Two-stroke Kawasakis are coming out of the woodwork lately, why is it that all of a sudden certain vehicles seem to be hot and others don’t? Toyota Land Cruisers, Buick Grand Nationals, Sno Runners… well, the first two anyway. This red-hot 1972 Kawasaki H2 750 Mach IV is listed here on eBay in Mabel, Minnesota right on the Iowa border. The current bid price is a whopping $10,100 and there are still eight days left on the auction. I predict a crazy price on this one.
This dusty, hidden, maybe forgotten Kawasaki is already between NADA’s very good and excellent values and a perfectly-restored one sold at a Mecum auction in 2019 for $17,050. Past prices or even valuations are basically meaningless today as we all know, I just like to put them out there so in decades when some young person reads a Barn Finds article, they can see what some actual numbers were at this particular time.
We have seen many two-stroke Kawasaki 500s and 750s here but only one 1972 Kawasaki H2 Mach IV, oddly enough. Jeff showed us one here last summer. In fact, that was the only 1972 Kawasaki that has ever been shown on Barn Finds. I have a lot of work to do! This infamous “widow maker” model was made for just four model years, 1972 through 1975 and they came on the heels of the also crazy-and-cool Kawasaki 500 H1 Mach III. You may have seen Jay Leno showing one and riding it here on YouTube in the past, but if not, it’s worth a watch.
This is a classic hidden find and the seller has owned it for three years. The story is that this bike was purchased new by someone in California and was brought to Minnesota when he passed away in 1990. A family member of the original owner inherited it and put it into storage and the seller bought it from them three years ago. It’s been sitting in the seller’s shed for the last three years and they aren’t going to get to the restoration and are, most likely, poised to make a fair amount of money on it – just a wild guess.
The engine is Kawasaki’s 748 cc air-cooled triple-cylinder two-stroke that would pound out a 12-second quarter-mile time right off of the showroom floor. This one turns over which is good, but it hasn’t run in decades. Will this one make it to $20,000? What’s your guess on the selling price?
From the ebay ad: “I bought it and put the bike in my shed where it’s sat for the last 3yrs.”
Bad enough he did that but still couldn’t be bothered to detail it now in order to sell?
read what U just wrote & U will C Y. That’s all he did. He knows no thing bout the bike to fill in any detail.
I see this on both buyer’s and seller’s part all the time. That or misinformation as to compaany history, vehicle’s capacity, other facts on them. I used to offer politely, got frustrated after so many repeats and was mean. Now I just do this (coment about coments). The further removed the better for me.
8^ 0
I remember when the 750 Triple came out. I often heard the term: “Kamakazi,” I guess because of the questionable frame strength and the unpredictable powerband. I never rode one so I can’t pass judgement. But I also heard that they drank more gas than a mid-sized car. Again, I can’t corroborate that but I do remember when snowmobiles started getting nuts-O hp ratings and they easily burned twice the gas my old Yamaha GP433 did. I can imagine that these made the oil companies smile. But it would be interesting to take a ride on one and maybe see just how much power it does have…
I would love to try one someday. It’s 58 degrees here today (woo-hoo!) and I just rode the Motocompo, 1965 Honda Sport 65, Rokon, and the ’84 Honda Gyro around for a while. I can imagine that this 750 two-stroke has several times more power than all of those combined.
IMHO, you’re dead-on with that descriptor, Scotty. Having ridden one of these-ONCE-as a supposedly fearless teenager, thinking all the sermons of my youth as I tried to rein it it, this thing is more akin to an 800 amp single wheel skateboard than any motorcycle of any kind of the era..
A friend of mine once explained it as partial conspiracy to rid the world of teenage boys, in addition to granting us a motorcycle license at 14.
Do you have a Gyro S, or the regular Gyro?
Don’t know about the 750s but the Mach-3 500’s only got mid-twenties mpg. The 750 must be worse. And the frames and swing arms on both bikes were so limp if you popped the clutch for a serious launch you never knew which way the bike was going to go.
