Rode one these in San Francisco, 1971. Just off California and Joice. Not much happened until the tach hit 6,000 rpm and it was like a JATO assist, or a sling shot. Amazing bike. Two on, at a roll through the Stockton tunnel, from a roll it hit 95 mph as we exited.
That's a 69/70 model formally called the SS in Japan. With 60 bhp & a power band the width of a gnats nudger made for great excitement,killed off by the fuel crisis of 73.H1A through to H1F saw a reduction in power & thus performance to it's eventual demise in 76.
I used to ride my friend's 500 all the time. Front wheel rarely touched the ground. Fastest bike for it's time, but handled lousy and was not dependable.. My BMW R1200RT is as fast as that bike was.
fcuk the jandel thing why the hell screw your bike ,,but these beasts used to piss me i was into suzies and the bloody mach 3's came out and blew every thing away ,,,but the titans were more reliable ,,,so we are back to why screw it like that its a quacker cant handle it ,,nice bike
youre my HERO.riding in thongs is just fuckin stupid.1 hurts chaning gear. 2 toe s are needed 4 balance when u walk. hit some fkn corners dude.straight line warrior.
@poopy50832 I just watched "RB Attacks DJ...with a H2" by Kawapowa. It looks like he's wearing sandals too! But, give us credit, at least we're wearing helmets since that idiot California Governor Pete Wilson passed that damn helmet law! Slowly but surely, they are chipping away at our freedom, bit by bit!
@atreewithnolife If they had that qualification in the U.S., I never would have been able to get one. In the U.S., it was give us your 1100 dollars and here you go!
Don't seem to be the wheelie king is use to be ? First years chassis with the wrong weight bias & high bar should demonstrate a higher level of wheeliest ...no ?
I bought a red mach lll in 1970,1104.00 out the door,I had to order it,I was there when they unloaded the crate,what a bike,the sound.Even today,it can keep up with most bikes up to 80 mph,with only 30 cubic inch.
I'M TESTING MY MEMORY WITH THIS, BUT I THINK I'VE GOT IT RIGHT. IN 1969 I BOUGHT A NEW KAWASAKI 350cc A7 AVENGER. MY FIRST BIKE. IT WAS FAIRLY SMALL AND SCARY FAST. THE POWER BAND WAS AMAZING. I RODE IT FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND SOLD IT. I THINK I PAID $799 OR &899 AND SOLD IT FOR $600. I THEN BOUGHT NEW A 1970 KAWASAKI MACH 3 500cc TRIPLE.
I HAD MORE FUN WITH THESE BIKES. I HAD FRIENDS WITH HARLEYS BEFORE THE DAYS OF ELECTRIC START. I WOULD CRANK EITHER BIKE BY HAND AND REALLY GET THEM.
@MACH3KAWASAKI Your memory is good. Avengers were great bikes. The 70 Mach III's came in red or peacock gray. I remember in the winter getting out of class at Junior College. The Harleys and Hondas were slow to start. It always irritated my friends when their bikes took awhile to start and I would hit the choke lever and first, second, or third kick and I'd be off. I never tried starting one by hand!
@kawasakih1 I RAN OUT OF ROOM WITH MY COMMENTS, SO HERE'S MORE. I PAID $999 FOR THE MACH3 NEW. THIS WAS A STRAIGHT LINE BIKE. I ALMOST DUMPED IT WHEN I WENT THROUGH A TIGHT CORNER AND ACTUALLY GOT THE BACK WHEEL OFF THE GROUND BY DRAGGING THE LOWER MUFFLER ON THE 2 MUFFLER RIGHT SIDE. SCARY. THE ONLY CHANGES I MADE TO THE H1 WAS A SMALL SISSY BAR FOR MY WIFE, AND ABOUT 8 in. Z-BAR HANDLEBARS. THE Z-BARS REALLY CHANGED THHE LOOKS FOR THE BETTER. THE SEAT ON BOTH BIKES WERE DANGEROUS.
