1/8 Nagano Kawasaki 750 H2

[Lee Chambers]

Hi all, this is the final reveal of the 1972 Kawasaki 750 H2. This was the most powerful and unpredictable bike to own in that era and carved out a reputation for itself as a bit of a Hooligan. To emphasize the character of the bike I decided to ditch the centre stand, as any hard rider would find it a limitation in the ground clearance. Also I have scraped the chrome on the underside of the exhausts, which was a common occurrence when leaning this bike over into bends.

 

As a final detail I wanted to show the oil tank gauge indicator which was basically a clear tube that exited and entered the oil tank and was visible through the slot at the rear of the right hand side panel to make the clear tube look in scale. I used a piece of fibre optic strand and looped it round and fixed it into the side panel and then with a little dab of red paint, gave the impression of oil in the tube. A small detail but accurate nonetheless.

 

In the hands of an experienced rider, the Mach 750 H2 was the fastest production bike in the world, but with someone less skilled on board, it was an accident waiting to happen. It earned its nickname 'the widow maker' all too often.

 

You can also see the work in progress of my build here.

 

Finally the last picture is for all the doubters who think this is a real bike. I thought the plastic spoon would give a sense of scale to the non believers LOL!

 

 

 

Edited July 11, 2021 by Lee Chambers

[Ian T]

Hi Lee, exceptional work on display here, congratulations to you. I wouldn’t have even known about the oil pipe, let alone replicated it. What’s next?

Regards Ian

[Lee Chambers]

3 hours ago, Ian T said:

Hi Lee, exceptional work on display here, congratulations to you. I wouldn’t have even known about the oil pipe, let alone replicated it. What’s next?

Regards Ian

Thanks Ian,i have a Suzuki GT380 Sebring 1/12 to build hopefully later this year,but next week i will be building something very different based on a well known true event and movie.......watch this space !

[Plastheniker]

A perfect illusion! Only the slightly thicker spokes tell that this is a model.

[Mumbly]

 

Great build, I have looked at getting one of these to try to recreate my KH750 that I had back in the day, dual front discs, Swarbrick pipes and bellmouths might be a bit tricky though. 

 

Terrifying bike, really peaky on the pipe, no grip regardless what tyres were fitted, brakes felt like plywood and were little better and a frame made of boiled rhubarb.  The noise though and metallic purple paint more than made up for its satanic desire to only travel in a straight line.  Need a whisky to calm my nerves just thinking back to being caught on it in the rain. 

[bobbyabudhabi]

Really nice job, esp on the steering dampener, a must. My 2nd road-bike.

[Bill.B]

Fantastic job, well done! 👍

[Lee Chambers]

On 10/07/2018 at 19:33, Plastheniker said:

A perfect illusion! Only the slightly thicker spokes tell that this is a model.

Yes spokes are always the ones that catch you out bugger !! LOL.

[Lee Chambers]

21 hours ago, Mumbly said:

 

Great build, I have looked at getting one of these to try to recreate my KH750 that I had back in the day, dual front discs, Swarbrick pipes and bellmouths might be a bit tricky though. 

 

Terrifying bike, really peaky on the pipe, no grip regardless what tyres were fitted, brakes felt like plywood and were little better and a frame made of boiled rhubarb.  The noise though and metallic purple paint more than made up for its satanic desire to only travel in a straight line.  Need a whisky to calm my nerves just thinking back to being caught on it in the rain. 

Thanks for your recount of a slightly scary trip down memory lane,your KH sounds like a real animal,i have never ridden one but have resprayed a purple and red one in the past,the red  one had covered only 3k,and was very original,i also painted a green one,the guy had it from new.at my age 56,i don't think my body could take up the challenge of riding one of these beasties,but i loved building the model.

[Lee Chambers]

1 hour ago, Bill.B said:

Fantastic job, well done! 👍

Cheers !

21 hours ago, bobbyabudhabi said:

Really nice job, esp on the steering dampener, a must. My 2nd road-bike.

Thank you !

[picard]

A fabulous looking legendary machine, and wow thanks for the memories as I was always a Kawasaki boy/man way back when.

