
Kawasaki's H2 Goes from Widowmaker to Well-Balanced Legend
Kawasaki's 1972 Mach IV H2 750 earned its 'Widowmaker' reputation for explosive torque and a fragile chassis. For 1974, Kawasaki extended the swingarm and wheelbase, refined the steering rake to 26.5° with 4.09 inches of trail, and tweaked port timing and exhaust to smooth the power curve, trimming peak horsepower from 74 to about 70. The result was a safer, more rideable bike, but changing markets—oil crises, safety rules, and emissions concerns—pulled support away from two-stroke performance, paving the way for the Z1 900. Still, pristine H2s remain highly collectible today.