A friend has a beautiful restored Kawasaki 750 triple, we are not by any means youngsters, but somehow it still makes me smile when he lifts the front wheel in the first few gears leaving a bike meet. The bike is well looked after and he has done a nice twin disc conversion on it, otherwise stock, but there is something about it that makes him a hooligan! Excellent
@g0fvt I TEST DROVE THE 750 TRIPLE, BUT DID NOT LIKE IT. LIKE ALL THE KAWASAKIS OF THAT ERA THEY HAD POOR BRAKES FOR SUCH FAST BIKES. THE 750 WAS VERY NOISY. ESPECIALLY THE AIR INTAKE. I ALSO DIDN'T FIND A "SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN SPEED BETWEEN THE 500 AND 750. OUT OF MY TWO KAWS. THE 350 AVENGER WAS BY FAR MY FAVORITE. THE POWER BAND AND TORQUE ON THE 350 WAS MUCH BETTER THAN THE MACH3 , AND IT CORNERED MUCH BETTER. I
WISH I COULD FIND ANOTHER 350. EVEN A RD350 YAMAHA. 2 STROKE IS IT
This goes to kawasakih1. Of course your '05' 1200 would beat it. It's only 500cc. Who would make such a comparison? BUT, the Mach III WAS one of, if not 'the' fastest machine in it's day!
Just watching this I can smell the two stroke exhaust from here. Like it's billowing out of the screen! What wonderful memories: Thanks for the posting!
love these old bikes, kwaks and suzi triples makes me feel young, just hearing and seeing them again is great. my FJR1300 would beat them in all ways but the old bike are so great and you guys keep then going.
@kawasakih1 your ZRX1200R will have a hell of a time beating the H2s I see at the strip. They run run 8 seconds or better. Stock ones are around 10 seconds in a 1/4 mile!
@BiodegradeableMan god not u again. go away and stop pestering me. A stock H2 will dip into high tens if ridden correctly. I see mod stock bikes running much faster. Idk what a Hayabusa runs stock as I always see turbo bikes at the strip. Now stop with your lame Hayabusa crap u always drag that shitty bike into every argument. Idk why u keep popping up in the H1/H2 comments. Stop being a fool.
@LordSamuelJ from my 30 years plus on the drag strip , a standard h1 will run about 13 secs, a Z1 12 and a bit and an H2 about the same. A full denco h2 will run 10s with a good rider.
You have a fantastic sounding bike there, but you need to make this video again, but with someone who can do a better job with the camera... it let your bike video down.
Yeah, that 2-stroke howl was intoxicating. My first bike was an H1 with a modded engine and bad swingarm bearings. Quite the sphincter-clenching ride. It had almost no power below 5500 RPM, but once it hit the powerband the acceleration was brutal. It's amazing I didn't kill myself on it. I traded it for a console stereo in a moment of idiocy. Doh! Definitely one of those "wish I'd never let it get away" machines.
I'm a powersports dealer and usually when I see folks getting cute like that with no protective gear, they usually become a statistic to my industry. I'm just glad the rider didn't fall off.
Protective gear aside, that's a very nice bike you have there, beautiful restoration, and I loved it when you got that wheel up.. Showed us what a hotrod it was back in the day.
These bikes were actually very hard to wheelie. I'm sure in the age of "Stunters" that's kind of hard to understand, but back in the '70s Honda made an inline 6 cyl. that was designed to be nearly impossible to do a wheelie on because of warranty issues regarding cracked engine blocks.
This was my older brother's and my first motorcycle bought used in '72 for $500. The Sound!!! What memories. To this day on the rare occasion that I might encounter one of these on the street my brother and I heads both snap in the direction that three cylinder two stroke scream comes from and say, "Mach III!"
There are times I'd like to go somewhere and not have to wear a helmet. Although a helmet is probably the safest way to go, I believe an individual should have the right to decide whether or not to wear one. I grew up in an era that we didn't have to wear one and I've always resented the fact that I am now forced to wear one. Thanks for your postings !
