I love all these old Kawasaki Corporate videos that koupscycleshop has posted. They bring back so many great memories. The old film has definitely aged, the voice track is definitely interesting. Thanks for posting!
Almost from 1980 on Kawasaki were loosing ground to Suzuki.The 16 valve head/ twin swirel combustion chamber and larger gudgeon pin on the Suzuki gave it the edge.By the late 80's Kawasaki were finished in all but Top Fuel but even then the T/F engines were billet copies of Kawasaki.Kawasaki were at their peak in the mid 70's when American Turbo Pak fitted kits to the big Z's.They were just so fast in comparison to anything else.
love it! i used to ride a04 gsxr750 but now i have an 81 csr 1000. i honestly like the kawi better!!! its a nice running and great sounding bike with the 4 into 1 hines header
Great Video! I remember drooling over a KZ900 that a friend had when I was 14. Those Kaws back then were the S*#T! I ride a Kawasaki now and got everything I wished for and more from back then. Thank You!
Thanks for this. All of these riders were aquaintances, as I also ran a dragbike among them in those days. I wan't at this event, but it sure is fun seeing the archaic equipment we ran back then. Jim Cooper
The first bad ass in the 70's was Russ Collins from R.C.Engineering. Terry Vance and Byron Hines worked under Russ and learned all their stuff from him. Russ had a triple engined Honda then called the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe. All the motors were OHC 750 hondas. This was around 1974 or 5. Ran nearly flat 8's.
I have another video of the motorcycles drag racing during the AHRA Spring Nationals held in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Includes some of the local riders, the HondaSaki, What a Pig, and myself. Need to find a way to upload it onto Youtube.
Thanks for the wonderful video, Those were all my friends , Sid help me build my bike and MCU was in a old store I think on Western and 29th in OKC. And Vicki with her feet on the pegs launch. Brought back a lot of memories. Was that track Willow Run?
I had a '77 KZ650, one cool bike. I had a t-shirt once that said "eat a 750 for lunch". I met Vicki Farr at Bowling Green Ky and was very impressed with her riding.
I was 11 when my uncle Kenny was setting all these accomplishments. I remember going to the shop where he kept his bike; Motorcycles Unlimited, and just being in awe at the size of that monster motorcycle aptly named the Orange Crush. I could barely reach from the handle bars to the foot pegs. And it's hillarious to see his ol' long hair and monsterstache, I mean moustache once again! He was then and still is one of my HEROES! Please post more if you can.
Thank you for posting this, Vicki Farr and her husband Marshal were the first wrench & Rider team I cheered for as a kid. Vicki had the fastest tree around, they're why my bike is a kawi.
Cool video, owned KZ's from 77 til now. First big street bike a '76 KZ900 and still have my '80 KZ1000 that I bought new along with a 2000 ZRX1100. A few of my friends dragged Z1's and KZ's back in the day. Kaw motors were always bulletproof, ruled the strips. Great to see this video. Hope to see the ZX14 beat those Busa's. From a long time Kaw fan, thanks much!
What I learned from this video: All the men in the world pre 1980 spoke with exceptionally deep voices, and Kawasakis were badass(still are).
piano3man 2 months ago
I love all these old Kawasaki Corporate videos that koupscycleshop has posted. They bring back so many great memories. The old film has definitely aged, the voice track is definitely interesting. Thanks for posting!
gorflunk 5 months ago
Kawasaki has always been known for horsepower. The 1998 ZX9 was the first stock motorcycle to hit 9 seconds in the quarter mile.
tangledline 10 months ago
I prefered riding the 2 stroke H2 750.
The power band (if it had chambers) was really exciting.
alpal2002 1 year ago
Almost from 1980 on Kawasaki were loosing ground to Suzuki.The 16 valve head/ twin swirel combustion chamber and larger gudgeon pin on the Suzuki gave it the edge.By the late 80's Kawasaki were finished in all but Top Fuel but even then the T/F engines were billet copies of Kawasaki.Kawasaki were at their peak in the mid 70's when American Turbo Pak fitted kits to the big Z's.They were just so fast in comparison to anything else.
ian1200 1 year ago
there seems to be a scant regard for Health & safety :) - love it
M4OON 1 year ago
Thanks for putting this on , Nice one mate !!!!! :)
M4OON 1 year ago
Is this a freakin witness protection video with deep voices
turboz1k 1 year ago 2
love it! i used to ride a04 gsxr750 but now i have an 81 csr 1000. i honestly like the kawi better!!! its a nice running and great sounding bike with the 4 into 1 hines header
1vegaracer 1 year ago
Great Video! I remember drooling over a KZ900 that a friend had when I was 14. Those Kaws back then were the S*#T! I ride a Kawasaki now and got everything I wished for and more from back then. Thank You!
