One of my fav street bike classics

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Originally Posted By: Blaze
The 1966 Honda 305 Scramblers...my gawd they sounded cool!



You should have posted a video of one running for us to hear.
 
Never rode this model but cut my teeth learning to ride on a then new (not mine) CL350 street scrambler. And rode as a passenger into Yosemite on same. That was back in the day. Nice versatile bike.
 
I had a few Japanese bikes in the 60's. Yamaha 305, Yamaha 100, Yamaha 180, Honda 150 dream, Suzuki 80 and a 72 CB350 that was similar to the 305 scrambler above.

The most impressive bike I had was a 74 Suzuki GT550. So smooth it felt like it was electrically powered, should have never sold it.
 
Originally Posted By: WobblyElvis
I had a few Japanese bikes in the 60's. Yamaha 305, Yamaha 100, Yamaha 180, Honda 150 dream, Suzuki 80 and a 72 CB350 that was similar to the 305 scrambler above.

The most impressive bike I had was a 74 Suzuki GT550. So smooth it felt like it was electrically powered, should have never sold it.


Was that Suzuki liquid cooled, or was only the 750?
 
The GT550 Suzuki was not water cooled. It was similar to the GT380. All of these were triples.
The GT750 triple was called a "Water Buffalo"and was indeed water cooled. Two of my friends had them.
 
Originally Posted By: WobblyElvis
I had a few Japanese bikes in the 60's. Yamaha 305, Yamaha 100, Yamaha 180, Honda 150 dream, Suzuki 80 and a 72 CB350 that was similar to the 305 scrambler above.

The most impressive bike I had was a 74 Suzuki GT550. So smooth it felt like it was electrically powered, should have never sold it.


grin.gif


A kid I went to high school with had a metallic green CB350 Four. It was in better condition than my similar year model RD350.....The RD would thrash the little SOHC 4 in acceleration but the Honda was smoother and a lot quieter. (250 Ninja would probably walk away from both of them in stock form)

I really coveted the Suzuki GT380. I loved the way the triple looked and struggled to figure out how a 3 cylinder had 4 exhaust pipes. But used RD350s were availiable. GT380s were not. The GT380s were just in back issues of motorcycle magazines at the library.
Plus, I was already acquainted with the Yamaha two-stroke from riding a GT80 for years
 
Originally Posted By: Spazdog
Originally Posted By: WobblyElvis
I had a few Japanese bikes in the 60's. Yamaha 305, Yamaha 100, Yamaha 180, Honda 150 dream, Suzuki 80 and a 72 CB350 that was similar to the 305 scrambler above.

The most impressive bike I had was a 74 Suzuki GT550. So smooth it felt like it was electrically powered, should have never sold it.


grin.gif


A kid I went to high school with had a metallic green CB350 Four. It was in better condition than my similar year model RD350.....The RD would thrash the little SOHC 4 in acceleration but the Honda was smoother and a lot quieter. (250 Ninja would probably walk away from both of them in stock form)

I really coveted the Suzuki GT380. I loved the way the triple looked and struggled to figure out how a 3 cylinder had 4 exhaust pipes. But used RD350s were availiable. GT380s were not. The GT380s were just in back issues of motorcycle magazines at the library.
Plus, I was already acquainted with the Yamaha two-stroke from riding a GT80 for years


The Honda CB350 four was a neat bike. Not real fast (it made plenty of power, but it was heavy), and the 4 strokes really didn't compare to the 2 strokes of the day in terms of acceleration. How did the RD350 compare to the Kawasaki 350 in terms of acceleration? I would guess the Kaw made more power considering that it was a triple (vs a twin for the RD), but then again the RD was probably lighter, so I'd guess they were probably pretty close.
 
Originally Posted By: grampi
Originally Posted By: Spazdog
Originally Posted By: WobblyElvis
I had a few Japanese bikes in the 60's. Yamaha 305, Yamaha 100, Yamaha 180, Honda 150 dream, Suzuki 80 and a 72 CB350 that was similar to the 305 scrambler above.

The most impressive bike I had was a 74 Suzuki GT550. So smooth it felt like it was electrically powered, should have never sold it.


grin.gif


A kid I went to high school with had a metallic green CB350 Four. It was in better condition than my similar year model RD350.....The RD would thrash the little SOHC 4 in acceleration but the Honda was smoother and a lot quieter. (250 Ninja would probably walk away from both of them in stock form)

I really coveted the Suzuki GT380. I loved the way the triple looked and struggled to figure out how a 3 cylinder had 4 exhaust pipes. But used RD350s were availiable. GT380s were not. The GT380s were just in back issues of motorcycle magazines at the library.
Plus, I was already acquainted with the Yamaha two-stroke from riding a GT80 for years


The Honda CB350 four was a neat bike. Not real fast (it made plenty of power, but it was heavy), and the 4 strokes really didn't compare to the 2 strokes of the day in terms of acceleration. How did the RD350 compare to the Kawasaki 350 in terms of acceleration? I would guess the Kaw made more power considering that it was a triple (vs a twin for the RD), but then again the RD was probably lighter, so I'd guess they were probably pretty close.


