VOLUME ISSUE OCTOBER , P133
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age and a bit of high-speed wob-
low" with the testers, defining that
term as the uneasy place between
wallow and wobble. No motorcy
-
clist who lives on the spectator
side of the sanatorium would list
"woblow" as a good handling trait.
The little Kawasaki was sick,
and in the early 1970s, Dr. Blair
was the man to see for two-
stroke maladies. Blair and his
team at Queens University in Bel
-
fast had designed and built their
own motorcycles, which were
raced first in Ireland and then on
the Grand Prix circuit. Team rider
Ray McCullough powered Blair-
built machines to many wins
over the ensuing years, including
seven Ulster Grand Prix victories.
Blair's diagnosis of the
problems facing Kawasaki's
beleaguered 350 resulted in
what seems to be rather minor
changes. Though there were
likely other revisions, Cycle News
makes a mention only of the
350's bore being enlarged by four
millimeters, along with a rede
-
sign of the two-stroke's transfer
ports. The end result?
"The most radical change
when you ride the bike is the
power curve," CN wrote. "The
huge lump we commented on
last year is nowhere to be found.
Power now starts in the neigh
-
borhood of 3000 rpm and goes
to just under the 8500 rpm red-
line. Throughout the rpm range
there are no jolts, no surprises.
Power just flows out as you twist
the throttle."
Kawasaki made other subtle
yet meaningful changes to the
'73 400. Following the lead of
their road racing team, the engine
was mounted in rubber. A rede
-
signed kickstart lever—no button
needed when you're essentially
kicking three 125s to life—now
folds up and out of the way.
Need a reminder that this was
a road test of a 1973 motor
-
cycle? CN reports that the spark
plugs began to "load up," though
they never completely fouled.
Riders today likely give little or
no thought to the spark plugs in
their motorcycles. In those days,
even casual riders knew to pack
an extra set in their tool kits.
The 400 wasn't built for tour
-
ing. Its hard seat and handgrips
deemed "painful" meant that this
bike was made for the everyday rid
-
er, who occasionally likes to "visit
his girlfriend in Poughkeepsie."
Not as fast as the Yamaha
RD 350 of its time, the Kawasaki
could still easily hit 100 mph. Dr.
Blair, who passed away in 2010,
had cured the little machine of
what ailed it, engineering the
400 S-3 into a fun motorcycle; as
evidenced by the photos, getting
airborne on the Kawasaki on the
SoCal streets was no problem!
Assembly lines in factories
may have manufactured our
motorcycles, but it is right to
remember the riders/engineers
whose passion really made our
machines or, as with Dr. Gordon
Blair, made them even better.
They poured heart and soul into
their work, their sweat and even
blood likely blending with the
oil and grease that keep parts
moving freely against each other.
Perhaps in spirit form, but most
certainly in spirit, they are thus
forever with us when we ride.
CN
(Left) Kawasaki
made other
subtle yet
meaningful
changes to the
'73 400. Late
nights in your
garage could
make it even
better. (Far left)
We said the
Kawasaki 400
S-3 was a great
bike to practice
on for the Isle
of Man.
