Japanese Classic Motorcycles Archives

Kawasaki Z1100R

Over the years, many a motorcyclist has had a special place in their heart for a Kawasaki ‘Z’. None more so than the Z1100R! No flimflam or finery – just straightforward, sit up and beg-style solidity. Highish handlebars, stepped-down seat and anatomically-correct footrests. In other words – a normal riding position. ‘The way bikes used to be’, you might hear it said. And – after a hundred plus miles in the saddle – who could argue?

Not that that should suggest any kind of staidness! There was little sober or solemn about the 1100R. It was, after all, inspired by a US Superbike racer. The one on which Eddie Lawson won consecutive titles in the early Eighties. Hopefully – from a Kawasaki marketing viewpoint – some of the spirit of the race bike rubbed off on the roadster. Certainly, it was far from unknown for an 1100R rider to feel like Eddie Lawson! And – to be fair – the Z’s 140mph top whack was more than enough for most mere mortals. Especially when the high-speed wobble kicked in – on account of the bike’s bikini-type fairing. The R’s 1,089cc engine made 114bhp. Thankfully – with all that power to play with – the bike was blessed with good roadholding. Squat dimensions helped – as did Kayaba remote-reservoir rear shocks.

Albeit in a no-frills way, the Z1100R was still a stylish motorcycle. Few paintjobs are as emotive as those of Kawasaki’s ‘green meanies’. Of course, green bikes are considered unlucky by some. That said, owners of spanking-new 1100Rs were obviously prepared to take a chance. For the superstitious, though, other colours were also available. Launched in ’84, the Z might be said to have straddled classic and race-rep. To wit, comfortable ergonomics – plus searing speed and cute handling. Fans would argue, then, that with a lime-green Kawasaki Z1100R, you got the lot. Now, that can hardly be considered unlucky!

Kawasaki H1

Kawasaki built its first bike – a 125cc two-stroke – in 1960. From the outset, Kawasaki was synonymous with high-performance sports bikes. Bikes like the H1, for instance. Technically, it was released at the tail-end of the Sixties. But, it is one of those machines which make lovers of Seventies superbikes come over all misty-eyed. That was the decade in which the H1 was most often seen – being ridden hell for leather – along the highways and byways of Britain. And, indeed, other locales – usually in the same high-spirited fashion. It was what two-strokes were made for, basically. And, if the H1’s handling was a tad imprecise – at least as compared with bikes of today – hey, it only added to the fun!

The H1’s 500cc three-cylinder engine output 60bhp. The ‘stroker’ motor screamed all the way to a top speed of 120mph. It did so in a way that induced mile-wide eyes – and smiles – in those brought up on a strict ‘Brit bike’ diet. Heck, the sound alone was worth the asking price! The H1’s slimmed-down weight of 383lb only added to its searing acceleration. Revs peaked at 7,500rpm – with a noticeable surge as they hit the power band.

Kawasaki’s first forays into motorcycle manufacture had been influenced by BSA. By the time of the H1, though, the Japanese giant had forged its own style. Middleweight though it was, the H1 passed muster among the big Seventies ‘muscle bikes’. Naked aggression more than made up for its diminutive dimensions. The Kawasaki H1 hurled bodies and souls into two-stroke hyperdrive. Some ’70s bikers never fully recovered!

Honda CB77

The CB77 was a landmark bike for Honda. The firm began in Hamamatsu, Japan. In a wooden shed! Just as Harley-Davidson had done, in Milwaukee, USA … except theirs was made out of tin! Okay – so sheds is where similarities end between the two marques! Of course – like Harley-Davidson – what Soichiro Honda’s company went on to achieve is the stuff of motorcycling legend. Not surprising, really. That small shed was home to the Honda Technical Research Institute. In its early days, that is!

Three years in and Honda produced its first bike. The 98cc machine was dubbed the Dream. Sales were sound. That set the scene for the two bikes which put Honda on motorcycling’s map – the CB72 and CB77. The larger of the two – the 305cc CB77 – was launched in ’63. It was up against the ‘Brit bikes’ of the early Sixties. They ruled the two-wheeled roost, at the time. Not for much longer! Next to the likes of Triumph and Norton, the ‘Jap bike’ came supremely well-equipped. In engineering terms, it blew them away. While it did not quite clock up the mythical ‘ton’ – the 100mph so beloved of British riders – its acceleration was scorching. By comparison with Brit bikes, at any rate. And anyway – with a top speed of 95mph – it came cigarette-paper close! The CB77’s parallel twin motor revved out to 9,000rpm. The bike weighed in at just 350lb dry. Do the math!

Several factors gave the CB77 the edge over similarly-sized British bikes. Top of the list was engine design. A 180° crankshaft allowed the two pistons to move up and down alternately – balancing each other out. That took the smoothness of the ride to another level – at least, relative to the Brit bikes. The engine was held securely in situ by a tubular steel frame. Telescopic front forks – and twin rear shocks – raised the suspension game, too. Two sets of solid, sure-stopping drum brakes were fitted. The net result was that the CB77 accelerated smoothly, handled well and pulled up in short order. On top of all that, it was oil-tight and reliable. Not something that could be said of every British-made bike! In the States, it was sold as the Super Hawk. The CB77, then, was Honda’s first attempt at a full-on sports bike. Suffice to say – there were more to come!

