Ten days with a 1975 Kawasaki S3 Mach II

(Page 7 of 7)

January/February 2008
Staff 
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share

Jeff cautions owners to make sure the oil pump’s working properly. "A lot of people disconnect it and go with mixed fuel. The problem with that is it’s not giving adjusted metering with engine speed, so there’s a tendency to foul plugs more.

RELATED CONTENT

"They’re fun to ride: When a two-stroke kicks in it’s quite an adrenaline rush. They have lots of appeal, they have that interesting unbalanced look for the pipes — and I think they have the potential to climb up in value. As you look at some of these bikes in the second tier, bikes like this fit in there. They’re somewhat collectable, but they haven’t started to appreciate in value yet. Like muscle cars, a lot of the vehicles that were looked at back in the day with disdain are bringing a lot of money."

Sample Parts Prices
www.Z1enterprises.com
Carb rebuild kit: $17.50/three required
Points and condenser kit: $36.27
Steering head bearings: $44.86/set
Front brake pads: $26

Maintenance
Oil change (transmission):
Every three months or 2,000 miles
Air filter, spark plugs, points and timing, oil pump:
Clean, adjust or replace every 2,000 miles

Resources
Clubs and information
www.kawasakitriplesworldwide.com

Parts and services
www.bikebandit.com
www.z1enterprises.com

Page: << Previous 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

  • Tom 7/22/2009 8:03:40 PM

    Great write up !. This brought back a lot for me since my first bike was an S3 that I spent my senior year in highschool salvaging form the prior owner's LOLA (loss of lubrication accident). A new crank cost $339 back then, which was the best way to go since no one could rally press the crank apart.
    3 sets of points - people don't even know what I'm talking about nowadays! Another problem was the plug cables: I nearly got killed by a semi when I got caught on the Chesapeake Bay bridge in a rainstorm and the cables shorted in blue sparks to the cylinder head.
    The bike really took to a set of expansion chambers - I can't remember the manufacturer - it must have added about 20% power on the top end. Keeping the wheel down was a chore.
    Handling was OK, especially after changing the shocks, but the centerstand hung down too low and led to at least 2 wipeouts on turns.
    Also, going from 22 mpg to 33 mpg is a 50% improvement, not 33%.

  • katix 6/2/2009 2:54:57 AM

    What a blast! Sounds like you really enjoyed the bike. I've loved restoring a 1974 S3, and just posted it on ebay (item number 150349176339, ending 7-10-09). Thanks for the tale!

Add Your Comment

You can use this comment form to enter your personal experiences or additional information and resources that you'd like to share with Motorcycle Classics readers. Your helpful advice will be posted on this page.  E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Motorcycle Classics?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Save $5 when you subscribe today!
First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
 
The sound and the fury: celebrate the machines that changed the world! Subscribe to Motorcycle Classics today!

Motorcycle Classics is America's premier magazine for collectors and enthusiasts, dreamers and restorers, newcomers and life long motorheads who love the sound and the beauty of classic bikes. Every issue  delivers exciting and evocative articles and photographs of the most brilliant, unusual and popular motorcycles ever made!

Save Even More Money with our RALLY-RATE plan!

Pay now with a credit card and take advantage of our RALLY-RATE automatic renewal savings plan. You save an additional $4.95 and get 6 issues of Motorcycle Classics for only $24.95 (USA only).

Or, Bill Me Later and I'll pay just $29.95 for a one year subscription!