Question time # 01 Updated!

What is this and what bike is it off?

All answers to gazz@ihug.co.nz

From some of the responses I have received so far it looks like more assistance is needed for this. The down side to this is that the prize for guessing this is going to progressively shrink from a chocolate fish to a chocolate raisin. This is the next clue to takes it to a small chocolate fish.

Congratulations to Alan Clark for being the first to come up with the correct answer. This is part of the infamous CDI unit from a Kawasaki 500H1 that according to legend interfered with TV reception for a radius of half a mile. If your TV reception is playing up, Paul De Lautour is probably out on his H1!   

Two Strokes to Tui

Its about this time of the year we look back to summer with great fondness as we pile on the thermals and zip the liners back into our jackets and leggings. I was looking for some photos the other day and came across some I hadn't put up from February this year. They definetly gave one some "warm fuzzies" with all that sunshine, tee shirts and beer! This was a little jaunt a few of the troops went on and as the tittle of the blog suggests it was all two strokes. Not a four stroke anywhere. This is becoming a rare occurence on our runs and another reminder of how times have changed. The photos are also a reminder of Dons hip replacement surgery at the time and his remarkable recovery that has him wandering around North America yet again. Go Don!

Roll call
Paul De Lautour - Kawasaki 500 H1b
Kim De Lautour - Yamaha RZ250
Bruce Andrews - Yamaha RZ/RD350
Alan Clark - Kawasaki H2750
Gary Whiting - Suzuki T500II
Dion Tornquist - Kawasaki KH400

 Rug up everyone as the weather forecast looks a bit grim for this weekend or better still get out to the garage and do some work on your bike/s ready for next fine day!

Deals Gap 2011

For all you two stroke fans out there, here is something you might like to add to your bucket list! The Deals Gap two stroke meet sounds like the place to be at the end of May in the states.  These guys and gals do this for a whole week! What about doing a similar thing here in good old NZ? Check out this forum for some photos from the the latest meet.

Where is Don?

From Blogger Pictures

I couldn't resist putting up this photo from Dons latest travel blog. It looks as though he is a closet Trekkie fan and this goes along way to explaining some of his colour choices for his riding attire.

From Blogger Pictures

If you have the chance pop on over to his blog for his latest posting on his trip to Labrador in Canada. Always a great read.

Blue Haze Planking

From Kawasaki KR150

If you have been wondering where the planking phenomenen came from, wonder no more. As would be expected it was some one who has blue haze running through there veins. Now we know another reason why Geoff has a KR150. It appears to be the ideal platform for this activity. All he needs is the custom paint job!
If you want to read more about Geoffs bike, pop on over to the latest featured bike at the Blue Haze website.

Suzuki X5 to Massey

From X5 to Massey

From X5 to Massey

This is what a life time of breathing in two-stroke fumes does to you. As far as I know they are still waiting!

From X5 to Massey

From X5 to Massey

The weather people have been talking about the record warm temperatures last month with some extraordinary numbers like 27 degrees coming from the West coast of the South Island. Yesterday the warm temperature in the Manawatu had us reaching for or bike keys and heading for the windy bits that aren't to far away from us. So it was off to the petrol station and down to meet at Manawatu Motorcycles on the XJ 750 to be greeted by a line up of two strokes and a rotary. Dion tuned up on his recently acquired Suzuki X5 and we were all interested to see how it would manage the open road. Unfortunately he made it no further than Massey University with it cutting out on a regular basis so he very reluctantly returned home. The trip over the Pahiatua track was cautious with damp corners and cyclists but with Don taking the lead he set brisk pace that had us in Pahiatua in no time. It was here that Paul discovered the reason for the GT750 sounding different. A baffle had gone missing and after a very brief discussion about retracing our steps to find it it was felt it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, so we pressed on to Tui Central at Managatainoka. Don offered me a ride on his recently restored Suzuki GT500 and what a revelation it was. I had thought the difference between my 1969 T500 wouldn't amount to much, but how wrong I was. It was a totally refined version of it with much better brakes of course but also an absolutely delightful motor that pulled from way down low. The vibes were still there, but no where near as harsh. It has definitely inspired me to sort the old girl out! Thanks Don.
Mangatainoka was a great place to stop with plenty of people around, good food and as always an opportunity to make up a Tui billboard. Hard on the heels of getting the 'Oh Shit' trophy for nearly rear ending Alan De Lautour and his RG500, Dions fettling of his latest purchase provided the material for the billboard. With tummies full and billboard completed we headed of for the Saddle road to complete our afternoon out. I decided to take some video of the troops making there way up and what a glorious sound it was with the motors working hard as they wound there way towards the top. Although it was a shortish ride, it was great way to celebrate Mrs Windsors birthday!
Roll call
Don Mardel - Suzuki GT500
Alan De Lautour - Suzuki RE5
Kim De Lautour - Yamaha RZ250
Paul De Lautour - Suzuki GT750
Dion Tornquist - Suzuki X5
Alan Clark - Kawasaki A7b
Gary Whiting Yamaha XJ750

Sir Al wins the chocolate fish + What Could have Been!

From Blogger Pictures

From Blogger Pictures

Yamahas take on a four cylinder two stroke 750

From Return to Hunterville

Good old Suzuki actually put one into production!

Alan correctly guessed the bike as the prototype sucessor to the H2 built in 1971. It was to be a square four 750 but got canned for all sorts of reasons.Some believed it was because the test rider was killed on it, (apparently this is bad luck in Japan!) whilst others have suggested the new emissions laws saw it stopped. What a huge shame though. What hoot it would have been blue hazing the countryside on one of these. Yamahas prototype is the most widely known one and many thought this was a photo of it but at least good old Suzuki followed through with their belief in large water cooled two stokes, (and rotors). Interesting to note that Neville Doyle was given some fours to play around with by Kawasaki.

From Blogger Pictures

From Blogger Pictures

"The Trapezoid 750/4 photos and part of the article were from a story Brian Cowan did for REVS with pix from Greg McBean.
"I got the 'scoop' because I asked Neville the right question.
"British MCN had speculated on it - saying it was a square four.
"So I asked Neville, was Kawasaki developing a 750 square four?
"He said 'no'.
"So Cowan and I pondered this for a while, and next time I called Neville, I asked: "is Kawasaki developing a 750cc two-stroke four cylinder race bike
of ANY engine configuration.
"He paused, then said 'yes'.
"We talked some more then he offered us the exclusive, if we would send someone to Melbourne.
"So I sent BC and Greg and voila...
"It was fitted into a KR750 chassis and they were trying to develop that at the same time Greg was racing the KR250 & KR350 in 1978. They also had the KR750/3 for Internationals and in between all that Neville was trying to get the 750 4 sorted.
"I understand they had some vibration issues that caused some problems."