I like to see this cycle. 1971 H1 machIII. And all comments about the history of this fantastic cycle. I wish I come back to this.age when the life was in front of you. Billy
Back in 71 I left work (in a gas station) one night at closing on my 71 H1, Wheelied through the stoplight (red) next to the station only to find I had done so right in front of a Memphis police car! The following 30 minutes were very intense as I pushed my H1 to it limits avoiding numerous squad cars. at one point I crested a hill and jumped it, when my tires hit the pavement coming down it sounded like the tires of a jet screeching on touchdown (I'll never forget that). I didn't get caught, and I tore 5 spokes out of the rear wheel that night. I traded the 71 in for a 72 H1b the next week. A lot of memories from those early days on Kawasaki triples.
This was the second bike I owned, my first, a Kawasaki 120 Roadrunner at 16. Got my H1A at 18 and i probably weighed 100 lbs. or 110 lbs. at the time thus making it a screamer. I never had plug fouling problems except when i fiddled with the oil injection! Great bikes for the time! Thanks for writing!
Thank you! Back in the day there were Super8 movie cameras that recorded sound. Unfortunately, I was too poor and not smart enough to get one. I used a beat up 8mm camera my dad had. Filming with it was difficult as the viewfinder was so dirty I could barely see through it! regardless, I'm glad I captured what I did! I dubbed in sound from another video I did (titled "1970 Kawasaki Mach III) and I think it turned out great. Thanks for comment! I'm sure you enjoyed your bike as much as I did. they were great bikes!
Wow that brings back some great memories. I had 71 that ran away from everything. Wheelies were just a twist away. Had more fun on this bike than I ever did on any bike. Would like to find another one now but wish they handeled better.
EYE HAD a 250,350,400, an a pair O 750's and eye REGRET sellin all of them....BUT... I am so happy to still be ALIVE !!! Great Video.....GREAT EYE SEZ !!!!
@r6mmbr If someone gives you one, give it to me! True, the drum brakes didn't stop them but later on the disc brake upgrade solved that. For that time they were great motorcycles but you had to recognize their limitations. Naturally, all the motorcycles have improved tremendously since then!
@r6mmbr Wow! You must have had a lemon! They were selling like hotcakes where I was at. I got mine the day after I graduated high school. I got the last one available for a few months just beating out two guys that came in to buy one after me. I rode that thing all over that summer (100 degrees plus in the desert in summer) and it ran like a bat outta hell. I quit junior college but started up after two years absence and in two years I was ready to transfer to a four year college.Sold it then.
@t250j Very nice looking motorcycle. Looks like it is in great shape! It looks like a 1973 H1 and not a 1975? I had a friend that had a 73 that looked just like it. I did a video of another friend's 1973 here on youtube. No matter what year it is, welcome back!
Magnificent video. I keep coming back to this one year after year (I own a 70 and 71 H1 basket case). It just epitomizes the era, especially the reckless youth riding them! Obviously you survived your encounter, not everyone did. You must have been a good rider and knew when and where to draw the line, even at 18. Other question: I know you filmed this using an old silent 8mm and you've dubbed the sound. But you've done such an excellent job of it, it sounds so realistic and appears perfectly timed with the action. The audio quality is also degraded enough to match the video quality perfectly. Where did you get the sound and how did you know to edit it so perfectly? It's done like a real pro, I'll tell you that.
Thank you drott150 for your kind remarks. I wasn't a great rider. Just a lucky one that was too stupid to realize I could get hurt or killed. Typical 18 year old that thinks they are immortal. Years later (1977) , I hit a car going about 80mph on a Kawasaki 1000 LTD. It knocked the crap out of me but was the best thing that could have happened to me at the time as the reality of mortality hit and I realized that I was not invincible! I'm luck the film turned out as good as it did. It was an old 8mm camera with a viewfinder lens so dirty one could barely see through it. I got the sound from a VHS recording I did of a 1970 Peacock Gray Mach III 500. That's probably while sound quality matches film. The rest was time consuming editing and dubbing in the sound to make it better! Video was just a hobby for me but I'm fairly good at it but I haven't made a video in years. I hope to rectify that in forthcoming years. Right now, I'm building a workshop to restore some more Kawasaki 500's and 750's. Thank you for the compliment!
I wish I'd have had phone cameras like we have today back then...I'd have gotten a lot of good video! back then, I had a crappy 8mm camera and no money for film! LOL!
@roady42 Terrible brakes, not the best handling, exceptional horsepower, ...I think anyone that owned one is lucky to still be alive! Great bikes though! Great memories!
