He’s Dangerous | The official trailer for the sequel to Top Gun was released today. Called Top Gun Maverick it stars Tom Cruise as the titular character – this time an aged fighter pilot rather than a brash young jock. Kawasaki motorcycles feature again. A brief sighting of the original Ninja 900 as well as a speeding Ninja H2. The Need for Speed.
Motoblot | The annual pilgrimage to Chicago’s main open air motorcycle gathering was had today. Weather cooperated after stormy forecasts. Plenty to look at amongst the offering. The KZ900 in sparkly brown and oranges was a notable example; as was a display of the Danish in-line 4 workpony’s Nimbus.
Niki Lauder | He won the F1 world championship in 1975, 1977 & 1984 racing for both Ferrari and Maclaren. He had a horrific accident at the Nurburgring in ’76 where a fiery crash severely burned his head and toxic fumes damaged his lungs. His rivalry with James Hunt is legendary. He died earlier today aged 70.
Pops – The post-war period in Japan saw a push in engine tuning to wring out any available additional horsepower to not just be faster but the fastest. This would eventually lead to the superbikes of the seventies and eighties and the current flock of hyper sports.
Leading this evolution of power and speed was Hideo ‘Pops’ Yoshimuro (1922-1995). After maintaining aircraft for the Japanese Empire during WW2 he redirected his masterful talents to the British bikes being brought to the land of the rising sun by American servicemen. This photo shows our man astride a fettled BSA preunit drag bike readying for a speed run.
Later he shifted his works and racing team to California where big reliable Japanese superbikes like the Kawasaki KZ and Suzuki GS’s went on to dominate the burgeoning AMA road racing circuit.
Close-Up – finishing off the week with some choice details of several motorbikes from last weekend. From Arial, Honda, Kawasaki, BMW, to Norton and Triumph. Some original, some personalized; from badges to pinstripes; tank, fairing, frame and fender.
Big Zed – a couple of smashers at the weekend bike show. A 1975 KZ900, which was the Charles Atlas of its day, imbuing pure adrenaline inducing brute power. This one in immaculate condition with a glossy metallic ‘rootbeer’ and orange paint scheme. Also parked up was a new Z900 which takes its styling cues from the old venerable drag strip king. Retro! Retrah!
Fritz the Cat – Egli frames are seen to be the perfect chassis for high horsepower powerplants such as this olympian KZ beast. The large diameter backbone and triangular geometry tubing give a stiff mount to impart the engines capabilities to the road. The cat approves in true feline curiosity.
TBT ’99 – here’s a younger me heading off to work on my green Kawasaki Ninja 600. When we lived in downtown Chicago it was the best way to commute along Lake Shore Drive up to Evanston. The bike was a 1996 ZX6E… solid and quick.
Normadie. – an image taken during a weekend cycling trip along the north coast of France in ‘97. I spied this couple zooming across the countryside under crisp April skies as I took a break from pedaling the same landscape. “That’s for me!” I said to myself.
Pentax ME Super 50mm Fujichrome 100
Mach 3 – Redhot firestarter. Three cylinder 500cc two-stroke in immaculate restored condition. This hooligan toy was loud, fast, and dangerous. Kawasaki H1 was the quarter mile king for a short while in the early 70’s
When is a Triumph not a Triumph? When it’s a Kawasaki KZ400… some youth punk has blacked-out his little twin; draped an old anorak over the back as a saddle; and daubed the Triumph logo across its tank in red, the modern Hinckley logo mind you! Like some Lisbeth Salander (she with the Dragon Tattoo) heap- it’s both goth and grunge.
Pumping Iron – each of these were forces to be reckoned with in their day. From the ’71 BSA Rocket Three which briefly had its moment in the spotlight before Honda’s CB750 turned up on the scene. Honda’s 450 Black Bomber heralded reliability in mechanics and electrics. The scaremongering H2 Mach IV 750 from Kawasaki to quote a contemporary Moto journalist “scarily fast, good-looking, no holds barred motorcycle”.
Finally the grandsire of all modern superbikes Kawasaki’s Kz900. The example here was sublime in finish, a looked like its engine was straining at the seams for a good thrash along the highway. It was also for sale…
Bikes etc. – the annual gathering of the ‘alternate’ motorcycle scene on Fulton Street was enjoyed with plenty to look at. Here’s a taster in a four panel collage. The Kawasaki KZ was in more-than immaculate condition. A bobbed Triumph in ratty patina had a fun tank badge and leopard motif. A 1912 Indian with oily rag wipe down appearance. And a latter-day Royal Enfield looking the part for twisty secondary roads. More to come!
A Good Viewpoint – there’s nowt better than being in the pilots seat of a fast motorcycle. Low bar angle, poise for streamlining, and a speedo maxing out at the double ton. The Big Green ZX14 from Kawasaki is one such beast. Surely a rocket of the ballistic type. It feels sturdy. Then there’s the cockpit of the Thruxton. Beautiful detailing and exquisite visual balance. I’ll take one of each please!
Cake – the current season of the baking show which features ordinary folk test their cooking skills under a white tent in an English manor houses garden. Mary Berry the octogenarian judge has a sweet disposition that mirrors the delicious offerings conjured up rack week. No, she doesn’t zoom around on a Ducati superbike! That’s the other judge Paul Hollywoods ride. Keen gear head and rider he’s just taken possession of a ‘silly-fast’ Kawasaki H2. 200hp on the road, track version 300hp.
Gas Mark 7 for 30 minutes and you’ll be well and truly baked!
