Love my new baby

[onus1057]

Years ago I ran with 2, 500cc mac 3, 3 cylinder 2 stroke bikes.

One was a standard ignition, coloured orange.

The other a CDI ignition (My bike known as the Black Mac).

I recall during my younger years when racing around the old Surfers Paradice track (Qld). The CDI model was very fast, (could not corner well but in the straight OMG).

I was told that this CDI model was a limited edition because it was banned in some counties for being too fast.

Does anyone remember this model (I believe the original colour was blue), if so could they tell me the truth or not of this story. This was at the time the 900cc Kwakas came out and I recall flogging them up to 160/70 Kph, in a straight line.

Referring to the heading I had not owned or rode a bike since my girls were born, once they were old enough (20 & 23), I went back. First on a ZZR250 then to my baby the ZX14R. I thought the old 500's were fast this beast is out of this world.

I never knew how much I missed riding, it reignited my love for the sports bike world. :

[Smitty]

well...welcome firstly

2nd..the Aussie MachIIIs were introduced 1969/1970 with CDI...as standard
everyone was impressed when the first H1s came with this type of ignition..no points!
AFAIK..there was a US model MachIII that had points but I don't remember seeing them here
the 2nd model MachIII which came out in 1972..definitely had CDI plus a disc brake...woohoo


and yes
I remember mine..like stink in a straight line (flat around 130 mph from memory)
but you tried to remember if your funeral dues were paid..in the corners
mine was a blue one

I also have to agree modern bikes (mine is a 12r) are far and above better than a MachIII
still give thrills though

hth

Smitty

[badinov]

Kawasaki made their name world-wide, with the introduction of the triple two strokes !!!
At 17, my first road bike was a slightly clapped out mach lll
From memory ( not brilliant )
'69 Model= CDI ,Drum brake, knee scolloped tank....red/white stripe or white/blue stripe.
'70 Model= points,Drum brake, flat sided tank...
'71 Model= CDI,Drum brake, flat sided tank...
'72 Model=CDI,Disc brake, Orange .....The same year the H2 750 Mach1V
Surfers Paradise was a real buzz !!

Bet your glad, to apprecitate the new tamed technology

[onus1057]

Thanks to you Smitty and you badinov. My black mach had CDI and drum brakes it was 2nd hand when I got a hold of it. The orange mach had points and a front disc, which did not slow the beastie any quicker than the front drum (and that at best was a calculated risk each time).

Yes guys I do appreciate the new technology the 14 wants to run and loves the corners it is smoooooth to operate. I did test a ZX6 once, I found that machine a handful, perhaps because the guys at the local Kshop had tricked it up a bit, but still easier than the old mach.

badinov did you have some years on the Coast? I lived there from 1969 to 1980 when I returned to Melbourne for work. Still think of it as home, mum and dad have their home still.

[Smitty]

Thanks to you Smitty and you badinov. My black mach had CDI and drum brakes it was 2nd hand when I got a hold of it. The orange mach had points and a front disc, which did not slow the beastie any quicker than the front drum (and that at best was a calculated risk each time).
:

yeah..no probs
the disc setup was slightly better than the drum. Both the drum and disc front brake could lock the front wheel
given the skinny front crossply used on the MachIIIs, no problem . So you backed off the brake lever a bit
to slip the brake which got hot and in the drum version this went to NO stopping power very quickly
You learnt NOT to trail brake into a corner with a front drum set up

The disc setup worked slightly longer before it too went out to lunch


aaah memories


cheers

Smitty

[Stereo]

I love my new baby too

[badinov]

Hi onus1057.
No , never lived on the coast... a Sydney boy .
I raced in the Seventies ... at Surfers - 3 times
Turn 1 under the Dunlop tyre bridge...blind right hander sixth gear, full noise, cranked over..awesome !!
My favourite part was the end of the back straight... the double esses