It wasn't the speed they were capable of, it was the lack of handling that sometimes made them go into a speed wobble and throw the rider down on the highway while at high speed! When they go into speed wobble the only thin you could do is try to power thru it and then slow down, heaven help you when it wouldn't come out of it! I had a friend that was an experienced rider, that went thru it with not good results he luckily he was wearing a Bell Star full face helmet which did save his life but he spent a long time in the hospital while his extensive abrasions healed.
I don't know if the nickname was used internationally, but here these were known as a "900 Quack", due as much to KaWasAKi as the shape of the tailpiece.
The Jalopy Journal