The RD350 wasn't a drag racer but from 0-60 it was dam quick. The RD350 was king of the twisty roads and it would kill any stock bike back in those days. The RD350 ruled Arizona's famed Highway 89, you needed a modified Norton Commando to beat one.
 
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I had two RD350's a 74 and a 75. The Kawasaki triples 350/400 really couldn't touch them . They made similar power but were heavier and didn't handle quite as well but I thought the Kawasaki triples were better looking. Yamaha was very much into racing and the RD350 benefited from this. The crank/rods and pistons were straight from the racing bike. The frame might have been the same too. 9 out of 10 race bikes in the 350 class were Yamahas. No contest. They were actually quite a civil street bike. 1/4 mile in 14.1 seconds completely stock.
 
Originally Posted By: WobblyElvis
I had two RD350's a 74 and a 75. The Kawasaki triples 350/400 really couldn't touch them . They made similar power but were heavier and didn't handle quite as well but I thought the Kawasaki triples were better looking. Yamaha was very much into racing and the RD350 benefited from this. The crank/rods and pistons were straight from the racing bike. The frame might have been the same too. 9 out of 10 race bikes in the 350 class were Yamahas. No contest. They were actually quite a civil street bike. 1/4 mile in 14.1 seconds completely stock.


I seem to remember an old cycle mag article that had the Kaw 350 running the 1/4 in the 13s, and they made like 45 HP, which was unheard of for a 350 back then...I don't know, it was a long time ago and I could be wrong...I just seem to remember it was ridiculously fast and powerful for a 350...
 
You may be thinking of the Kawasaki A6 Avenger produced in the late 60's. It was a twin cylinder with dual rotary valves. These valves allowed the engine to produce more power but also made the engine excessively wide limiting cornering clearance. It also had poor suspension and a weak frame that necessitated a steering damper. Not much of a racer. Some magazines at the time reported 1/4 mile times of less than 14 seconds but when compared side by side with the other bikes the Yamaha proved quicker. This is how I remember it but....I have been wrong.
 
Yeah. As I remember it, in stock form the RD350 had one more horsepower than the GT380 triple and a few less than the Kawasaki MachII 350. The Kawis were supremely powerful, but poor handling machines.

Kawasaki built some amazing engines, but did not have the hang of handling yet. The Z1 ruled tracks with long straightaways but the far less powerful R90 smacked it around on tighter tracks.
 
I think it was the 2-stroke Kawasaki 750 triple that was known to start tank swapping at high speed. I had a friend that bought a Kaw KZ900 when they first came out around 1976 and he said those were poor handling too.
 
Originally Posted By: Blaze
I think it was the 2-stroke Kawasaki 750 triple that was known to start tank swapping at high speed. I had a friend that bought a Kaw KZ900 when they first came out around 1976 and he said those were poor handling too.


Maybe compared to today's bikes, but for back then, the 900 handled fine...I had the first year of the Z1 in '73...it handled better than any of the triples...
 
Originally Posted By: grampi
Originally Posted By: Blaze
I think it was the 2-stroke Kawasaki 750 triple that was known to start tank swapping at high speed. I had a friend that bought a Kaw KZ900 when they first came out around 1976 and he said those were poor handling too.


Maybe compared to today's bikes, but for back then, the 900 handled fine...I had the first year of the Z1 in '73...it handled better than any of the triples...


Really ? In a straight line my H1 could handle any Z that felt it's oats needed a trim...haha

Bet you wish you kept that Z, they are worth some $$$$ today.
 
Originally Posted By: FastGame
Originally Posted By: grampi
Originally Posted By: Blaze
I think it was the 2-stroke Kawasaki 750 triple that was known to start tank swapping at high speed. I had a friend that bought a Kaw KZ900 when they first came out around 1976 and he said those were poor handling too.


Maybe compared to today's bikes, but for back then, the 900 handled fine...I had the first year of the Z1 in '73...it handled better than any of the triples...


Really ? In a straight line my H1 could handle any Z that felt it's oats needed a trim...haha

Bet you wish you kept that Z, they are worth some $$$$ today.


Since when does handling mean going in a straight line? Handling means cornering...and yes, in stock form, the H1 was a bit quicker than the Z1 up to a certain speed, after that it was all Z1...
 
I guess it's all in the comparison.

The Z1 did not have the handling of the Italian or Brit-bikes but it had power. The CB750 had been a shock. The Z1 was pure devastation

In 1968, the Harley Davidson Sportster reigned supreme as the performance bike. The 1969 Honda was quicker, faster, more civilized and didn't dump oil all over your driveway. The Z1 was a knockout punch. It could nearly hit the Sportster's top speed in the 1/4 mile. It's top speed was greater than a lot of actual race bikes right off the showroom floor. No it didn't handle like a Ducati 750GT but a twist of the right wrist and any question about what the Z1 was is gone.
 
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