I had a 500 triple and it launched as straight as a chalk line if it was pointed straight in the first place, pull the clutch in go to 6,000 RPM, pin the throttle and let the clutch snap out. Worked great, put 15,000 miles on mine never wrecked. Faster than any four stroke regardless of displacement back in the day.
This old man can guarantee you would be hard pressed to not in some way stain your skivvies if you were one one and rolled the throttle on aggressively without being prepared for the results, the 500 was scary but the 750 was even worse by far. Many new riders were hurt on the 500 and a lot of experienced riders were very careful extremely so on the 750 u til they were really used to its power band!
Geo as well as Howard – correct you guys have NEVER rode these triples and continue to pass judgment based on beer or coffee chatter – wish you two would just pass on commenting.
Look at the millage – 13,706. 3 it looks like – that’s still a lot of miles on any two stoke street bike – so let’s say the owner did enjoy it.
It’s around a $10,000 as a non-runner so you can see there is a strong interest in these bikes.
Wish I still had my last triple – an H1 – sold off all of them from a 250-350-400 and 750 but kept the 1972 the longest – just wasn’t riding it as much and they were bringing good money. The guy made and offer I shrudged on – then I fired up those chambers…..he dug out what I was asking…..
Saw the picture and at first I thought you were my friend. He had a bunch of bikes and a KB1 truck he was restoring. Different truck but the same style. Hell of a good guy.
I think we’ve covered just about every aspect of these, I liked the video of Jay Leno, I don’t watch that show much because of the exotic cars he features, but he knows what he’s talking about and sometimes features vehicles that were most influential to us. I recognized his “route”, his garage is near Bob Hope Airport in Burbank( undisclosed location), incredibly busy, ( and no, motorcycles in Cal. made before 1978 don’t need a headlight on, I looked that up) and you can tell, initially, it’s running poorly, until he gets to the open area( that parallels I-5) it finally “clears out”.
This is a fun find, has typical low mileage, not many racked up the mileage like a GoldWing, although, I can’t help but think some poor schmoe rode one cross-country, smelling like oil when they got there. And these were NEVER a threat to a HD or Limey rider, it appealed to a much different class, straight line ( note to new owner,,,you BETTER be in a straight line before gassing it) and I highly doubt any HD or Limey rider traded their scoot for one. And here’s a happy update, California has banned the sale of new 2 strokes( dirt bikes), so these could be next. I’d bet you’d offend more than one tree hugger, or maybe a cop, and jeers of “thanks for poisoning our air, you bas#@*d”,,could happen.
Oh the joys of making a tree hugger wince! That’s as much fun as arguing with a vegan telling them about the agony they inflict on plants as they cut them up and chew on them. How about a politician who’s trying to dress like a cowboy when he’s pressing flesh at the local stampede, and you tell him that he’s got his stetson on backwards. LOL! I guess I’d better head back to the shop because I’m running out of things to do in my spare time…
Makes me want to go to California on vacation if for no other reason to ride some of my 2 stroke bikes just as a tourist. Air pollution is bad in Cal, and they do need to work on it, but do the dogooders really think a couple leaf blowers and yard trimmers, and a few dirt bikes are about the only 2 stroke stuff sold in Cal, really causing that much harm?
And you continue to post paragraphs of your non-riding hear say…….about the triple Kawasaki’s………..
The 750 was only a tenth or so faster in a !/4 mile.
They were faster in every way, on every kind of pavement than a Limey bike or a HD.
These were fun but impractical. A nice 4 cycle Honda was better all around. They did make a nice sound, though.
I had this exact bike. Comments were made a week or so ago when the 500 was put up.
Agree Rigor Mortis……..
Pure adrenalin rush, make damn sure you are pointed were you want to go and lean way forward in second gear before whacking the throttle and then hold on for dear life after a round 6000 rpm! Powerband like a two stroke dirt bike, not a lot below 5000-6000 rpm and really didn’t handle very well. Frame was not up to the power, lots of flexing. Will scare you and make you smile at the same time! Bassani exhaust, filters, port work, carb work and gearing not to much could keep up with it in a straight line, even in the 80’s.
