Kawasaki 500 Hl
Restoration & Buying
So much has been said about this bike - what's it really like?
For the perfect mix - no, sorry, it's not a cake. Take one whole, well-trained engineer turned motorcycle restorer, and one whole - well, nearly - discarded and unloved 1973 Kawasaki Hl 500cc Triple. Put them both in a shed (most essential) for six months or so, return and throw open the door to find one cool classic motorcycle.
THE IDEA - EVERYTHING STARTS WITH AN IDEA - for Kawasaki's big triples came during the late 1960s. The Kawasaki company, a large, diversified concern even then, desired a larger share of the lucrative US market in motorcycles. After spending several decades supplying smaller capacity two-stroke machines, the only way was upping the cubes.
So, as legend has it, the design project was handed over to the very same chaps responsible for the Japanese Bullet Train and jet aircraft. The result was two of the fastest bikes on the planet: the Hl 500cc two-stroke triple and a little later its
bigger sibling, the 750, also a two-stroke triple.
The new, lightweight 500 Mach IIIwould then, on test, howl its way through the quarter-mile in just under 13 seconds - this is 1969 by the way - and it would leave every BSA,Triumph, and even the latest Honda 750 Four as a dot in a soft blue haze. Yes, the Mach III,introduced to a new generation of young red-blooded Americans - and indeed everyone else on planet earth - to the exciting world of often unplanned wheelies in at least the first three gears. For the Japanese, it was a whole new way of committing Hari-kari, while Kawasaki was to make additional profit from selling new rear mudguards
and lights ... Which leads us oh so nicely to this month's restoration.
Roy Deeley has recently commenced trading as 'Acme motorcycle restoration and repair' in Halesowen (01384634970),a word not often used these days, but apparently emanating from the Greek meaning 'Pinnacle of excellence'. The West Midlands - and Cradley Heath in particular - has long had a proud and distinguished reputation for its engineering skills. But, as history teaches us, technology, or manufacturing roles, never stay static. So for the last year or so, Roy has left his factory work behind to restore motorcycles, and any general engineering work for other bikers as well as himself.
The Mach IIIpresented on these pages is his own special possession, because if these machines were around when you were a teenager, it's impossible not to have a warm feeling well up in your heart when you see one.
As you may guess readily from the pictures - if •
The new, lightweight 500 Mach Ill would then, on test, howl its way through the quarter-mile in under 13 seconds - this is 1969 by the way - and it would leave every BSA, Triumph, and even the latest Honda 750 Four as a dot in a soft blue haze
you're an eagle-eyed sort, familiar with these bikes - you will have noticed the largish side reflectors denoting that it is indeed an import from the US.And yes, sadly, it had languished for many a moon under the stars, alone, doing absolutely nothing. But then, joy of joys, Roy got his sticky mitts on it, and the Kwak has never looked so good in its glossy dark green metallic finish.
But as you can also readily guess, a lot needed doing to get the engine's infernal internals decent before it would propel anyone along the Tarmac at anything like a speed that would raise a heartbeat.
The Mach III appeared in the US in 1969 with a white sculpted fuel tank and blue racing stripe along the lower part of the tank, and special Dunlop K77 tyres. The engine was a three cylinder, inline twostroke with a displacement of 499cc (30.5 cu in). A V-twin had been considered, but the inline had kept the inner cylinder suitably cool. It had Mikuni VM 28mm carburettors and like all crankcase-scavenged two-strokes, the H1 had an all-roller-bearing crankshaft with six main ball bearings and four rubber seals. These were modem times, so there was no messy mixing of oil and petrol; a tiny three-outlet metering pump, located above the crank's primary pinion, varied the oil supply from a small tank to each cylinder according to throttle opening. Because the industry was always thinking about warranty, these pumps were factory set to lay heavy smoke on full throttle. As certain guys accumulated experience, they sometimes were able to notch this back considerably.
Oil was supplied to three crankcase drillings, each supplying oil to one main bearing of each cylinder. When the Kawasaki appeared at 60x58.8mm bore
& stroke, it was completely straightforward - three cylinders in line with a tall alternator/ignition cover adding inches of width on the left, and with its geared primary drive to a 5-speed gearbox on the right. The keynote of Kawasaki's design was to price this model to sell in serious numbers. That meant giving up fancy stuff such as the rotary intake valves of their previous A1/A7 twins in favour of the simple and cheaper option of piston-controlled intake ports.
Trouble is, with all two-strokes, as time goes by seals wear and the whole thing grinds to a halt. That's why Roy had to do a total engine strip, and perform a good job with new crank seals and bearings. If you take a peek at the crank with its 60 degree conrods, it's sitting happily on a truing jig, to make sure that all is within the one degree tolerance that Kawasaki originally set. "Getting these cranks apart is no easy matter," remarks Roy,and he takes me around to a 30-ton press he has built to pull apart these little beasts. Now all together again, the engine sits neatly back in its re-painted frame to see another day.
And the truth is the Hl quickly acquired the reputation of dreadful handling. A simple test usually isolated the cause
Wheels were re-built and re-spoked; paintwork was done by the local firm of MotoPaint - also Gradley Heath - keeping it local. In the UKin the early days, these Kawasakis came with points ignition, while our American friends got the full electronic ignition package - like this one. The only thing that Roy hasn't been able to do -yet- is to re-furbish the clocks, and I noticed that they have let water in at some point. It's a work in progress, as they say.
