Kawasaki H2

[Burns]

Nice Avenger. I had one in blue and it went like stink. Started sucking air and melted a piston. Rebuilt it and sold it, biggest mistake :dash2:os I ever made. Right after I sold my 81 GS1100 E. Big R

Those rotary  valvers  (Bridgestone made one too) had a  distinct power advantage over their piston-port and reed-valve kin.
Definitely some of my favorite mosquito killers.
I'd love to have one.

[axiom-r]

I love all the two strokes really but the A7 is the one that I ride the most. It handles great and when tuned well it will trounce on the H1's.... 

Burns, I had a Bridgestone 350 GTO for a while but they became so valuable I sold it to an Australian collector.  It had the metal rotary valves and made an amazing sound from the cases. 

On the road racing front, you have to recall that the H1r and H2r - dminant road racing Kawasakis - were very close to the production series H1 and H2's.  Not as much for the RD - Yamaha TD series and of course TZ series were the dominant road racers.  They were farther removed from the production RD's..... different engines and frames.  Those TZ's!  I have a buddy that races one today....

[Burns]

I love all the two strokes really but the A7 is the one that I ride the most. It handles great and when tuned well it will trounce on the H1's.... 

Burns, I had a Bridgestone 350 GTO for a while but they became so valuable I sold it to an Australian collector.  It had the metal rotary valves and made an amazing sound from the cases. 

On the road racing front, you have to recall that the H1r and H2r - dminant road racing Kawasakis - were very close to the production series H1 and H2's.  Not as much for the RD - Yamaha TD series and of course TZ series were the dominant road racers.  They were farther removed from the production RD's..... different engines and frames.  Those TZ's!  I have a buddy that races one today....


As I recall, the RD's dominated production road racing; the TZ's are direct descendants (350's share cranks/cases) and so are in the  "RD family"

Of course since I rode and owned RD's (personal fav was the 400 that I two-upped with my girl friend from San Antonio to the Grand Canyon and back one summer) my "recall" could be tainted.

The H'S really can't be compared to the RD's. With 40 and 100 percent  (H1,H2) displacement advantage and an extra jug they are in a different power league.

If I personally was to pick a 2-stroke town bike today I think  it would be one of the 350 rotary valvers.

It would be a wonderful stable mate to the FJ's.

[axiom-r]

If I personally was to pick a 2-stroke town bike today I think  it would be one of the 350 rotary valvers.

It would be a wonderful stable mate to the FJ's.

It absolutely is....  I occasionally find the two of them spooning.....

[Arnie]

Burns said, "As I recall, the RD's dominated production road racing"

That's right, but only until the Suzuki RG250s and then the RGV250s and the Aprillas (with RGV250 engines) came onto the scene.
What skews a lot of memories is that the US didn't allow any "large" 2-smokes in past about 1978, with the one year exception of the RD350LC in '81 or so.

[giantkiller]

My wife's old rz350 was the most fun a 280lb man could have on a tiny bike. Had no problem lifting the front. Even with me on it.
And the speedo saw 117 with my not so aerodynamic body on it. Wouldn't go any farther though.

Sold it to my buddy. He still has it near mint condition. As a matter of fact it's in the middle of his kitchen right now.

[Sir Denis Eton-Hogg]

I had a really nice RZ350 for a few years, tuned by Moto Carrera out of California, sold it last year while thinning the herd, a great bike.

[FJ1100mjk]

Super charger anyone?

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/news/h2-kawasakis-supercharged-ninja-confirmed?src=SOC&dom=fb

Dan

It's (closed course version) debut in Fatherland:

http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2014/09/kawasaki-debuts-300-hp-closed-course-h2r-street-legal-model-debuts-soon/

Street version to follow in a few more days.