Here's a decent little look back at the Kawi H2, with a cursory nod to the current H2

[herr_oberst]

[Dan J]

Coolest bike ever!

[flatbutt]

I swear my 500 was always trying to kill me. Gumby frame and marshmallow brakes could not keep up with the acceleration on that sucker. I loved that bike! The biggest problem I had with mine was fouling of the center cylinder sparkplug in cold weather.

[Noah930]

I loved the little three-plug holder for spares under the seat. I had a 400 as my first bike. Single disc front, and rear drums that were only strong enough to hold the bike on a hill at a red light.

[dafischer]

I had an S2 350 in my senior year of high school, and even that was too much for the brakes. Came into a sharp corner hot one day, and bike and I wound up going through a hedge onto someone's lawn. But the acceleration..... It was always fun trouncing Honda 450's.

[manbridge 74]

Probably no “hinge in the middle” handling on the one above.

[rfuerst911sc]

Back in the day I went to the local Kawasaki dealer to look over the bikes . When I asked for a test ride of the 500 triple I was told no . Then asked about the 750 and was told hell no 😋.

Because of that I ended up with a Yamaha RD and I survived ownership 😁 . The Kawi dealer may have saved my life . Always liked the Suzuki GT750 aka water buffalo . Just something about an angry snarling two stroke that gets the blood pumping .

[E Sully]

I accidentally picked up a basket case last spring. It was shortly after I decided to sell my last bike, a 1975 GT380 triple. While both are 2 stroke triples, they are complete opposites.


I finished last fall. I asked the previous owner if he wanted to ride it. He said he was happy it was brought back, but has no desire to get on it again. I actually have not ridden it either.
I am amazed what they go for now. The past 2 years it has become quite popular. It reminds me of my '73.5 911T, nobody really wanted them when I bought it in '87.

[stevej37]

^^^ Very nice!

A friend of mine bought the first year of the Mach III in high school.
After several warnings, he let me take it for a ride. His best advice...hang on tight when the rev's come up!

[herr_oberst]

Nice restore!

[rfuerst911sc]

E Sully that is a very nice looking restoration. You really need to at least do some break in rides . Ultimately are you going to sell it ?

[E Sully]

I've been sitting on it since I finished it last fall, thinking about what to do with it. It sounds pretty nice with the Higgspeed pipes. I would have loved it when I was younger, but it is too much for me at 63. I am probably going to insure and register it in the coming year and take a couple of brief rides.
If the right offer comes along I may sell it, but not sure as of now. The '72 H2 does look good next to my '73 911.

[Joe Bob]

Rumor had it that there was a 2 stroke 900. Any truth?

[pavulon]

If Singer worked a Kawasaki...

Originally Posted by manbridge 74

[E Sully]

For those that the Widowmaker was not enough.
https://youtu.be/v62pCre4Lfk

[herr_oberst]

Five sets of points to adjust! Diabolical!

[asphaltgambler]

I think Kawasaki has always been on the forefront of horsepower development. Back then they essentially put their 750 in what was basically the 500 frame. The later / last generation had a longer swing arm (@1") with other small improvements, but it really wasn't enough.

The thing is they were detuned, in my opinion, from the factory. Add a good pipe set, jet the carbs, add some ignition timing and it was a whole 'nother motorcycle. Like Jeckle / Hyde. There was nothing in stock form at that time that could best that in a drag race or roll-on.

[stevej37]

I love my Kaw 20hp twin cyl. engine.

[908/930]

Fantastic job of restoring that H2 Ed. The single disc up front and rear drum are really confidence inspiring for the acceleration available. I did have a H1 for a while long ago, I don't really miss that bike, but I do miss my ZX1100D.

[dw1]

Great video - thank for the link.

I hadn't thought about the 750 H2 in many years, but I actually rode one...briefly.

At the time (long ago) I had a 650 Triumph Bonnie and had ridden a good friend's CB750 quite a bit, but visiting my uncle in upstate NY he let me try out the H2 he just got.

Damn! The mid-range acceleration was not anything I expected, and neither was the noise, smoke, and "handling". I rode it a short time, just about dropping it more than once (there were a lot of high-speed sweepers in that area and this bike was downright dangerous on those, IMHO) and decided enough was enough. My dad tried it after me and did drop it, at low speed and on soft ground thankfully.

My uncle did not keep that bike very long.

The next Kawi street bike I became familiar with was my brother-in-law's 1st generation ZX10... but that is a different story.

I do wonder: If it wasn't for the H2, would Suzuki and others have made machines like the original Katana?