Topic: 4 Cylinders, 2 Valves, Yet Smaller and Faster Than My 836....

[RRRToolSolutions]

This is the first time I've bought anything newer than 1976 - my official cut-off year of vintage bike interest. A few years ago I was reading about the different factory "Turbos" and learned that the Kawasaki 750 was the journalist favorite of all the factory turbo-charged bikes. I personally like the Honda 650's fairings and White/Red/Blue colors the best, but the Kawasaki 750 was the top performer by a big margin when compared to Honda's 500, 650, Yamaha's 650, and the Suzuki 850. I looked at all of them again while at Barbers this year and decided I really wanted the Kawasaki.

This one was reasonably priced and had low miles (5,800). It's missing the stock exhaust which I'm looking for along with some other stock bits - but it runs superbly. My Honda 836 will eat the KZ900 Kawasaki alive, but is no match for this turbo. I was pleasantly surprised when it came up on boost at about 4,000 where the tach hand starts moving quickly to the 10,500 redline. 2nd, 3rd, 4th - all have the same result ....smiles... No 5th gear runs on boost - I needed to get the bike home and on the lift for my own inspection. It has an aftermarket pipe and is in the race mode setting on it's ECU so I have 12.5 lbs of boost - where the stock wastegate dumps the extra pressure. This is nearly the equivalent of 1400 cc (1.89 atmospheres x 750cc) so the old Honda need not be shamed. I'm really pleased with it's performance and very good manners around town. Off-pipe, it's normal and feels like a 500cc bike with it's 7.8 lbs of compression. Get up on boost and it will go to triple digits very, very quickly. 26 pounds of boost is possible, but you must use race gas for that wastegate setting. I don't intend to ever go there.


Regards,
Gordon

[mlinder]

Fantastic bike. Grats.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Nice addition Gordon. PLUS you don't have to do a restore  Which Kawasaki is this?

[MRieck]

I would have to agree Gordon....the Kawasaki was the best of the turbo bikes

[voxonda]

Very nice bike Gordon. Rode the Honda 650 Turbo once and was impressed by the smoothness of the bike but not the power. Kawi will beat it everywhere.

Good luck with it, and keep the oil change intervals!

Rob

[Sam Green Racing]

Hey Gordon, mid to low 8s in the quarter and 211mph top speed

Every thing you need to know is in my mates site, pay him a visit , http://www.750turbo.com/home.htm

His name is Lorcan Parnell.

Sam.

[RRRToolSolutions]

Thanks Sam - I'm already there and have started gathering data and picking their brains and parts bins over the weekend. EBay has almost nothing for turbo 750's, so I went there looking for help. I think I have some of them confused though....I'm looking for stock pipes and stock bits to restore and slow it down while they're all wondering "what's wrong with him?" They are in search of more power.......

You know me and understand my quest for stock, so far the site has been great - I've found mirrors, pipes, and lots of great advice. Besides, I don't think my heart could handle 8 seconds........

  Gordon

[bill440cars]

          Way to go Gordon! I know that the '83 GPZ1100 I bought last year, is a pretty impressive runner, but I've never ridden a Turbo bike, except the Yamaha and I was NOT impressed.   

[Sam Green Racing]

Thanks Sam - I'm already there and have started gathering data and picking their brains and parts bins over the weekend. EBay has almost nothing for turbo 750's, so I went there looking for help. I think I have some of them confused though....I'm looking for stock pipes and stock bits to restore and slow it down while they're all wondering "what's wrong with him?" They are in search of more power.......

You know me and understand my quest for stock, so far the site has been great - I've found mirrors, pipes, and lots of great advice. Besides, I don't think my heart could handle 8 seconds........

  Gordon

STOCK...STOCK... so that tripple you have is stock.

we all have to have SOME fun.

Sam.

[baldguy]

I am a old guy in 81 I rode a 836 to Florida from Ohio. I was on 75 and this bike came by us we where doing about 80 and he blew past us. I saw the bike at a fuel stop it was a Honda turbo. When I got home checked all the dealers and couldn't afford any of them. I was at a swap meet 2 years ago and there was a Yamaha 650 turbo there mostly complete I gave him 200 for it. I have gathered everything it needs and that is my winter project I have it running OK but have not ridden it yet. Your kaw is great looking bike have not seen one in years.

[RRRToolSolutions]

If you're Baldguy, I'm Whitehair! I'm old as dirt too. If you need help with the Yamaha, I have a close friend who has one and 5 before it. He is a Yamaha fanatic and knows those bikes inside and out. You can send me a private message and I'll share his address with you. He is actually the person that got me wanting one of these Kawasakis. He'd ridden one years ago and had always respected it as the best turbo ever built. We'd walked the Barbers Museum together and after his comments and my research - the Kawasaki hit the wanted list.

Sam, it will be plenty fast for me with the stock pipes and fuel settings. I've got it in 300 pieces now for a few weeks while I get the sub-assemblies powdercoated and the plastic repainted. I've sent the turbo cowl out for Brown's chrome plating and the turbo H-pipe to Jet-Hot for black ceramic coating. We're going to try high-gloss Black, high temp silicone Caswell powder on the mufflers. I could not find anyone to do the black chrome for me.

I'll post some pics of the clean-up. I'm not doing a full restoration on this one anytime soon. Maybe in 20 years...

Gordon

[baldguy]

I am glad I am not the only old one. As I get deeper into this thing I may need help. This is a good sight for turbos all of them http://tmioa22687.yuku.com/ That is where I got some help.

[bill440cars]

   Gonna be interesting to see the results of just what you 2 (Gordon and baldguy) are up to, with these 2 bikes.  As far as the age goes, I fit in there myself. But as far as the bikes go, mine isn't a Turbo, but my '83 GPZ1100 is probably as close as I'll get. Pretty decent bike though AND I just imagine that sometime next year, I'll end up going into it somewhat, to freshen up it's look. Til then, I'll be watching for the updates on these 2! 

[Sam Green Racing]

Hey Billy, young Gordon just sneaked over the 1,000 post mark and never invited us to the party

Sam.

[Raef]

when younger I always rode Yamaha dirt bikes and Kaw street bikes, I had a 86 1000RR my favorite bike ever, my cousin had a 750 turbo in silver, it smoked like a diesel, and would still run with mine. it spent a lot of time on its rear wheel

[Don R]

I rode one once but was too afraid to have any real fun, I was a plumbers apprentice and the bike was owned by a journeyman, I only rode it  because he insisted. He went to texas one winter to race it and came home with a box of parts.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Gordon,

I think Meclec in CA does black chrome. You definitely can't go wrong with Ronnie Brown either.

ps your frame kit is FINALLY in and it looks good - thanks again - What takes you 1 year or less takes me 10 years or more - I should be an intern for you   

[RRRToolSolutions]

Jerry, Ronnie did my lower cowling for me in bright chrome, but doesn't do the black. I wound up buying a very straight set of stock pipes (mine came with an aftermarket pipe) and having the turbo h-pipe ceramic coated by Jet-Hot and the mufflers done in high-temp Caswell gloss black. I've still got it torn into 500 pieces and working to clean it up. I won't have it back together until sometime in January.

I'd like to see some photos of the kit installation. I haven't seen or heard of anyone making them lately.

Regards,
Gordon