KIWI RIDER 09 2019 VOL2 | Page 82

Did you see these other Classic features? 750 H2C First Superbike of the 1970s launched three years after the 500 and was discontinued two years before it. The H2 also suffered the same fate as the H1 during the last model year. It was de-tuned, and generally made more docile. The company had removed the qualities which gave both bikes their loyal and, in some cases, passionate following. Both models had similar specs to begin with. The 500 had 60 x 58.8mm bore and stroke, the 750 71 x 63mm. Each had three Mikuni carburettors, a five-speed gear-box, and of course the two-stroke transverse in-line three-cylinder motor.  RETRO OR CLASSIC?  BMW K75 Mick Grant airborne at the Isle of Man also water-cooled, and many wonder why Kawasaki didn’t water-cool the road bikes earlier. It might have kept them alive for a few more years. Riders such as Mick Grant, Ginger Molloy, and Paul Smart raced the triples. There were also 250, 350, and 400 triples in the range, but it was the bigger models which captured the imagination of the riding and racing motorcyclists of the early 1970s, and they still have a loyal following amongst classic enthusiasts today. When the H2 was launched it was the fastest 750 on the road. As an example of what the H2 engine was capable of, the machine prepared for the 1976 Daytona 200 had a six-speed gear-box, and was producing 115bhp, with a top speed of 296km/h. It was Sharing your passion facebo ok.com /Caffein eAndCla ssics