70's Mania

[PMK]

I got to have a ride on a Kawasaki H2 today. Despite what you might think it didn't wheelie me off the back or turn around and bite me.

It was a bit of a mare to ride in the London traffic but fun all the same. With the advice to "ride like you stole it" ringing in my ears I tried my hardest  .

Once I got over the really heavy throttle and the cowhorn bars it was a real laugh. Especially the cloud of blue smoke that followed every throttle opening   . It truly was a bike to make you laugh. It didn't feel superbike fast but it really got going when moving a little faster than the rest of the traffic

The best moment was when my mate was on board and he charged away from the lights leaving a Prius choking on two stroke fumes. Take that Ecocar  let me tell you the irony wasn't lost on me as I giggled.

Sadly I didn't get any pictures as I was having too much of a good time as well as filling my face at the Ace. Maybe next time 

[UK Pete]

Great post, its good to get a go on some of the classic bikes that were around in our youth, i had a go on my mates h2 750 some years back and recall it to be a dangerous animal of a bike, but then i was only 19,
Your tales of blue smoke remind me last year of the may day run , i was behind my mates suzuki gt750 , same thing chuffing out smelly two stroke on gear changes, i made sure to keep in front after a while
Pete

[SteveD CB500K0]

I rode the GT750 to it's MOT in September. It is only 2 miles but still was quite an eye opening experience. I know that the kettle was never supposed to be a sports bike, but it was so heavy...

It seemed absolutely gutless and the front brakes were rubbish.

It handled alright though.

Sailed through the MOT so it must just be the march of technology.

Overall, a nice bike to have in the collection but not necessarily one on which to undertake a long ride!

[clive]

the only new bike i ever bought was a 500 h1b, it felt that it accelerated like appolo 13, but handled as though you were sat on a 5bar gate, drank petrol (25mpg) and ate spark plugs every 1000mls.bought it just before 1973 oil embargo when petrol went through the roof from about 35p per gallon it had to go so i bought a secondhand cb750 k1 dresda Honda, which did 45per gallon, this i kept till the wedding bells rang. like everybody else i wish i still had them both, so out there, theres a 500 h1 reg no NWT 63m and a CB750 k1, Hull 71 k

[PMK]

Steve writ about the GT
but not necessarily one on which to undertake a long ride

That is the raisin d'eater of the GT750. It was never a sports bike but always a tourer. Take one for a 50 mile or so run and I promise you'll see the point.

As for the H2 it apparently does 18mpg  and this is improved since the floats were properly sorted 
As we took off he laughingly said "don't worry I filled up 2 miles ago". I wonder if he got home.............
 

[Spitfire]

I loved my Kawasaki Mach III, it was an exciting bike to ride, Read Titan 6 gallon tank, single seat, clip ons, and rearsets, ate petrol like there was no tomorrow (5 star in those days). Went great until it came to a bend, and that poor TLS front brake was very overworked. Bought it new but only kept it for one year, replaced it with a CB750 (of course).

Cheers

Den

[fazer1k]

Happy days ! Closest I got (2 stroke wise) was a Suzuki T500 and Yamaha RD350, dreamt of trying/buying a Kawasaki 500 or 750 but never had the funds....one day perhaps 

They seem like great investments at the moment, better than keeping your money in the bank ! Checkout this months Classic Motorcycle Mechanics...

[PMK]

Thanks for all the interesting memories.

I'm very lucky in that my mate has lots of iconic (read as expensive)  bikes. Stupidly he lets me ride them......they only break a little bit. 

He has a Harley XLCHR cafe racer and I've been promised of go of that, film at eleven

[mick]

Next to sex my suzuki's best  .love my Kettle can't stop riding it 

[Yoshi823]

Ah yes...the 2 stroke 750 triple. I have ridden both the H2R and a GT750, and found that neither of them were what I wanted in a bike. But in their day they were on a pedestal up there with the bike that I loved...the Kawasaki Z900, and I can remeber reading about a road test in 'Bike' magazine where the journalist blagged a couple of Zs and went riding around the USA. A dream for many of us...maybe one day.