I worked with a guy who didn't like helmets so he would wear one of those plastic novelty helmets and he had a accident and the helmet broke now he don't walk or talk like he used to it was very sad....here in Michigan they are trying to band the helmet law also and what there saying is you don't want to wear a helmet...you pay a higher insurance premium. PS I don't ride bicycles
I had one and it was the fastest bike at the time. A magicial thing happened when the tack went past 6500 the bike went from 38 hp to 62 hp pulling the front end off the ground in the first 3 gears. I put a faring on it and ran into a stopped car because with a faring you kinda lose a bit of reality as far as how fast you are going. Thanks for the memory
I had the 498th one made, a 69 H1. Yes, the HP was fantastic! Things happened fast once the tach hit 6 grand. All I could think of was starting the shift change to second and feathering the gas so it didn't flip over. I had a great time on it. Had 2 cops try to catch me in cages once.
Its fast even by todays standards.
The 69's were the fastest of the bunch, and with the optional gearing, I could stand it on end in the first 3 gears with ease.
thats a kh 250 not a mach 3 cause he is having trouble to get the front wheel up a kh 500 mach 3 would just wheel up when you open the throtle up and the pipes are flat not up a slight up slant like on other kh mach 3 ... im sorry if i sound cocky but its true
Sorry to disappoint you but it's obviously a 1970 H1 Mach III. The registration papers, serial numbers, and just looking at the bike support that fact. Thanks for looking and commenting though !
I bought one in 1970,I paid 1104 dollars out the door,red with white strips.Fast as hell for the time,no brakes,poor handling.but pure fun for a 18 year old kid who worked after school to buy it.
I'm not sure. I'll check it out and see. I'm curious now ! It is a low serial number and should have the early engine case like on the early 69 500's so maybe it has brided ports too. I'll let you know. Thanks ! Louis
Not sure what you mean by "breaking of " the bike ! If you are referring to whether they would break down or not, I always found them to be very reliable. If you are referring to the brakes (braking), the drum brakes were lousy and when you would get on it you had to make sure you had plenty of road ahead to stop on !
That is a very sweet sounding H1 & very good restore job! I have a 71&72 parts bikes would like to build 72 but i know some parts are not interchangeable! check out my bikes if you get time!Patrick
When it gets a little warmer, It's snowing right now but next week it may be 70 i live southwest of chicago it was 50 christmas day!I saved your video to favorites! I just picked up the RZ500 last year it rides like a GP bike!Did you start from ground up restoration? Patrick
There is nothing like a 2 stroke. Damn do I miss those days. MotoGP is a joke without the 500cc bikes anymore.
Harley883rSportster 2 days ago
i was just about to complain about the thong riding until I read the rest if the comments, lol. nvm. Great piece there!
Metalfan00 2 weeks ago
damn thats how you ride a 2 stroke! if only it had chambers.
MxAxRxK 1 month ago
Rode one these in San Francisco, 1971. Just off California and Joice. Not much happened until the tach hit 6,000 rpm and it was like a JATO assist, or a sling shot. Amazing bike. Two on, at a roll through the Stockton tunnel, from a roll it hit 95 mph as we exited.
aucksmix 2 months ago
La moto migliore al mondo!
GREG98MK 2 months ago
A squid rider.
chuanist 2 months ago
@chuanist What exactly is a "squid rider"?
kawasakih1 2 months ago
@kawasakih1 a squid rides motorcycles without protective gear and, often as not, leaves some 'jelly' on the pavement when the bike goes down.
chuanist 2 months ago
@chuanist Thanks for enlightening me! Luckily, this squid has not left any jelly deposits (yet)!
kawasakih1 2 months ago 3
Comment removed
03mayuge 4 months ago
That's a 69/70 model formally called the SS in Japan. With 60 bhp & a power band the width of a gnats nudger made for great excitement,killed off by the fuel crisis of 73.H1A through to H1F saw a reduction in power & thus performance to it's eventual demise in 76.
994206 6 months ago
I used to ride my friend's 500 all the time. Front wheel rarely touched the ground. Fastest bike for it's time, but handled lousy and was not dependable.. My BMW R1200RT is as fast as that bike was.
