My intro to H2 TRIPLES in 1977

[blackhat400]

Thot i"d write this story [true] of our[ my mates] first encounter with a green meanie. Back in 1977 we all ran around on yams RD400s/ 250s/DTs. as ther was no kawasaki dealer within 70mls of us. We"d heard of the 500 H1 " Reputed to be the fastest bike in the universe, [ in magazines] but never seen or heard.
So one day on our group travels to a nieghbouring town, we parked up mainstreet. Then we saw the local bike group , heard summat different in the pack , sounded like a howling growel . they parked up on oppisit side of street, just kinda staring as we were invading the patch. a guy in our crowd blurted " that one o" them kwaker triples. so we all walkd over to look at the icon. fk me some-one says " its a 750" . Yip and the guy that owned it was a cocky shit, So one of our group [RD400] chalenged him" race yeh"
Yeah " round the streets", So the H2C owner agrees" Well they took off screamin , H2 In lead. we all waited 10 mins later we saw them cum round corner at street end " the RD Had passed him" we all cheerd , shoutin " took him on his home patch.
Wen they stopped we asked wat happened , our guy says just tailed him round the schemes an passed him on last corner, H2 cudna streach its legs, and That RD rider was a racer one day, The H2 rider [ puppet] as he was known had no bottle.
He then [puppet] offered him out the road , but offer was declined,
[kno ur limmitations], So that was my first encounter with the triple, at 17, I never forgot the noise. now i own a H2, and love that sound

[the180kid]

yup it all rings true,
my first encounter with a blue 72' h2 a little earlier than the rd4's, with the awsome reputation to flip you off it was not an option to open the throttle, being only myself 10 1/2 stone in the mid 70's, i could flick my rd350 around anywhere, but once aboard a lent h2 it felt so heavy and was very wary of responses through the twist grip, so just tootled around giving it some occasionally, and really enjoyed it, the smile on my face when i handed it back, you could feel the bike just always burbling with so much torque under you, was awsome and very appreciative of the power on tap, never forget that fist rider,, 1975',...

[GinaG]

yup it all rings true,
my first encounter with a blue 72' h2 a little earlier than the rd4's, with the awsome reputation to flip you off it was not an option to open the throttle, being only myself 10 1/2 stone in the mid 70's, i could flick my rd350 around anywhere, but once aboard a lent h2 it felt so heavy and was very wary of responses through the twist grip, so just tootled around giving it some occasionally, and really enjoyed it, the smile on my face when i handed it back, you could feel the bike just always burbling with so much torque under you, was awsome and very appreciative of the power on tap, never forget that fist rider,, 1975',...

Shhhhhhit you oll money fool

I had owned from new my blue KH250B1 four & half years, the 1st time I clapped eyes on a H2 was one day at Westry Motorcycles in Maidstone, the local Yamaha dealer.

We had just got back from Paul Smarts Kawasaki Centre when one of the lads needed somethink for his RD250.

My heart missed a beat when I saw this Awsome 70's Glam Rock Purple H2C just sitting on the path on it's side stand .

I remember how Long the bike looked, infact that still stands today with a bog standard one! That memory of my 1st encounter with the undisputed King of triples is as vivid today as it was over30 years ago. I did'nt know it at the time but it beloned to a local Guy called Chad & boy could he wheelie it too

He now lives a mile from where i live now, but sadly does not own a triple

I valled that one day I would own a H2, no matter how long it took & as the years passed I thought this would never become a reality, then I met Gaaaaary Clark 6 years ago & that all changed

Cheers mate, been out on it today, plucked the courage up to ram the throttle wide open & pulled a very decent wheelie fron the traffic lights at the top of blue bell hill yeeeeeee haaaaaaa

Delboy

[simonh2c]

In 1975 I was 14 years old and some of the boys in the sixth form had graduated from FS1-E s through RD250 s to larger bikes. One guy had a Honda 400/4 which he rode at WOT all the time it seemed. Then one day two new bikes appeared, one was a Triumph Trident T160 in maroon and white and the other was a purple H2C.

