The Kawasaki H2 Mach IV was a 750 cc

3-cylinder The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categorize ...

two-stroke A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a Thermodynamic power cycle, power cycle with two strokes (up and down movements) of the piston during one power cycle, this power cycle being comple ...

production motorcycle manufactured by Kawasaki. The H2 was a

Kawasaki triple The Kawasaki triples were a range of ' motorcycles made by Kawasaki from 1968 to 1980. The engines were air-cooled, three-cylinder, piston-controlled inlet port two-strokes with two exhaust pipes exiting on the right side of the bike, and one ...

sold from September 1971 through 1975. A standard, factory produced H2 was able to travel a quarter mile from a standing start in 12.0 seconds. It handled better than the Mach III that preceded it. By the standards of its time, its handling was sufficient to make it the production bike to beat on the race track. Nonetheless, its tendency to pull wheelies and a less than solid feel through high speed corners led to adjustments to the design as it evolved. More than any other model, it created Kawasaki's reputation for building what motorcycle journalist Alastair Walker called, "scarily fast, good-looking, no holds barred motorcycles", and led to a further decline in the market place of the British motorcycle industry.

History

In September 1971 the H2 was a direct result of the success of the 500 cc

Kawasaki H1 Mach III The Kawasaki H1 Mach III was a two-stroke 500 cc sport bike made by Kawasaki from 1969 through to 1975. History By mid-1960s, the US had become the largest motorcycle market. American riders were demanding bikes with more horsepower and hig ...

introduced in 1969. The H2 engine was a 3-cylinder two-stroke with an

engine displacement Engine displacement is the measure of the cylinder volume swept by all of the pistons of a piston engine, excluding the combustion chambers. It is commonly used as an expression of an engine's size, and by extension as a loose indicator of the ...

of which produced at 6,800 rpm, a power-to-weight ratio of to every of weight. This made it the fastest accelerating motorcycle in production. This was an entirely new engine and not a bored-out 500. Unlike the H1 500, the 750 had much more low engine speed torque, with a strong burst of power starting at 3,500 rpm to the 7,500 rpm red line. The 1972 H2 came with a single front disc brake, a second disc brake was an optional Kawasaki part, an all-new

capacitor discharge ignition Capacitor discharge ignition (CDI) or thyristor ignition is a type of automotive electronic ignition system which is widely used in outboard motors, motorcycles, lawn mowers, chainsaws, small engines, turbine-powered aircraft, and some cars. It w ...

system unique to the H2, a chain oiler, and two steering dampers; one friction and one hydraulic. In 1973, there were minor mechanical changes made to the carburetor jets, oil injection pump and cylinder port timing in an effort by the factory to get more MPG from the H2A. Because of these changes the most powerful H2 was the 1972 model. In 1974 the H2B engine was modified for more civilized performance at the expense of raw power. The race tail was slimmed down from the previous year. An oil-based steering damper and check valve were added. The power was reduced to at 6,800 rpm. The oil injection system was substantially changed with two separate sets of injection lines, unlike the earlier models with one set of lines. Oil was injected into the carburetors on a separate line. The oil injection to the bottom end bearings (both main and rod big ends) was retained as a single branched line. A longer swingarm improved stability. The final model had a weight of . The magazine article says the longer swingarm was introduced with the H2B model in 1974, and the reduction in power applied to the H2C model in 1975. The H2B and H2C had the

steering damper Originally designed in 1966 by Leonard R Jordan Jr the steering damper, or steering stabiliser is a damping device designed to inhibit an undesirable, uncontrolled movement or oscillation of a vehicle steering mechanism, a phenomenon known in moto ...

repositioned to the left. In 1972, the H2, as well as the 350 cc S2 Mach II, had a

race tail A motorcycle fairing is a shell placed over the frame of a motorcycle, especially racing motorcycles and sport bikes, to deflect wind and reduce air drag. The secondary functions are the protection of the rider from airborne hazards and wind-induc ...

that held the

taillight The lighting system of a motor vehicle consists of lighting and signalling devices mounted to or integrated into the front, rear, sides, and in some cases the top of a motor vehicle. They illuminate the road ahead for the driver and increase th ...

, and had a small storage space.

Notes

References

*Weekblad Motor 1971 pages 1515 and 1516, 1760-1762 * {{Citation , title= Mach speed: Kawasaki's awe-inspiring 1972 Mach IV and the debunking of the widowmaker myth , magazine=

Motorcyclist Motorcycling is the act of riding a motorcycle. For some people, motorcycling may be the only affordable form of individual motorized transportation, and small-engine displacement, displacement motorcycles are the most common motor vehicle in ...

, date= January 2015 , pages=48+ , postscript= . Online version at Boehm, Mitch (April 17, 2015)
1972 Kawasaki Mach IV H2 Triple {{Pipe Two-Strokes!
Standard motorcycles H2 Mach IV Two-stroke motorcycles

History

See also

Notes

References