Sbmf66 1 year ago
in 1979 Suzuki made 10 bikes, replica's of Terry Vance's GS. I won 1 of the bikes and still have it. I was a lucky 17 yr old kid!
My friends did not believe me til I pulled up to the school.
popamaiorca 2 years ago
Thanks for this. All of these riders were aquaintances, as I also ran a dragbike among them in those days. I wan't at this event, but it sure is fun seeing the archaic equipment we ran back then. Jim Cooper
SharpByCoop 2 years ago
That was awesome, nice to see someone still appreciates the old bikes
kawiman09 2 years ago 5
The first bad ass in the 70's was Russ Collins from R.C.Engineering. Terry Vance and Byron Hines worked under Russ and learned all their stuff from him. Russ had a triple engined Honda then called the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe. All the motors were OHC 750 hondas. This was around 1974 or 5. Ran nearly flat 8's.
bigdrive22 2 years ago
@bigdrive22 A.K.A Triclops
johnunsung1 1 year ago
The Hayabusas of 30 years ago!
pablof59 2 years ago 2
@pablof59 actually the hayabusa isnt the best in a quarter mile drag race.
LordSamuelJ 1 year ago
Like you said. "This is a Great piece of Motorcycle History".
Tks! :)
DrGasosa 2 years ago 2
had a 72 kaw 500, scary bike
blugularis 2 years ago 2
bitchin video!!
EvilPaul24 2 years ago
I have another video of the motorcycles drag racing during the AHRA Spring Nationals held in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Includes some of the local riders, the HondaSaki, What a Pig, and myself. Need to find a way to upload it onto Youtube.
AMPRACING 3 years ago 2
Nice redneck music
dfinkie 3 years ago
Kenny's bike was later bought by famous dutchman Henk Vink. "The Big Spender" "Machtig Prachtig Krachtig!"
grteyr 3 years ago
Cool video!
My Dad Mel use to ride with Terry and Byron back in the day.
PeaceIsRad 3 years ago
Thanks for the wonderful video, Those were all my friends , Sid help me build my bike and MCU was in a old store I think on Western and 29th in OKC. And Vicki with her feet on the pegs launch. Brought back a lot of memories. Was that track Willow Run?
G1Pops 3 years ago 2
I had a kz1000 and I could lay rubber in third at speed.
hondabait 3 years ago
I had a '77 KZ650, one cool bike. I had a t-shirt once that said "eat a 750 for lunch". I met Vicki Farr at Bowling Green Ky and was very impressed with her riding.
joeyc110 3 years ago
I was 11 when my uncle Kenny was setting all these accomplishments. I remember going to the shop where he kept his bike; Motorcycles Unlimited, and just being in awe at the size of that monster motorcycle aptly named the Orange Crush. I could barely reach from the handle bars to the foot pegs. And it's hillarious to see his ol' long hair and monsterstache, I mean moustache once again! He was then and still is one of my HEROES! Please post more if you can.
Soopmeister 3 years ago 2
OMG!
Soopmeister 3 years ago
Very cool. Do you have anything else featuring Sid Pogue? He's my father-in-law...quite a great guy.
anakinou 3 years ago
what a cool vid....luv all the 70's stuff
freespirit43 3 years ago
cool vid
eddynou 4 years ago
Great a historical motorcyle dragracing video!
modprod 4 years ago
Thank you for posting this, Vicki Farr and her husband Marshal were the first wrench & Rider team I cheered for as a kid. Vicki had the fastest tree around, they're why my bike is a kawi.
Hotshoe 4 years ago 2
Cool video, owned KZ's from 77 til now. First big street bike a '76 KZ900 and still have my '80 KZ1000 that I bought new along with a 2000 ZRX1100. A few of my friends dragged Z1's and KZ's back in the day. Kaw motors were always bulletproof, ruled the strips. Great to see this video. Hope to see the ZX14 beat those Busa's. From a long time Kaw fan, thanks much!
mickd01 4 years ago