The first TURBO-Bike was a Truly BEAST of it’s Era. Craziest Decision!

[@Jay_Speed]

I had a drive with a Mr Turbo Kawa in 1978, a bike shop in Antwerpen had one imported . Really crazy bike to drive, dangerous as well. In fift gear it pulled a wheelie on the ring of Antwerpen.

[@luddite6239]

Some great nostalgic footage, thanks. I remember when these first appeared - they seemed impossibly fast. The standard Z1R struggled to cope with a relatively modest 90hp, so what this handled like with an extra 35hp must have been terrifying. It's incredible to think it was officially sanctioned by Kawasaki itself. 6:40 This was in the days before rev limiters, so as the turbo only made boost around 7,000rpm, and the redline was at 8,500rpm, it would very quickly over-rev and "run away" until the valves floated right into the pistons, because it was just pumping more and more air with nothing to stop it. Compare the rawness of the Z1R Turbo to Kawasaki's ultra-sophisticated current forced induction model the H2R - what a difference 40 years makes!

[@donaldhipple4921]

I had a 73 Z1. While I did put a Yoshimura kit on it after it lost compression due to the rings lining up. It didn't need to be faster. I reinforced the frame installed a Bill Werges swingarm and Lester wheels as well as suspension improvements, all in hope of making it handle as well as my RD350. While it was better handling it was no longer comfortable. In 1980 I bought a Yamaha XS11, suspension upgrades, valve springs, Barnett clutch, 700 series oil cooler and a Blake turbo kit. I couldn't change the gearing being shaft drive but with the valve springs it reved to 10k rpm, good for 154mph, power wheely at 120 in top gear. The acceleration was breathtaking, the faster you went the harder it accelerated. When gasoline changed I had to us aviation fuel, but was too much trouble and cost. I ran water injection for a while but it was not the same. I sold w/o the turbo kit in 1990 with 50k miles on it. It was still a good bike but not thrilling anymore. I have ridden a lot of fast bikes but I don't think any stock bike could accelerate like it did even a Hayabusa.

[@TheZl9000]

Fifty hundred RPM ? Coming off a H2 750 to a Z1 900 the Z1 chassis felt like a GP bike. It wasn't that bad for it's day. Smooth turbine like power compared to the 2 strokers. Special bike the Z1.

[@MrQuantom]

with some Andrew's Cams, 650cc shim under buckets, and a Kerker header, became a Rip snorting beast, especially when u opted for the 29mm Smooth bore Mikuni Carbs!

[@Allan-ts1ux]

Even the 750 turbo was awesome.. i was a tune up guy in the late 80s in Venice cal and was amazed with that bikes power band

[@ShaunSavage-kl9pd]

In highschool i put a kaw 750 triple in a 3 wheeler. It was fast

[@straightchad8059]

The sound is still growling good ! Usually turbo installation would ruin the exhaust note ....

[@malcolmwhite6588]

A zee one ateecee This is a trouble with AI voicing these things frustrating to listen to. I thought it was a Z1RTC which a human being would be quite aware of.

[@machupikachu1085]

ikr? Just speak into a microphone. It's not that hard. Seriously.

[@bryanst.martin7134]

I owned a H1. Stepped the needles up a step and It was the origin of Crotch Rocket. Top end well over 140mph. Adrenalin rush every ride. Not an inclement MC. At 3krpm the rear wheel slips loose in the rain.

[@bryanst.martin7134]

At NAS Jax I had just tuned my 1970 H1 and took it for a quick check ride behind the Barracks. Tached out 1st(11K), snatched 2nd, blue smoke boiling off of the rear tire, snatched 3rd to bring rpm's and front wheel down as I slid through the stop sign. I felt guilty trading it for a '65 Stang. He could have killed himself on that thing.

[@bryanst.martin7134]

Front wheel speed when 3rd was hit? 75+mph. It was only a block to play with. Drum brakes are awesome...

[@jakecoye738]

Well onver

[@solidstateresistor2485]

AI channel. Nothing to see here.

[@luddite6239]

Bot comment - nothing to read there.

[@straightchad8059]

Bot commenting

[@Keith-hc9js]

Kinda sucks abought the fuel had few customers went through same problem up to 1985 after no led in fuel halve to buy off shelf add into fuel actually is good to keep builds private to yourself but a few questions without bike or car to be speculate could halve saved you good amount of money.keeping high performance hard to dial into new motor or chassis

[@Keith-hc9js]

Actually Yamaha seca was in development from around early 1960 worked with on off abought only actually factory built from transmission to exhaust intake pick up .some others pretty much deadliest factory bike built 650.--220hp but silic static not same abought hundred fifty horse power equivalent hundred horsepower to many most crashed .by operator error quiet few survivors law suits of deceased operator if find one don't adjust boost sets while operating above stationary few Einstein bypassed neutral safety set then adjusted while going pretty damn fast to begin with took while put factory crashed bike back together gather missing parts found safety inertia switch bypassed other than still ahead of time unlike others by way there turbo not same yours thinking of pretty much wast of time mony .motors blow apart seca didn't found few pased by had few sitting around Yamaha gave to us . couldn't sell because of limits liability but was mostly operator error no right fix dident need fix put regular pistons in except fore few seconds of line atound three or four abought the same by way im not idiots brother yours disfigured threw away witb help gtom jdl voodoo andvotherd lazurus by way i wasent in protective custody shetiffs puled same shit on other business owners by way NAACP ACLU lamda lamda lamda your. New owners of cadadsga Florida st Jones LUCENT technologies Mary had a little Lamb

[@malcolmwhite6588]

A zee one ateecee This is a trouble with AI voicing these things frustrating to listen to. I thought it was a Z1RTC which a human being would be quite aware of.