Kawi2strokes.com Forum

Hey everyone, I'm looking for pics of any offroad versions of H1's, preferably earlier models. Something like a desert bike or maybe a dual purpose trailbike theme. I know it's kinda ridiculous to think of an early H1 being used as an off road or enduro type motorcycle, but I know someone must have done it at some point in time in the H1's long past. I've seen the triple engines used in hillclimbers, or transplanted into pure motocross bike frames/chassis. I'm thinking more along the lines of something like a desert sled Triumph scrambler or something similar. I'm contemplating putting together a basket case I have and am considering doing an enduro themed version of it. Not really for offroad riding, but just for the cool look factor while riding around town. Any pics or ideas appreciated.

This piece of crap had a full knobbie on the back........

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Twist the throttle, tilt the horizon, and have a great time. What triples are all about...........

Thanks JaMoo. That bike doesn't look too bad. Weird it has a knobbie, but maybe the guy who owned it last lived off a long dirt road or had to drive it to work in the snow?

Anyway, next question is how hard is it to replace the front end and rear swingarm so that a more robust suspension can be installed? (and maybe better brakes too) I don't want motocross like travel, but I would like to certainly increase what's available on the stock machine. Plus to get rid of the spaghetti forks on the stock bike and replace them with something a bit less flexy. From the looks of it the rear tire has to be moved outward a bit too, necessitating a longer swingarm.

Is there a particular, commonly available front end from another, more modern motorcycle that might work for this? And also a stiffer, longer swingarm setup that will bolt to H1 frame with minimal mods? And should the frame receive any reinforcement or is most of the flexiness these bikes are known for found in the suspension?

Thanks!

Maybe consider a complete 500 enduro frame to drop the triple motor into.. You'd probably need to mod the front down tube for the engine cradle but I bet less work in the long run.

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http://kawatriple.com/wtf/

In 1970, one So. Ca., dealer, Steve Hurd (whom eventually went to work for Kawasaki as a machinist after selling his dealership some years later), rode an H1 in the Baja 1000. It was fitted with a set of knobby tires and dirt bars, stock pipes, longer suspension stock drum brakes, and, stock engine.

It ran extremely well for the first 90 miles, then, Hurd had to pull out of the race. Not from engine/suspension problems, though. There was one competitor that could stay with him on the really bad sections, and was right there behind Hurd, until he started to see stuff being thrown up by Hurd's H1. The rider thought it was rocks and stuff off the trail, as he was getting hit a few times form the stuff.

The last item that hit him was a piece of black rubber. He thought that was odd, until he realized it wasn't from the trail, but, one of the reminder of knobs literally thrown off Hurd's rear tire. At about the 90 mile mark, Hurd's tire was literally at failure point, and he was stopped at the check point there, out of the race, rear tire ready to blow.

The next years, Hurd rode his trusty Husqvarna's, and had significantly less tire issues, and, finished consistently at the front of the pack.

H series as a motocrosser, desert, or woods bike?
Useless as t*tts on a bull.

Street tracker - Well that's a much better idea

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There are only two types of motor sport racing:
Nitro and everything else
(Sometimes referred to as fast and slow)

Street 'tracker, those are always a NICE deal.

Thanks for the responses guys. H2Rtuner that's a great story about the desert racer dude shredding that knobby tire up. I can certainly believe it. And frankly, the contemporary triumphs were heavy lead sleds which I don't consider much more off-road worthy than a properly set up H1. For that time in the 60's and early 70's, many riders were using whatever streetbike they could get their hands on and letting it have it over the mostly flat, open desert terrain.

Here's a video of the type of bike I'm talking about. I think a really cool old H1 could be pretty readily built into this type of motorcycle, and the final product could very well greatly exceed what we see here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unaRkye1OBk

I mean, tell me that wouldn't be an exciting concept bike???

JimC I wouldn't actually ride a bike like this offroad, unless it was like a gravel road or something pretty tame. Although that's not to say that if such a bike actually existed back in 1969, someone very well might have raced it very successfully in the desert. The point for me is to just ride it with pride and to enjoy the coolness factor. And I agree, I love the street tracker look too. But once again, I wouldn't ever race it like a street tracker either on the street or the track. It would be for the riding experience alone.

Tom Veenker has a pretty cool H1 powered Yamaha dirt bike. There's a photo near the bottom of this page: http://kawasakitriples.myfastforum.org/sutra15631.php#15631

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If it surges, that's normal, upshift.

My very first ride on my new MT75 was out behind a small dam. I heard a really strange motor in a dirt bike coming my way on top of the dam, good old Honda SOHC 750 with knobbies. I laughed, what a nut!...........

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Twist the throttle, tilt the horizon, and have a great time. What triples are all about...........