Kawasaki KZ750

(Page 2 of 2)

March/April 2009
By Richard Backus 
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Two-cylinder alternatives to the KZ750
1977 Yamaha XS650
- 53hp @ 7,000rpm/ 105mph
- Air-cooled, OHC parallel twin
- 5-speed
- Single-disc front, drum rear
- 428lb (wet)
- 40-50mpg
- $1,500 - $3,500

First available in 1970 as the XS-1, the SOHC 650cc vertical twin was the first 4-stroke and the largest engine Yamaha had ever built. Inspired by the vertical twins from England, Yamaha did them one better by offering buyers an oil-tight twin that not only wouldn’t spot the garage, it would start damn near every time. Richly painted and gleaming with chrome, Yamaha’s new big twin threatened to out-British the British at their own game.

Until you rode one, that is. Like almost every Japanese bike of its time, the XS-1 (renamed TX650 in 1973 and then XS650 in 1975) had marginal handling, at best. Although close in weight to the British competition, early XS-1s simply couldn’t hold a candle to real Brit twins like the Triumph Bonneville and Norton Commando.

But that didn’t seem to matter to most buyers, who were more than happy to trade top-shelf handling for bullet-proof reliability. Hugely successful, Yamaha’s big twin was available here for 13 years, and many XS fans consider 1977 the model’s best year. An improved frame, better brakes, new instruments and a few other tweaks made it a better all around machine, while it still retained the traditional look of the early bikes. Cheap and reliable, the XS is possibly the perfect classic rider.

1977 BMW R80/7
- 55hp @ 7,000rpm/ 110mph
- Air-cooled, OHV opposed twin
- 5-speed
- Dual disc front,  drum rear
- 473lb (wet)
- 45-55mpg
- $2,500 - $4,500

Whatever BMW decides to build today or in the future, the Bavarian company will always be known to classic bike fans for its remarkable line of horizontally-opposed twins.

Representing a further development of the 746cc R75/5 introduced in 1969, the new-for-1977 R80/7 received an increase in cylinder bore netting 797cc and a 5hp gain over the R75. Brakes were dual drilled discs up front, with BMW’s standard single-leading-shoe drum at the rear, and it rode on the same cast aluminum “snowflake” wheels used on the much faster and far more expensive R100RS.

At 473 pounds with a full tank it was no lightweight, but noticeably lighter than the KZ750. Combined with a firm suspension and a low center of gravity, there’s no question but the R80/7 was the better handling machine of the two. Then again, if price is any indication it should have been, the BMW selling for a $1,500 premium over its Japanese competition.

Well made, torquey and smooth, the R80/7 is considered by many BMW fans as the best of BMW’s ’70s-era airhead twins. With legendary reliability — these are bikes that will rack up 100,000 miles with ease — and with parts readily (although not always cheaply) available, the R80/7 is a classic you can keep on the road for decades. MC

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Comments

  • Brent Schapansky 5/5/2009 1:46:45 AM

    I'll shout out a halelulea (or whatever) to the end of that article. I traded a wrecked car to a country auto wrecker here in northern Alberta for a '76 KZ750 B1 last year. I also got a '77 KZ650 Four basket case for parts. After about 14 months, the old twin is 90% complete, needs only a set of pipes, a new ignition switch and a new battery and paint for the bodywork. It has the swing-arm and rear, and front end, from the 650 which was a C1 so dual front disks. The 750 has 42K miles on the odo and was said to be a good runner. I fired up the engine sans exhausts, while it was on the bench. It fired up after about 3 cranks of the starter and as expected, was LOUD :) but ran nice.
    I ditched the stock seat, rusted out pipes and mufflers, rusty spoke wheels (650 gave up nice cast alloys) and horribly uncomfortable stock bars for horribly uncomfortable Clubman bars, a custom seat, shortened the parralel portion of the seat section of the frame by 6 1/2 inches, keeping the stock cowl and rear light mounts and I gotta say, it looks pretty sharp, even in primer AND, it is 97% factory parts, even if only 60% stock.
    The Lonesome Twin lives on!
    Brent in Peace River, Alberta, Canada

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