Suzuki T20 Super Six

For Suzuki, bikes like the T20 Super Six were a long time in the making. Originally, silk was the route to success for the Japanese company. Specifically, silk looms. In 1909, Michio Suzuki founded a firm to produce said items. It was not until ’54 that Suzuki became … well, Suzuki! For, it was in that year that it built its first bike – the 90cc Colleda. It was taken – hot off the production line – to the Mount Fuji hill-climb, where it saw off all-comers. The motorcycle world would never be the same again.

Fast forward to ’66. It was a great year for two reasons. England, of course, won the World Cup … oh, and Suzuki served up the Super Six. Suzuki went global with the the T20. It was named Super Six after its 6-speed gearbox. But, innovative engineering did not stop there. Its 2-stroke engine featured the Posi-Force lubrication system. And – holding the engine securely in situ – was Suzuki’s first twin-cradle frame. That – combined with a dry weight of just 304lb – meant the T20 handled with aplomb. The parallel-twin motor made 29bhp. Top speed was 95mph. Suffice to say, the Super Six sold by the shedload!

The T20 was a good-looking bike. Lustrous paintwork – plus gleaming chrome – made for a notably fetching finish. Festooned around it were neat design touches. The front-end, especially, was drafted with panache. What with an intricately-spoked wheel, finely-crafted forks and elegantly raised ‘bars, the T20 did not stint on detail. So, a landmark machine, from one of the all-time greats. Suzuki’s T20 Super Six mixed speed and style – to most impressive effect!

Yamaha YR5

The YR5 is a small, but perfectly-formed ‘Jap classic’. Torakusu Yamaha founded Nippon Gakki in 1897. The firm went on to become one of the world’s biggest makers of musical instruments. In ’55, it branched out into motorbikes. Some might say they made sweeter music than Yamaha’s previous products! The company logo – a tuning fork – has appeared on the tanks of millions of bikes since. Certainly sweet music to a salesperson’s ears! One of the best-sellers was the YR5.

The ‘big four’ Japanese bike manufacturers introduced precision-engineering hitherto unseen in the industry. Indeed, Torakusu Yamaha had trained to be a clock-maker, prior to starting up Nippon Gakki. The first Yamahas were built with machinery previously used to forge aircraft propellers. Now, that is the kind of component that needs to be got right!

The YR5 was a supreme example of early Japanese bike building. It reached a top speed of 95mph – from only 350cc. Engine layout was reed-valve 2-stroke. In tandem with that, the YR5 weighed just 330lb wet. Acceleration was fierce – right up to 7,000rpm. Traditionally, there has been a trade-off between ‘stroker’ speed and reliability. The former tended to come at the expense of the latter. Yamaha’s 2-strokes, though, gained a reputation for robustness – relatively so, at any rate. The YR5’s handling and braking were equally solid. Design-wise, neat and tidy styling set off pristine paintwork. As you would expect, then – with a competitive price-tag attached – the Yamaha YR5 sold by the shedload!

Kawasaki ZZR1100

The Kawasaki ZZR1100 was a serious superbike. 176mph flat-out testified to that. Its 1,052cc, 16-valve, in-line four engine produced 145bhp. It needed to – the ZZR weighed in at a portly 603lb, wet. From 1990 to ’95, the ZZR was the world’s fastest production motorcycle – succeeding Kawasaki’s ZX-10, in that regard. It took the Super Blackbird to restore Honda to the top of the speed heap.

The high-grade performance stats were due, in no small part, to ‘ram-air’ technology. The faster the ZZR travelled, the more air was forced through its ducted fairing, to the motor. More air meant more combustion – which, in turn, meant more power. If it was not an exponential increase – it sure as heck felt like it!

For all of its brain-warp acceleration, the ZZR was a forgiving beast, at heart. Sold as a sports-tourer, its chassis came supremely well-equipped. Both frame and suspension were solid, yet flexible. With the right settings dialled in, the ZZR was as safe as your riding skills. That a bike as explosive as the ZZR1100 could be considered an all-rounder said it all about Kawasaki engineering!

Honda CB750

There is a case to be made for considering the Honda CB750 to be the point at which motorcycling’s modern age began. Technically, it was released in ’69 – but its presence so suffused the Seventies that it cannot but be grouped with bikes of that decade. Kawasaki’s Z1 is often thought of as the first Japanese ‘superbike’. Timeline-wise, though, it was the CB750 that was first out of the traps – and by a full four years, at that.

The CB750’s four across-the-frame cylinders were a clear signal there was a new kid on biking’s block. The shiny quartet of chrome exhausts reinforced the message. The CB750 was a muscular-looking motorcycle. But, it was stylish muscularity. The rounded tank was sleek and shapely. The multi-spoked wheels were a latticed delight. Paintwork and chrome vied for attention. At the time, the CB’s front disc brake was technologically advanced. Highish handlebars – and a well-padded seat – were tailor-made for long journeys. So, it made sense for the 750 to be pitched as the perfect all-rounder.

Unsurprisingly, the CB was a big success in the showrooms. That was only to be expected from a bike which topped out at 125mph – and also handled well. Honda’s rivals duly fell over themselves to try to match it. Over time, then, the CB750 furthered motorcycling’s cause. By setting a benchmark, it forced manufacturers worldwide to follow suit. In the form of the Honda CB750, the day of the modern Jap classic had dawned!