Cycle News Archives
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Burdened With The Wrong Image
By Kent Taylor
“What’s too painful to remember,” sings Barbra Streisand, “we simply choose to forget.” It sounds like a good formula, but in reality, most folks have a pretty darned good memory of their pain, even though they would probably like to forget about it. Bad financial decisions, wrong-headed relationships and excessive consumption of sloe gin swiped from your buddy’s parents’ liquor cabinet (all of which can lead to equally excessive projectile vomiting) leave indelible and painful marks on the noggins of otherwise responsible humans.
But that’s what she said, way back in 1972, the first year of the Kawasaki H2 750 two-stroke triple. Even Babs had a soft spot for two-strokes; her current husband, James Brolin, rode a two-smoker Yamaha on the old “Marcus Welby, M.D.” television show. Two-strokes were the way we were in those days, and H2 owners were the luckiest people in the world.
Cycle News’ editor Art Friedman took a unique approach to testing the new Kawasaki in the May 30, 1972, issue. Even though he was an experienced road racer, Friedman decided to put the 750 superbike through the paces—as a tourer! In 1972, that would’ve been akin to asking Raquel Welch to grill burgers. Kawasaki’s Mach III H1 500 was the fastest kid on the streets, and his big brother would be even quicker. Why in the name of Spiro T. Agnew would you want to make like a Good Sam and take him on a road trip?
“We all know it’s fast,” he wrote. “The Kawasaki 750 is as fast as you will ever need a bike to be. It is the strongest. That’s all.” But what his fellow staffers also discovered was that it was more than just a speedy motorcycle; it was also a good one. In comparison to its feisty sibling, “the 750 is much more confidence-inspiring and flexible. It is a much better all-around motorcycle. The ride, seating, suspension, engine flexibility and controls are much more comfortable and civilized on the 750. In fact, performance-oriented riders may be happier with the 500.”
Even though the two powerplants looked similar on the outside, the H2 was clearly designed to be the more mannerly machine of the two. Milder port timing resulted in a much wider powerband. The peak horsepower rating (74 bhp) was reached with the three pistons slinging it at 6800 rpm. But what piqued Friedman’s interest was lugging the bike along at 2000 rpm. The owner’s manual warned against such misuse of a snappy two-stroke, as such shenanigans would lead to fouled plugs. But the Kawasaki behaved well in the lower range, and the staffer couldn’t resist plodding along. Indeed, the bike did ultimately oil soil one of its plugs. No problem! “It runs fine on two cylinders.”
Lest ye think that this H2 was too much Bruce Wayne and not enough Batman, the staffers did note that “the H2’s easy performance will often put you a great deal further from the speed limit than you realize without checking the speedo. Whacking the throttle on hard in first or second will bring the front wheel up.”
The Kawasaki’s 430 pounds made it feel like a lightweight machine and helped it earn good grades for its handling characteristics. The Kawasaki did “a superb job of road holding on the twisting roads. It will take an incredibly precise line. Just pick out an apex and point it. The steering geometry and weight distribution are spot on.”
The suspension soaked up the bumps well, and the cushy seat absorbed any residual road ripple. Yes, there was once a day when a manufacturer didn’t expect a rider to have to begin the hunt for a better saddle for their new bike before they even left the dealership. And while we are once again pining for the way we were, let’s mention a well-placed center stand, a chain oiler, a small compartment under the rear fender for carrying a few items, and a real tool kit.
“The Kawasaki 750, then, is a very pleasant, manageable machine that, because of its incredible performance, has been burdened with the wrong image,” Friedman wrote, adding that, “if I had to ride across the country and back, I would choose the Kawasaki without hesitation.”
Sporty, fast, comfortable—but wait! There’s more! It was even a good investment. Smart cyclists who purchased the H2 new in 1972 for $1386 and have kept them will be happy to know that such machines were fetching $50,000 at this winter’s Mecum Auction in Las Vegas. Granted, an investment of $80 in one 1972 Berkshire Hathaway stock is worth $788,000 today, but we all know numbers can lie. Given a choice, Warren Buffett would trade anything for a ride on the fast yet friendly Kawasaki H2. As Babs would say, “It’s the laughter we will remember.” CN
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