 

I first real machine was a fabulous bright green KH250 after my test and sold my fizzie, then a lovely red KH500, which could get one's attention at times in the power band, but nothing compared to onslaught of the power band of a KH750 I had a chance  only on a couple of occasions to ride then onto the legend and still the best bike I have ever rode or owed in my highly biased of course the legendary Z900 in the exact same livery as your wonderful Z9 model

 

Great fabulous happy days indeed and with a fabulous soundtrack to boot, Cheers again, I need to put some Zepplin, and Van Halen on right now me thinks. Thanks for the trip. 🍺

[Lee Chambers]

7 hours ago, picard said:

A fabulous looking legendary machine, and wow thanks for the memories as I was always a Kawasaki boy/man way back when.

 

I first real machine was a fabulous bright green KH250 after my test and sold my fizzie, then a lovely red KH500, which could get one's attention at times in the power band, but nothing compared to onslaught of the power band of a KH750 I had a chance  only on a couple of occasions to ride then onto the legend and still the best bike I have ever rode or owed in my highly biased of course the legendary Z900 in the exact same livery as your wonderful Z9 model

 

Great fabulous happy days indeed and with a fabulous soundtrack to boot, Cheers again, I need to put some Zepplin, and Van Halen on right now me thinks. Thanks for the trip. 🍺

Thank you for the kind words and another great trip down biking memory lane,i will have more great 70's bike builds coming up in the future.

[Kev The Modeller]

Great builds mate 

 

Lee I too had a lime green KH250, I didn't have the 500 but did have a 750 in Purple think is was HC.  Smoothed out power band, which delivered slightly less top end power, but still pulled wheelies with a twist of the wrist 😎  and a steering damper, mind had twin discs.  I had it ported and it went like stink the GT's, GS just couldn't stay with it, only thing was it got very interesting on the twisty bits   

 

By today's standards all pretty tame my current ZX10R will leave it for dead but I loved it wish I still had it, I've seen a similar one the chap paid £22000 for it  

[Lee Chambers]

6 hours ago, Kev The Modeller said:

Great builds mate 

 

Lee I too had a lime green KH250, I didn't have the 500 but did have a 750 in Purple think is was HC.  Smoothed out power band, which delivered slightly less top end power, but still pulled wheelies with a twist of the wrist 😎  and a steering damper, mind had twin discs.  I had it ported and it went like stink the GT's, GS just couldn't stay with it, only thing was it got very interesting on the twisty bits   

 

By today's standards all pretty tame my current ZX10R will leave it for dead but I loved it wish I still had it, I've seen a similar one the chap paid £22000 for it  

Cheers Kev !

[cngaero]

Another lovely Kawasaki Lee. 

You've done a superb job with this one. 

It looks great alongside the 900.

It's been quite a long time since I've built a motorcycle kit. I did build many of the old Protar GP racing machines but they've long since gone. 

There are two bikes that I'd love to build and they are a Suzuki GT750 and a BMW R100RT. I know there was a BMW produced by Aoshima years ago, but it's about as rare as a smile on the mother in laws face. I don't ever recall seeing the GT750 kitted at all. 

I live in hope. 

In the meantime, keep on producing these wonderful motorcycles of yours. 

[Lee Chambers]

14 hours ago, cngaero said:

Another lovely Kawasaki Lee. 

You've done a superb job with this one. 

It looks great alongside the 900.

It's been quite a long time since I've built a motorcycle kit. I did build many of the old Protar GP racing machines but they've long since gone. 

There are two bikes that I'd love to build and they are a Suzuki GT750 and a BMW R100RT. I know there was a BMW produced by Aoshima years ago, but it's about as rare as a smile on the mother in laws face. I don't ever recall seeing the GT750 kitted at all. 

I live in hope. 

In the meantime, keep on producing these wonderful motorcycles of yours. 

Thank you for the kind words ,it's very much appreciated,i had a GT750J in candy jackel blue it was a ground up restoration back in 1990,it won best Japanese at Stafford show in 91,i sold it later as i had a NSU 250 Supermax to play with,i would love to see a "kettle" in kit form,seen the odd diecast one,however i do have a very nice 1/12 Suzuki GT380 to build later this year.

I am having a break from building model bikes at the moment as i am restoring a 1982 CBX 1000 just got it running last weekend after owning it for 2yrs,i rebuilt the carbs and it is running superb,should be finished in the next month or so,sadly it will be sold off as i don't ride anymore.

However i may take it for it's mot just to experience a 6 cylinder 24 valve beastie !

