1972 Kawasaki H1

[Milan]

So, I am looking at one of these bikes in good condition.

I am wondering what price range they should be in.
I found a couple at the big auction sites, but they seemed way overpriced.

Any help would be great

[Striker1423]

This is all relative to what needs to be done to it etc... But, 7 to 8k is not unheard of.

[Milan]

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/175280564674610/?ref=product_details&referral_code=undefined

Here is one of them

M

[Milan]

Are these considered good investments as the RD's are, as far as going up in value?

M

[SoCal250]

They have been increasing in value over the last 10-15 yrs.
But at $15K it's not a good investment

[Striker1423]

15k is the insane price-point, so no.

[Milan]

Went & saw the bike today.
It was right in a close city.

Bike was nice, but alot bigger that I thought = longer than I thought also
The RD's look alot more stylish, and most likely handle better

He was going to put it up on Bring-a-Trailer.
And was thinking he would get between $10K - $13K

Probably would have taken $10k for it.

I have seen another low mileage one for $8K.
Still wondering if they are a worthy investment.

M

[RDryan]

Went & saw the bike today.
It was right in a close city.

Bike was nice, but alot bigger that I thought = longer than I thought also
The RD's look alot more stylish, and most likely handle better

He was going to put it up on Bring-a-Trailer.
And was thinking he would get between $10K - $13K

Probably would have taken $10k for it.

I have seen another low mileage one for $8K.
Still wondering if they are a worthy investment.

M

Is it a worthy investment you ask? Well that depends. If you can get one of these in the condition as seen of the other you posted for $8k to 10k then I would say yes but it must also have some assurances that the bike is mechanically sorted out with good seals and crank and top end meaning running good with no vacuum leaks. Then I would say it would be a properly sorted out bike. However the next thing would be is this bike going to be a daily rider? or will you truly just put it mostly in a safe place and ride it once in a while or will you mothball it in the mancave for conversations over a couple cocktails? If the latter of the three then yes I would further go on to say a more worthy investment. I think the sad reality is that these bikes even when properly sorted can get kinda expensive to run regularly. I once heard that even a good runner can have issues with the center cylinder running to hot or is it lean?...at any rate they can potentially seize or are at least prone to if not in top running order. I honestly want one pretty bad myself and have seen the values of these really shoot up the past several years maybe less than a decade but not by much. I'm not sure how much they're worth it except to say to see one for under 8k without being some complete basket case project is virtually impossible. Which leads me to believe that if you do spend say 10k to 13k on one that has been gone over to the point of being pretty much cherry/concours like quality then you really don't wanna ride it out of respect for the work put into restoring it. So to that end is it a worthy investment?....yes but what good it is it if you can't carefreely enjoy it without having to constantly worry about its shape, spend money on seeking out experts of these bikes which by the way are not cheap to find and are a dying breed.

You would have much more fun with an RD, at least that's what I tell myself. Better balanced bike, lighter, tons of potential to mod, easier to keep running correct and cheaper on the wallet. Also gets the same reaction from folks passing by.

[m in sc]

all you have to do is look at the eastern 2 stroke meet. 15-20 years ago, wall to wall triples. last 7 or so years, more yamaha twins. and the same people, for the most part . all you need to know.

[Mgmark]

"You would have much more fun with an RD, at least that's what I tell myself. Better balanced bike, lighter, tons of potential to mod, easier to keep running correct and cheaper on the wallet. Also gets the same reaction from folks passing by."

Yeah, RDs are easier to live with and cheaper to keep. And with the Kawasaki triples values getting way up there it takes some fun out of it. Triples do sound cool though.

Mark

[Milan]

So,

I think I will just keep to investing in some of the CT70's.
Cheaper, easy to fix, & small.

M

[pdxjim]

I believe we are nearing or at "peak triple" rn in regards to pricing

Boomers are already aging out and focus will be going to the 80's bikes and beyond

Triples are pretty to look at and great for nostalgia's sake, but Yamaha's will always be better bikes.

[pdxjim]

... also, 1972 H1 is kinda the ugly stepchild of the triple world

[m in sc]

its is. they are weird for sure.

[dgorms]

I'm waiting for 1st and 2nd gen interceptors to take off! Got about 9 I could part with.