| Revision as of 17:22, 18 October 2014 editJackhammer111 (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users1,063 edits Undid revision 630128705 by Jackhammer111 (talk) I should revise this in a different way.← Previous edit | Revision as of 22:16, 18 October 2014 edit undoJackhammer111 (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users1,063 edits →Model history: rewrite with refsNext edit → | ||
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| The first ] triple was the 500 cc ], introduced in late 1968.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/motorcycle-reviews/1974-kawasaki-h1.aspx|title=1974 Kawasaki H1|publisher=Motorcycle Classics|accessdate=2009-08-05|date=July–August 2009|author=Margie Siegal}}</ref> The original H1 was unique for using a ] which operated through an automotive style ]. The H1 offered a high ] for the time, but had generally poor handling and weak ]s front and rear. It was the quickest ] at the time. | The first ] triple was the 500 cc ], introduced in late 1968.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/motorcycle-reviews/1974-kawasaki-h1.aspx|title=1974 Kawasaki H1|publisher=Motorcycle Classics|accessdate=2009-08-05|date=July–August 2009|author=Margie Siegal}}</ref> The original H1 was unique for using a ] which operated through an automotive style ]. The H1 offered a high ] for the time, but had generally poor handling and weak ]s front and rear. It was the quickest ] at the time. | ||
| In 1971, the S2 350 was introduced, and in 1972 its smaller brother, the S1 250 became available. |
In 1971, the S2 350 was introduced, and in 1972 its smaller brother, the S1 250 became available. | ||
| Also introduced in 1972 was the legendary ], the culmination of their 2-stoke project. Its engine displacement of 748 cc (45.6 cubic inches) produced 74 horsepower (55 kW) at 6,800 rpm, a power-to-weight ratio of 1 hp (0.75 kW) to every 6 lb (2.7 kg) of weight. The engine was entirely new and not a bored-out 500. Unlike the H1 500, the 750 had much more low engine speed torque, with a strong burst of power starting at 3,500 rpm to the 7,500 rpm red line. H2 had a front disc brake, an all-new capacitor discharge ignition system which performed better than cap and rotor type and was virtually maintenance free and was unique to the H2. Also the H2 a chain oiler, and a steering friction damper. <ref>]</ref> | |||
| A standard, factory produced H2 was able to travel a quarter mile from a standing start ins as low as 12.0 seconds with an expert rider onboard. <ref>Falloon, Ian (November 2011). "Holy smoker". Motorcycle Trader (New Zealand) (211): 58–61. </ref> In its day, the motorcycle became the undisputed "king of the streets", faster in street match races than the legendary muscle cars of the era such as the Chrysler Hemi's, Chevy ], and Ford Cobra jet's. It handled better than the Mach lll, that preceded it. It was also "king of the Streets" against the other motorcycles of it's time. | |||
| The H-2 was comparison tested up against the Ducati 750, the Honda 750, the Harley-Davidson Sportster 1000, the Kawasaki Z1, and the triumph Trident 750 and the Norton Commando 750. The competition consisted of acceleration, braking distance, and road race course lap-times. Each test was run several times including 10 attempts at a fastest road course time. It was no real surprise to anyone that the H-2 was the fastest accelerating machine posting the fastest 1/4 mile run on a drag strip. Experts were surprised at the other results. Despite an uncomfortable feel and slight front wheel hop under hard braking and not giving the sensation of stopping particularly fast it had the shortest stopping distance and highest braking G load of all the bikes. Then on the road course despite what had been heard and written about it's ill handling, frame flexing and the supposed tendency to "speed wobble" exiting high speed turns, it was tied for the fastest lap time with the Kawasaki Z-1 to the tenth of a second proving that In the hands of someone who knows what they are doing it will cover a stretch of winding road as fast as any bike of the era, with it's only real competition being it's bigger brother. with it's big brother, the Z-1. Over all the Kawasaki H-2 750 delivered test’s low ET, second-highest quarter-mile speed, the fastest lap time, the strongest braking force, the highest torque and horsepower readings on the dynamometer, the highest power-to-weight ratio, the lowest price and scored by points for performance was by far the least expensive per pint. <ref>http://www.kawtriple.com/mraxl/articles/1973%20Superbikes/superbikes1.htm</ref> | |||
| Kawasaki's reputation for building "scarily fast, good-looking, no holds barred motorcycles had begun with the H-1. The H-2 permanently carved that legend into motorcycle legend marking the rise of the Japanese superbikes, contributing to the fall of Harley Davidson, and nearly extinguished the British motorcycle industry in the US for a long period . <ref>Falloon, Ian (November 2011). "Holy smoker". Motorcycle Trader (New Zealand) (211): 58–61 </ref><ref>http://www.hotbikeweb.com/american-machine-foundry-journey-history</ref> | |||
| ==Lineup changes== | ==Lineup changes== | ||
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The Kawasaki triples were a range of 250 cc to 750 cc motorcycles Kawasaki exported from 1969 to 1980. The engines were air-cooled, three-cylinder, two-stroke with two exhaust pipes exiting on the right side of the bike, and one on the left. Right from the first triple model, the 1969 Mach III H1 500cc, the motorcycle gained the record for being the quickest for its engine size. Despite having severe handling problems, the machines became extremely popular and fine examples command high prices by collectors today.
