1971 Kawasaki 750 H2 Triple - 5-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article

Description

1971 Kawasaki 750 H2 Triple - 5-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article
Original, vintage magazine article.
Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm) each page
Condition: Good
The biggest and possibly the best yet of the
Kawasaki Triples, the 750 leaves little to be
desired.
In February of 1969, in what was
then the middle of their model year,
Kawasaki held a series of dealer
meetings across the country to intro-
duce their new heavyweight cham-
pion, the 500cc three cylinder Mach
III Th is potent contender for the
rewards of successful sales in the su-
perbike class, soon became the sen-
sation of the industry. The perform-
ance was almost beyond comparison
with what had gone before, especially
considering the relatively small dis-
placement of the engine. Its out-
standing attractions were acceler-
ation; it was the quickest production
motorcycle in the world, bar none;
and a relatively modest price of about
a thousand dollars. What every road
rider had long known was that boom-
ing acceleration was more exhilarating
than a top speed of 1 20 plus, because
where and how often could you ride
at 1 20 plus? But the opportunities for
booming acceleration were as infinite
as boulevard stops, of which modern
urban traffic abounds. At last, here
was a stop light drag racer that was
almost unbeatable, unless the other
guy was also riding a Mach III, and
the price was within the means of the
average road rider.
The 500 triple became an immedi-
ate sales success, and certainly more
than any other machine in their line,
made Kawasaki almost overnight a
household word among motorcycle
enthusiasts. Not even the introduction
of the Honda 7 50 Four later that same
year could dim the luster of the Kawa-
saki achievement.
But the American motorcycle mar-
ket is the richest in the world, and
affluence has a peculiar tendency to
grow dissatisfied rather quickly with
the familiar. The 1972 model year is
the fourth for the 500 Mach III, and
while it is still one of the pillars of
their line, Kawasaki wisely decided
that an additional model was needed
to gain an additional share of the
superbike market The development
work actually began two years ago,
with the original concept a 650cc
triple. But time and engineering ad-
vancements crystallized the produc-
tion model at a whopping 750cc's,
appropriately designated the Mach IV
This is the machine that will top Ka-
wasaki's line of high performance
touring models for 1972
At first glance, if the casual ob-
server doesn't notice the 750 decal
on the oil tank, he may assume he
is observing the latest 500cc ma-
chine. But closer scrutiny quickly re-
veals that the engine is considerably
more massive than the 500, com-
pletely filling the space between the
gas tank and the frame cradle Further
scrutiny confirms the impression of
greater mass; the exhaust pipes are
considerably bigger, and angle up-
ward more at the rear; the gas tank
is bigger, but still nicely symmetrical,
the headlight and instrument cluster
ahead of the handlebars are bigger.
In addition to the greater bulk of the
Mach IV, it is painted a bright blue,
while the 500 is bright red.
The 1 9 inch steel front wheel
mounts a 3 25 tire, with a rather small
fender mounted to the lower fork
slider legs. A large hydraulic disc
brake is mounted on the front; a wise
move. The performance of many of
the new superbikes is simply too
much for the older internal expanding
brakes to cope with. The lower fork
legs are cast aluminum items, unlike
the previous steel units used on all
Kawasaki road machines. The alumi-
num units look better and work better.
A pair of turn signal lights are
mounted on outboard metal struts just
below the headlight. The headlight is
very large, but not out of proportion,
and the illumination at night is bril-
liant. The separate speedometer and
tachometer are mounted with the in-
strument faces about 45 degrees from
horizontal, making them the easiest
to read of any production machine
we've seen yet. The turn signal
switch, headlight switch and dimmer
switch are all mounted on the left
handlebar, within reach of the rider's
thumb without removing his hand
from the grip. In addition to the throt-
tle and hand brake lever, the right
handlebar carries the choke lever and
the hydraulic disc brake master cylin-
der. The total impression of the front
end is one of well thought out design
and ease of control.
The rather bulbous gas tank carries
4.5 gallons of fuel, which is necessary
considering the engine's prodigious
appetite. The oil tank carries slightly
over two quarts, which is sufficient
for considerable cruising without re-
filling. The saddle is long and wide
and attractive. It is also comfortable
enough for shorter trips, but on longer
jaunts it becomes too hard. The box-
like tail section above the short con-
cealed rear fender contains the tail
light, and space for a tool kit. Like
the similar section on the 350 triple,
this tail area is going to be controver-
sial. One member of our staff didn't
like it, and two did. It seems to grow
on the majority. Rear turn signal lights
are mounted on outboard metal struts,
completing the rear end package.
The conventional double cradle
frame carries the massive engine fairly
low and forward. Because this engine
is wider than the 500 triple, some
adjustments had to be made in the
frame geometry. Other than having
an extra half inch wheelbase, the most
noticeable difference is an extra 1 V2
inches of ground clearance, to allow
the big triple to be bent over in the
corners without grounding the cases.
The exhaust pipes exit gracefully to
the rear, with two on the right side
and one on the left. The engine is
fed by three separate carburetors, and
is not the least fussy. The relative...
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