I had the 500 and the 750. They were quite scary to ride on, you never knew when it wouldn't wobble but usually in a bend. The sound was addictive I couldn't get enough of it. On the highway the handles became twice as thick and your hands quickly became numb. I have never had any problems with the middle cylinder, but I have had problems with worn crankshaft bearings and blown ignition. I have never ridden a motorcycle that had such a nice looking engine. 2-stroke is fun to ride and the violence that is released in the power band is a thrill you never get used to :-) To go short; 100% awesomeness
Okay, I am one of the people who actually owned these bikes, two of them a 1972 750 blue and a 1974 green with Denco heads and chambers. I was 18 in 1978 when I got the first one the 72 and in the 82d Abn Div at Ft Bragg. I just want to say that the H1 500 was the actual widowmaker due to the slightly less robust forks and frame setup in those days. My 750's were pretty bad ass and would do the high speed wobble up around 100 which was not really a problem because not many people cruised around at 100 mph even in those days. I hear so many bikes being called widowmaker on youtube that it really has kind of watered down the actual dangerousness of the H1 500. Just my 2 cents for what it is worth from one of the few on youtube who actually put many many miles on these bikes. The 750's were reliable with basic care and just so much fun to tear around on at Bragg on the back roads, I hate myself every day for selling them years later, what a huge mistake that was.
You are correct sir, the H1 500 was the true death machine, but the 750 was as bad with an inexperienced rider, these bikes were made for someone who grew up riding bikes as a young kid and could handle that type of power. Unleashing these on a newbie rider was almost a crime.
$1560.00 bucks Canadian with a bell helmet, dag bars out the door, rode 17,000 miles April thru October 1974. # yes one season. Toronto to Vancouver and back 11 days in the saddle. logged 7,200 miles on that trip alone. Could not get enough loved that machine, Ride A 1100 zrx now.
I couldn’t be happier with my 1969-H1-500 and 1975-H2-750, yes the 750 is more spacious, but the 500 is an absolute hoot to ride!! Just keep it under 80-mph, or it will get sketchy. The 750 is absolutely everything motorcycles should be. You haven’t experienced motorcycles until you have ridden a 2-stroke triple. Kick starters are life!! They make you earn the ride. You keep your bike maintained properly and ridden often, and that kickstarter will let you know who’s boss!! You disrespect your maintenance, and the kickstarter will laugh its head off!!! There is something soo satisfying about kick starting a bike!!
I had a KH250 and upon passing my test looked at getting an H2,however,after looking it over,I was alarmed to see that the frame was virtually the same as the KH250's.Needless to say I said no thank you and bought a Z1 1000 instead.But,the Kawasaki 2 stroke triple induction howl makes it,imo,the best sounding motorcycle engine yet produced.
The 1969 500 triple was the actual Widow Maker, in it's first year of release killed approx 15 people world wide because they flipped the bikes. 1970 & 71 the 500 triple was detuned until - the H1B in '72 the clutch had to be dropped to wheel-stand, it would not do so otherwise. 70 & 71 500 triples were widow makers was because they lacked a disc brake which was introduced with the H1B. I owned a Kawasaki 500 H1B in the 1970's and am qualified to make this statement because I was there!
The engine was indeed too powerful for that era's suspension and brakes . The single disc front brake with the caliper 'ahead' of the fork tube really makes me nervous .
I bet it was absolutely scary, I’ve ridden many bikes from that era and they were all garbage except for the motors. They liked to go straight on smooth roads and that’s about it.
Had a kh400 two stroke back in the day. Lethal. Would spin the back wheel so easily in the wet so much so that you just couldnt trust it, and i had to sell it and the only nice memory i have of it was f### me did it go! I settled for a suzy gs 5 an a half in the end. Far more comfy. Slow but controllable.
The h2 750 was not the Widowmaker, the H1 500, was the Widowmaker please youngster check your facts I competed the 1970 H1 500 GP and it was the first Japanese made bike to win the world 🌎 500cc cup the most important race in the world at that time!!!!!!!😮🤠
Some good old footage there. BTW the Castrol 6 hour race was an Australian endurance race held yearly not far from Sydney. It was never held in Daytona.
@thunderbolt5354 I will take your word for it. Since we are going back 50 years ago. But I moved up since that time. I'm 66 now. and today I ride a zx1400. I bet it will not smoke that. LOL
@@kimbelesky Yea Back in the day 1972,1973 I Smoked every thing I raced !! AKA Hemi Cudas , SS 454 Chevelles, Road Runners , GTO's , Super Bees .Corvettes , Mustangs !! yea I beat Um all ! Tell I Crashed it into a Culvert Drunk One Night !
I too scared myself on one but in a good way lol, I raced dirt anyway so the wheelies just egged me on. Stay safe out there folks regardless of what you ride.
Need alot of hours to be competent on 750 and not die when you ride it like it is meant to be,,,,,,,,then you can do massive 3rd gear wheelies and create heavy smoke when doing long 2nd gear burnouts.
