kawasaki triples and some others..

kas750 · 23 Jun 2013

As well as my Escort mexico and my 996 turbo I also own a few Kawasaki triples which I have restored over the years.Some I still have and some have moved on to make way for other projects.Heres some pics..
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a 1972 Kawasaki h2 750.

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1972 Kawasaki s1 250.A very rare bike which with modified gearing would do a genuine ton.
Before and after pics.

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And here it is today.

And it's not just a show pony.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8m4PXf0XDA
A one owner till 2008 1972 s2 350.This bike covered 65,000 miles by its original owner.I restored it back to factory spec.

kas750 · 23 Jun 2013

When I had finished the s1 and s2 I had a pile of spares and a kh400 engine and decided to cobble together a special with a tuned engine.
I called it project lash-up.
So this is what i started with

Found some ARE wheels.

Extended the swinger by 50mm..

I then stripped down the running gear for paint and powdercoat .I did all the paint myself at home. I then concentrated on the engine.
It is a kh400 with kh400 iggy.It has a Mick Abbey pro-street tune with custom pipes by Mick and i made some manifolds to fit pwk28 semi flat slides from a kr1s...I also had a tall first gear custom made to shorten the gap between first and second.

Well the day of reckoning finally came!!! Having completed the bike earlier on that year and used it at rallies and covered over 1000 totally reliable miles i thought it probably best to run it up on the dyno to see what power it has.
Dave at higgspeed kindly offered a while back to do a power run on his facility so i had an afternoon booked off and arranged to take it up to Daves.

I really was apprehensive as i wanted it to perform ok but i also wanted it to hold together as obviously dyno testing is very hard on the engine.
So this is the dyno room
All the big talk ends here!!!

Dave warmed the engine up on the dyno and then did what was probably about 5 maybe 6 power runs.
We had a problem with the tyre spinning on the drum when the power came in and this gave false readings,but as the tyre warmed we had total grip and at last we could really go for it!!
Before i go any further i must say i can't believe how robust these 400 engines are even when given treatment that it would never get in the real world.
It was revved to oblivion (with my consent) yet didn't complain or misfire and after all that it settled down to a steady 900 rpm..remarkable really...
So heres a vid of one of the runs with dyno Dave at the helm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1r5ZB5_W7c

So lets get down to the nitty gritty of this.
Heres a dyno print out of a standard s3 which has been previously posted.
As you can see it varies quite a lot compared to kawasaki's claim,but no suprises there!
Peak power at the wheel 30.1 hp

...and now heres the print out for project lash up.Please bear in mind that we didn't do a tune,just a power run and it is on 100% kr1s jets and needle positions.

T8 · 23 Jun 2013

:worship:

I love 70's Japcrap [term of endearment], especially the 2 strokes. :thumb:

In 1978 I had a '76 RD350 and did many memorable miles in the company of various Kwaka and Suzi triples.

Memories :cloud9:

T8 · 23 Jun 2013

How did we have sooooooooooo much fun with less than 50 bhp. :dont know: :?:

kas750 · 23 Jun 2013

Indeed!..the world was a different place then. :mrgreen:
Imagine what it felt like in the 1920's when the scott I restored was new.
Its a 1929 600cc sports squirrel,watercooled two stroke twin.

kas750 · 23 Jun 2013

I did a 1926 AJS 500 ohv bike which I used on the road and the occasional sprint.
80 odd years old,but will still top 80 mph.

I also did a 1926 AJS bigport.One of my favourite bikes of all time.

tbrown · 23 Jun 2013

:worship:

I love what you've done to keep those machines alive.
I used to have a beautiful KH250 in 1978 and still regret the day I let it go.
Always thought one day I would get the 750 H2 but never did.
Looked through the ads about 2 months ago for a project bike
but it looks like you have to spend 3 times the bikes value to restore one.
I was at Cranfield airport last week and saw a stunning Z1 900.
:yes:

Zingari · 23 Jun 2013

Outstanding chum :worship:

I cut my teeth on 2-strokes.

Suzuki GT185 Twin Ram Air - mainly off road teenager fun :grin: and later on the road

Suzuki X1 - First bike at 16 :thumb:

Kawasaki KX400 Single pot scrambler - Kickback through the kick start sliced open my Wellington boot :nooo: proper boots ordered so I could kick it over. Fantastic jump over a large grassy hill resulted in a broken wrist :roll:

Yamaha RD400 coffin lid tank :thumb: - lasting memories riding home in heavy brogues whilst drop bars and rear seats were fitted. Two up down the Tatton Mile at 100 mph later followed by the engine seizing when the oil pump packed in

c:

BMW K100RS - high miles but very responsive if a little clinical.

