New Motorcycle Nostalgia
I remember calling California, long distance was costly back then, and talking to a guy I had read about in the motorcycle magazines. His name was Tony Nocosia and he was supposed to know how to make my 1973 H2 Kaw even quicker and faster than it already was. The man got on the phone and spent his precious time explaining to a 21 year old with a lot of questions exactly what sprockets, carb jets, and expansion chambers were needed to draw a few more horses from a bike that was already too much for a kid with no fear of speed. I don't think I understood who I was talking to back then but I did appreciate his answers and advise. With the three into one exhaust and fiberglass body replacing the stock Items I cut a lot of weight from that stock bike and the mechanical parts turned an already quick bike into something that demanded the rider's respect and undivided attention. It was a very unforgiving motorcycle. But I loved it . All I have left from that bike are memories and an ugly scar on my right leg.
You old bike guys take a look at the magazine article on Tony and his work with Honda and Kawasaki. It's a good read.
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Hopefully Toni suggested you only drag race your Kaw. That had to be one of the most evil handling (as it wouldn't turn) motorcycles ever sold.
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Yep we walk among giants and seldom know it. I had aftermarket V&H pipes on my hot rodded CB1100F and they were horrible. In the past I'd had Ontario Moto Tech pipes on a CB750F and loved them so I went looking. I found the number for OMT in California and called, and someone answered. Real soft spoken Japanese guy, and it quickly became obvious he knew his stuff. I described my HRC engine and he got all excited... he had a new design he wanted to try but couldn't find a bike to put it on (limited production). I was a little disappointed he didn't Oooo and Ahhhh over the mention of HRC, but we agreed he'd bend me a pipe and plasma coat it, then I had to take before and after performance numbers for him.
The pipe arrived, perfect fit, and GOOD LORD ALMIGHTY it made that engine breathe. I had no idea what I was missing, that V&H pipe was nothing better than a cork. Before, it started to get emphysema above 9,500rpm and after the new pipe it came alive at 7000 and as far as I could tell there was no redline. It just pulled harder and harder and harder until I realized I had a bomb between my knees.
So I called him back with the good news and boy was he pleased. I described the new powerband and he said "you say engine is built? HRC? Who build it?" I told him Charlie MacDonald and he laughed... "tell him Kaz say hi". I said "excuse me, Kaz?" and he replied "yeah, Kaz Yoshima, I teach Charlie how to build engine. That pipe gonna work reeeeeeaaaaaaal good for you".
I had no idea. Walking in the presence of greatness.
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Ricci.Wright what is it about Kawasaki that they make fast bikes that don't handle?
The local Kawasaki shop was a bunch of racers, Squeaks was the owner. I went in to see what he had that was fast. He showed me a bike with a mechanic's lien, it was owned by a local drug dealer and the guy had sunk huge money in it. It was a Z1R-TC, the turbocharged 1000 they made in the late 70s. He'd put on the big bore MTC cylinder kit, magneto ignition, fuel injection, huge turbo set to like 22lbs boost, Carillo rods and Wiseco pistons, the works. The shop had so much money tied up in it the guy didn't want to pay to take it back. So me and Squeaks went out for a little ride. He was on a 6-cyl 1300 beast and I was on the Z1R-TC. We rode around until we got them warmed up, then he turned up a long straight road that went a couple miles before it turned and came back toward town. There was a little rise in the road maybe 500 yards down where it went over a salmon stream. He gassed it and disappeared down that road, so I leaned forward and GASSED IT, holding my breath!! I was ready for the ride of a lifetime. And really, nothing happened. It was accelerating like my old 750 and I got into 3rd gear just before that rise in the road, then I glanced down at the boost needle and saw it wiggle a bit. Then it shot straight up, and I accelerated from 60mph to 135mph in a blink, with the front tire straight up in the air. I went over that bridge completely out of control on the back tire, and the boost was still climbing. I shifted to 4th and the front end came down, I gassed it again and the boost came back up and it took off like a fighter jet. Good LORD that thing was fearsome. I slowed down at the far end and made the corner at maybe 40mph and whoops!!!! It felt like there was a huge hinge in the frame between the seat and tank. It was spooky as heck in even a mild corner, and I knew that was a deadly combination. So I told Squeaks thanks, but no thanks.
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