Rediscovered this drag bike photo today

[Tmate]

I was rummaging through some old photos yesterday, and came across this early project photo I thought I would share. In the early 70's I built this drag bike based on a rigid Triumph frame with a short springer front end and a Kawasaki H1 500cc triple engine with home-made H1R expansion chambers. They probably added 20 hp, and probably would have worked just as well had I fitted them to the stock frame. Amazing little bike.

 

[FOMOGO]

Those triples were fast. The 750's were downright scary. Mike

 

[matthewsx]

I had a H1 when I was in high school. I killed it, not the other way around.

 

[talvare]

Ya, those Kawasaki triples were fast. In 1970 I was going to buy a 750 Honda but thought I should take a test ride on an H2 before I made my decision. About 30 seconds into the test ride the decision was made to buy the Honda. The H2 was fast as hell, but what an ill handling bike. A few years later I bought one of the Kawasaki Z1's. That was a great bike. Of course, by today's standards all of those bikes handled pretty poorly.

Ted

 

[Tmate]

Here's a 1976 shot of my 1975 Z-1 with a 1,000 cc kit and an exhaust header. I later o-ringed the barrels and fitted it with a welded crank, low compression pistons and a turbo with an S&S Carb. Boost came in suddenly and would pull the front wheel at 90 mph in third gear. This, of course, was over 40 years ago. At age 82, it's hard to believe I was ever that reckless.

 

[Tmate]

A few other bikes from my distant past. There were many more for which I unfortunately saved no pictures.

 

[Ulma Doctor]

I just sold off a 75’ Z1 for parts.
They look scary fast sitting still

 

[matthewsx]

This is what we make where I work....