Ridgway55 6 months ago
fcuk the jandel thing why the hell screw your bike ,,but these beasts used to piss me i was into suzies and the bloody mach 3's came out and blew every thing away ,,,but the titans were more reliable ,,,so we are back to why screw it like that its a quacker cant handle it ,,nice bike
usat42 7 months ago
youre my HERO.riding in thongs is just fuckin stupid.1 hurts chaning gear. 2 toe s are needed 4 balance when u walk. hit some fkn corners dude.straight line warrior.
poopy50832 7 months ago
@poopy50832 You are right. It was kind of a spur of the moment video. Hopefully soon when my work slows down, I'm going to make some better videos!
kawasakih1 7 months ago
@poopy50832 magnum pi in thongs riden a 1969 kawasaki 500 cool.
IRONHD8055 7 months ago
@poopy50832 I just watched "RB Attacks DJ...with a H2" by Kawapowa. It looks like he's wearing sandals too! But, give us credit, at least we're wearing helmets since that idiot California Governor Pete Wilson passed that damn helmet law! Slowly but surely, they are chipping away at our freedom, bit by bit!
kawasakih1 3 months ago in playlist My Top Videos
No gear! Old school squid action.
jklsd 7 months ago
I remember when they first came out in the UK, they carried a warning.... expert riders only!! love it,! WHAT A BIKE!
atreewithnolife 8 months ago
@atreewithnolife If they had that qualification in the U.S., I never would have been able to get one. In the U.S., it was give us your 1100 dollars and here you go!
kawasakih1 7 months ago
@kawasakih1 awesome!
atreewithnolife 7 months ago
what a mean bike and awesome sound!!!
atreewithnolife 8 months ago
Don't seem to be the wheelie king is use to be ? First years chassis with the wrong weight bias & high bar should demonstrate a higher level of wheeliest ...no ?
oi32df 9 months ago
@oi32df How brave would you be wearing shorts and flip-flops?
mlscinc 8 months ago
I bought a red mach lll in 1970,1104.00 out the door,I had to order it,I was there when they unloaded the crate,what a bike,the sound.Even today,it can keep up with most bikes up to 80 mph,with only 30 cubic inch.
inagod 9 months ago
@inagod That would be awesome to get one straight out of the crate!
kawasakih1 9 months ago
Good sound!
Kamesango 9 months ago
I'M TESTING MY MEMORY WITH THIS, BUT I THINK I'VE GOT IT RIGHT. IN 1969 I BOUGHT A NEW KAWASAKI 350cc A7 AVENGER. MY FIRST BIKE. IT WAS FAIRLY SMALL AND SCARY FAST. THE POWER BAND WAS AMAZING. I RODE IT FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND SOLD IT. I THINK I PAID $799 OR &899 AND SOLD IT FOR $600. I THEN BOUGHT NEW A 1970 KAWASAKI MACH 3 500cc TRIPLE.
I HAD MORE FUN WITH THESE BIKES. I HAD FRIENDS WITH HARLEYS BEFORE THE DAYS OF ELECTRIC START. I WOULD CRANK EITHER BIKE BY HAND AND REALLY GET THEM.
MACH3KAWASAKI 11 months ago
@MACH3KAWASAKI Your memory is good. Avengers were great bikes. The 70 Mach III's came in red or peacock gray. I remember in the winter getting out of class at Junior College. The Harleys and Hondas were slow to start. It always irritated my friends when their bikes took awhile to start and I would hit the choke lever and first, second, or third kick and I'd be off. I never tried starting one by hand!
kawasakih1 11 months ago
@kawasakih1 I RAN OUT OF ROOM WITH MY COMMENTS, SO HERE'S MORE. I PAID $999 FOR THE MACH3 NEW. THIS WAS A STRAIGHT LINE BIKE. I ALMOST DUMPED IT WHEN I WENT THROUGH A TIGHT CORNER AND ACTUALLY GOT THE BACK WHEEL OFF THE GROUND BY DRAGGING THE LOWER MUFFLER ON THE 2 MUFFLER RIGHT SIDE. SCARY. THE ONLY CHANGES I MADE TO THE H1 WAS A SMALL SISSY BAR FOR MY WIFE, AND ABOUT 8 in. Z-BAR HANDLEBARS. THE Z-BARS REALLY CHANGED THHE LOOKS FOR THE BETTER. THE SEAT ON BOTH BIKES WERE DANGEROUS.