I had no idea what a Kawasaki triple was and dont remember seeing one before, and I am sure I would have remebered because it blew me away. It was undoubtably the most beautiful bike in the world (and still is).
I did not get introduced to triples and thier heritage for another two years then I found out what that bike really was.
It belonged to boy called Joe Inglis and he left school later that year. I can still see it in my head today, gleaming menacingly in the gravel car park at the front of my school.
Wow!

[downpipe3]

whats a kawasaki triple

[GinaG]

whats a kawasaki triple

Quite simply Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaary It's the one that over heats on the centre cylinder mate & sounds like a bag of spanners on de-excelleration

[husson73]

In 1974, was RD 350 Yamaha owner, a friend of mine bought a used 69 H1, tried it in Paris, crazy and few time after I went on triple

[downpipe3]

whats a kawasaki triple

Quite simply Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaary It's the one that over heats on the centre cylinder mate & sounds like a bag of spanners on de-excelleration

oh yes i know exactly what you mean

[simonh]

i was still pissin my pants in the '70's, you fuckers are too old

gotta join me a NEW club with young folk

[Hal]

i was still pissin my pants in the '70's, you fuckers are too old

gotta join me a NEW club with young folk

Don't you go playing that 'yuwff' card yet again Simon - cos you aint friggin young anymore matey boy

[g6mow]

Fcukin right he's a Grumpy Southern Old Twat

[simonh]

i'm normally fine, then talk to one of you lot and age 20 years, grumpy aint nothing on me.

speaking of age hal, i need to hit the grecian 2000

[Windy]

I blame nipper and Keiths appearance in Bike Mag. I knew of kh400s at the time (RD's & X7's era) but the thought of a 750 blew me away.

Ended up with a H1 which seemed a reasonable compromise ("the most dangerous triple" the mags said). First H2 I saw in the flesh was Nige Goodmans H2c when I met up with him on the way to the first rally.

I still smile at the expression in one mag "Willy shrinking acceleration"

Its my excuse and im sticking to it!

[Ian R]

Hi all. Back in 1975 I got a job at one of the local car dealers (Poulton motors near Blackpool) serving petrol to supliment my poor apprentice pay. Could not believe my luck when the garage changed hands and became a Kawasaki dealership. That was the start of my life long obsession. I started of with an S3 followed quickley by a H1E, but all I ever wanted was that purple H2C that I used to sit on before the shop opened. It took me 20 yeaes to finally get my purple H2C. And to this day I still think it is the most stunning bike ever made. Ian

[GinaG]

[quote="Ian R"]Hi all. Back in 1975 I got a job at one of the local car dealers (Poulton motors near Blackpool) serving petrol to supliment my poor apprentice pay. Could not believe my luck when the garage changed hands and became a Kawasaki dealership. That was the start of my life long obsession. I started of with an S3 followed quickley by a H1E, but all I ever wanted was that purple H2C that I used to sit on before the shop opened. It took me 20 yeaes to finally get my purple H2C.


And to this day I still think it is the most stunning bike ever made. Ian

Here here Ian I 2nd that even though I probably will never own one I do however own a lovely H2 Special in Orange

[SAM]

February 1976 i ordered my S3A from Ken Kay in Luton. In the showroom sat a Purple H2C. Far too expensive then but thirty years later i have one.

[irhobotolo]

When I was 19 I had a Honda 750f2 with a big touring fairing. I decided on a change and swopped it for a KH400 with full Ian Dyson bodykit, Microns, k&ns, and a Terry Beckett ported engine with nowt under 7000 rpm. The bodykit was white and the ARE alloys were red. It is a miracle that i wasnt killed on it because I used to ride it like a complete twat everywhere. I have owned loads of bikes in the 25 years since but none are as mad as that one. I rode it to Wales and back along the A5 one sunday just for the hell of it and raced everything on the road
THOSE WERE THE DAYS...................