Topic: Nighthawks, Mach IVs, GS1100Gs, GPz 550s...oh my!

[DarkRider]

Hey bill...this is something thats gonna interest you i suspect....As fate has it im going to wind up building a special...I got a line on an S2 chassis for the project...as in yea...the lil 350 cc chassis for the big motor...pretty much like shoving a Hemi in a Neon. Should be a very interesting build...

[bill440cars]

         Chris, you'd better believe that I'll be watching your "Hemi Powered Neon" (so to speak) Project as close as possible!

                               Later on, Bill

[DarkRider]

Heh bill...heres another "Hemi Powered Neon" project in the works...going with a longer wheelbase then mine but def the same idea...



This one is a 500 H1 motor, Yamaha Dirtbike rear swing arm, Kawasaki dirtbike front forks,

[bill440cars]

                  Whoa!!! Now THAT'S a real conglomeration of
      parts! Sure like to see the progress on that one too!! I
      can get real greedy, when it comes to wanting to see the details
      of a build!! You should know that by now! Show me more!

                                  Later on, Bill      

[DarkRider]

You are gonna need to register onto the site to see the pics but heres the link to read the entire progress of that lil beast

http://kawasakitriplesworldwide.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=25791&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

[bill440cars]

You are gonna need to register onto the site to see the pics but heres the link to read the entire progress of that lil beast

http://kawasakitriplesworldwide.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=25791&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

         Thanks Chris,
                     Sure is a lot of detail going into that one! Must not be going very far, at any one time with that small gas tank! Thanks for posting  it! Very  COOL indeed!!

                            Later on, Bill

[DarkRider]

I believe the plans for that bike is drag racing. Because with that wheelbase and the power going into it...yea i dont see turning being an option...My approach to it nets me a sport bike killer with the powerplant im going with and the short S2 wheelbase. I was going to extend the wheelbase to kill the bikes wheelie tendancies..but i suspect the GS will hone my riding skills for this beast. The special will have a reed valved 768 triple in it. I have been tracking the status on a thread reguarding the use of FI. If it is in fact possable i may wind up with one of the first Fuel Injected Triples..

[bill440cars]

        You're probably right about the purpose of that sucker. Looks like it'd take a 10 acre field to turn that baby around! I'm always into hearing the details of a build and am anxious to hear how yours turns out also. Gonna possibly be a "Fuelie" huh?

                                  Later on, Bill

[DarkRider]

Yea theres a very good chance it could wind up being a fuelie...the main issue with FI is having the stator rewound to produce enough juice to power the FI gear.

[DarkRider]

To tease bill a lil more...can someone say....Tracker?



heres more info on the beast here..

http://www.motocarrera.com/ttspecial.htm

[DarkRider]

Hmmmmm billy....can you spot the difference between these two bikes? 






Hint....it isnt the color....

[bill440cars]

To tease bill a lil more...can someone say....Tracker?



heres more info on the beast here..

http://www.motocarrera.com/ttspecial.htm

     Yeah, Tracker does come to mind, along with "Street Terror!"
That is one CLEAN looking ride all right!

                                 Later on, Bill

    BTW, I don't think I've ever seen all 3 pipes on one side like that and it looks pretty decent to me.

[bill440cars]

Hmmmmm billy....can you spot the difference between these two bikes? 






Hint....it isnt the color....

      Well...................................Let me see, We're on the subject of Mean Killer Bikes with an H2 motor and it seems quite obvious to me that the motors on those 2 "KZ400s" take up a good amount of space in their respective frames. What can the difference be? "Are we talking SLEEPERS!"

                               Later on, Bill   

[DarkRider]

Yes we are talking sleepers bill...now the question to you is which one is the sleeper with the 500cc H1 motor?

[Wheelhorse77]

What kind of drag strip time did those old tripples run?

[RRRToolSolutions]

In 1969, the Mach III (500) was the fastest production vehichle you buy. It would do 12.7 and 110 out of the crate with 1 mile on it - a couple of different magazines tried it. It is also listed as a superbike in a number of 1970's magazine articles.

