The magazine for classic Japanese motorcycles

Kawasaki 350/400 triples

Most enthusiasts involved in Japanese classics know exactly what impact the Mach III 500 made when it arrived in 1968. The bike stood preconceptions of two-strokes and the Japanese bike industry on its head underlining the fact that bikes were for recreational purposes. Keen to capitalise on the success of the H1 the company expanded the concept, firstly with the breathtaking H2 750 in 1972, very swiftly followed up the 250 and 350 analogues.

The two larger machines filled a void in Kawasaki’s portfolio but the smaller bikes actually displaced technically more sophisticated machinery in the guise of the A1 and A7 disc-valved twins. Doubtless the main reason for this was to capitalise on the cachet and reputation of the 500/750. Both almost immediately reached iconic and legendary status yet purchase and insurance costs precluded accessibility for many aspirant triple owners.

The 350/400s perfectly chart the rise and fall of the air-cooled Japanese two-stroke, starting with a veritable pocket rocket in 1972. The original S2 350 was accredited by its makers with a quoted 44bhp. The bike had a pseudo-civilised side, as noted by the test riders of the day, but also had a frankly banzai nature as well; very much in the vein of its bigger sibling. This frenetic quality, allied to an outrageous thirst, led some owners to suggest the model was petrol cooled, which cemented the bike’s reputation.

Initial yearly revisions simply honed the concept and then gradually refined it with a capacity increase, yet as emissions requirements became ever stricter performance gradually declined. In most instances such apparent emasculation might be seen as reducing a motorcycle’s appeal but in this case most of the changes simply polished the concept. The latter iterations of the 400 are often referred to as the thinking man’s triple and rightly so.

The bike has the clout many see as missing from Suzuki’s GT380, the character that is often said to be missing from Honda’s 400/4 and it has that all important yet distinctive styling that’s possibly missing from Yamaha’s slightly clinical RD400.

The 350/400 triples from Kawasaki have a kudos out of all proportion to their engine capacity. In fact they even inspired one small volume manufacturer (Motobecane) to produce an analogue 350 triple; not a bad epitaph for a bike that was almost an afterthought.