As a Club Kawasaki member you’ll receive an exclusive £1500 of FREE Helmet and Protective clothing cover worth £29.99 when you purchase an annual motorcycle insurance policy through Kawasaki Insurance using the Club Kawasaki phone number. Kawasaki Insurance can cater for the entire model range as well as offering multi bike policies and every policy comes with new bike replacement for newly registered bikes written off within six months, uninsured driver accident cover and unlimited accessories cover, as well as up to £100,000 of FREE legal expenses. As a Club Kawasaki member, you could also receive a premium discount of up to 10%.
All you need to do is call the Club Kawasaki Insurance line on 0800 085 6551 and let the specialists at
the right insurance cover for the right price, giving you peace of mind to concentrate on what’s really
• •
• Provisional & A2 licence holders
• Personal Accident cover
So remember, to claim your £1500 of FREE Helmet and Protective clothing cover worth £29.99, take a policy out with Kawasaki Insurance by calling the dedicated Club Kawasaki insurance line on 0800 085 6551.
Lines are open: 9am to 7pm Monday to Friday 9am to 3pm Saturday 10am to 2pm Sunday
•
• Club Kawasaki Member Discounts
• Limited Mileage Discounts
• Track Days 0800Calluson
WELCOME
Welcome to Club Magazine – issue 28!
Hi everyone, as the weather starts to turn colder and the riding season comes to an end, we look back on the last six months (and look forward to what’s coming up!).
The wait is over… check out our feature which focuses on the 2025 model range, including a few new bikes such as the Versys 1100 and Ninja 1100SX.
And of course, if seeing them on paper isn’t enough for you then you’ll need to come along to this year’s Motorcycle Live show at the NEC 16-24 November. If you’ve been lucky enough to get your hands on a ticket to our Club Kawasaki preview event which is taking place on the opening morning of the show – then you’ll be one of the first in the UK to see those new models too.
You can expect all the usual perks as a Club member at Motorcycle Live this year so come and say hello, enter into the Club Hospitality area, enjoy a hot drink and a sit down on us on any day of the show! You might even bump into a few famous Kawasaki faces while you’re there too.
Read on to see our tips on how to look after your bike during the colder months when you might be storing your bike away for the end of the season.
This issue features an article by our magazine designer Kar Lee, who took our Versys 1000 S GT out on an epic adventure from Calais, France to Simplon Pass, Switzerland. We hear from Club member Harry Sedgwick (aka Toppie) and the love of riding through three generations of his family.
Once again, we bring you our My Kawasaki & Me feature – get to know Club Kawasaki member John Bennett who you may know as Lamb Chop Rides from YouTube.
Forgotten.... but not gone. We take a look at the how and why of the fastest two-wheel sport, drag racing, plus its iconic home at Santa Pod.
We’ll be back with you for issue 29 in Spring next year, don’t forget to see if your Challenge selfie has made it onto the rear cover!
I hope you enjoy this issue of the magazine and as always, I would love to hear your feedback on the forum.
Editor: Charlotte Stow
Designer: Kar Lee
Exclusive content: Martin Lambert
Contributors: Mike Aylwin, Dialogue Agency
Thanks to: Ben Vincent, Jemma Newman, Ross Burridge
Photography: KME, KMUK, Tim KeetonImpact Images
Published by Kawasaki Motors UK www.kawasaki.co.uk
See all the new models first at motorccyle Live 2024
CONTENTS
MODEL NEWS
P5 NEW MODEL NEWS
P23 SWISS ROAD TRIPS
P42 RIDING TOGETHER
Check out our 2025 models, including the new Versys 1100 and Ninja 1100SX.
P15 INTO HIBERNATION
We bring you our tips on how to store your bike during the winter, so that it stays in top condition ready to come out of hibernation when spring rolls around again.
P18 RACING
As we wrap up the 2024 Kawasaki British Superteen series, we look back on some of the closest and most exciting races over the last year.
Read on to hear how Kar Lee, our magazine designer, got on during his epic adventure to Switzerland on a Versys 1000 S GT.
P29 THE MAIN EVENT AT SANTA POD
Discover Santa Pod’s mission to boost the sport of drag racing in the UK.