I have a new model project that's about to be posted in real space section,it something which should look great when it's completed,so watch out for the updates.

[AR918]

On ‎17‎/‎07‎/‎2018 at 15:13, cngaero said:

...There are two bikes that I'd love to build and they are a Suzuki GT750 and a BMW R100RT. I know there was a BMW produced by Aoshima years ago, but it's about as rare as a smile on the mother in laws face. I don't ever recall seeing the GT750 kitted at all...

There is hope my friend. LS produced a 1/20 Suzuki GT750B with a sidecar for some odd reason, it's a real "oldie" so no idea how available it is. Hasegawa have recently released their superb 1/12 Suzuki GT380B, I wouldn't imagine it would be too long before they tool the 750 version.

　

All the best.

[Lee Chambers]

1 hour ago, AR918 said:

There is hope my friend. LS produced a 1/20 Suzuki GT750B with a sidecar for some odd reason, it's a real "oldie" so no idea how available it is. Hasegawa have recently released their superb 1/12 Suzuki GT380B, I wouldn't imagine it would be too long before they tool the 750 version.

　

All the best.

Yes the Hasegawa GT380 kit is the one i have,it's a superb kit very accurate,can't wait to build it.

Would be awesome if they kitted a GT750,and i would love to see a GS750 or 1000.

[Old Motorcycle rider]

Fantastic work  again you very realistic spot on with the color and super finish and weathering what color did you use ? Kawasaki orginal? i gotta get this kit, i already have about 90 unbuildt motorcycle kits in my stash always hard to decide wich one am going to build next but now i got inspired to start on  the kawasaki mach I/ 500 from heller. i ride a 86 yamaha fj1200  also owned several other bikes .

 

[Lee Chambers]

10 hours ago, Old Motorcycle rider said:

Fantastic work  again you very realistic spot on with the color and super finish and weathering what color did you use ? Kawasaki orginal? i gotta get this kit, i already have about 90 unbuildt motorcycle kits in my stash always hard to decide wich one am going to build next but now i got inspired to start on  the kawasaki mach I/ 500 from heller. i ride a 86 yamaha fj1200  also owned several other bikes .

 

 

10 hours ago, Old Motorcycle rider said:

Fantastic work  again you very realistic spot on with the color and super finish and weathering what color did you use ? Kawasaki orginal? i gotta get this kit, i already have about 90 unbuildt motorcycle kits in my stash always hard to decide wich one am going to build next but now i got inspired to start on  the kawasaki mach I/ 500 from heller. i ride a 86 yamaha fj1200  also owned several other bikes .

 

Thanks OMR, for the colour on the Kawa i used a high sparkle pearl white dusted over a silver base then a clear candy called Whiskey gold,it's all products i used in my day job painting full size bikes,it looks about right i think,and in person in sunlight you can really see the sparkle of pearl come through the candy gold.

I have a soft spot for FJ 1200,had a couple of them 1988 and 1995 models,very smooth and torquey motors.

I hope to pick up a H1 500 kit in the future,would look great sitting next to the 750.

Good look with your Heller build.

[Howlindawg]

That's a lovely piece of work, I can almost smell the Castrol-R.

 

I had it's little brother way back when; a KH-250.

Great engine, awkward triple points ignition and a frame made of noodles with a hinge in the middle.

Sounded lovely though.

[Lee Chambers]

14 hours ago, Howlindawg said:

That's a lovely piece of work, I can almost smell the Castrol-R.

 

I had it's little brother way back when; a KH-250.

Great engine, awkward triple points ignition and a frame made of noodles with a hinge in the middle.

Sounded lovely though.

Thanks !

[Wonky Donkey]

Ding. And Dong. In that order!

 

Mick..

[SvenneBiker]

Very nice build! I am working on the same model from Nagano right now.

 

Does anyone have any idea what happened to the Nagano Plastic Company?

Have the tools been sold to another company? 

I have recognized that some Nagano kits are similar (same ?) as some Heller kits. I have sent a question

to Heller's customer service asking about this, but haven't seen any response despite weeks gone past.

Its really a pity that the Nagano 1/8 scale bikes aren't produced anylonger and Ebay prices are going up...

 

Sven

 

[donkeychomp]

The widow maker! Like others here I too had a KH250...then I discovered LCs!!

 

Alex