I have mentioned in my last motorcycle Post that I owned a 350cc Kawasaki Avenger:-
When Kawa first hit the Market they made a 250cc Samurai , Twin Cylinder, Rotary inlet valve 2 stroke, went like the Clappers and handled well with good brakes.
The 350cc was basically the same bike with Bigger barrells and pistons , so you could actually upgrade the 250 to a 350!
Saying this , with the extra power , you could already feel that the handling and braking was taking a little strain.
Then they announced the Triple Cylinder 500cc , I read devastating things about it,
so powerful, Dunlop had to develop a new type of Rear tyre to handle it!
I knew a Guy in Florida( lets call him Peter) he had a 50cc Moped , and on an average fell off it once a Week.
One day he rolls up on a New 500 Triple , so, A guy who could not stay on a Moped buys the quickest accelerating Motorcycle on the Road , I had 3 Sisters so he was more than happy to visit while I went on a Joyride.
Went charging up the Main Road took the Bend by the cemetry and
it felt like an unlocked Garden Gate under me , whipped around a bit , frame not stiff enough!.
Took it up to Ontdekkers Road, pretty much the main road from Johannesburg to Krugersdorp at the time, opened it up Flat out hit 200KPh in virtually no time , and on the straight Road , suddenly find it getting very skittish ( no Bends) , slow down , take it to a filling station , 1Bar pressure in the back Tyre, pump it to 2.8, feels much better, go back to Sage street,
"Have you ever checked the Tyres" answer " Nope".
Have a good look at the Machine , the Frame is just about identical to my 350 , which is already showing signs of strain , here they put a Motor with just about double the power in a frame that is frankly not stiff enough.
Not long after Peter had a huge prang charging down the Main street in Florida on a bet at 170kph , hitting a car that pulled out of a parking.
Must be wonderful to think you are Bulletproof! ( till someone shoots at you?)
A While later out comes the 750cc Triple , absolutely devastating , luckily a Frame redesign and better brakes.
I finally got to ride one as a machine with a Broken Gearbox was dropped off at my place , took the motor out repaired it , put it all back together and kept it for a few days. Again it set new performance Standards but handled much better , so did not feel as wild to ride .
Very successful Racing History
Hope you enjoy my Motorcycle Days Series!