Seventies Smokeshow: Spondon Kawasaki H1 500 Triple

Tarty Two-Stroke: Manx Road Racer and Toolmaker Builds a 70s-Style Smoker…  

No street bike is as infamous as the Kawasaki Triple. For the 1969 model year, the original H1 Mach III 500 came howling and smoking onto the scene — a triple-cylinder two-stoke designed to be the “fastest and best accelerating road machine ever produced”…and to hell with fuel economy, noise, or the wisdom of offering such a machine less than $1000. It was cheap enough that many inexperienced riders could afford one…though many paid the ultimate price, leading to the bike’s “Widowmaker” reputation. 

At the time, only a veteran road racer might have experienced a bike with such violent acceleration. As we all know, the bike’s chassis and braking were insufficient to handle the power.  It was an exercise in glorious, vicious excess.

“KAWASAKI’S NEW 500 has got to be the kinkiest street bike ever! It’ll raise the hairs on the back of a rider’s neck, or turn them grey in 13 seconds flat. At top speed, it will run faster than the Osaka Express. It will trounce any mass production motorcycle that comes in full street trim, regardless of displacement. The stench of rubber smoke and a 100-foot-long black strip give ample evidence that it has departed…” –Cycle World, 1969

Our new friend Peter Hindley has spent plenty of time on the backs of air-cooled two-strokes. Born and raised on the Isle of Man, he rode trials, motocross, and enduro before he started road racing in the late 90s. Not mere circuit racing, but real road racing as is still practiced in Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man. To those who know, the tracks and events that Peter mentions read like poetry:

“Competed in many events, but enjoyed the roads the most. Scarborough, Aberdare, Southern 100, and the Manx Grand Prix. I wasn’t fast, just an average club racer. Mainly on two-strokes… Finished up riding a Cotton EM-34 (250 Rotax Tandem Twin only seven ever made) — incredibly difficult bike to ride fast. Razor thin powerband. I got scared of it in the end after the umpteenth highside.”

Five years ago, Peter scooped up this bike as a “box of bits,” the biggest ingredients of which were a Spondon Engineering TZ350 frame and a Kawasaki H1 500 engine. He soon cast aside his original plan to faithfully restore the bike in favor of something wilder…built with no outside help:

“I set myself a target with this bike that NOTHING was to be sent out of the garage… I wanted a period (1976) cafe-racer looking, completely impractical show bike. 1970s excess and bling. The expression I had in my head was ‘A Tart’s Handbag.'”

Peter — a former aerospace toolmaker — has the skills to make it happen, and the grit / aptitude to learn what he doesn’t know. Highlights include a repurposed Cotton fairing with center-cylinder cooling, TZ350-style tank, dry clutch with a cover sand-cast and machined in-house, self-built mechanical anti-dive, TIG-welded chambers, Candy Wine paint, and more.

Peter estimates the bike weighs a little over 300 pounds, with maybe 80 bhp on tap. 

“It’s noisy, uncomfortable, impractical, and smelly. Exactly what was aiming for. Lol.”

Peter, who admits he’s a bit thin-skinned by nature, says the reception has been incredible and the feedback overwhelmingly positive, but there’s always a naysayer lurking in the comments section.

“One gentleman however made it clear he didn’t like anything at all about the build, and finished his critique by announcing that it looked like ‘A Tart’s Handbag.’ Job done!”

To us, this 70s-style smoker is a perfect way to honor this heady era of style, danger, and excess. It looked absolutely incredible at the recent KICKBACK Show, where it came across our radar. Below, you’ll find our full interview with Peter about the build. Credits for the show shots go to our main man in the UK, Roberto Garagarza (@roga______). 

Two-Stroke Spondon Triple: Builder Interview

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

Peter Hindley, 54 years old. Currently working as a civil servant. Mayoral Support. Living on the Isle of Man. Manx born.
Lifelong interest in motorcycles. Started riding trials at 15, then motocross and enduro. Started road racing in 1998. Competed in many events, but enjoyed the roads the most. Scarborough, Aberdare, Southern 100, and the Manx Grand Prix. I wasn’t fast, just an average club racer. Mainly on two-strokes, my 125 Honda was the most fun.

Finished up riding a Cotton EM-34 (250 Rotax Tandem Twin only seven ever made) — incredibly difficult bike to ride fast. Razor thin powerband. I got scared of it in the end after the umpteenth highside.

I ride daily on the road (SV650). I’m lucky to have a double garage at home and a good collection of tools I’ve built up over the years. Lathe/mill combination machine. AC/DC TIG, MIG, and all the usual stuff.

• What’s the make, model, and year of the donor bike?

I bought the bike as a box of bits about five years ago. It was originally built in 1980ish. Spondon TZ350 frame/H1 500 engine. The original plan was to faithfully rebuild it, but I ended up with a bit of mission-creep and it kinda evolved.

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

I served my time as a toolmaker for an aerospace company, so I have a mechanical aptitude. After that, I’ve always been skint, so I’ve had to learn to do everything myself over the years. I set myself a target with this bike that NOTHING was to be sent out of the garage. After that, it was using what I had available around me to reduce costs.

I wanted a period (1976) cafe-racer looking, completely impractical show bike. 1970s excess and bling. The expression I had in my head was “A Tart’s Handbag.”

I had a crashed TZ350 tank (used as a pattern). A crashed Cotton fairing, which triggered the idea of the additional cooling air to the centre cylinder. (I can’t find any evidence of central cylinders overheating on triples. Only old-wives tales.) So I solved a problem that didn’t exist….

It had to have a dry-clutch, because they look cool. And a mechanical anti-dive for the same reason. I wanted one of the exhausts to exit under my leg à la TZ750. None of this is intended to be practical or performance enhancing.

 

• What custom work was done to the bike?

After the rough design intent was set, it kind of built itself.

I took a lot of dry builds to get the profile how I wanted it. Lots of cardboard and tape. The clutch was a challenge as I sand-cast and machined the cover in-house.

The engine build was straightforward enough as parts availability is good. I made adapters for the 34mm carbs and re-profiled the combustion chambers.

Anyone who has built chambers will tell you they are tricky. TIG-welded from mild-steel sheet. All done at home with a set of eBay slip-rolls. Silencers too.

Paint was done in the garden. Candy Wine over black. The first time I’d tried Candy. Youtube is invaluable!. The tacho was the single biggest expense. I really wanted a Krober!

• Any idea of horsepower, weight, and/or performance numbers?

I’d guess weight at 140kg, power at maybe 80? I designed the chambers to give a broad spread of usable power. I haven’t ridden it yet, but I’m guessing it’s noisy, uncomfortable, impractical, and smelly. Exactly what was aiming for. Lol.

• Is there anyone you’d like to thank?

I’d like to thank my family for their support, all the other builders out there for the inspiration, and the youtubers who take the time to share tips on welding, machining, painting etc.

Finally to everyone who commented on the various social media platforms. I am extremely thin-skinned by nature, and I was concerned about being torn to pieces. This is my bike, and I understand it’s not to everyone’s taste. 99% of people were very supportive, and there were very few negative comments. One gentleman however made it clear he didn’t like anything at all about the build, and finished his critique by announcing that it looked like “A Tart’s Handbag.” Job done!

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Follow the Photographer

Photography: Roberto Garagarza (@roga______)

More Kawasaki Triples…

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