1972 and 1975 Kawasaki H2 and H2C triples Many things have been written about Kawasaki H2s over the years. The majority of articles tell stories of vicious power deliveries, unintentional wheelies and handling that can
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Road Test: Kawasaki Z1300
Kawasaki Z1300 With the launch of its massive six-cylinder Z1300 in 1979, Kawasaki triumphed in showing how Japanese design ingenuity alone could never succeed in overcoming the dynamic necessities of a motorcycle. The late, great
Read moreRoad Test: Honda CB1100F
Honda CB1100F Produced in 1983 for the US and European markets (it was inexplicably not an official UK import), the 1100F had the same air-cooled four-cylinder engine but with less of the hand-crafted attention that
Read moreRoad Test: Kawasaki H1 500
Kawasaki H1 500 Kawasaki first proposed a 500cc two stroke triple in the late 1960s, when Japanese manufacturers were making a concerted effort to cater for American tastes in particular. In the US, acceleration was
Read moreRoad Test: Moto Guzzi Le Mans Mk2
Moto Guzzi Le Mans Mk2 Hard to believe now perhaps, but Moto Guzzi was for a long time Italy’s numero uno manufacturer of motorcycles. Although the glory has faded over the last decade or two,
Read moreRoad Test: Harley-Davidson Electra-Glide Classic
1980 Harley-Davidson Electra-Glide Classic Although Harley has flourished more recently, back in the Seventies the situation was far less rosy. Just as happened in Britain, once the Japanese started to make large capacity bikes, America’s
Read moreRoad Test: Honda CB250
Honda CB250 Honda’s CB250N twin, the Super Dream, was a remarkable motorcycle. Sold in the UK from 1978, it was a big bike for its capacity and weighed as much the average 650 of the
Read moreRoad Test: Honda RC30 v Yamaha 0W01
Honda RC30 and Yamaha 0W01 – both very potent There’s a bloke in the office downstairs from CMM who’s just got permission from his wife to use some of their savings to buy three classic
Read moreRoad Test: Kawasaki 650cc-750cc fours
Kawasaki was long lived It’s generally agreed that Japanese motorcycle engines have a short shelf life, if not short fuses. Few are produced for more than five years without being updated or replaced, and even
Read moreRoad Test: Kawasaki 250S1
Kawasaki 250 S1 The 250 S1 hit the ground running in early 1972, hot on the heels of the larger 350 S2. The triple took over from the technologically more advanced and sophisticated 250 Samurai
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