Known as the ‘Widowmaker’, the Kawasaki H1 series were a range of triples famous for being incredibly fast, without the handling to match. This bike ended up setting a standard for how dangerous a motorcycle could be – motorcycle reviewers of future years would often remark about how a certain bike handled like “an early Kawasaki triple” when they wanted to make the most negative of comments. But this reputation only helped to make the bike more popular amongst riders who fancied themselves tough. The Kawasaki Mach III is easily Kawi’s most infamous motorcycle. “Tank Slappers” and “wheelies” became part of the daily vocabulary of riders who tried to tame this bike.
The Kawasaki Mach III was the mid-size model, and was easily the fastest 500cc bike around. By keeping everything cheap, Kawi was able to market this bike to young gentlemen who wanted the fastest bike possible for less than a grand. This led to very quick bikes that couldn’t really stop or turn, as it suffered from frame flex and suffered from tire technology of the time. But once you hit 6,000 rpm, the powerband seemed to go vertical. Bikes would go vertical, too, thanks to the silly power and a significant rear weight bias. These bikes can be significantly upgraded in the handling and braking departments, which should remind you that all bikes of the time weren’t exactly handlers compared to what we’re used to now. Take the stories of danger with a grain of salt!
This specific Kawasaki Mach III (VIN: KAF 09557) is in a beautiful and rare Peacock Gray with 11,393 miles. The tins have been repainted, and there’s some slight blemishes.
Find this Kawasaki Mach III for sale in Boca Raton, Florida with a BIN of $8,500 from a seller that’s amusingly named “triplesgetnipples”