This guy robot or whatever sounds like an Australian most of the doco but as mentioned definitely not all of it. He mentions a famous Australian road racer Greg Hansford which if not Australian you would probably not know that he ever existed. He also mentioned the castrol 6 hour race held at Daytona. Completely wrong as it was held yearly not far from the Eastern Creek GP circuit, Sydney Australia.
You must be joking 10 liters in 100 kilometers?? so 60 miles on one tank is not right, I had a Suzuki GT 750 and I could easily get 30 kilometers on one liter, and that's using all the throttle it wanted 🤗
When we used to go on country rides I often had to hit up one of my riding mates for some gas because my H1B (1972) was so uneconomical - watching my mate unbolt his tank on his CB500 Honda to tip some into mine didn't make me popular with him - and it happened more than once! I was jealous of his Honda's gas economy!
@RavennaAl awesome 👌 I had a 71 GT750 in 85 with big vented drum front brakes and a set of custom expansion chambers, but still had the mint condition original 3 to 4 muffler system hanging in the shed, was not economical and had surprising torque low and suddenly high lol, was at Invercargill most southern city 😅, wish I'd kept it
I allmost got myselfes killed on one in 1976... But what a bike for its day, it still stands for me as one of the greatest of all times.
I had the 500 and the 750. They were quite scary to ride on, you never knew when it wouldn't wobble but usually in a bend. The sound was addictive I couldn't get enough of it. On the highway the handles became twice as thick and your hands quickly became numb. I have never had any problems with the middle cylinder, but I have had problems with worn crankshaft bearings and blown ignition. I have never ridden a motorcycle that had such a nice looking engine. 2-stroke is fun to ride and the violence that is released in the power band is a thrill you never get used to :-) To go short; 100% awesomeness
Okay, I am one of the people who actually owned these bikes, two of them a 1972 750 blue and a 1974 green with Denco heads and chambers. I was 18 in 1978 when I got the first one the 72 and in the 82d Abn Div at Ft Bragg. I just want to say that the H1 500 was the actual widowmaker due to the slightly less robust forks and frame setup in those days. My 750's were pretty bad ass and would do the high speed wobble up around 100 which was not really a problem because not many people cruised around at 100 mph even in those days.
I hear so many bikes being called widowmaker on youtube that it really has kind of watered down the actual dangerousness of the H1 500. Just my 2 cents for what it is worth from one of the few on youtube who actually put many many miles on these bikes. The 750's were reliable with basic care and just so much fun to tear around on at Bragg on the back roads, I hate myself every day for selling them years later, what a huge mistake that was.
You are correct sir, the H1 500 was the true death machine, but the 750 was as bad with an inexperienced rider, these bikes were made for someone who grew up riding bikes as a young kid and could handle that type of power. Unleashing these on a newbie rider was almost a crime.
$1560.00 bucks Canadian with a bell helmet, dag bars out the door, rode 17,000 miles April thru October 1974. # yes one season. Toronto to Vancouver and back 11 days in the saddle. logged 7,200 miles on that trip alone. Could not get enough loved that machine, Ride A 1100 zrx now.
I couldn’t be happier with my 1969-H1-500 and 1975-H2-750, yes the 750 is more spacious, but the 500 is an absolute hoot to ride!! Just keep it under 80-mph, or it will get sketchy. The 750 is absolutely everything motorcycles should be. You haven’t experienced motorcycles until you have ridden a 2-stroke triple. Kick starters are life!! They make you earn the ride. You keep your bike maintained properly and ridden often, and that kickstarter will let you know who’s boss!! You disrespect your maintenance, and the kickstarter will laugh its head off!!! There is something soo satisfying about kick starting a bike!!
I had a KH250 and upon passing my test looked at getting an H2,however,after looking it over,I was alarmed to see that the frame was virtually the same as the KH250's.Needless to say I said no thank you and bought a Z1 1000 instead.But,the Kawasaki 2 stroke triple induction howl makes it,imo,the best sounding motorcycle engine yet produced.
The 1969 500 triple was the actual Widow Maker, in it's first year of release killed approx 15 people world wide because they flipped the bikes. 1970 & 71 the 500 triple was detuned until - the H1B in '72 the clutch had to be dropped to wheel-stand, it would not do so otherwise. 70 & 71 500 triples were widow makers was because they lacked a disc brake which was introduced with the H1B.
I owned a Kawasaki 500 H1B in the 1970's and am qualified to make this statement because I was there!
never to be forgotten .
You can quote me on it. You'll always regret selling your 2 stroke.
My dad had both the Mach III and Mach IV. He still talks about how great they were.
The engine was indeed too powerful for that era's suspension and brakes . The single disc front brake with the caliper 'ahead' of the fork tube really makes me nervous .
I bet it was absolutely scary, I’ve ridden many bikes from that era and they were all garbage except for the motors. They liked to go straight on smooth roads and that’s about it.
The Kawasaki H1 was the first to be given the title "Widow Maker" 👍🏴
And the only one
H2 is for non connaisseurs
Were they reliable at all or did they blow up as often as you’d think a big triple 2 stroke would?
Pretty reliable for the day but engines rattled after moderate mileage unlike Suzuki triple 750
The middle cylinder overheating problems could cause some damage,but they were incredibly reliable engines.
