Purple Haze!
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|June 2019

Far out, man. This 1973 Candytone Purple H2 750 has totally blown Jeff’s brain

Purple Haze!

I hate to use the M word, but I have to: the ‘Modern’ H1 supercharged beast was a highlight of my testing tasks a few years ago. Hell, I thrashed it so hard Kawasaki made me buy them a new rear tyre, rear fender and inner guard as there was so much melted rubber up the rear end of the Ninja. After the test, I just had to ride an original, but I wasn’t so keen on the 500 H1, it was the H2 Mach IV 750 I wanted to try. I wasn’t born when the bike came out, but I have read enough about them to get the picture. Wild, unpredictable, uncontrollable, insane! Or is it?

I’m fortunate enough to have access to a private test facility that is near my home. I use it for all of my performance testing of modern bikes. It is a 22 corner, 3.6-mile track that is out of this world.

A while back I organised a huge two-day test fest of 20 classic bikes and was so lucky to have Erik Soetens bring along this H2, along with a mint Jaffa 900, custom Z900 and an Eddie Lawson Rep. It was, however, the KH I was really keen to ride.

Erik was a mate of my old boss Len Willing and was a racer in the 1970s, growing up with the Willing brothers and Mick Doohan and Kevin Magee’s old mechanic, Dudley Lister.

Erik has a neat collection now and has a soft spot for old Kwakas. He could not find the right condition Mach IV here in Oz so he decided to bring one over from the USA where there seem to be quite a few around in mint, low mileage, unrestored condition.

“I’m not going to tell you what I paid for the bike, but it is one of the best examples I’ve ever seen,” smiles Erik as we chat trackside pre-ride. “It still has the original paperwork of sale under the seat, along with owner’s manual and related paperwork. You don’t see that very often.”

この蚘事は Classic Motorcycle Mechanics の June 2019 版に掲茉されおいたす。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トラむアルを開始しお、䜕千もの厳遞されたプレミアム ストヌリヌ、9,000 以䞊の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしおください。

この蚘事は Classic Motorcycle Mechanics の June 2019 版に掲茉されおいたす。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トラむアルを開始しお、䜕千もの厳遞されたプレミアム ストヌリヌ、9,000 以䞊の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしおください。

CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICSのその他の蚘事すべお衚瀺
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

Honda VFR750R - RC30

If there’s a more worshipped V4 out there, we’ve yet to see it: welcome to our reboot of the awesome VFR750R RC30


time-read
2 分  |
September 2021
Mountain tension!
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

Mountain tension!

Award-winning motorcycle engineer!

time-read
5 分  |
September 2021
Fazer set to STUN!
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

Fazer set to STUN!

What do you get when you mix CRK’s lovely café racer kit to Yamaha’s budget middleweight and the recently-retired Martin Fox? Well, one helluva foxy Fazer!

time-read
6 分  |
September 2021
Project Suzuki 1984 RG250 part 4 BRUNO BARES ALL!
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

Project Suzuki 1984 RG250 part 4 BRUNO BARES ALL!

This month, while we wait for backorder engine parts, we strip the chassis back to the bare frame, assess what is needed and plan the reassembly


time-read
6 分  |
September 2021
Project Kawasaki Z900 Stocker part 2 Ralph has a blast!
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

Project Kawasaki Z900 Stocker part 2 Ralph has a blast!

For the best finish on his Z900’s motor Ralph wants the best, so he visits Stephen Smethurst Casting Renovation to find out how it’s done properly.

time-read
10 分  |
September 2021
Project Suzuki TS400 Part 8 Loom with a view!
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

Project Suzuki TS400 Part 8 Loom with a view!

We’re getting down into the nitty-gritty this time with component testing and loom building. What could go wrong?

time-read
6 分  |
September 2021
Project Yamaha TX750 Part 12 A question of balance

Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

Project Yamaha TX750 Part 12 A question of balance


Only The Beach Boys had good vibrations
 so what’s Mark been up to, to sort out the bad ones coming from his TX750?

time-read
6 分  |
September 2021
Splitting links
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

Splitting links

Ralph Ferrand works with tools all day long – he sells them too at bikerstoolbox.co.uk so he knows what works.

time-read
4 分  |
September 2021
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

STAVROS: PRINCE OF PRANKSTERS!

It’s probably fair to say that Stephen JamesParrish’s persona and overall levity throughout his life have muddied the waters as to just how good a bike racer he was back in the day.

time-read
1 min  |
September 2021
Metal magic!
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

Metal magic!

Ralph Ferrand works with tools all day long – he sells them too at bikerstoolbox co uk so he knows what works.. .

time-read
3 分  |
July 2021