Kawasaki Triples Club

A VJMC mate of mine has had an S1 languishing in his shed for a number of years now. I haven't had a close look at it yet, but he assures me that it's relatively complete [he's not the kind of guy to exaggerate and he's an honest bloke]. So, at a club night last night, I told him I'd take it off his hands.

He wants me to look at it first, so I know exactly what it's like, but how can you resist any first model S1?

He said the engine number is ****409, and frame ****416.

A pearl white S1 was my first brand new bike, so I'm a little bit excited about getting another one. I hope it all comes together!

He's my painter for all my bike stuff, and has some of my H2-A bits and pieces now. When I head off to pick them up, I'll be having a look at the bike ... and maybe have the Motolug in the boot of the car, just in case.

You got to love a 72 bike

Show off

I never miss a chance to post a pic of my 72's

Another show off

So we need someone to take on a new project with there H1B??
Redesign it with the "correct" 72 tailpiece and seat

cause the 500 was born years before Wolfie

I wonder why the 500 broke the mould?




Did pose this question myself Wolfie. Wouldn't have taken too much work to put the same bodywork on all bikes for '72.

the very first S2 prototypes were very close from the early H1 :smt003

malc87 wrote:So we need someone to take on a new project with there H1B??
Redesign it with the "correct" 72 tailpiece and seat

Erm, I actually have that thing prepped and ready to put together !! Just need a bit of spare time !!

Got to build a standard one, to add to KillerKel`s line up first !!!

TallyB wrote:I wonder why the 500 broke the mould?




Did pose this question myself Wolfie. Wouldn't have taken too much work to put the same bodywork on all bikes for '72.

Don`t think it broke a mould actually Wolfers. For the 72 range they had the S1 , S2 and H2 to introduce as new models. So I suspect they didn`t allocate the time to revamp the H1 so much. So they painted it in 72 style , and added the new Disc Brake front end from the H2 to jazz it up a bit.....except of course the early one`s also had a different front hub to the H2 , so, err...?? Dunno !!

The 73 H1-D model got the jazzy new tailpiece , but it was also a bit of an interim model really. They clearly wanted to update the ignition system. Earlier 500 dizzy set-up was gash !!! But strange they then went on to re-design the H2 3 iggy box set-up with a better ( ? ! ) smaller two box set-up for the 74 and onward H1`s, but never bothered to adapt it for H2 use............

Neil the Don wrote: Don`t think it broke a mould actually Wolfers. For the 72 range they had the S1 , S2 and H2 to introduce as new models. So I suspect they didn`t allocate the time to revamp the H1 so much.

.
I think they saw more value in launching a 250 for the European market so concentrated on that, You would suspect that the H2 was the new flagship but in reality it all started with the S2 which went into production around May 1971, parts from the S2 were then used in the make up of the H2 Prototype which went into full production some 4 Months later in September 1972, At that time I believe the S2 was "modified" and turned into the S1 (Hence the reason EARLY S1 cylinders can be bored out to 350), the S1 was the last of the line and, I believe went into production in December 1971 . . . You don't see the S1 in "The Year Of The Tri-Stars" because I think it was still on the drawing board when that sales pitch went to press :wink:

El Presidente wrote:

Neil the Don wrote: Don`t think it broke a mould actually Wolfers. For the 72 range they had the S1 , S2 and H2 to introduce as new models. So I suspect they didn`t allocate the time to revamp the H1 so much.

.
I think they saw more value in launching a 250 for the European market so concentrated on that, You would suspect that the H2 was the new flagship but in reality it all started with the S2 which went into production around May 1971, parts from the S2 were then used in the make up of the H2 Prototype which went into full production some 4 Months later in September 1972, At that time I believe the S2 was "modified" and turned into the S1 (Hence the reason EARLY S1 cylinders can be bored out to 350), the S1 was the last of the line and, I believe went into production in December 1971 . . . You don't see the S1 in "The Year Of The Tri-Stars" because I think it was still on the drawing board when that sales pitch went to press :wink:

you really do need to write a book
or at least record all your knowledge onto a digital voice recorder, for someone else to put on paper

Gary T

I agree with Scouse on that one Rick.
I know that retirement doesn't mean there's not plenty to do but when those long winter evenings return, give it a thought!
Steve