Let The Good Times Roll
- Thread starter Gatecrasher
- Start date
- Tags good roll times
You have a treasure there for sure. I've had a few of them, two were Parnelli Jones editions and one brought a real premium because like yours it was nearly new with 350 easy ridden miles. A buddy just sold the other one he traded me out of and got $900, it ran like a new one but the tank needed some help, they are sought after more and more.:thumbsup:
I bought it from a retired police officer in Springfield, IL. He said he got it from an elderly gentleman with a motorhome who bought it new and never rode it. When I got it, it ran but had a bunch of varnish and shellac in the gas tank. The carb was clean though. It had just been sitting in a garage for 30 years.
The entire bike is immaculate. I cleaned the shellac out of the tank and it's as clean as a whistle inside now. When I got the bike it still had the protective film on the magneto cover and the chrome trim around the seat. The tires are like new with zero wear but there is some signs of dry rot cracking in the sidewalls. But you can't see it unless you really scrutinize them up close.
I have four of these Kawasakis.
Another 1976 KV75 just like this one but not quite as nice (it's my rider) and a 1973 MT1:
I also have a 1971 MT1 "Parnelli Jones" project bike that I'm doing a complete restoration to right now:
It's going to be another show bike when done. Saved and collected lots of HTF NOS parts for it.
When I was a kid, I had a 1971 Parnelli Jones DynaMite just like it (except it wasn't nearly as nice as this one will be).
The entire bike is immaculate. I cleaned the shellac out of the tank and it's as clean as a whistle inside now. When I got the bike it still had the protective film on the magneto cover and the chrome trim around the seat. The tires are like new with zero wear but there is some signs of dry rot cracking in the sidewalls. But you can't see it unless you really scrutinize them up close.
I have four of these Kawasakis.
Another 1976 KV75 just like this one but not quite as nice (it's my rider) and a 1973 MT1:
I also have a 1971 MT1 "Parnelli Jones" project bike that I'm doing a complete restoration to right now:
It's going to be another show bike when done. Saved and collected lots of HTF NOS parts for it.
When I was a kid, I had a 1971 Parnelli Jones DynaMite just like it (except it wasn't nearly as nice as this one will be).
In a drag race, they will blow the Honda Z50 or the CT70 away like they are standing still. The Kawasakis were some of the fastest minis made back then. Some of the CT70s could match the KV75's top end but they took longer getting there.
However, they have a lot of aftermarket engines and other performance stuff nowadays for the Hondas that can make them go a lot faster than they originally did. The Z50 Minitrails handled a little better in the turns (something Kawasakis were always weaker in back then). But if you add new shocks like I have on my riders, the handling becomes about the same between the bikes.
They don't make a lot of parts for the KV75 like the Z50 though because there weren't nearly as many Kawasakis produced and they only made them from 1971-1980. They do share some of the same stuff like tires and a few other things with the Z50 though.
Here's a cool article from a 1971 issue of "Cars" magazine:
Here are the some nice scanned copies of the 1971 dealer brochure for the MT1:
http://oi59.tinypic.com/2qb6cn5.jpg
http://oi57.tinypic.com/nyxx8h.jpg
http://oi62.tinypic.com/2d9sne9.jpg
http://oi60.tinypic.com/5k5c0x.jpg
However, they have a lot of aftermarket engines and other performance stuff nowadays for the Hondas that can make them go a lot faster than they originally did. The Z50 Minitrails handled a little better in the turns (something Kawasakis were always weaker in back then). But if you add new shocks like I have on my riders, the handling becomes about the same between the bikes.
They don't make a lot of parts for the KV75 like the Z50 though because there weren't nearly as many Kawasakis produced and they only made them from 1971-1980. They do share some of the same stuff like tires and a few other things with the Z50 though.
Here's a cool article from a 1971 issue of "Cars" magazine:
Here are the some nice scanned copies of the 1971 dealer brochure for the MT1:
http://oi59.tinypic.com/2qb6cn5.jpg
http://oi57.tinypic.com/nyxx8h.jpg
http://oi62.tinypic.com/2d9sne9.jpg
http://oi60.tinypic.com/5k5c0x.jpg
Yeah like most 2-strokers they are a little "peaky" and have a power band in the upper RPM range like the 302 Chevy did. They are quick little bikes though. They actually have a top end of about 45 MPH with stock sprockets. They could really use another gear but I think Kawasaki wasn't too keen on having them go much faster than they already did.
From 1971-1975 they were designated as the "MT1" which stood for "Mini Trail 1" and they were Kawasaki's answer to the Z50 after the earlier Coyotes didn't sell real well.
From 1976-1980 they were renamed the "KV75" and underwent some primarily minor cosmetic changes. The MT1 shift pattern was 3-down while the KV75 was one down, two up. Performance-wise they are identical though.
Kawasaki made street-legal versions of the KV75 the last two years of production. You could also buy kits to add turn signals and a horn and a key ignition to retro-fit older models to street legal status.
From 1971-1975 they were designated as the "MT1" which stood for "Mini Trail 1" and they were Kawasaki's answer to the Z50 after the earlier Coyotes didn't sell real well.
From 1976-1980 they were renamed the "KV75" and underwent some primarily minor cosmetic changes. The MT1 shift pattern was 3-down while the KV75 was one down, two up. Performance-wise they are identical though.
Kawasaki made street-legal versions of the KV75 the last two years of production. You could also buy kits to add turn signals and a horn and a key ignition to retro-fit older models to street legal status.
Cool! I knew there had to be some others on here.
Stuff can be hard to find and expensive for these bikes but it's out there and I know where you can get just about everything you'll need. I know one guy who has 40 of these bikes.
I am now manufacturing aftermarket sprockets for them.
You may have seen them on eBay:
The rear sprockets were next to impossible to find in steel like the originals. There were a few overpriced aluminum ones out there but they totally suck.
Stuff can be hard to find and expensive for these bikes but it's out there and I know where you can get just about everything you'll need. I know one guy who has 40 of these bikes.
I am now manufacturing aftermarket sprockets for them.
You may have seen them on eBay:
The rear sprockets were next to impossible to find in steel like the originals. There were a few overpriced aluminum ones out there but they totally suck.