice for a first road bike,at least first gear was down.

[toycollector10]

haha, this thread is funny with all the old codgers reminising... I wana be like that one day

I always say that "If you live as long as me, sonny, you'll be real lucky".

There's plenty that've died young on motorsickles, that's for sure.

[dangerous]

at least first gear was down.

are you saying the Kawa box was all up?

There's plenty that've died young on motorsickles, that's for sure.

Yip and in the 25yrs 200,000+ km's I have been riding Ive done pleanty of dumb shit and been lucky to have got away with it... and this is why I try so hard with new riders here, no fun dieing young, some listen and now ride bloody well and some just get all pissed at my grumpy old comments... they will be the ones that learn the hard way.

[pete376403]

are you saying the Kawa box was all up?.

Yes - think of it in drag racing context and it makes sense - at least it wasn't like some of the other Kawasaki gear change patterns of the day - the infamous "rotary shift" lift the lever for 5th, raise it one more time and you;re back into first.

[dangerous]

the infamous "rotary shift" lift the lever for 5th, raise it one more time and you;re back into first.

fark that shit... man I gota get me a spin on one of these puppys aye, in the man time ill prep my 350Lc for Sundays racing, bigest stroker I have ridden is a NSR400 but being honda it was very easy to ride.

[toycollector10]

"no fun dieing young, some listen and now ride bloody well and some just get all pissed at my grumpy old comments... they will be the ones that learn the hard way".

The only thing that separates me and just about every other old prick on this forum who is still alive is Luck. Capital L. And all the poor bastards who have bought it, well that was just maybe due to having been Unlucky.

However, having seen over the years how some idiots ride and push their Luck by not being aware or thinking about what they are doing or letting adrenaline take over.........

Then there's the poor Prick who just got Unlucky because gramps decided to pull a U-turn without looking in his rear vision mirror and had his jaded brain in neutral...

So it's pretty much a lottery out there on the road. Just try and stack the cards in your favour is all I can say.

[dangerous]

The only thing that separates me and just about every other old prick on this forum who is still alive is Luck

.So it's pretty much a lottery out there on the road.

Ahh ya see are from the "tempory new Zealander" eara
I disagree... its what you make it, expect gramps to be doing a U turn and slow, expect debri/cow around the next corner and always have an escape route planed if it does turn shit... and then hope a little luck is in your favour.

Those dieing on bikes like the H1's and GSXR's of to day need to show their bikes more resepct, its not the bikes fault it went into a tank slap and wouldnt stop, nor is it the fault of loose shingle on the road... its the riders fault and with a little/lot of resepct for the bike and experance it is avoidable not by luck but by avoiding the situation.
Just to top it off and only a long time rider will understand, 6th sence is a farking good thing to tame... dont get me wrong the best of and most experanced can be cought out and end up pushing daisies.

[Forest]

There's another H1 on trademe. Have copied listing here so it will be archived.

Auction: 182118605.

Starting bid: $6,500 No reserve
Style: Classic & vintage
Make: Kawasaki
Model: h1.F
Engine size: 500cc
Kilometres: 58,888km
Year: 1974

Kawasaki H1F triple in good condition. exellent paint work.rego on hold... Dont miss out on the opportunity to own a very collectable Classic. Views are most welcome.