MACH3KAWASAKI 11 months ago
@MACH3KAWASAKI Not to mention the drum brakes with little stopping power. My friend got a 1973 when I had a 1971. It stopped so much better!
kawasakih1 11 months ago
@MACH3KAWASAKI God almighty, stop yelling- please!
mlscinc 8 months ago
A friend has a beautiful restored Kawasaki 750 triple, we are not by any means youngsters, but somehow it still makes me smile when he lifts the front wheel in the first few gears leaving a bike meet. The bike is well looked after and he has done a nice twin disc conversion on it, otherwise stock, but there is something about it that makes him a hooligan! Excellent
g0fvt 11 months ago
@g0fvt I TEST DROVE THE 750 TRIPLE, BUT DID NOT LIKE IT. LIKE ALL THE KAWASAKIS OF THAT ERA THEY HAD POOR BRAKES FOR SUCH FAST BIKES. THE 750 WAS VERY NOISY. ESPECIALLY THE AIR INTAKE. I ALSO DIDN'T FIND A "SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN SPEED BETWEEN THE 500 AND 750. OUT OF MY TWO KAWS. THE 350 AVENGER WAS BY FAR MY FAVORITE. THE POWER BAND AND TORQUE ON THE 350 WAS MUCH BETTER THAN THE MACH3 , AND IT CORNERED MUCH BETTER. I
WISH I COULD FIND ANOTHER 350. EVEN A RD350 YAMAHA. 2 STROKE IS IT
MACH3KAWASAKI 11 months ago
Flip flops, shorts and a T shirt, need I say more.
Scootertuner1000 1 year ago
@Scootertuner1000 Enough said! Believe me, you are not the only one to comment on that!
kawasakih1 1 year ago
@kawasakih1 Lovely bike though
Scootertuner1000 1 year ago
@Scootertuner1000 THANK YOU!
kawasakih1 1 year ago
I bet that sound alone turns heads. Beautiful and spine tingling.
1100HondaCB 1 year ago
magic sound!
toilit 1 year ago
@toilit You are so right...it is a magical sound! Music to my ears!
kawasakih1 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
keeep it and give it to your children
fredbcj 1 year ago
Very nice bike !! I have a 73 S2 :) I love the old triples !!
gv2wheels 1 year ago
dude..i love that sound its great!!!
MrSteiro1 1 year ago
Agree! Mmmmmmmmmm!
martynpank 1 year ago
I drag raced my 71 and ran 12.1 seconds at 107 mph . Lost in the final round to a Norton Commando .
stratfordgeorge 2 years ago 2
Regardless, a 12.1 on a 71 H1A is Damn Good! That is a good running Kawasaki!
kawasakih1 2 years ago
OK...look at the EGG on my face. (learn to read who posted). sorry...lol
gremmann 2 years ago
Not sure why you have Egg on your face or you are sorry but thanks for comment, always good to hear from a triple enthusiast!
kawasakih1 2 years ago
This goes to kawasakih1. Of course your '05' 1200 would beat it. It's only 500cc. Who would make such a comparison? BUT, the Mach III WAS one of, if not 'the' fastest machine in it's day!
gremmann 2 years ago 2
Just watching this I can smell the two stroke exhaust from here. Like it's billowing out of the screen! What wonderful memories: Thanks for the posting!
123Scears123 2 years ago 2
love these old bikes, kwaks and suzi triples makes me feel young, just hearing and seeing them again is great. my FJR1300 would beat them in all ways but the old bike are so great and you guys keep then going.
brybish 2 years ago
My 2005 Kawasaki ZRX1200R will easily beat them but the Triples are so much more fun to ride, sound and look better too !
kawasakih1 2 years ago
i agree.
brybish 2 years ago
@kawasakih1 your ZRX1200R will have a hell of a time beating the H2s I see at the strip. They run run 8 seconds or better. Stock ones are around 10 seconds in a 1/4 mile!
LordSamuelJ 1 year ago
@LordSamuelJ So you're saying a stock H2 would beat a Hayabusa in a standing 1/4? Stop being silly.