Model history
The first Kawasaki triple was the 500 cc H1 Mach III, introduced in late 1968. The original H1 was unique for using a CDI ignition which operated through an automotive style distributor. The H1 offered a high power-to-weight ratio for the time, but had generally poor handling and weak drum brakes front and rear. It was the quickest production motorcycle at the time.
In 1971, the S2 350 was introduced, and in 1972 its smaller brother, the S1 250 became available.
Also introduced in 1972 was the legendary H2 750, the culmination of their 2-stoke project. Its engine displacement of 748 cc (45.6 cubic inches) produced 74 horsepower (55 kW) at 6,800 rpm, a power-to-weight ratio of 1 hp (0.75 kW) to every 6 lb (2.7 kg) of weight. The engine was entirely new and not a bored-out 500. Unlike the H1 500, the 750 had much more low engine speed torque, with a strong burst of power starting at 3,500 rpm to the 7,500 rpm red line. H2 had a front disc brake, an all-new capacitor discharge ignition system which performed better than cap and rotor type and was virtually maintenance free and was unique to the H2. Also the H2 a chain oiler, and a steering friction damper.
A standard, factory produced H2 was able to travel a quarter mile from a standing start ins as low as 12.0 seconds with an expert rider onboard. In its day, the motorcycle became the undisputed "king of the streets", faster in street match races than the legendary muscle cars of the era such as the Chrysler Hemi's, Chevy Big Blocks, and Ford Cobra jet's. It handled better than the Mach lll, that preceded it. It was also "king of the Streets" against the other motorcycles of it's time.
The H-2 was comparison tested up against the Ducati 750, the Honda 750, the Harley-Davidson Sportster 1000, the Kawasaki Z1, and the triumph Trident 750 and the Norton Commando 750. The competition consisted of acceleration, braking distance, and road race course lap-times. Each test was run several times including 10 attempts at a fastest road course time. It was no real surprise to anyone that the H-2 was the fastest accelerating machine posting the fastest 1/4 mile run on a drag strip. Experts were surprised at the other results. Despite an uncomfortable feel and slight front wheel hop under hard braking and not giving the sensation of stopping particularly fast it had the shortest stopping distance and highest braking G load of all the bikes. Then on the road course despite what had been heard and written about it's ill handling, frame flexing and the supposed tendency to "speed wobble" exiting high speed turns, it was tied for the fastest lap time with the Kawasaki Z-1 to the tenth of a second proving that In the hands of someone who knows what they are doing it will cover a stretch of winding road as fast as any bike of the era, with it's only real competition being it's bigger brother. with it's big brother, the Z-1. Over all the Kawasaki H-2 750 delivered test’s low ET, second-highest quarter-mile speed, the fastest lap time, the strongest braking force, the highest torque and horsepower readings on the dynamometer, the highest power-to-weight ratio, the lowest price and scored by points for performance was by far the least expensive per pint.
Kawasaki's reputation for building "scarily fast, good-looking, no holds barred motorcycles had begun with the H-1. The H-2 permanently carved that legend into motorcycle legend marking the rise of the Japanese superbikes, contributing to the fall of Harley Davidson, and nearly extinguished the British motorcycle industry in the US for a long period .
Lineup changes
In 1974, the 350 cc S2 was expanded to and replaced by a 400 cc S3. In addition, each model year following was met with toned down performance in attempt to meet new emissions regulations. The H and S series ceased production after 1975, and the model line became the KH series in 1976, omitting the 750 from the lineup and leaving just the KH250, KH400 and KH500. The last year for U.S. sales was 1977, with only the KH400 and the KH250 left in the lineup. Both models continued to be available in Europe and elsewhere until 1980. Stricter emissions regulation and advances in 4-stroke technology caused the demise of the Kawasaki triples in both cases.
