Kawasaki Triples Club

I am on the look out for a KH 500 and saw this for sale...........am thinking this may be a step too far for my restoration skills ???

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1976-Kawasak ... 4902.l9144

Doesn’t look a bad project. Shame it’s missing the air box.
As with anything from D&K it needs to be viewed.

g6mow wrote:Doesn’t look a bad project. Shame it’s missing the air box.
As with anything from D&K it needs to be viewed.

I have to agree !
And now is wrong time to be viewing

Nothing a bucket full of cash wouldn't sort probably cheaper to buy one already done

Chris Todd wrote:Nothing a bucket full of cash wouldn't sort probably cheaper to buy one already done

Thats what i was thinking.................anything available at the moment ????

There is this one for sale on Car and Classic
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1302647
Looks to be pretty original and all there and says he's "testing the water", not used for 16 years means plenty to do for sure. I bought a "pretty" ornament that had been owned for a long time but not used and it cost a lot of time and money to get it fully sorted. But that US import went for well over 4k didn't it - this one appears to have standard air box and the pipes look pretty good.

Good luck a fully sorted KH500 hard to beat in my humble opinion, all the looks, noise, smell and reputation in a reliable and easy to live with package.

£7500 excessive in my view, wrong fork ears and modern mirrors I picked up with just a quick look.

But as it has been said before what they advertise it for is not they will get for it.

Good luck finding abike.

Aardvark

Agreed................needs to be running at that price.

Antarctic Boy wrote:There is this one for sale on Car and Classic
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1302647
Looks to be pretty original and all there and says he's "testing the water", not used for 16 years means plenty to do for sure. I bought a "pretty" ornament that had been owned for a long time but not used and it cost a lot of time and money to get it fully sorted. But that US import went for well over 4k didn't it - this one appears to have standard air box and the pipes look pretty good.

Good luck a fully sorted KH500 hard to beat in my humble opinion, all the looks, noise, smell and reputation in a reliable and easy to live with package.

I'm sorry but the KH500 with standard airbox and pipes sounds nothing like s 69 H1

The KH500 breathes through a 10 mm hole with a metal cap while the 69 gulps air through a hole ten times the size

The KH500 is a very muted shadow of its 1st incarnation

Gary T

scouse wrote:The KH500 is a very muted shadow of its 1st incarnation

Gary T

But very easy to fix and release that hp and induction roar

The KH 500 on Car and Classic needs a lot of work and it doesn't run so i am still looking

Tony_d123 wrote:

scouse wrote:The KH500 is a very muted shadow of its 1st incarnation

Gary T

But very easy to fix and release that hp and induction roar

1st thing I did when I got mine, I very quickly siezed it
Thankfully I've learnt a lot since then

Gary T

KH500 gone up for sale today on the FB site.

Saw that pictures can be flattering I would have to view before committing there will be some recommissioning costs still might be worth paying a bit more for a known quantity bike

Yes thats the same one.

Tony_d123 wrote:

scouse wrote:The KH500 is a very muted shadow of its 1st incarnation

Gary T

But very easy to fix and release that hp and induction roar

+1

I still want one

Please let me know if there are any available.

Tony_d123 wrote:

scouse wrote:The KH500 is a very muted shadow of its 1st incarnation

Gary T

But very easy to fix and release that hp and induction roar

Maybe I need to make my KH500 as noisy and smelly as an original, does anyone know the precise way to unleash the potential? Taken me ages to get it running really well, so currently has standard air filter/box and is on 1mm oversize Wiseco pistons with a 77.5 main jet (one size up I believe). The pipes are stock though I did notice that one baffle slightly different in one of the pipes. Is it simply a case of fitting K&N filters and raising the main jet size to something nearer the size of an early one or do the carbs need a myriad of changes? I don't want to butcher my airbox or make any change that is not completely reversible and I don't want to move to expansion chambers. I guess this must be a well trodden path to free the runt of the litter? Is the result effectively H1E/F performance - I've owned several H1F's in the past and suspect the claimed 59bhp pretty optimistic.
Every time I messed around with triples in my youth I always ended up seizing them or with something that was un-rideable below 6000 rpm. Trying to resist the urge to chase the magical 8bhp or is it 9bhp but the thought of having (nearer) the original power with the best chassis and brakes is an attractive one....

Antarctic Boy wrote:

Tony_d123 wrote:

scouse wrote:The KH500 is a very muted shadow of its 1st incarnation

Gary T

But very easy to fix and release that hp and induction roar

Maybe I need to make my KH500 as noisy and smelly as an original, does anyone know the precise way to unleash the potential? Taken me ages to get it running really well, so currently has standard air filter/box and is on 1mm oversize Wiseco pistons with a 77.5 main jet (one size up I believe). The pipes are stock though I did notice that one baffle slightly different in one of the pipes. Is it simply a case of fitting K&N filters and raising the main jet size to something nearer the size of an early one or do the carbs need a myriad of changes? I don't want to butcher my airbox or make any change that is not completely reversible and I don't want to move to expansion chambers. I guess this must be a well trodden path to free the runt of the litter? Is the result effectively H1E/F performance - I've owned several H1F's in the past and suspect the claimed 59bhp pretty optimistic.
Every time I messed around with triples in my youth I always ended up seizing them or with something that was un-rideable below 6000 rpm. Trying to resist the urge to chase the magical 8bhp or is it 9bhp but the thought of having (nearer) the original power with the best chassis and brakes is an attractive one....

If you remove the top trumpet then you bike will breath through a bigger hole than the 1st H1, I would suggest starting at 120 main jet

Gary T

Not just a trumpet on the KH500, remove all the plumbing so you are left with the tin filter housing and paper filter. Higgspeeds. 102 main jets.
Some people go up a size on the pilot, but I found it runs fine with the standard pilot and retains some fuel economy. I get over 100 miles before reserve which is great on an "enthusiatic" triples ride out as I only have to fill up every other time compared to others
I have run this spec for several years and a few thousand reliable miles

I'm similar set up to Tony, 102.5 mains (30 pilot) removed silencer and top feeder tube leaving airbox and KnN filter, and recently fitted some old Allspeeds.
I've no idea what power it has but it's immense fun, oh, and you might need better brakes !

Wessiedave wrote:I'm similar set up to Tony, 102.5 mains (30 pilot) removed silencer and top feeder tube leaving airbox and KnN filter, and recently fitted some old Allspeeds.
I've no idea what power it has but it's immense fun, oh, and you might need better brakes !

Many thanks for the formula to get the genie out of the bottle so to speak - nice little task for the spring I think