BIKE OF THE MONTH


August 2013 Bike of the Month
Bike of the Month Mike Theile and his 1975 Kawasaki 500 H1

Make: Kawasaki
Model: 500 H1
Year: 1975
Country of Origin: Japan
Engine: 500cc Triple
Transmission: 5 speed
Owner: Mike Theile
City: Huntington Beach

1975 Kawasaki 500 H1 Mach III

Congratulations to Mike Theile of Huntington Beach for winning Bike of the Month with his 1975 Kawasaki 500 H1. Mike won a $20.00 Beach Burgers gift certificate provided by Beach Burgers and The Scooter Solution.

This was Mike's first time to our meet. He has owned the bike for 6 months and is the third owner. He brought his wife and daughter, but they all voted for different bikes.

New Old Stock
The bike has been totally restored, however all of the paint is original 1975 Kawasaki NOS. Mike has been working on small imperfections, and his bike is nearly perfect.

1975 was the last year of a six year production run of the H1 which started in 1969. Best known for their straight line speed, the H1 and 750 H2 were often referred to as "Widowmakers" due to their less than favorable handling characteristics. Kawasaki's goal was to produce a 500cc 13 second quarter mile motorcycle.

The H1 two-stroke, triple engine produces 60HP and the bike was capable of 115+ MPH top speed.

I don't think Mike will hit the top speed, or need to take many high speed corners riding up Beach Blvd, so let's hope he brings it back so we can see it again.

Thanks Mike for bringing this Kawi Hot Rod to our meet. View all the photos in our August Gallery.

The Bike of the Month contest is held monthly at the Vintage Bike OC meet. Qualifying motorcycles must be 30 years old or older. Former Bike of the Month winning bikes are not eligible to win again. Anyone attending the meet is eligible to enter a qualifying bike in the contest and vote for their favorite bike. The winning bike is chosen by a popular vote and is featured on the Home page for one month and in this feature article. The Bike of the Month articles are permanent content on the site.

Bike of the Month Gallery
Photo gallery of all the Bike of the Month winners.
previous Archive next
August 2013
1975 Kawasaki 500 H1
July 2013
1955 Vincent Black Prince
June 2013
1937 Zundapp KS500
May 2013
1947 James Autocycle
April 2013
1931 Indian Scout 101
March 2013
1957 Ariel Square Four Mk II
February 2013
1938 AJS Flat Tracker
January 2013
1959 Triumph Tiger Cub 200
December 2012
1948 Vincent HRD Black Shadow
November 2012
1954 BMW R51/3
October 2012
1913 Indian Single Speed
September 2012
1978 Honda CBX
August 2012
1968 Suzuki B100P
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