What about handling? Didn't the 500 and 750 have a terrible reputation for bad handling in the day? The truth is the H1 quickly acquired the reputation of dreadful handling. A simple test usually isolated the cause. Remove the rear suspension units, pop off their springs and stroke the dampers up and down to see if there is equal damping. In some cases, a stock damper could lose its oil in a few miles. But the reputation persists, as if the H1's chassis was not a technical construction, but rather an evil monster out to kill you. Yes, engines in that era were mounted far back, and yes, wheelies were easy with H1 power, but there was plenty of good steel in the chassis, and a pair of Kanis or Girlings made a rideable suspension package.
What if you wish to buy one, maybe as a project,
an investment, or as a reminder of a long-lost youth? I looked on the internet - obviously - and sales wise, decent bikes are going from between £6500 right the way up to £13,000; quite a stretch, and all dependant on how good the bike is both from looks and mechanics. Some spares are easy to get hold of and you can get regular bits from Cradley Kawasaki, the Kawasaki shop in Northampton. BUT,some parts, like decent exhausts for instance, are rare indeed, and if you do come across a set, they will command a price. If you're looking to buy a nice example, take a look at the plugs - are they all the same grade? because some guys put a different one in the middle to help sort out the slight hotting up of the centre cylinder. And what is the colour like on those plugs? Is the outer rim black with a nice tan centre, or does the centre plug have a white centre denoting very hot running? Look under the seat. Is the steel seat pan going rusty around its rim where rain has got in? Is the clutch tough to pull in? This may just be a tight cable, stuck pressure plate, which happens after long storage; or maybe the operating worm gear simply needs a bit of oiling. And then, of course, there's the question of engine noise. Is there excessive rattling? Unfortunately, this is the minefield of second hand purchasing, so take a veteran of two-strokes with you. Much depends on who is selling. What does your gut instinct tell you about the integrity of the seller?
All this information is/was too academic for the 1970's teenagers, who learned that you could, if you were mad enough - and there were some that would - with the engine running and in gear, stand over the bike, weight on their feet, rev it, dump the clutch to spin the tyre, and sit down. And for them, it was the coolest bike ever; one that could raise the hairs on the back of your neck, or send them grey in less than 13 seconds. The soft smell of rubber and slowly dissipating blue smoke, along with a thin black line on the Tarmac, was evidence that the Kwak had departed to trounce yet another Brit 650.
Indeed, its performance was everything that Kawasaki had promised, but heaven help you if you forgot to lean forward and put all your weight over that front wheel.
Restoration by Roy Deeley {Acme engineering), Cradley Heath, 07428 731291. ACME-MOTORCYCLES@HOTMAIL.COtiiM!fl
Mthe y FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH ONE OF legendary 'Widow Makers' was riding pillion on a race tuned HlB, circa early 1974.This vile device screamed like a choir of banshees, handled appallingly two up and delivered vibrations through the seat and footrests like little else I've ever ridden. Was I hooked? No, just bloody traumatised!
If you're after the raw, moonshine, bootleg, distilled-in -the-back-yard
1970s two-stroke power experience, then a Hl is the weapon of choice. However, if you're looking for a degree of civility buy a Suzuki GT550,or a Yamaha RD350if you want power and handling - it's all relative mind you!
The Hl Mach IIIwas built to get Kawasaki's name out there and it unquestionably met that brief. It was the fastest 500 of the period and the swiftest down the quarter mile by some margin. Back then that was more than enough to gain both a reputation and enthusiastic customers. This was more
than enough to complete the mission while Kawasaki got on with designing big four-strokes.
As is the way with most period Japanese machinery - over the years the performance dropped as the handling improved - marginally. By the end of the model run, the 1975 HlF and 1976 KH500A8were no longer the manic, evil-minded missiles they once were, but they could still surprise the unwary/na'ive/stupid.
Throughout its lifespan the bike earned a reputation for bad handling which was, to some degree, justified. With too much weight on the rear end the earlier machines were always going to have questionable road manners, but over the years Kawasaki gradually managed to move more mass towards the front, but arguably never really addressed the issue.
Just like its 750 offsprings, the 500s always ride best on decent quality rubber inflated correctly, and a decent set of European shocks will never go amiss.
The bike changed a lot over its eight-year model life and it's relatively easy to come by a bitsa-cum-hybrid, so expert input is always a good idea. Many key parts for the earlier models are notoriously hard to source so an example missing vital components is best avoided. Exhaust systems are notoriously hard to find, air boxes fetch a king's ransom and the CDIunits used on some of the models are expensive to repair. To add to the fun the HlE,
HlF and KH500run a perplexingly complex single phase, permanent magnet, alternator and that utilises five individual brushes!
Everyone should sample a Hl at least once, if only to decide whether they actually want one; some are instantly smitten whilst others walk away shaking their heads. If you still want one, buy a complete example not a bike in boxes - but be prepared to scale a learning curve. The Hl is significantly more than just your average 1970s stroker twin with an extra cylinder! Cilml
"The Hl Mach Ill was built to get Kawasaki's name out there and it unquestionably met that brief. It was the fastest 500 of the period and the swiftest down the quarter mile by some margin."