Kawasaki Air-Cooled 2-Stroke Triple (H1 / KH500)

The Kawasaki Mach III H1 (1969) was the most powerful and terrifying motorcycle ever sold to the public at the time — 500cc of air-cooled 2-stroke three-cylinder producing 60 hp in a chassis barely adequate to contain it. Contemporary road tests warned riders of its violent power delivery and tank-slapping handling. The KH500 of 1976 used the same basic 3-cylinder 2-stroke configuration in a more civilised chassis. Both motorcycles share the same 3-cylinder 2-stroke principle with rotary disc valve induction — an architecture that Kawasaki used to establish its reputation for speed before moving to the DOHC 4-strokes.