Topic: Terry's Kawasaki Mach III 500 build. Let the smoke begin.....

[PeWe]

There a few on Youtube.
Marcel has one or 2 plus other guys restoring gauges.

https://www.cb750faces.com/en/content/8-links

[simon#42]

early kawasaki gauges are not the most reliable , i have had 4 different speedos and 3 rev counters on my avenger , in the end i bought the repo ones and so far so good .

[Terry in Australia]

That’s good to know Simon, I’ll probably pop for the repro ones and keep my original gauges and eventually get them restored.

[Terry in Australia]

Well progress is happening slowly. I took my frame over to get blasted on Wednesday. Apparently they do a "Burn and Blast" now on frames because bikes that have been powdercoated need to have the plastic powder burned off before they can be blasted, and even though mine was just the original paint, I had no choice but pay $380 to have it go thru the "Burn and Blast Process". Ouch.....

On a happier note, Hussein, the vapor blaster looks like he's finished my engine cases and cylinders, and heads. I took these "before" pics the day I took them over to him:

H1 engine before blasting 1 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

H1 engine before blasting by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

I made no attempt to clean them before I took them over, I was in a rush. Well today he sent me this video:

Wow. I was stunned. What a difference that process makes! I won't be picking it up for a couple of days, tomorrow I'm driving up the highway to meet Dion halfway to trade him the F2 for the 1969 H1, and some other parts. No rush, it's all happening.

[ekpent]

Amazing difference !

[PeWe]

Wow!
Must be much better than ever before.
I understand those that do not paint that fantastic looking surface!

[grcamna2]

Wow!
Must be much better than ever before.
I understand those that do not paint that fantastic looking surface!

Terry,it would have ben nice if the folks that blasted your frame would have let you know up front about the "burn and blast" process..  I'm considering looking for one of the outdoor blasting companies working on exterior buildings,sidewalks,statues,etc. then set-up something to bring my frame to them while they're at the job site.. be more cost effective.
I used to have parts powder coated at a small PC company that was down the road from my residence.
The guys would also blast old PC off a few parts I brought to them;they used a powerful sand blast cabinet or a large outdoor set-up;they didn't 'burn and blast' anything.

That's looking great 
The blaster must have a powerful compressor running his blast cabinet,it looks like he got deep to the bottom of those fins.
A 69' H1 for the nice blue F2;I like that F2 and so does Dion 

[PeWe]

Wow!
Must be much better than ever before.
I understand those that do not paint that fantastic looking surface!

That's looking great 
The blaster must have a powerful compressor running his blast cabinet,it looks like he got deep to the bottom of those fins.
A 69' H1 for the nice blue F2;I like that F2 and so does Dion 

Must feel fine to get a classic bike as CB750 to ride now.
Terry has an entire bike harem so  it must be fun to get a classic bike or 3 more to prepare for the road.
Those Kawasaki 500 are famous.

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks guys, yep I’m tickled pink by those cases, along with the new wheels and fresh paint on the frame it should come up a treat. Bill, the frame blaster did tell me “Up front” about the “Burn and blast” charges, but there’s no real alternative, so I sucked it up.

I have to drop the poor Moto Guzzi’s crank off to get machined tomorrow after work so I’ll see if they do Kawasaki cranks, apparently the guy that Jeff used to send his cranks to has either retired or died, and he doesn’t know anyone else.

[MauiK3]

Burn and blast…..extreme!
Those cases look really fine!  He did them assembled like the picture I assume. I sure wish we had someone here doing it.
Coming along nicely!

[Alan F.]

Hey Terry I just caught myself up on all of tour threads, you've been having a busy summer.
I just watched a video and wanted to mention it to you, in the beginning they're unloading a 3500lb mini-excavator from a flat-bed truck. This system may be easily reverse engineered for your little truck, thought id pass it on. They start unloading at :50

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks guys, Alan, I had a work ute with a tipping tray a few years ago, not as good as that one, but would probable work well if it had a winch pulling a sled with the bike mounted, up onto the tray.

Well yesterday I said goodbye to the blue F2. I liked it, but never really felt invested in it.

H1 Sunday 26 March 2023 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

I drove to Euroa, around 100 miles up the road, and the halfway mark between my place and Dion's. We met at a gas station with a big yard next door, and unloaded the F2, loaded the H1 and spare frame and engine cases (already vapor blasted, nice!) in my little truck, and loaded the F2 onto Dion's trailer. We had a yack and agreed that I'll build him another 750 engine for another bike he wants to build, and he'll paint my 73 Mach 1 and my K0 tank and sidecovers, airbox and headlight ears, because he's such a good painter, and I can (just) put a 750 engine together. For some reason he thinks I'm a mechanical genius, and I didn't want to argue with him, I don't like hurting people's feelings.......