Anybody ever rode a Honda CBX ?
A friend had a CBX. Rode very nicely and was impressive. Then a customer came in to have a sidecar mounted to his CBX. When he came by to check the progress he rode a Benelli inline 6. The sound was worth the price of admission.
This one looks to be 100% original, first thing that’s usually upgrade back then was the air cleaner set up, change from 3 into one to 3 separate air cleaners and bigger jets to increase power band. I was in high school back then and had the luck to ride the 500 triple, 750 Triple and the 4 stroke first gen 900’s! They all went from zero to insane in about 5 seconds! The first true Japanese rice rockets! I will never forget the sound of the 2 stroke triples……
In 1978 I bought a KH400 just to be safe but still have the triple feeling! Kawasaki = great memories!!
Keep your feet on the pegs and your right hand twisted.
Let the good times roll 🇯🇵
I’ve owned mine for 45 years now. It’s not as vicious as some would have you believe. Like anything else, it only goes as fast as you want it to. It was quick for the times and the handling isn’t very confidence inspiring, but it is quite thrilling to ride….and of course listen to. I also have a CB550, and agree, it’s far more pleasant to ride.
The thing that got me about the triples’ handling was that it was unpredictable; it’d be fine, but a wee bump mid corner would set the head wagging. Interesting times! After the KH I had a GT Suzuki, which was entirely predictable; the handling was crap – but it was easier to ride fast because it was predictable. There’s something about the sound that KHs made that I just loved.
Still got a set of spannies tucked away in case I ever get another (and I know where my old one is…)
Still love the sound of a two stroke and can remember the smell of castrol.
Been parked for 30 years. I can see the smoke from here.
Sort of like how planes fly. I understand it but don’t believe it. Modern bikes have much more hp. Modern cars have much more hp. Have not felt that gut punch I got in my cousin’s 426 hemi Dart, or TZ700 in anything modern. I know the numbers but the feeling of twisting the throttle on this is magical.
What SMS said! Some sounds just do something to heighten the sensation of speed that cannot be reproduced. As I have said here before, this bike would give you a ride you will not ever forget.
I just watched the Leno video. It really doesn’t convey what this bike was all about at all. He is on a city street and just putzing along. Back in the day, you rode this on a twisty back road trying to keep the bile in the power band. the speed limit was 55 and you were doing 60-80, radar all over the place and a serious ticket. ( todays bikes need to be at 100 to give the same outlaw feeling). So you are just on adrenaline with the sound and effort and you are just in the flow and suddenly you hit a 25 mph corner doing 60 and it becomes real… This bike 2 stroke triple WANTED to go fast, but the rest of the bike just couldn’t keep up. It was intoxicating at speed because it WAS so bad at the outer limits. It is hard to describe here because now it is so easy to go fast. But take this bike out and drive it like you stole it. You will get a self induced wake up call on life and you won’t even need to have a car pull out in front of you.
Friend had one of those engines in a Wasp MX sidehack. With “chambers”. Not for the faint of heart.
I can only imagine. Being in a roadrace sidecar would be hard, an MX hack would be amazing.
Was he the one who did Pikes Peak with a wasp several years back? It was the talk of the sidecar forums. Amazes me the guts and skill some possess
As an original 72 H-2 owner The speed and power were simply relative to the day. The bike only makes 74hp and 57 ftlbs torque. A year later ,”project New York Steak arrived” The Z-1 and 2 strokes lives were on death row for a reason. They wobble and rattle and vibrate to no end. Top speed was only 126 mph on a good day. It is a trip down nostalgia lane but not a place you want to live with the modern tech that new motorcycles have, Compare that to my now old, 30 yrs Ninja that is 147 hp and handles extremely well. A new ZX14, 212hp and as smooth as butter. The price for Nostalgia, just plain stupidity and even worse is the cost of buying original parts off of E-Bay at insane prices, 2 sidecovers $1100 U.S. Asking price, sidecover, $300, fender $320, Tanks as high as $1000 and still need repaints. Where has reason gone???? It is the same as the classic car market where prices are pushed beyond reason by those who simply buy and sell to make a profit, That is what H-2 means today!!! a Quick profit!
