Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125831
October 23,1973 mileage, and a bit of high speed "woblow" (woblow is the state that you reach when you're between wallow and wobble). We weren't the only ones to be dissatified with some aspects of the 5-2 and, on the way to producing the 5-3, Kawasaki stopped by Belfast, ~reland and had a chat with Dr. Gordon Blair and his computer at Queen's University. Blair is considered by many to be the world's foremost expert o,n two stroke engines and Kawasaki looked to him for answers to the 350's engine problems. Blair's answer, based on the 350, was four millimeters more bore. and redesigned transfer ports. The most radical change when you ride the bike is in the power curve. The "huge lump" we commented on last year is no }Vhere to be found. Power now starts in the neighborhood of 3000 RPM and goes to just under the 8,500 RPM redline. Throughout the RPM range there are no jolts, no surprises. Power just flows out as you twist the throttle. The increase is smooth and constant. Even if Blair had done nothing else, the improvement in power characteristics would· have made the design changes worthwhile. Maybe that's just as well, too, because the other changes aren't as radical. The bike has been smoothed ou t so that vibration was never annoying except in the left passenger's peg. Part of the reason for the improvement in vibration control is the rubber mounted engine. The 1972 Kawasaki road racers were the first Kawasakis we're aware of that included the rubber mounted engine. Yvon must have liked it because most of the 1974 line of street bikes includes the feature. One thing that hasn't been fixed is the wretched gas mileage. Last year's mileage figures (26 MPG) match this year's (23-28 MPH). The new gas tank, which follows the lines of the '73 500 triple, holds enough of the precious stuff to get you between 77 and 84 miles before it is time to reach for the petcock and head for a gas station. The gas mileage is worse than what is obtainable from either the 500 or 750 triples that we've tested. You can nurse 32 MPG from the 750 and almost 40 MPG from the 500, but not even Florence Nightingale could nurse 30 MPG from the 400. Although the 400 shares 52.3mm stroke. with the 350, it doesn't have any parts in common. The heads and barrels are obviously different. The 400 has square heads and barrels. Bolted to them are new cases which house a new crankshaft. The carbs, too, have new part numbers. Is it faster than the 350? Not a ,lot. It still isn't as fast as a good Yamaha RD-350, but it's faster than, say, a Honda 350 four. It accelerates briskly and easily because of the wide, easy-to-get-along-with power band. We noticed a gap between first and second last year. We didn't notice it this year. This year there seems to be an automatic stop at neutral. The stop functioned when the bike was standing still. Neutral finding was a sure thing. Elsewhere, .however, could be found a blank spot in the gear box that turned up occasionally when one was trying to !1!a,ke a fast gear change. We missed gears enough that it came to our attention. We wouldn't call it a problem of any importance. Otherwise the five speed gearbox was flawless i it was slick, and required little lever travel or pressure. Six speeds seem to be in vogu.e, but the five speed didn't cramp the 5-3 's style. The single big advantage of a six speed would be that an additional gear on top could act as an overdrive and bring gas mileage up to somewhere in the ball park. At present the engine turns about 6,000 RPM at freeway speeds. One of the nicest characteristics of the 5-3 was its starting. Unless you'd done something horrendously wrong, it always started with one kick. The lever that . operated the starting plungers (chokes) is mounted on the left handlebar. The kick starter has finally been designed so that it gets out of the way when not in use. 50me of the older triples were stuck with a kick start lever that rubbed against your leg while riding. The lever on the 5-3 folds forward and in to the point where it's almost under the gas tank. The engine warmed up quickly. Page 29 The plugs seemed to load up slightly in around-town riding, and the bike missed slightly when you got on the freeway or wicked it up on the higliway. The missing only occured when ,You started working it at a higher RPM level und~r greater load and stopped when the plugs cleared off. We tried using regular gas but it- didn't make any difference. The plugs never actually fouled completely. Using the "K-2" oil supplied by Kawasaki with the bike, the 5-3 smoked more than we liked. Even