Nova Motorcycles 1971 Kawasaki h1 500 Mach III

[@geoffhess2267]

I bought my Candy Blue 71 Mach III in the Spring of 1971 as a junior in high school. (Same as shown but yeah those handlebars are incorrect.) I saved my farm pay for the H1, and I’ll never forget the excitement the day I took delivery from Manchester Honda in Manchester Connecticut. The only other bike I was considering at that time was the Yamaha R5, but after reading the 1970 Cycle Magazine Big 7 Superbike Comparison Test article, I was hooked on the Mach III. No bike since has been as exciting as having that triple as a young man. Powerful memories.

[@MrTeff999]

@@geoffhess2267 I rode dirt bikes and small displacement street bikes for five years before buying my Mach III. (Also a ‘71) It had less than a thousand miles on the odometer. The seller said it scared him to ride it. As I rode it home, I remember the feeling of awe as I looked down at those cylinder heads sticking out below the tank. It was a bike that required respect. It took six months to ride it well. Probably a year to feel I had mastered it. I sold to a kid I met in the army who had never owned a bike before. I sometimes wonder if he maimed or killed himself on it.

[@michaelschmitt5413]

In 1970 I bought a 250cc Kawasaki and owned it for about six months and bought a used 500 Mach III that was charcoal grey with black lettering. I loved it. Just listening to KZbin videos of the engines running gets my heart racing. I never drove it like a maniac, but did have to be careful. If I could, I'd own another one.

[@kennyhall8872]

I had one when I was in th USAF in 1972, the owner and I were both Law Enforcement Specialists. He was very worried that I would get hurt if he sold it to me. I had ridden since I was 9yrs old and I convinced him I could handle it. Incredibly fast in a straight line! I rode it until 1976 when I decided to restore it. What a love affair I enjoyed with that old gal ! I miss her

[@hazepennington9303]

I had a 72 H1 mark 3 just like this one the same color except my had extended rake and forks with a King and Queen seat and a tall rod iron sissy Bar,, what a Beautiful motorcycle it was,, nice video of this one brings back some memories of a great motorcycle,, ❤️💯

[@bruceatkinson6438]

My favorite bike. I had two of these and a 1972. I rode a 71 across the country in 1972. The brakes weren't great. The handling wasn't as bad as it's reputation. It was very important to adjust the rear wheel properly so that it was aligned with the front. Going cross country I got 19 mpg climbing up to Flagstaff, but I averaged 32 mpg the whole trip.

[@glenncanale9225]

I had a 71 and a 73 that I raced at Daytona in 1976 . Still have the 73 Great Bikes

[@kathymitchell4791]

I had this bike as well Rode across country from Pa to AZ in 1972

[@novamotorcycles]

@@kathymitchell4791 nice!

[@greglockyer4335]

I am at the moment repairing a 1970/1971 blue H1 500 in Australia which was last registered in Alaska in 1974. Unknown miles as it is missing speedo, taco, exhaust system and 2 carbs. Yes it's exactly like the one you have on your video 😊

[@novamotorcycles]

nice!

[@duskintheforest584]

If you can't find oem style carbs, you may consider Oko brand. They're for racing two stroke bikes, but I've been using one for my metric v-twin with 2 into 1 intake manifold.

[@tonyguest9744]

I had this exact model FCH911J (UK) and had the time of my life on it. IOM TT four times, where there were triple owners from all over the world. Then marriage and 4 wheels 😢😢

[@duskintheforest584]

Thats unbelievable that someone had set this bike aside indoors with only 41 miles! Other guys in high school had these 500cc two stroke bikes and they were thrashing the CB750s. I had a GT185 twin that was sweet, but no race winner. That was then, mid 70s

[@charlesfloyd3680]

Curious if owner knows thinking behind the handlebars? Appear to be considerably taller than U.S. market OEM bars. Looking at the cable wear protectors, you can see they are well above the chrome metal guides on the side of the speedo and tacho.. What a great piece of history!