Harley Fat-boy - Everyone needs to ride one

Hired whilst in the US. Route 66 on a suitable bike is on my Bucket list :thumb:

Seventy Seven · 23 Jun 2013

Wow, some lovely transformational shots. You know your stuff! :worship:

tbrown · 23 Jun 2013

Zingari said:
Yamaha RD400 :thumb:

My late Father bought one of those having been riding around on a
Honda CB175 for 3 years!!
After listening to him tell me how fast it was, I went round to give it a go
only to find it running rough. On close inspection, it had 2 different spark
plugs neither of which should have been in the engine. I replaced them,
tweeked the timing and gave it back to him.....he went up the road and
scared himself stupid. 8) Sold it 6 months later.

Millomboy · 23 Jun 2013

Excellent work sir. If I had a hat I would take it off to you. :thumbs:

scottuk · 23 Jun 2013

Hats off to you Kas, you truly are a talented individual, and nice to see you are not afraid to use them either, would be such a shame for these classics to sit in dark corners never to be eye candy for everyone to appreciate, and admire.
Well done :thumb:

Chester J Lampwick · 23 Jun 2013

I've always had a bike on the road since 1974 - When I was a student I had friends in the UMIST bike club with Kawasaki triples which they rode and production raced, they were always keen to take passengers on long trips because they couldn't afford the 20mpg!

I was on the back of a 750 when it seized at 80mph (sand in the oil tank, put there on purpose we thought), luckily the rider being a regular 2 stroke racer had a finger over the clutch at all times, and heard / felt it going off.

I scared myself riding his 500 triple by having the throttle wide open as it slowly wound up towards its narrow but mad power band - next thing all I could see was the sky as it lit up with a banshee wheelie!

ady117 · 24 Jun 2013

Stunning work, stunning bikes, makes my lashed up projects look very sad !

kas750 · 28 Jun 2013

Thanks for the comments chaps,its much appreciated. :thumb:
I nearly forgot to post pics of last years project!
It was a 1975 mk2 Escort rally car.
It was a pukka thing but totally abused and knackered.

This is a brief spec..

Alloy arched 5 linked shell , strengthened , gussetted , strut brace . full SD cage inc Diagonal and door bars. Seat mounting bars , lightweight bonnet , boot and doors with poly carb windows. GP.4 alloy front spoiler .

Engine

Fitted with a rally spec. 1600cc Ford X/Flow engine (Kent), running on Twin 40 Webers , itg filter and twin throttle linkage , steel rocker gear , alloy rocker cover , rally cam etc Lucas comp dizzy with Lumenition. (Previous owner said gives 120bhp @ wheels) 4 into 1 exh manifold and L/Hand exhaust system. Oil cooler etc.

Transmission

Rocket 4 speed Tran-X s/c c/r gear box , quick shift gear lever , single propshaft , strengthened & braced English axle with LSD

Suspension/Brakes

Bilstein World cup front struts with RTM , WCXM , Q/rack , Uprated anti roll bar with double width mountings, Alloy sump guard , Bilstein rear turret dampers , single leaf slipper springs and 5 linked axle (has option on shell to fit watts linkage set up) Adj. bias pedal box , hyd hand brake , aeroquip flexi , RS2000 vented brakes etc .

Other parts

Shaped Alloy fuel tank , twin facet fuel pumps , filter king , boot mounted battery , BDA Big header radiator , alloy catch tank , Be spoke dash with various gauges and uprated tacho , Rallymaster trip meter , Suede dished s/wheel . Lightweight seats/belts . Minilite wheels , Plumbed in zero 2000 exting & H/held.
Looked ok when it was done.I moved it on to buy my turbo.
Here it was when I bought it.
P

and here it is done.
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kawasaki triples and some others..

kas750

Zandvoort

kas750

Zandvoort

T8

Super Moderator

T8

Super Moderator

kas750

Zandvoort

kas750

Zandvoort

tbrown

Paul Ricard

Zingari

Brands Hatch

Seventy Seven

Barcelona

tbrown

Paul Ricard

Millomboy

Suzuka

scottuk

Hockenheim

Chester J Lampwick

Monza

ady117

Monza

kas750

Zandvoort

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