I came home and had to unload the H1 frame with engine bolted in place, on my own. I am as strong as two normal men of course, so I carefully lifted it off and carried it down to the garage so as not to scratch the powdercoat, plus all the other parts, including this cool little Unimig Mig welder, which is pretty cool.

H1 Sunday 26 March 2023 2 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

I've been mentally torturing myself trying to decide if I can afford to restore both bikes at the same time, but have decided to err on the side of caution, and so I'll do the '73 H1 first, and the '69 H1 after that. The weather here has turned foul, looks like rain for the rest of the week, and I'm going into hospital on Monday, so I called the shop that's "Burn/Blasting" my '73 frame, and asked them to powdercoat it gloss black while they're at it. That way I should be able to assemble a roller and slot the engine in as soon as I can assemble it.

I want to get the '69 frame blasted too (currently the '69 engine is in the '70 frame) but I'm gonna shop around for a cheaper option than the place that's doing my '73 frame, they're very good, but also very expensive. I'll tell you all how expensive, when they tell me........

[Stev-o]

I understand those that do not paint that fantastic looking surface!

Per - the Kawasaki engines back then were not painted, unsure if anything was done after manufacturing, but they did not look as good as being vapor blasted.

Terry - I must say that I am a bit jealous that you were able to barter to get these bikes! As far as restoring bikes, I've always been in the camp to concentrate on one at a time, much easier on the wallet.  Plus, what you learn on the first one can be applied to the second, without mistakes on both.

Had a busy weekend but when the wife wanted to go shopping to pick up a few items, I found time to make some smoke and go for a ride!! Hadnt ridden the H1 since December but started up after about 5-6 kicks and ran great!

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks Steve, yours looks magnificent, (not to mention that gorgeous Mustang behind it) Dion and I did some more wheeling and dealing last night, and he’s going to paint a spare set of tins (I can say “Tins”, because as you know all the painted parts are steel on a H1) the same colour as yours this weekend, and I should have them in the next couple of weeks. I’ll keep the gorgeous blue set that came with the ‘73 and ‘74 bikes for a ‘71 project that I might be adopting shortly.

[grcamna2]

Wonderful trading 

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks Bill, it’s always a bit of a gamble swapping running bikes for piles of parts, but I’m pretty confident that I’ll have at least one running 500 by winter’s end. By then I may have as many as 6 H1’s in pieces, depending on how much more trading Dion and I do.

[grcamna2]

Thanks Bill, it’s always a bit of a gamble swapping running bikes for piles of parts, but I’m pretty confident that I’ll have at least one running 500 by winter’s end. By then I may have as many as 6 H1’s in pieces, depending on how much more trading Dion and I do.

How did Dion like the blue F2 ? 

[Terry in Australia]

He loves it and has already painted it!

[PeWe]

He loves it and has already painted it!

Same color or totally different?
You'll have an interesting winter, Terry.

[MauiK3]

6 H1's? Wow, quite a stable.
Maybe I read that wrong.

[Kelly E]

Well I guess that reducing the size of your fleet is totally out the window now.

[ekpent]

I was driving down through a neighborhood yesterday and having a keen eye for treasure whenever I pass a junk pile I spotted and picked up this very large motorcycle trophy. Now the problem is how to get it to Australia to present to Terry for Kawasaki Buyer of the month !! 

[grcamna2]

I was driving down through a neighborhood yesterday and having a keen eye for treasure whenever I pass a junk pile I spotted and picked up this very large motorcycle trophy. Now the problem is how to get it to Australia to present to Terry for Kawasaki Buyer of the month !! 

 

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks guys, Eric I need some triple trees for my ‘69 H1, maybe that trophy would do the trick? Dion got really excited when I agreed to build an 836 engine for him and offered me his collection of random H1 parts including a 71 frame and cases, wheels, forks,etc etc. There might be a ‘72 as well, I’ll see what he’s got once the dust settles.

What I’d really like is the H2 that his mate owns, he’s having second thoughts about buying it, so if I can sell my Valkyrie, I might see if I can buy it. It would be a lovely thing to have…..

[Stev-o]

It would be a lovely thing to have…..

It certainly would!!



And would round out your "Kawasaki Triple Crown"!  [Z1, H1 & H2]