I had 4 of these 2 75’s a 74 and a 72 I love these bikes the acceleration was unbelievable! Put the k&n filters, Denco chambers rejet the carbs and you were flying! Great bikes in a straight line they handled terrible, I had way more miles on the back tire than the front lol. I let a friend of mine take me purple 75 for a ride back around 79 he came back white as a ghost and said f***you and that bike! He still talks about it to this day. They were so easy to work on too I’d love to get another one but they are so crazy priced now. Now that I’m old I ride nice slow Harley’s lol
I was about 21 or 22 when my neighbor, who had never owned a motorcycle before bought one. The first time I rode it, I rolled off on a slow start, and when I shifted into second gear and cranked the throttle, my feet were suddenly kicking the taillight, and I was laying on my stomach. A very memorable ride!
Mine had Kerker (I think) headers and instead of going “ring ding ding, ring ding ding”, it went RING DING DING RING DING DING MUTHER F***KER!”
I had a 74. Made me love two strokes. So fun to Wheelie and Drag. Still have a Two Stroke in my Garage. Bought a 2006 Yamaha Banshee because.2 strokes were going away. FMF pipes make the perfect sound. Wish I had kept that 74. Still love to drag race but now on a Harley V ROD.
Hang on! These Kawa’s were extremely fast back then. I know for a fact. No match for my 65 Triumph Drag bike back in then.
The same can be said for the early 70’s Motocrossers from Kawasaki.
Always had great power, a bit sketchy in the handling department…
Owned a ‘75 Z-1 back in the day… plenty of power(not stock), really had to squeeze the tank to get it to turn though!
Lol
Had knee dents to prove it when it went to West Germany in 1988
Sold it for a mere pittance of $1,200.00 when my 1st daughter was born.
I had four of these starting in 1975. Fast and ate gas. Horrible gas mileage. Sold my last one in 2012 for $4,000. A mint purple 73 H2 sold a few weeks ago at $40,000. I always sell my stuff too early.
this is the 1st 1 I’ve seen the same color as mine. I got rid of it due to the buzzieness of it. Rinn negneg neegnig, lots of vibration. Replaced it w/my ’78 KZ750B so am very happy.
Kudos to the person who drove this 13K miles and survived!
I traded my 1970 383 Super Bee, (bought when I was in the Air Force), for a 1972 H2 in 1974…when I was in college. Rode it over 10,000 miles. Many exciting rides! One trip to the hospital in an ambulance after going over backwards, doing a wheelie around 70 mph. Thing is, I had done many wheelies at 90+ mph without dumping it! I used to be able to get the front wheel off the ground and keep it off the ground until I hit 100 mph! Now I’m 67 years old and my H2 sits quietly in a corner of my “boathouse”, waiting to be worked on. Bought a manual a year ago. I’ll restore it…some day…
Thomas, go down to that boathouse and get the bike and get going on it. Been there, done that, not much time left for us old fellas that grew up on these things to enjoy them once again.
I still remember these..They were the hottest things on two wheels, able to smoke tires and also smoke up the air if you could keep them pointed in the right direction. Then Kawasaki’s Z-1 came out and the writing was on the wall. 4-strokes would soon spell the demise of two-stroke bikes. By the time Honda’s new twin-cam 750 and the new Suzuki GS’s came out, the two stroke Kawis and Suzukis were all but gone, and they became basically throw-away bikes. You could buy them for next to nothing and many ended up on junked. If we only knew how much they’d be worth today!
Agree Terry – the Mach III came out in 1969 and like a lot of the muscle cars of that era – they were all done by 1975.
Auction update: this one sold for $13,300!