Kawasaki Triples Club

Well my first was on my new S3A from Ken Kay Luton.
Moving from a GT250 Suzuki.
Not too eventful as was a nice day.
But my first ride home on H2C was in the snow.

My first ride on a triple was on my 17th birthday on my new B1 and indeed it was my first ever ride on the road too, on anything.

It was a beautiful Sunday morning and I thought that I was doing great until I found myself going the wrong way along the gyratory in Chester which still haunts me to this day

In and around 1977 or 78. I was riding my Z1 at the time and bumped into a mate with a green 'tuned' S3. He insisted I take a hurl on it,so I didn't want to be rude and refuse.

Man,that little bike was 'brisk'. It felt lovely and light compared to the weighty Z1. But the soundtrack,oh man the soundtrack. The spannies cackled and sang. In those days I only had enough money for one bike at a time,but I knew at some stage I would own a triple. It's just a pity I had to wait until I was old and they were expensive bikes before I did.

Summer 1977, brother's green KH400A4, with brother on the back. Aged 15.

spring 73, a friend just bought a used 69 H1 and was with my... CB 350 twin!
Try the H1 in Paris and fly but when I arrived to a crossing around 100 miles and the light went red I understood there were no brakes so crossed the cross
One year later got a 69 H1

Early April 1973. I rode my brand new red S2 away from Coventry Kawasaki south on the Foleshill Road. Stopped for petrol at the Shell garage half a mile on and filled up with petrol at 28p/gallon, as the shop had only put half a gallon in!

1st August 1976, first day of the new R reg, PAL 364R. KH250.

Here it is the night before after being delivered from Eric Housley’s at Clay Cross. My nephew just trying it for size!

And as per when I posted it on FB, it’s blue not green. Colour in the photo has just changed in the last 50 years or so.

A bit more blue Ian

Luke Sharp wrote: ↑Tue Mar 24, 2026 8:23 pm 1st August 1976, first day of the new R reg, PAL 364R. KH250.

Here it is the night before after being delivered from Eric Housley’s at Clay Cross. My nephew just trying it for size!

And as per when I posted it on FB, it’s blue not green. Colour in the photo has just changed in the last 50 years or so.

IMG_1810.jpeg

I quite like the unintentional green colour

I couldn`t find this picture when I posted the other day, this was my B1 at home after it was delivered by Bill Smiths via Knott Mill and waiting for my birthday in around 10 days time.
Ignore the date stamp on the picture as its a picture of a Polaroid picture.
Note the L Plate wrapped around the rear shock, it didn`t survive long as I remember

March 1973 for me. I’d started full time work the November before, and raised a good amount for a deposit on a new ‘72 S1. Last one at my local dealer.
I was working in Melbourne (Aus) and my hometown was Bendigo, 100 miles away. Had to partly run the S1 in on the trip to Melbourne at 40mph, and on my ‘L’s’.
How I wish I’d known how sought after they’d become. I would have looked after it a whole lot better. Sold it and bought a Z1-B in March of ‘75.

My first ride on a triple was in September 1976.

Like Luke's my KH250 was also blue.
The pictures are have of the bike are dark. I had a little nose fairing on mine, painted the same colour as the bike.
Plus the large crash bar that went across the front of the engine.

Purchased from Fox Kawasaki on Mapperley top in Nottingham. The sales man was Steve Henshaw. Sadly lost his life whilst racing at the TT in 1982.

Most of the group of lads I knocked about with had two strokes, I was the only one with a Kawasaki triple the rest had Rd's and GT's.

Aardvark

My first ride on a triple was my mate Wayne's KH250.
It was only two years old, but it was a complete dog. A broken gear change return spring was interesting. It was already on its third front end, because Wayne had a habit of riding into the back of parked cars, mainly due to the badly scratched visor on his helmet, which meant he couldn't see anything when it was raining. His lack of maintenace skills and mechanical empathy meant he was a regular at Poulton Kawasaki parts counter, picking up replacement pistons.
But despite all that, I loved it. Unfortunately Wayne died shortly afterwards on the back of another friends bike and I bought the KH250 from his parents.
First run out I hit a 50mph zone, opened it up and there was a loud bang. A plug had been cross threaded and blew out, hitting the bottom of the tank! Thanks Wayne, still missed

My first triple was 1st April yesterday some 37 years ago.
I actually wanted to go racing again buying a TZR250 but Julie was not keen at all and said why do you not do something safer like restore one?
I remembered a guy turning up at day release (joinery) on a 350 S2 in the 70"s and thought I will buy one of those.
I chased an advert up in super bike magazine for an S2 and it was sold.
He told me the buyer had lots of triples and gave me his number,.
It was Simon Whitlock and I rang him and agreed to buy an S2 for £230 and I traveled to London in my van on 1st April 1989.



I restored and won best S2 at the 1990 triples rally.



The first ride on triple would have come couple of months after buying the S2. I bought a British H1A, bog standard for £550. What a journey it all led to!!

Impressive timescale for the resto from what you started with

Surprisingly Sam i also owned a Suzuki GT250 M ram air at 17 in 1977. After being flattened on a dual carriageway by a non noticing car driver my bike was a write off. So spent £610 and bought a KH500 from Kawasaki dealer Peter Smith in Lowestoft. Still only 17 at the time i was paying £30 a month for insurance, the rest of my wages went on fuel and 2 stroke oil. But the grin factor was worth it.

November 1973,rode my new H1b out of the dealers.I must say i found it a bit disappointing after thrashing around on a well run in Samurai in the previous year.....