BiodegradeableMan 1 year ago
@BiodegradeableMan god not u again. go away and stop pestering me. A stock H2 will dip into high tens if ridden correctly. I see mod stock bikes running much faster. Idk what a Hayabusa runs stock as I always see turbo bikes at the strip. Now stop with your lame Hayabusa crap u always drag that shitty bike into every argument. Idk why u keep popping up in the H1/H2 comments. Stop being a fool.
LordSamuelJ 1 year ago
@LordSamuelJ a stock H2 in the tens!!! are you on drugs or something??
panzerkw 1 year ago
@panzerkw LOL honestly, I think I was drunk or something when I wrote those statements. Pretty embarrassing when I re-read it.
LordSamuelJ 1 year ago
@LordSamuelJ from my 30 years plus on the drag strip , a standard h1 will run about 13 secs, a Z1 12 and a bit and an H2 about the same. A full denco h2 will run 10s with a good rider.
panzerkw 1 year ago
Flip flops,shorts and a t-shirt on a H1 .....Your not very brite are you??? lol..
blsplr51 2 years ago
Isn't "bright" spelled b-r-i-g-h-t instead of brite? lol
kawasakih1 2 years ago
I like your riding gear
bassguitar4003 2 years ago
Thanks ! Official Kawasaki Riding Sandals !
kawasakih1 2 years ago
You have a fantastic sounding bike there, but you need to make this video again, but with someone who can do a better job with the camera... it let your bike video down.
Bevoin1970 2 years ago
I should have been filming instead of riding! LOL!
kawasakih1 2 years ago
nice restored bike but one thing .....
slippers and no saftey gear ???
biglift1 2 years ago
I love the flip flops, a man after my own heart.
powertrp 2 years ago 2
Thanks for the memories. Ive owned two of these beasts, one the same as yours and a later disc brake model.
tryhardparrot 2 years ago
Yeah, that 2-stroke howl was intoxicating. My first bike was an H1 with a modded engine and bad swingarm bearings. Quite the sphincter-clenching ride. It had almost no power below 5500 RPM, but once it hit the powerband the acceleration was brutal. It's amazing I didn't kill myself on it. I traded it for a console stereo in a moment of idiocy. Doh! Definitely one of those "wish I'd never let it get away" machines.
Camnpac 2 years ago
Just like the one I had in high school. Had to listen to the video a couple of times, nothing like the sound of a wide open triple. Nice !
spudaso 2 years ago
That 2 stroke sound...I love it. Thanks for this.
elevenbravoonepapa 2 years ago 2
do you have any performance mods on that beast?
DirtridinElCamino 2 years ago
Totally Stock !
kawasakih1 2 years ago
Totally Stock...No Modifications !
kawasakih1 2 years ago
Perfect bike...If you got a straight road (no curves) and free.
talissin 2 years ago
I'm a powersports dealer and usually when I see folks getting cute like that with no protective gear, they usually become a statistic to my industry. I'm just glad the rider didn't fall off.
frankmicman 2 years ago
I'm glad I didn't either ! That's why i took it easy on the bike, because I didn't have proper riding gear !
kawasakih1 2 years ago
Protective gear aside, that's a very nice bike you have there, beautiful restoration, and I loved it when you got that wheel up.. Showed us what a hotrod it was back in the day.
roadrash998 2 years ago
Probably could have done better but I'm older now and didn't really have proper riding gear ! LOL !
kawasakih1 2 years ago
I use to run surface gap plugs,no extended ground,
inagod 2 years ago
I used to run ngk 4 gold plugs in mine, got tired of changing plugs all the time.
quick65cuda 2 years ago
Use something besides the 'No Good Kind' and maybe you'd have better luck
anooseholay 2 years ago
Hey ...thats the way to ride a Kawi 500 Triple...beautiful..!!
