1973 Kawasaki H2A 750cc Two Stroke Triple

Description

• A rare Limited Edition Candy Gold version
• Fully restored with rebuilt engine
• Less than 50 miles covered since rebuild
• Iconic two stroke
• The bike that put Kawasaki on the map

Having previously manufactured a range of plodding vertical twins modelled after the BSA A10, the first Kawasaki two-strokes to make their presence felt on our shores were the 250cc A1 Samurai and 350cc A7 Avenger, a fine pair of disc valve two-stroke twins, having much in common with similar offerings from Yamaha and Suzuki

But it was the H1 Mach III, a 500cc two-stroke triple launched in 1969 that set the world alight. Blisteringly fast, with a wild, peaky engine and dangerously ill-handling frame, the H1 was the most adrenaline filled two-wheeled experience it was possible to buy.

It was such a success that Kawasaki quickly followed up with similar triples of 250 and 350cc displacement – but the ultimate triple had to be the 750cc H2 Mach IV.

Launched on an unsuspecting world in 1972. The bike had minor revisions for the 1973 season when it became the Kawasaki H2A, the bike you see here.

There were further revisions until the KH models came along but none that had the impact of the H1 and H2A.

With only 30 Candy Gold versions of the Kawasaki H2A sold in the UK it is no wonder this one was imported from the USA, they are now a very rare find indeed.  This triple is showing 14,679 miles on the clock, the vendor is unsure how accurate the mileage is prior to his ownership but states it has been ridden less than 50 miles since the rebuild shortly after its arrival in the UK.

The interesting thing about that mileage is that the vendor insisted that the mileage was reinstated when he had the clocks rebuilt, you or I may have asked for them to be reset to zero with such an extensive engine rebuild being carried out, who are we to decide what decision is right or wrong, what we do know is we have the utmost respect in the vendors want and need to keep the originality in every area that he could.

This H2A was entrusted to the highly respected Triple Workshop in Wakefield to fully rebuild the engine of which the receipt is present (see mage in the lot gallery.) At the same time the exhaust was replaced and the wiring was renewed although that particular invoice has been mislaid.

As with most two strokes of this era, once the revs are climbing the bike pulls like a train and sounds truly spectacular, there really was nothing else in this era that matched the adrenalin inducing rush of that 750cc triple engine once it passed 5000 revs.

It’s impossible to not notice the sparkle in the spectacular Candy Gold fuel tank, seat cowl and side panels and does explain why it has been such a popular attraction for the admiring public every time the vendor had transported and showed it at various bike shows around the country.

The vendors attention to detail can been seen all around the bike and the only thing that detracts from the bike’s originality are the two small reflectors that are missing from the seat cowl.  Should you choose to locate and put them back in place you will have a perfect replica of the bike when it originally left the factory.

Depending on your particular penance for originality and how often you plan to ride it you may decide to replace the shocks and, in our opinion, it is always wise to fit modern rubber, especially as this set have been on the bike for many years and are just starting to show signs of age.  Being nearly 50 years old it is now MOT exempt but in September 2018 the vendor had its last MOT carried out and the bike passed with only one advisory being that “Both tyres were old and showing minor cracks”.

There is not a great deal of paperwork available with this bike but you will be pleased to know the original USA pink slip and import documents are present, along with a current V5 and receipts for the engine, clocks, paintwork and exhaust, there are even a couple of old MOTs from 2009 and the previously mentioned one from 2018 that confirm the lack of mileage carried out in the last 10 years.

You are probably asking yourself, who in their right mind would let such a sorted iconic bike like this go? Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you see it, the vendor feels that this wonderful example should be enjoyed so has made the tough decision to let it go to a new home.  After spending years taking the bike to various bike shows around the country, he no longer has the time to do this. Hopefully the lucky winning bidder will follow up the tradition and let us all appreciate this rare classic machine.

Our View

With two strokes virtually deleted from modern motorcycling by the dreaded euro emission laws it seems tragic that swathes of modern motorcyclists failed to experience the rush of adrenalin that these bikes provided when they hit that magical powerband.

If you were lucky enough to have owned or ridden a two stoke from this era then you were truly blessed.  If you were even luckier and owned a 750cc Triple then you were in wonderland, these bikes really did spark a movement within motorcycling and led to what arguably was one of the best  eras to be a motorcyclist.

This particular 750 Triple is a stand out example that has been thoroughly refurbished and will either sparkle in someone’s collection or will create miles of smiles for anyone who is desperate to reignite or join the two-stroke club.

A truly Iconic Motorcycle in anyone’s books.

Bike Location: Goole – it’s the responsibility of the winning bidder to make collection / transportation arrangements directly with the vendor

Have a question about this bike? Please contact the Evoke team at auction@evoke-classics.com and we will speak to the vendor on your behalf.

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