@bananakiller21 Today's motorcycles are seriously lacking in styling! Back in the seventies, you could look at a motorcycle and tell what it was. Today's motorcycles have the worst looking exhaust system..they look like pipes with coffee cans welded on the ends! 80's Ninja Kerker style exhaust were cool but now I've yet to see any decent exhaust pipes! Look at the new Kawasaki ZX14 exhaust. Butt Ugly!
Awesome incredible vantage footage, especially for the time! Just subscribed. My tuner and dyno man Curt Jordan still has is original 1969 H1. I am lucky to have him helping me tune my 1975 Tracy Body H1 last week. Here is a recent link to my 4 Kawi H's all running together: ruclips.net/video/mnnS6m_1EYo/видео.html
@atreewithnolife ...and they still are 40 years later. Kawasaki should take note instead of building their generic looking butt ugly bikes they make now!
I like to see this cycle.
1971 H1 machIII.
And all comments about the history of this fantastic cycle.
I wish I come back to this.age when the life was in front of you.
Billy
Back in 71 I left work (in a gas station) one night at closing on my 71 H1, Wheelied through the stoplight (red) next to the station only to find I had done so right in front of a Memphis police car! The following 30 minutes were very intense as I pushed my H1 to it limits avoiding numerous squad cars. at one point I crested a hill and jumped it, when my tires hit the pavement coming down it sounded like the tires of a jet screeching on touchdown (I'll never forget that). I didn't get caught, and I tore 5 spokes out of the rear wheel that night. I traded the 71 in for a 72 H1b the next week. A lot of memories from those early days on Kawasaki triples.
I gave watch this video many times to relive my high school years for a minute. Thanks!
Wow, great old vid, havent heard that sound in decades, i had Honda 450 in mid 70s, but these Kowi 500 triples were all the talk back then.
This was the second bike I owned, my first, a Kawasaki 120 Roadrunner at 16. Got my H1A at 18 and i probably weighed 100 lbs. or 110 lbs. at the time thus making it a screamer. I never had plug fouling problems except when i fiddled with the oil injection! Great bikes for the time! Thanks for writing!
Got mine at 19. It was love at first sight. I moved up from a 125 Suzuki Stinger.
I've watched this several times. It's the perfect sound recording that does it. I had the same bike. 👌
Thank you! Back in the day there were Super8 movie cameras that recorded sound. Unfortunately, I was too poor and not smart enough to get one. I used a beat up 8mm camera my dad had. Filming with it was difficult as the viewfinder was so dirty I could barely see through it! regardless, I'm glad I captured what I did! I dubbed in sound from another video I did (titled "1970 Kawasaki Mach III) and I think it turned out great. Thanks for comment! I'm sure you enjoyed your bike as much as I did. they were great bikes!
Wow that brings back some great memories. I had 71 that ran away from everything. Wheelies were just a twist away. Had more fun on this bike than I ever did on any bike. Would like to find another one now but wish they handeled better.
EYE HAD a 250,350,400, an a pair O 750's and eye REGRET sellin all of them....BUT...
I am so happy to still be ALIVE !!! Great Video.....GREAT EYE SEZ !!!!
Far out! I had one in 75, lucky to still be alive.
Really cool old footage thanks for that!
Love the 2 strokes and triples are just an added bonus, might get my hands on one before it is too late!
I currently have a 120 Roadrunner and an S3 400 triple. Love them both!
My first motorcycle was a 1969 Roadrunner!
Wow, this sure brings back the memories, it was exactly like this, except for the helmet.
Just subbed you. I like the old bikes. So you added the sound. Good job.
@kawasakih1 the best part about the old ones they can be used for almost anything :D
Fucking awesome!
Your neighbors must have loved you
Fantastic stuff!!!!!!!!
Great early film, looks like an acid trip scene from Easyriders.
@cashstore1 Thank You. They have a great sound to them!
It was...those were the days!
Too bad you didn't have a video of you flipping it! LOL! I used to have dreams of looping an H1 but never did it!
@r6mmbr If someone gives you one, give it to me! True, the drum brakes didn't stop them but later on the disc brake upgrade solved that. For that time they were great motorcycles but you had to recognize their limitations. Naturally, all the motorcycles have improved tremendously since then!
@t250j Thanks! Any 17 or 18 year old that survived those is lucky indeed! You are lucky you had disc brakes that would actually stop!
@kawasakih1 i would love if they would bring back the old models
Just love it. Great sound! Just like mine. : )
Magic stuff!!!