Giminey 2 years ago
Wear full leathers, gloves & boots you fool.
alpal2002 2 years ago
Why, it was 110 degrees that day !
kawasakih1 2 years ago
great masterpiece,beautifll bike.
cool video!
zurajin 2 years ago
Envoutant le bruit du 3 pattes , mais j'ai peur de voir ce clampin mettre poignée dans le coin en short et sandales !!!
steinbergerfreak 2 years ago
500 2T CON LE PALLE
pauluottu 3 years ago
Road a Brit-spec H1 some years ago, but it was only on 2.5 cylinders(!) so was pretty dull! Guess I'll never get to ride a 'clean' one now.
Factnotfictionpeople 3 years ago
Sweet but yer scaring me, wearing those shorts and Tshirt!
motodude1 3 years ago
Yer right ! It was kind of a spur of the moment film job and temps out there in desert get over 100 degrees !
kawasakih1 3 years ago
I wonder how much HP would this beast have if kawasaki was still building it.
The kawasaki 500R has neerly 60hp and it's only a 4strokes, and it is an old engine.
I'd like to see a 2009 500cc two strokes ...
xzistpo 3 years ago
stupid emissions laws, just kill joys.
Yeah wonder how mad one would be by todays technology.
mickk44flungie 2 years ago 2
What a sound
xzistpo 3 years ago
"you aint a biker- till you had a tripleH "[ as john wayne used to say ] & IF IT DONT SCARE YOU- YOU AINT RIDING HARD ENUF,top vid
petegroover 3 years ago
Great bike! If anyone is looking for a 76 H1 I am selling a running one on ebay. Item number 120323000766
Check it out, triples rock!!
jawa73 3 years ago
hey stonyeye these bikes were actyally hard not to wheelie mine would stand strait up in 3rd
softailsteve 3 years ago
Thanks for posting this, I have never heard one of these run in person and this is quite close. Brrrrrrrr rrrrrp Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Champ1964 3 years ago
These bikes were actually very hard to wheelie. I'm sure in the age of "Stunters" that's kind of hard to understand, but back in the '70s Honda made an inline 6 cyl. that was designed to be nearly impossible to do a wheelie on because of warranty issues regarding cracked engine blocks.
stonyeye 3 years ago
This was my older brother's and my first motorcycle bought used in '72 for $500. The Sound!!! What memories. To this day on the rare occasion that I might encounter one of these on the street my brother and I heads both snap in the direction that three cylinder two stroke scream comes from and say, "Mach III!"
stonyeye 3 years ago
Dress for the crash, not the beach.
realtorman2 3 years ago
There are times I'd like to go somewhere and not have to wear a helmet. Although a helmet is probably the safest way to go, I believe an individual should have the right to decide whether or not to wear one. I grew up in an era that we didn't have to wear one and I've always resented the fact that I am now forced to wear one. Thanks for your postings !
kawasakih1 3 years ago
I worked with a guy who didn't like helmets so he would wear one of those plastic novelty helmets and he had a accident and the helmet broke now he don't walk or talk like he used to it was very sad....here in Michigan they are trying to band the helmet law also and what there saying is you don't want to wear a helmet...you pay a higher insurance premium. PS I don't ride bicycles
flyinbryan63 3 years ago
Shorts and flip flops???....now theres a rocket scientist?????????????
flyinbryan63 3 years ago
If only there wasn't a helmet law, then I wouldn't be wearing a helmet either !
kawasakih1 3 years ago
Go Figure!!
flyinbryan63 3 years ago
You probably wear a helmet when you ride a bicycle!
kawasakih1 3 years ago
go louis!
crazycustom91 3 years ago
Awesome bike my dad had one in early 70's. that power is amazing !
klonkku10 3 years ago
bellissima moto
motomnbvc 3 years ago
I had one and it was the fastest bike at the time. A magicial thing happened when the tack went past 6500 the bike went from 38 hp to 62 hp pulling the front end off the ground in the first 3 gears. I put a faring on it and ran into a stopped car because with a faring you kinda lose a bit of reality as far as how fast you are going. Thanks for the memory
conniiethomas 3 years ago
You are correct. Once the RPM's got up there, it became a demon on wheels !
kawasakih1 3 years ago
I had the 498th one made, a 69 H1. Yes, the HP was fantastic! Things happened fast once the tach hit 6 grand. All I could think of was starting the shift change to second and feathering the gas so it didn't flip over. I had a great time on it. Had 2 cops try to catch me in cages once.