Hard to beat 2 stroke feeling for acceleration when in power band !!
I used to Dust Hemi Cudas with my 72 H2 Triple !
Yep, that's the noise!
Had a kh400 two stroke back in the day. Lethal. Would spin the back wheel so easily in the wet so much so that you just couldnt trust it, and i had to sell it and the only nice memory i have of it was f### me did it go!
I settled for a suzy gs 5 an a half in the end. Far more comfy. Slow but controllable.
The h2 750 was not the Widowmaker, the H1 500, was the Widowmaker please youngster check your facts I competed the 1970 H1 500 GP and it was the first Japanese made bike to win the world 🌎 500cc cup the most important race in the world at that time!!!!!!!😮🤠
And after 40 years Allen Millyard made +1 cylinder for this engine and show what a real beast it can be 😉😉👍👍👍👍
And +2 cylinders to the 750 😉
Some good old footage there. BTW the Castrol 6 hour race was an Australian endurance race held yearly not far from Sydney. It was never held in Daytona.
You develop strong hands and forearms riding the H2..
Never rode the kaw. But rode the Suzuki 750 2 stroke. Known as the water buffalo. Scary fast.
The H2 750 Triple would smoke Your Suzuki triple !
@thunderbolt5354 I will take your word for it. Since we are going back 50 years ago. But I moved up since that time. I'm 66 now. and today I ride a zx1400. I bet it will not smoke that. LOL
@@kimbelesky Yea Back in the day 1972,1973 I Smoked every thing I raced !! AKA Hemi Cudas , SS 454 Chevelles, Road Runners , GTO's , Super Bees .Corvettes , Mustangs !! yea I beat Um all ! Tell I Crashed it into a Culvert Drunk One Night !
@@kimbeleskythe Suzy was heavier but in the right hands it was still right there, and being water cooled the motors lasted longer.
I too scared myself on one but in a good way lol, I raced dirt anyway so the wheelies just egged me on. Stay safe out there folks regardless of what you ride.
Been wanting one of these for the last fifty plus years! either the H2 or settle for an Si 250, one day?
Those Kawasaki triples had a powerband almost as wide as a Tic-Tac. . . . . .Almost!
I knew this machine by another name " instant suicide " 😊
Almost killed ,yes,,danke michael
I rode a 500cc for a while! 🎉
Blue. '72 or '74 i think.
Stupid fast! 😂
Ran best at higher RPM's!
Go figure! 😂
That would be a 1970 or 1971 H1A
Need alot of hours to be competent on 750 and not die when you ride it like it is meant to be,,,,,,,,then you can do massive 3rd gear wheelies and create heavy smoke when doing long 2nd gear burnouts.
Get it right!
Mach IV.
As in mach 1, the speed of sound.
Said 'mack' not 'mark'.
If you stood up and leant forward you could keep the front down between 5 and 8000rpm but then the back fish tailed like mad, fun and lethal
does nobody notice that the accents constantly change through these videos, it must be ai or something
First thing it was never called the Widowmaker. Second they sold for $1074.00 retail. I had one. And installing chambers drastically increased HP.
Only the H1
It was in the UK.
Crazy ? Fast powerful is all I wanted this was it. My MX 125 wrecked me more time than my kawaski
Loved the wheelies and 2 stroke power in this vid... pity it's read by a droid.
Evidently AI narration based upon Google Translate!!!
This guy robot or whatever sounds like an Australian most of the doco but as mentioned definitely not all of it. He mentions a famous Australian road racer Greg Hansford which if not Australian you would probably not know that he ever existed. He also mentioned the castrol 6 hour race held at Daytona. Completely wrong as it was held yearly not far from the Eastern Creek GP circuit, Sydney Australia.
You must be joking 10 liters in 100 kilometers?? so 60 miles on one tank is not right, I had a Suzuki GT 750 and I could easily get 30 kilometers on one liter, and that's using all the throttle it wanted 🤗
If i twisting my ZX6R all the time, it’s something 8-10 liter, man…
100 kms is to town for me, so not far, but 20 liters just to go to the store... its cheaper to take my girlfriends 69 HT Monaro 350ci lol
When we used to go on country rides I often had to hit up one of my riding mates for some gas because my H1B (1972) was so uneconomical - watching my mate unbolt his tank on his CB500 Honda to tip some into mine didn't make me popular with him - and it happened more than once!
I was jealous of his Honda's gas economy!
I had a '75 GT750. I remember that it always got exactly 36 miles per gallon, no matter how I rode it. Best bike I ever had.
@RavennaAl awesome 👌 I had a 71 GT750 in 85 with big vented drum front brakes and a set of custom expansion chambers, but still had the mint condition original 3 to 4 muffler system hanging in the shed, was not economical and had surprising torque low and suddenly high lol, was at Invercargill most southern city 😅, wish I'd kept it
Weird words and phrases from this AI voice over.
The british made good frames. . . No they didn't they handled because they didnt make horsepower.
Dead right.
I owned a 72, 74 & 75. If they made it again, I would buy it. That bike was a rush.