[@tagoooU]

Bought one brand new 1971, my first bike. I was 21, only by the grace of God am I here to tell the tale. I had no business on this for a first bike, the dealership should never have sold it to a novice. I don't think the handle bars are stock on the one you have. Mine locked up seized a piston two times, repaired under warranty.

[@jnbfrancisco]

My friend worked at a motorcycle shop in the early 1970s. He assembled new bikes and then test rode them. One of the Mach 500cc triples was much hotter than the others so he bought it. He let me ride it. I was afraid to give it full throttle in first gear but did give it all in second. What a shocker. I thought right then that I should not own one of these because I would kill myself. I had several thousands of miles experience on my 305 Yamaha at the time. I loved to give it all it had every once in awhile and knew I would do the same thing with a Kawasaki 500cc triple. I recognized I didn't have the savey , skill or good sense to handle that much power then. I think I could handle it now but I lost most of my interest in riding a motorcycle when I hit 70 years old.

[@novamotorcycles]

probably a wise decision to not fully test the h1! It's a beast for sure.

[@greglockyer4335]

I have 1 exactly like that I'm working on it a The moment and hopefully it will be running by the end of May 2023. Yes I am going to ride it as much as I can and not have it as a museum piece 👍👍😊

[@ninakim7282]

I went from NYC to Baltimore on one and back.

[@terryhetherington3364]

Good wheelie bike until my front down tube snapped.

[@grgygantz6760]

OMG, screaming Mimi. Great bike.

[@martinfurlong1071]

Don't forget having to buy baffle tubes by the dozen! That bike would spit out baffles religiously! 😂

[@michaeljkasnter]

My 1969 Fully Restored Frame Off-Arrives next week!!! The 1976 RD-400 has a friend, But the real bike is the 2023-ZX-10-RR !!!, But I bet I will ride the 500-Mach-3 the most!!!

[@michaeljkasnter]

I ride mine 1-2x every week!!! It starts on 1-2 kicks every time, I rarely take it past 6,000-rpm, It vibrates/buzzes soo bad, you can only do 1-pull per ride 😂

[@duskintheforest584]

It was said that the frame on these 500 triples wasnt up to the power and stress forces that the engine produced. Hence Widowmaker

[@davidrhodes7655]

I had one deadly

[@paulwainuskls2842]

The h1 500 was called the Flexy flyer. And the h2 was called the widow maker. 😎👍

[@paulwainuskls2842]

We have the whole collection of triples.

[@brianbly4524]

Later model kickstarter with two pivot points...original had one joint.

[@donalddday7741]

had one fast but scary braking

[@MrTeff999]

Those are not the original bars.

[@bernardverkouille8416]

Good thing too 😂

[@AR-798]

'71 model didn't have the rubber rings around the gauges.

[@zeke2566]

I had same 71 new,yours has wrong handlebars ,too tall,not oem........

[@ASMR-racing1114]

🥰👍

[@nitrousninja882]

Would the owner consider selling this bike? I'm looking for a Mach 3.

[@michaelshea5622]

You buy them to enjoy them. Not bring it home and bury it.

[@donalddday7741]

some guy let a first timer ride his H2 from San Jose California to Santa Cruz California and when we saw him go by the A&W hamburger place he had no shirt no helmet no gloves and flip flops on, on our ride back to the bay area on our motorcycles on Hwy 17 we saw him up 15 plus feet in a tree and the H2 was torn to pieces. they had a fire crew getting him down with a ladder truck and of course he was dead

[@novamotorcycles]

Yikes! Widowmaker earns its moniker

[@francislongoria2913]

Coo

[@JRoss-zxzx]

This beautiful nightmare, mine was orange, was my first bike. Tried it's best to kill my brother and me, was temperamental as all heck, but it was a blast.

[@rainbowboa100]

ha, i used to eat these guys for lunch on my little 200 rd!