@r6mmbr Wow! You must have had a lemon! They were selling like hotcakes where I was at. I got mine the day after I graduated high school. I got the last one available for a few months just beating out two guys that came in to buy one after me. I rode that thing all over that summer (100 degrees plus in the desert in summer) and it ran like a bat outta hell. I quit junior college but started up after two years absence and in two years I was ready to transfer to a four year college.Sold it then.
@08jakemate THANK YOU!
@bananakiller21 Don't get me wrong...I'm still a fan! I just think they should get back to the great styling they used to have! A bit of retro look!
Looks like it was fun.
I don't know ! I got used to it and I like it! It feels odd to me to ride a motorcycle with a different pattern now!
@t250j Very nice looking motorcycle. Looks like it is in great shape! It looks like a 1973 H1 and not a 1975? I had a friend that had a 73 that looked just like it. I did a video of another friend's 1973 here on youtube. No matter what year it is, welcome back!
Handling was never their strong suite but they were fun!
I wish they continued to make the 500 and 750 triple two stroke. A few motorcycles can't be the cause of pollution.
Magnificent video. I keep coming back to this one year after year (I own a 70 and 71 H1 basket case). It just epitomizes the era, especially the reckless youth riding them! Obviously you survived your encounter, not everyone did. You must have been a good rider and knew when and where to draw the line, even at 18.
Other question: I know you filmed this using an old silent 8mm and you've dubbed the sound. But you've done such an excellent job of it, it sounds so realistic and appears perfectly timed with the action. The audio quality is also degraded enough to match the video quality perfectly. Where did you get the sound and how did you know to edit it so perfectly? It's done like a real pro, I'll tell you that.
Thank you drott150 for your kind remarks. I wasn't a great rider. Just a lucky one that was too stupid to realize I could get hurt or killed. Typical 18 year old that thinks they are immortal. Years later (1977) , I hit a car going about 80mph on a Kawasaki 1000 LTD. It knocked the crap out of me but was the best thing that could have happened to me at the time as the reality of mortality hit and I realized that I was not invincible! I'm luck the film turned out as good as it did. It was an old 8mm camera with a viewfinder lens so dirty one could barely see through it. I got the sound from a VHS recording I did of a 1970 Peacock Gray Mach III 500. That's probably while sound quality matches film. The rest was time consuming editing and dubbing in the sound to make it better! Video was just a hobby for me but I'm fairly good at it but I haven't made a video in years. I hope to rectify that in forthcoming years. Right now, I'm building a workshop to restore some more Kawasaki 500's and 750's. Thank you for the compliment!
@t250j Candy Sky Blue H1F- Very Nice!
Bet this took you back! I flipped my RD400 in 1985 doing wheelies... whoops :-) Anth.
They always knew when I was leaving or arriving! LOL!
I had one of these in 1972. How I survived that animal of a bike I do not know.
Isn't that the truth...I only survived because I was 18 and lucky...many a mishap though! LOL!
Nicely done. I thought it was fake.
Jeez, how did they get those videos of me?
I wish I'd have had phone cameras like we have today back then...I'd have gotten a lot of good video! back then, I had a crappy 8mm camera and no money for film! LOL!
Put me off doing wheelies and didn't half skin my knees :-) Anth.
@kawasakih1 i guess your right
@kawasakih1 yeah but the 250 is a nice one
@roady42 Terrible brakes, not the best handling, exceptional horsepower, ...I think anyone that owned one is lucky to still be alive! Great bikes though! Great memories!
@kawasakih1 the ninja isnt ugly D:
@bananakiller21 They'd sell a lot, especially to old guys like me! They should have new models and retro models!
Oh, Louis. tsk tsk.
@t250j HA! I'm guilty as charged! What can I say? It's good to relive one's childhood! Welcome to the club! Let me know if you win!
@bananakiller21 Today's motorcycles are seriously lacking in styling! Back in the seventies, you could look at a motorcycle and tell what it was. Today's motorcycles have the worst looking exhaust system..they look like pipes with coffee cans welded on the ends! 80's Ninja Kerker style exhaust were cool but now I've yet to see any decent exhaust pipes! Look at the new Kawasaki ZX14 exhaust. Butt Ugly!
Awesome incredible vantage footage, especially for the time! Just subscribed. My tuner and dyno man Curt Jordan still has is original 1969 H1. I am lucky to have him helping me tune my 1975 Tracy Body H1 last week. Here is a recent link to my 4 Kawi H's all running together:
ruclips.net/video/mnnS6m_1EYo/видео.html
Thanks! just watched your video & subscribed!
@atreewithnolife ...and they still are 40 years later. Kawasaki should take note instead of building their generic looking butt ugly bikes they make now!
I luv'd machs;still do, but that 5-up gear pattern is NOT cool.