New Toy (non Laverda)

Reckon for the full 2 stroke experience one needs a Mach3 H1 500 Kawasaki - still have one sitting next to the Lav with appropriate chambers and GPZ front and rear end...so far failed to make the strife a widow.....
 
My first bike was a 1973 RD250 which I bought in 1977 for $400. Had lots of fun on the bike and do miss it. Things I don't miss about the bike were the ignition points which ran at crankshaft speed and would not stay in adjustment if you rode the bike fast. I was poor and could not afford a electronic ignition for the bike when I was being paid only $2.60 per hour. Alternator brushes also wore out quickly. Sold it in 1978 to buy a 1961 Triumph Bonneville which I still have. When I would go to the Yamaha dealer for parts they had a drum brake 750 SFC they had taken in trade and looked brand new for $1500. I could not afford that bike either. My older brother had a Kawasaki H1, first year, 1968 I think??? It was the worst handling bike I have ever ridden.

The water cooled version of these bike are not common in the USA as emission regulations of the late 1970's made two stroke bikes difficult to sell.
 
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chrisk said:
I had the LC250 with full fairing and chambers. Nice little bike, but those butt ugly wheels.....
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For the talented customer - with money - I mentioned above, an XS650 front hub and aircooled RD350 rear hub spoked into appropriate width alloy rims saved 2.3Kg front and 3.9Kg rear.....
The Yam wheels of that era are a weird alloy with apparently a high iron content - and heavy.
 
Agree with that Greg.

I have a real early Yamaha 650 rear hub at home.

Looks British in shape, and big…. but Fucken hell it’s heavy? The Queen Mary could use it as an anchor.
 
I'm a fan of the early Kawasaki 500 triples. They're such a mad bike. I've never owned one but I had the use of a first model (1969 white with blue stripes) for a few months in 1970 when its owner lost his licence. I was 19 at the time and still pretty much a novice rider, but I loved that bike. I'd like one now but those early models go for silly money. Come to think of it, I do have one. It's a 12:1 scale Minichamps.
 
Mine was the interim blue model. Still the hot porting and pipes - but drum brakes with electronic ignition.
I raced it extensively. Incl drags - 12.8 best 1/4.
Clubman bars got the weight forward, a 3/8in alloy spacer under the rear springs made it damm near rigid at that end - and Duckhams 20/50 in the forks stopped them from the worst excesses. A fairing helped too - and was legal in our production racing. Having done all that I was regularly beaten by a mad bastard on an early red one.
I had to giggle every time we had a push start though - just sit on it and paddle off, and watch the wheelies....Previously I'd laid the basis for my ongoing heart troubles pushing a Manx Norton to exhaustion.

When I came to get rid of it, John Boote was in the market for one. A mate was selling his identical one at the same time so John arranged a tryout one friday night on a back street in ChCh. Bit damp and drizzly too. I warned John mine had a grabby front brake when cold (Raybestos industrial linings - they'd still be working at the end of a 1/2 hr production race. AM4 wouldn't.) Anyway, yes. yes, ok and away he goes - loud screech of rubber from about 1/3 mile away...No he didn't drop it. Came back a bit rattled. Tried my mates one - std linings, no drama.
Bought my mates one then on the phone to me inside a week "Where'd you get those linings Greg ? " Fuck off John - and hang up.
He's still a bit wary around me, lol.
 
I liked the H1B the most in my moped days so when a good one crossed my path I didn't hesitate. Don't ride it a lot, but always fun when I do. Nice colour too! Now when the right Yamaha 350 R5 crosses my path..

Marnix
 

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Was into Kawasaki's myself. Sucked into them big time aftera test ride on a 350 Avenger. Was a bit beyond my pocket so ended up with a 250 Samurai. Did a lot of K's on that bike. Never moved up to the triples despite loving them as the maniacal machines they were. Got into Honda scramblers for a few years then back into Kawasaki with a 900z1
 
45 years ago I bought a golden-yellow Yamaha DS7 from an American soldier.
With different (louder) exhausts, different carburettor parts and jets, the DS7 had significantly more power.

Since I didn't have any money for the new RD model, I put the oldstyle chrome side covers in and brought them into the new RD design. This, along with a repaired RD salvage tank, looked more modern - i was happy.

Thomas aus LAU

2021-01-04_27 (2).JPG First service: Thomas 1976_14.jpg
 
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henrywillms said:
Marnix, I has the same bike. One fun bike for sure. My dad use to call it the ring ding ding bike, when I would come home late at night blipping the throttle and downshifting into the driveway.
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Those Mach3’s had an awesome howl when they were being ridden hard. I think that intoxicating howl, and the fun factor doing so, is what made people ride them hard. Sometimes, to their living detriment..... but they probably died grinning.
 
Thomas aus LAU said:
45 years ago I bought a golden-yellow Yamaha DS7 from an American soldier.
With different (louder) exhausts, different carburettor parts and jets, the DS7 had significantly more power.

Since I didn't have any money for the new RD model, I put the oldstyle chrome side covers in and brought them into the new RD design. This, along with a repaired RD salvage tank, looked more modern - i was happy.

Thomas aus LAU

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I am surprised at the vibrant colours from what is obviously an old photo, has it been enhanced somehow?
 
Shajota said:
I am surprised at the vibrant colours from what is obviously an old photo, has it been enhanced somehow?
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No retouching. The color print from back then was only recently photographed with an iPhone 11.
The photo was then taken with an AGFA robot camera and slide film. The format was 25x25 mm and the camera was able to take significantly more pictures with one roll of film.
By the way, the many hairs on my head back then, are no longer there.... :censored:

Thomas aus LAU
 
I had one just like that Marnix, Sold it some time ago but now want an early Black one with the swaged fuel tank and drum brakes.

Jules
 
The only two stroke I ever owned was a Motobécane Mobylette when I was a student, back in 73.
I only had it three weeks before it was stolen. I loved it.

Paul
 
Also a Yamaha.
47 years ago I (16) went to Yugoslavia with my RD 50 and my 14 year old girlfriend for 4 weeks.
On the way back on the autobahn just before Munich, the engine seized up after I had refilled the oil tank with a new bottle of Yugoslav 2T-oil.
This oil reacted with my Castrol oil and formed a jelly-like mass.

- Oil tank, lines and oil pump emptied
- Cylinder and piston removed
- Scuff marks removed with 2000 grit sandpaper
- Engine assembled
- Drove home with no problems
All without much experience, mobile phone and special tools.
2020-01-05_77a.JPG
To the relief of our parents, we came back with just two people as we started. ;)

Thomas aus LAU
 
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