KAWASAKI Z1-R, HONDA CB 750 FOUR & YAMAHA XS 1100 MIDNIGHT SPECIAL

Kawasaki Z1-R, Honda DB 750 Four & Yamaha XS 1100 Midnight Special.

“The Big 3”
After what seemed like an eternity, my then-buddy, Emmanuel Abbey and I were tasked with un-crating The Kawasaki and Honda at the port of entry and riding them several miles to the workshop/home base.
Oh boy!
What a thrill - getting to experience them, brand new, right out of the manufacturers box!
Seemingly unlimited power on tap!
So for the next couple of years, there was no wrenching to be done on these machines.
They were brand new.
The only thing I remember was performing engine oil changes and filling up with fuel.
… and ride them we did!
The only drawback being the streets of Accra were too small for the performance of these machines.
The “Midnight Special” was to follow quite sometime later and rounded off the trio to make us the proud owners of the largest capacity bikes in town in that era.
No doubt we were instantly recognizable in our motorcycling community of the time.
Smooth, fast and maintenance free.
… and naturally, all 3 were gas-guzzlers!
It was very noticeable when you were used to 65mpg+ on the smaller machines of the day!
So there really is not too much I can elaborate on about these machines, short of other more prolific writers having put all the specifications and reviews out there in the information space of today.
Information abounds and I would only be “regurgitating” what someone else has already worked hard to produce.
So I must let them reap the rewards of their hard work and take their due credit.

Kawasaki Z1-R
Ice-Blue, quick, fast, lovely design lines, firm seating and most “caferacer-esque”.
Just sitting still, it looked like it was going fast!
This was one of those definitely “better-hold-on-tight” kind of bikes … or else!
Straight line shot, off the line, this machine was second to none!
The suspension was very firm, rightly so - and needed to be.
Brakes were very good - they had to be, with this level of performance.
For the kind of local roads we had back then, cornering and maneuvering were the 2 situations I had to be extremely cognizant of.
Any lapse in concentration or lack of good judgement would and could easily have made for not only a “bad day” but an unforgettable one.
I had many, many close calls on this machine.
So close that the bike gained a reputation for us all as being “scary”.
The stories we each came back with after a ride on this machine warranted that description.
It was the least ridden out of the 3!
Needless to mention, I was very wary of it.


Honda CB 750
Definitely Honda.
If you had your eyes closed and then sat astride this machine without having seen if before hand, there’d be no doubt in your mind that you were astride a Honda.
All the controls “fell to hand” perfectly, the seat was adequately large and comfortable, seating position - somewhat neutral, was just not quite what we young “whippersnappers” gravitated towards, but relished and appreciated the smoothness and functionality of this machine.
It was quiet, had good brakes and just a purely large functional bike.
If I could describe it in 1 word - it would be “mundane”.
In essence this was the gentleman’s bike.
The kind you could put on a suit and ride to work on without getting ruffled!

Yamaha XS 1100 Midnight Special.
… and special it was!
Black with gold trimming/accent all around.
The design engineers chose the right name and styling to match.
We were not used to the cruiser style of it.
We had never before seen, let alone owned a cruiser configuration style machine and that made it an unusual bike to ride, let alone get comfortable on.
Those days we only rode around town and commuted for business, mostly and so could not truly appreciate this machine for what it was truly designed for … that is to get out on the open road, sit back and relax and just “go”!
But to experience its power delivery was a thrill.
I hated the handlebars, I hated the seat.
It forced me into a fixed position.
A position I was just not accustomed to on any machine I had ever sat astride.
But a very lovely engine and thrill ride.
This one also had really good brakes and delivered a remarkable straight line ride that also got and kept your attention!