This Kawasaki H1R was purchased by the seller at an estate sale. It looks to be in as-raced-and-parked condition and a little rough. Even so, it’s a legendary motorcyle and very few publicly come to market. The seller seems not to have known exactly what he has on his hands, but rest assured, word is getting out. We expect fireworks as the bid comes to a close. Find it here on eBay in Crestwood, Kentucky actively bid to nosebleed levels. We’re guessing the auction snipers around the world are already loading their software to push it higher. Our bid got passed pretty quickly, as expected.
The H1R was Kawasaki’s race version of the 500cc H1 Mach III street bike. It was supplied to Kawasaki’s own teams and also sold to and campaigend by privateers. The motorcycle was aimed at the GP 500cc class and did fairly well, though the legend of the bike has grown beyond it’s GP record. The H1R was also a favorite at the drag strip it seems this one saw some time there.
In stock form the engine was good for 60hp that came on a like a light switch, and a 13 second quarter mile. The hot three-cylinder two-stroke triple in the H1R gave 80hp@9,500 RPM, which is where you’d need to be living to ride a bike like this.
Auction notes indicate the frame number is unknown, though it has a valid engine number. This is no perfect factory-racer edition, and frames and parts sometimes come and go. See the gas tank on the amazing privately-built Kawasaki H2R replica we featured previously. This one somehow gained a chainguard and lost it’s shocks. We love the hard-scrabble presentation of the bike and don’t doubt it is as presented. That said, we’d not only love to see photos of the bike as raced and learn about it’s racing history, that type of material documents the provenance and authenticates the build.
This edition was likely sold to a private racer. The identity of the racer is, so far, not publicly know. The seller has indicated elsewhere he is looking for photos and other supporting documentation. We have seen it often quoted that there are 42 of these known to exist, and wonder if this edition was previously tallied, or did the universe of known H1Rs just expand by one?
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“In stock form the engine was good for 60hp that came on a like a light switch, and a 3 second quarter mile.” – Really? Must be a typo. Should say 6000 hp.
I saw and heard these race when they were new in So Cal. The sound alone is exciting.
There’s a 5″ long crack in the fairing? Well, that takes me outta the bidding right there…
This listing doesn’t make any sense. The bidding has got to be bogus. There is absolutely NOTHING about this bike that justifies anyone paying 22 grand for it.
This is a great Ebay listing. Assuming this guy is for real, he had no idea what he had. I especially like the note he added that he’d found a five inch crack in the fairing and that he’d understand if people wanted to adjust their bids. That’s hysterical.
I have no idea where this will end up, but there’s little doubt that it’s a real H1R and there is going to be an all-out brawl at the end. Thanks for the feature, TY.
I raced a genuine H1R back in the ’70s when I was Technical Editor of CYCLE MAGAZINE and am familiar with the features that were different from the street version. I do not see a single genuine H1R part on this machine. The front brake looks like a Moto-Tec fugitive from an old Bultaco TSS, and the kick starter is a dead giveaway that the engine cases are from a standard H1. Caveat Emptor.
This bike has led a long, hard life. The engine in the frame is a modified stocker and the chassis has been hacked into a drag bike, but seeing pics of the spare parts… namely the front brake and the dry-clutched spare engine… I wonder if this could be the real thing? The bidders certainly seem to think so.
I agree with Steve… these people are nuts..I could build a better replica for far less… in fact… send the 22000 and I will!!!
Jess Thomas — I read your Cycle columns back in the day. Excellent writing, and I was envious of your various roadracing adventures. Do I recall that at one time you raced a homebuilt Honda twin (350, I believe)?
Glad you’re still in the sport.
The original H1 achieved 60 hp and a 13 second 1/4 mile? Try a 12 second 1/4 mile. Tony Nicosia would regularly run 12′s with a bone stock H1 all day long. In fact, I read somewhere that on one occasion several crates fresh from Japan with totally stock, unassembled H1 units were laid out and one was randomly selected to be uncrated, assembled and raced at the track right then and there. the selected unit was oiled and gassed up and Tony ran a 12 something right off the bat. He was the Pee Wee Gleason of his time for Kawasaki.
Considering the price this bike is going to go for, I’d certainly perform my own due diligence to ensure authenticity before buying. And as a part of that due diligence I’d be wary of any anonymous blog poster claiming to be a reputed expert (i.e. a former Cycle magazine writer/rider) denigrating the authenticity of the bike in question. Maybe he’s legit and the bike’s not? Or maybe it’s the other way around, and someone out there with ulterior motives wants to plant the seed of doubt and discourage aggressive bidding. Nuff said…
This is a pretty cool bike. Although I was not there in “the day”, I currently own several H1Rs and continue to race one through the US. This bike actually has almost all of the original parts, the original front wheel and the original engine with dry clutch are both included. Super surprised by the price.
Bidding doesn’t surprise me.
Five inch crack in the fairing is not insurmountable.
Expect the mounted engine has been bored with bigger piston, rejetted carb, anytime you see the Wiseco logo.
I live for estate sale finds like this.
Prolly got it for $500 or less
Is that what the tank looked like on the factory racers? I know this may be a a historic bike; but that tank looks like a shoebox. Odd for a racing bike, fairing or not.
Jess, your memory is failing you…. this is the real thing… i have an early H1… yes the chassis is real see the way the frame tubes goes outside the ex pipes and look at the cylinders … they have 4 bolt flanges and the outside cylinders angle inward unlike the streeter….. id give the buyer 4g for that stock drum brake… the front disc on the bike is an hurst airheart, a standard period upgrade…. the flat sided tank as well as the fairing are correct….. actually somebody got a great deal at 25g, this bike would be an easy restore
Kent
Ahhhhhh, what memories. I remember riding a tricked out H2 to work and around town in the ’70′s. It was purple metal flake, and chrome. In Southern Connecticut, with fully tuned chambers and no silencers. I had to hit the kill switch whenever I saw a cop as the exhaust note, pitch and intensity would make your ears bleed! This bike, on a stretch of the Merrit Parkway, saw 145 MPH. These things were like old MOPARS, loud, fast and flashy. A true adrenalin rush. The only things it did very poorly was stop or turn. Great shock value, but I don’t want another one. Good luck to whomever gets this H1.
Sedated, did you miss this recent BaT/TY entry:
http://throttleyard.com/2011/02/18/killer-kolor-kawasaki-h2-mach-iv-750/
A purple-people-eater.