In 1973, the H2 Mach IV (750) won the Superbike contest - hands down. It won the drags, it won the road track, it won the braking. It's closest competitor was it's big brother, the might Z1. It's a great read to look over that 1973 Superbike article. They described riding the H2 down the quarter as a series of violent motions of up and down the entire track. The lottery in the office was done to see who did not have to ride it. There are stories of high 11's for the early H2's and 115 mph through the quarter for those who learned the art of launching the H2 off the line.

I collect the magazines and books as well as the bikes -

Regards,
Gordon

[bill440cars]

           Yeah Gordon, I remember when the MachIII came out and they took that one to Lion's Drag Strip in California. They took it right out of the crate, serviced it and ran 12.7, like Gordon said. They also ran it against a Sportster (Sorry duster! ) and beat it! BTW Not meaning to say anything against what Gordon said, just backing him up.

                               Later on, Bill

[DarkRider]

Figure out which KH is powered by the 500 yet bill?

[bill440cars]

        I believe that it is this one Chris.

             

[RRRToolSolutions]

Bill, I have that article - great read even today.

While the 750's are faster and easier to ride - they don't have the porting magic that the 500's do. 60 horses for the 500 and 72 for the 750. The H1's really demonstrate the true old-school two stroke magic. 3,000 - nothing, 4,000 still not much, 5,000 she's starts to pull, 5,500 starts the magic and the front tire starts skating, by 6,500 the wheel is aloft and the tach is moving to the right so fast that you get your toe and fingers ready because you want to shift at 8,500 with stock pipes- 9,500 with chambers. Better cut the throttle else a powershift to 2nd could lose the front completely. There is just no describing the intake noise around you. Those Mikuni's are pulling air and there is nothing else you're going to hear - awesome.

In contrast, the 750 has more meat down low, the front comes up at 4,500 and you don't pwoershift unless your right foot is covering the brake. The "pipe" as it was once referred to just never comes on with the stock Mach IV's. The 500 will always be my favorites. The most exciting among them are the early ones with the short swingarm. Wheelies are a sure thing when the clock hits 6 grand.

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding..

[DarkRider]

You got it right bill. It is the grey bike. If i go for a stock cosmetic rebuld in appearance mine will look very simular except for having 750 power instead of 500cc

[bill440cars]

        Gordon, It's really interesting to hear those comments about the power band on those bikes. I knew of them, when they came out and how fantastic they were but, I didn't know that much in depth about them. Appreciate the input from you and from Chris also.

         I was stationed at Misawa AFB in northern Japan, when the Mach III came out and let me tell you what I saw, a little while before it came out. Some buddies and I were out at the dirt track on the Air Base, just messing around. I had my 66' CB72 stripped down and was buzzing the track pretty nicely and was taking a break. During that time, I was talking with a buddy about the track conditions, when we noticed a small Japanese panel van come into the pit area. We'd never seen it before. just as they opened the van's back doors we heard a bike fire up and saw it come right out of the van without a ramp! That sucker made some passes around the track that made everyone stand back and pay attention! Then, just as quick as it came out, he pulled up to the back of the van (a guy had put a ramp out), slowed a bit and then disappeared back into the van. the doors closed they got into the van and drove off. Never saw them again. The brief time that we actually saw that bike  , let us know that we'd never seen one like it. There was something about that motor, it was larger than the usual 2 stroke motor and more exhaust pipes (even though we didn't see enough to know exactly how many pipes there were). I have always wondered if this was a stripped down version of the Mach III.

                                 Later on, Bill    

[DarkRider]

About the only way i would go to the tracker route is if i could make a tracker tail look good with the stock fuel tank..because im kinda wary of using a glass tank on the street...

[DarkRider]

Well i seem to have bills sickness....made a deal on a 1983 Yamaha XS1100 earlier today..just gotta pay for it and pick it up..

[bill440cars]

Well i seem to have bills sickness....made a deal on a 1983 Yamaha XS1100 earlier today..just gotta pay for it and pick it up..

            Yeah, It is contagious and, sometimes it can keep reoccurring too.   When they came out, I would have (nearly) killed for an XS1100 Midnite Special. Back in the late 80's, I had a chance to buy an XS1100 that was loaded but, couldn't quite swing the price. When you get the chance, like to see what you've picked up on.

                                         Later on, Bill