The S1 350 was popular for some time as a budget performance bike in England because of its small size, and the fact that at this point in time it was legal for learners to ride. The entire S series of motorcycles used breaker point ignition, which was more reliable than the early CDI ignition and much cheaper to repair or replace.
Kawasaki triples were air-cooled, and the crankshafts were pressed together. This made it possible to cut an engine apart, press up extra sections of the crankshaft, re-weld different sections of the cases, and make multi-cylindered motorcycles. The ignition system and carburetors had to be redone. Four-cylinder 1,000 cc H2s were known to exist, but the most common bikes to be modified were the S series, with 5- to 7-cylinder models being built, and at least one "V-6" (two three cylinder banks feeding into a common transmission). There even exists a 48-cylinder bike made up of 250 cc parts. These bikes were more of a machinists' skill exercise than a practical development. They were impractical because the engine was made much wider and the clutch and gearbox were put under more strain.
The 500 cc H1 also benefitted from the marketing genius of Kawasaki. They identified their target customers perfectly. Many US bikers under 30 years of age simply wanted to be the fastest kids on the block. Producing a two-stroke engine was significantly cheaper than a four-stroke, and for many years Kawasaki managed to keep the list price for the H1 under the magical $1,000 barrier. Competing bikes from Norton and Triumph were over $1,200 and slower. For a while Kawasaki even dropped the CDI and reverted to the cheaper contact breaker ignition in order to keep the price under $1,000.
Model summary
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1969 H1 500 cc white w/blue stripes, distributor CDI ignition, drum front brake, "Mach III 500" badge on side cover and "electronic ignition" decal on oil tank. Early 69 models had bridged port intake design, with "windowed" carbs. Late 1969 saw the introduction of the Charcoal Grey model, but a common misconception is the charcoal grey model is called a 1969 model—it is indeed a 1970 model. Kawasaki paperwork that came with the bikes, and the sales brochures confirm this. This has been spread by many in order to add value to their bikes by being able to call them a first year model when they are not. The red and white model replaced the peacock grey model due to poor sales.
1971 H1A 500 cc
1972 H1B 500 cc, style redesign without the Mach "III" badge
1972 Entire line introduced, intended to be similar in style, with the "swooping" racing stripes on the tank that distinguished the triples.
- S1 250 cc,
- S2 350 cc, drum front brake
- H1B 500 cc, orange, disc front brake, CDI dropped for breaker points, and a front disc brake.
- H1C had CDI IGNITION instead of points as found on an H1B, and a front drum brake as opposed to the disk brake on the H1B model. The H1C carried over the stainless fenders from 1971 along with the complete fork assembly and gauge style. Engines and exhaust were also carry overs from the 1971 model making it a true hybrid of the new 72 H1B and the 71 H1 models.
- H2 750 cc, front disc brake, CDI ignition with one igniter unit per cylinder.
1973
- S1A 250 cc
- S2A 350 cc
- H1D 500 cc Adopted H2's CDI ignition and the styling that would be used on the later 1974 models.
- H2A 750 cc
1974 All models restyled with a new cleaner design that resembled the Kawasaki Z-1, with an instrument "pod" rather than separate instruments. All models revised for more civilized performance at the expense of raw power.
- S1B 250 cc front drum brake.
- S3 400 cc disc front brake, restyled cylinder head design for better cooling.
- H1E 500 cc
- H2B 750 cc
1975
- S1C 250 cc
- S3A 400 cc
- H1F 500 cc
- H2C 750 cc
1976
- H2 dropped from line, models renamed "KH" to match the "KZ" line of four strokes.
- KH-250 250 cc.
- KH-400 400 cc.
- KH-500 500 cc.
1977–1980 Only surviving models are the KH-250 and KH-400.
References
- Margie Siegal (July–August 2009). "1974 Kawasaki H1". Motorcycle Classics. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
- Kawasaki_H2_Mach_IV#cite_note-MT211-1
- Falloon, Ian (November 2011). "Holy smoker". Motorcycle Trader (New Zealand) (211): 58–61.
- http://www.kawtriple.com/mraxl/articles/1973%20Superbikes/superbikes1.htm
- Falloon, Ian (November 2011). "Holy smoker". Motorcycle Trader (New Zealand) (211): 58–61
- http://www.hotbikeweb.com/american-machine-foundry-journey-history
- 4-cylinder H2
- Another 4-cylinder H2
- "Essen Motor Show; A 48-Cylinder Cracker", New Straits Times, p. 16, 7 December 2003, retrieved 2011-03-18