Its fast even by todays standards.
The 69's were the fastest of the bunch, and with the optional gearing, I could stand it on end in the first 3 gears with ease.
hemidesoto 3 years ago
thats a kh 250 not a mach 3 cause he is having trouble to get the front wheel up a kh 500 mach 3 would just wheel up when you open the throtle up and the pipes are flat not up a slight up slant like on other kh mach 3 ... im sorry if i sound cocky but its true
elesomaga 3 years ago
you do sound cocky and you are completely wrong
this bike is so obviously a 69/70 H1 that any one who thinks it is a KH 250 must be a close friend of Kermit the Frog's
theslice2 3 years ago
Sorry to disappoint you but it's obviously a 1970 H1 Mach III. The registration papers, serial numbers, and just looking at the bike support that fact. Thanks for looking and commenting though !
kawasakih1 3 years ago
Like a KH250 could even pull the front wheel up !
kawasakih1 3 years ago
I bought one in 1970,I paid 1104 dollars out the door,red with white strips.Fast as hell for the time,no brakes,poor handling.but pure fun for a 18 year old kid who worked after school to buy it.
inagod 3 years ago
The red ones were probably the best looking Mach III ever built !
kawasakih1 3 years ago
My 1971 Kawasaki H1 cost $1126.25 out the door back in the day !
kawasakih1 3 years ago
Great bike. Thanks for the Video. I had a H1F in '75. Craziest bike I ever owned!
That reminds me; what do you called a Frenchman in sandals? Phillippe Phillopp! ;-)
123Scears123 3 years ago
yesss flip flops on that bike... what a mess
mofaaksl90 3 years ago
Yeah I know. What can I say ? It was kind of a spur of the moment video and it was summertime in Taft, over 100 degrees !
kawasakih1 3 years ago
Sounds like bridged ports? Does this bike have them?
generatrix999 3 years ago
I'm not sure. I'll check it out and see. I'm curious now ! It is a low serial number and should have the early engine case like on the early 69 500's so maybe it has brided ports too. I'll let you know. Thanks ! Louis
kawasakih1 3 years ago
Nice bike , not impressed with the riding gear . Ha Ha
S17RACING 4 years ago
This sound brings back memories.....Thx.
indigoblue555 4 years ago
Love that intake roar!! Great video, dont see many peacock grey one's, nice to see one ridden as they should be!
grahamzx9r 4 years ago
Thanks ! As soon as weather gets better, I plan to fire it up and take some more video. It's been many years since I've ridden it ! Louis
kawasakih1 4 years ago
hey man what about the breaking of this bike???
frank90vr 4 years ago
Not sure what you mean by "breaking of " the bike ! If you are referring to whether they would break down or not, I always found them to be very reliable. If you are referring to the brakes (braking), the drum brakes were lousy and when you would get on it you had to make sure you had plenty of road ahead to stop on !
kawasakih1 4 years ago
You havent changed much Louis? Riding with sandles though? Hey lets do the H2s and get them on.Dave
porschedave1 4 years ago
Yeah, Great safety equipment. I should have had on jeans and good shoes so I could really tromp on it ! Louis
kawasakih1 4 years ago
That is a very sweet sounding H1 & very good restore job! I have a 71&72 parts bikes would like to build 72 but i know some parts are not interchangeable! check out my bikes if you get time!Patrick
yamrz500 4 years ago
You have a very impressive collection of motorcycles. I especially like the RZ500. Let me know if you post any videos of it on the rode ! Thanks !
kawasakih1 4 years ago
When it gets a little warmer, It's snowing right now but next week it may be 70 i live southwest of chicago it was 50 christmas day!I saved your video to favorites! I just picked up the RZ500 last year it rides like a GP bike!Did you start from ground up restoration? Patrick
yamrz500 4 years ago
it looks like my cz :P
KazioooKazik 4 years ago
Beautiful H1.Thanks for posting the vid. It will give me something to watch while I wait for spring when I can ride again. :)
kawtriples 4 years ago