1972 Kawasaki 750 H2.2
Had I had visitors to my garage they would have noticed that, without an outside delivery, my bike count had increased by 1. An H2 had essentially been born from the containers which I had bought last year. There’s no question that strewn throughout the boxes are enough parts for another one: a second son.
How did I get here? In April 2019 my friendly household repair man (not knowing it was a dog that I had paid too much for) admired my purple ’75 H2C- and said “I have a friend that has a couple of these….in boxes. 72’s…..there might even be enough parts for 3” On the next visit he brought his pal, we made a deal and despite the fact there’s really only enough bits for two, I’m happy.
Some of the gleaming upsides to this purchase: signed titles accompany two frames, two Charlie Smith rebuilt cranks, (well, one is for sure, the other is now at Charlie’s for him to determine if it’s one of his and either way, check it’s trueness) rebored barrels w/new piston kits, rebuilt calipers, carbs, looms, controls, multiple tanks and many of the parts were unfeasibly well organized.
A while ago I decided one will be a total sandblast powder coat-replace-every-fastener-refurb, while the other, the rolling example, I’ll rebuild the motor, brakes, suspension etc but won’t touch the paint and try and get it running with whatever I can find in them boxes. Meanwhile, my nearly finished refurbed example has powder coated frame, dual disc upgrade, (4 way split, 5/8 master, re-engineered lefty caliper) swinger needle bearings, tapered head bearings, new DID rims with ss spokes built by Buchanans, new paint (and tank sealed) by LRC, undercut transmission by R&D Motorsports rebuilt oil pump by JeffD, reconditioned clocks by Don Fulsang, rewound stator by Marcus Rex, rebuilt carbs with an Ivan’s Jet Kit all connected to a factory like airbox, new fork stanchions, rear shocks, cables, anything that’s rubber is new rubber and just enough, no, not too much, new chrome….it’s basically every internal upgrade I can think of that might, just might, make this a reliable version of the hellcat it was born as whilst retaining the original silhouette of the iconic H2. One day, she will run, and run fast and probably, yes, still a little wild.
And now I’ve had a u-turn in plans. True, originally I had said that I was just going to build this 2nd bike with whatever parts I could find, clean, and bolt together. That idea lasted as long as it became apparent that anything less than what I had just produced will just be….well…less not to mention that this might be the bike I’m going to have to sell to make ends meet and who’s gonna want to buy a questionable looking two wheeled performance monster- plus there’s something exciting about imagining two near perfect H2’s side my side in the garage….just before my house gets foreclosed upon….
With the first one almost done (just sorting some niggling issues) the time is right to begin on the second H2 whose heart and bones are strewn amongst the boxes, bags and tupperware.
The full and unedited story full of pics is here:
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/kawasakitriples/dreams-in-boxes-ii-the-second-son-t15102.html