riding two-up, the 400 was more than capable oj holding its own- in fast freeway traffic. Top speed is about 100. While it functions well at high speed, comfort is somewhat lacking. The worst thing was the grips which present no problem on other bikes_ The Kawasaki grips are shouldered at the outside end, and this shoulder, because o-f the angle of the 5-3's bars, digs into the heel of your hand. After awhile it gets painful. Ride was about average. That is, it was comfortable unless nine Open Class motocrossers had used your back for traction in the last moto of the previous day. In that case it felt a bit stiff. The bars and seat were OK, but could be improved. The way the bars sweep back was uncomfortable even without the grips, and the bars were slightly high -for high speed (80 MPH) or riding into a head wind. The long, upswept se,at accommodate·s two persons well, but it does get hard faster than we like. The 5-3 isn't of the strictly touring genre. Gas mileage and long-term comfort aren't in the ball park. It will, however, give good service to the guy who rides it day in and day out and decides to go visit his girlfriend in Poughkeepsie. As a day·in-er and day·out.er, the 400 Kawasaki will function just fine. We put about 1300 miles on it and never had any problems. We were thinking about adjusting the chain when we returned the bike. The ignition is triggered by points, so that will require some fussing. The same set of spark plugs stayed in the bike during the entire test. By way of something going wrong, the best we can do is the fron t brake. Despite 250 miles of considerate break-in, the disc emerged from its first encoun ter with a moun tain road wi th a severe squeak. The squeak stayed with the bike for the rest of the test. It may have needed more bedding-in, but we felt that what it got should have been enough. Both brakes were properly strong once they had bedded in. The front brake felt weak at first, but as it got some use it became stronger. The cable operated rear brake never gave us any trouble and needed adjustment only once. It incorporates a pointer on the cam activating arm that tells you when to replace the shoes. Moun tain roads didn't produce any other complain ts. Basic handling is at least as good as the 5-2's. The 5-2's was excellent. We never found a combination that would make the 400 wobble or wallow. There was a hint of oscillation in some turns: but it remained latent. We never needed the / steering damper that it doesn't have. Ground clearance, as with the 350, was sufficient. We could touch down, but it was never any sort of problem. The Yokohama tires, a 350-18 at the rear and a 325-18 rib at the fron t, seemed hard and wore well, but didn't give all the grip that we might have liked. It seems that you get your choice with tires, Jong life or adhesion. Like all 1974 bikes, the 5-3 has all the handlebar switches labeled as required by the Department of Transportation. The knob on the high-low beam switch broke off and disappeared one day. We don't know if that's going to be a problem or not. We suspect ours was a fluke. The lights worked well enough, but as the Yamaha 750 proved, they can be better. The gas cap, too, has been fit for a Fed. It has been lowered and is hinged at the back. You're less likely to leave some of your vitals han!!ing on it if you stop suddenly, like against a Greyhound bus. The gas cap doesn't lock, but the seat does. What you have here is something that sellles betl<1een the Yamaha RD-350 You could play Isle of Man on the 5-3. It 'handled pretty well all around. and the Honda 350 Four. The Kawasaki 400 is a bike for every day, if the day is a working day and you have to drive downtown, if the day is spent romping in the mountains, or jf the day is stretched between Flagstaff and Albuquerque with plenty of time (and lots of open gas stations) to get there. It's enough motorcycle to go touring, but it's not too much to go shopping. Maybe Gordon Blair or his computer thought of that, too. • Specifications I Type three cylinder, air cooled, piston port two stroke 57x52.3mm 400.4cc (3) 26mm Mikuni , battery-coil ' , .. , .. kick left foot, up for up, l-N-2-3-4-5 Weight _ 370 lb. Width~ _ 32.3 in. _ 80 in. Length .. _ Wheelbase: 53.711 in. longer than 5-2) Tire size, front .. , , .3.25 x 18 Tire size, rear , 3.50 x 18 Fuel capacity 3.7 gal. Gas Miieage during test _.. _.23-28 MPG $935.00 Price _ _ Bore x Stroke Displacement Carburet ion , .. , Ignition , Starting Shift pattern Paint job on our bike was turquoise on blue. Very pretty. Note long seat and ground clearance. Just the thing for toting your pineapple.