P40 JD STUNTS
Stunt rider Jonny Davies, AKA JD Stunts, set a new Guinness World Record for being the fastest person to be dragged behind a motorcycle.
We caught up with Club member ‘Toppie’ who shares his story of the love of riding through three generations of his family.
P55 MOTOLINER
Meet Motoliner, frame straighteners based in Maidstone, Kent, with almost 40 years of specialist experience.
P5 CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES
P38 CLUB CHALLENGE & BENEFITS
P34 MY KAWASAKI & ME
P52 KMUK STAFF INSIGHT
Take A Closer Look At The 2025 Kawasaki Range 2025
If you’ve been following the Kawasaki UK channels over the last few weeks, you’ll have no doubt seen we’ve started teasing out some of the 2025 range. Missed them? Don’t worry! We thought we would take a closer look at the bikes making up our new lineup…
Versys 1100
Since its introduction in 2012, the Versys name has evolved year-on-year. For 2025, the versatile machine is taking another step forward with an increase in capacity from 1,043 cm3 to 1,099 cm3. This capacity increase, along with other subtle adjustments, increases maximum power from 120 PS to 135 PS.
Designed for riders to take on any road, from motorways to poorly maintained country roads, the additional increase in mid-high RPM torque makes an already great riding experience even more enjoyable!
The Versys 1100 also features an updated Kawasaki Quick Shifter (KQS) feature that now functions with a lower minimum shift point of 1500rpm, while new upper gear ratios enhance touring comfort when partnered with electronic cruise control. In terms of engine changes, selected headlines include centre intake funnels now 45 mm longer than the outer intake funnels adding to better torque between
4,000 and 7,000 rpm.
The intake ports were optimised to suit a throttle body change and are now narrower in relation to the bike’s increased displacement. The resulting higher intake flow velocity in the low- to mid-rpm range benefits low-mid range torque. Additionally, new ECU settings optimised for the higher engine displacement have the throttle valve opening characteristics revised across the rev range while cam profiles with a lower valve lift also contribute to increased lowmid rpm range torque.
Designed for riders to take on any road, from motorways to poorly maintained country roads
performance. Braking is revised too with the rear disc diameter increasing from 250 mm to 260 mm.
Increased rideability is also thanks to a heavier flywheel mass, and a secondary balancer reduces excess vibration while large connector pipes join exhaust headers 1-4 and 2-3, contributing to better performance at all rpms. And to keep things under control, an oil cooler has been added in 2025 for improved cooling
A USB-C port is standard, and in terms of electronic rider aids, the Versys 1100 owner will be well served with a raft of items including KTRC traction control, cornering management, power mode and riding mode selections and – for SE owners – Showa electronically damped suspension. Boasting the convenience of Kawasaki’s unique Rideology smartphone app (which is now voice command function ready), you have the ideal planet exploring platform. Versys 1100 – Destination: Everywhere.
Versys 1100S, now with more power and torque where it matters most
versys 1100se
Ninja 1100SX
The Versys model isn’t the only one getting a capacity increase, with the Ninja SX raising from 1043cc to 1099cc. But there is much more to the Ninja 1100SX than that, with a host of updates and refinements to maintain its place at the forefront of the supersport touring pack.
Offering increased torque across the rev range, the need to change gear is reduced – even more so when ratio changes mean new longer 5th and 6th gears. Like its SX forebears, the latest iteration perfectly blends its touring and sporting abilities, and features the same updated Kawasaki Quick Shifter as the Versys.
Rider and passenger convenience is an SX watchword, which is why the Ninja 1100SX features a handlebar-mounted USB-C port as standard along with electronic cruise control, power modes, cornering management, K-TRC traction control and intelligent anti-lock brakes. An upscaled rear disc offers even better stopping power while the 2025 Ninja
1100SX also boasts even greater fuel efficiency.
For the first time, the Ninja 1100SX will come with a sibling in the guise of an SE variant.
Boasting Brembo M4.32 front brake calipers, master cylinder and disc rotors plus steel mesh brake hoses, the SE also enjoys heated grips and an Öhlins S46 rear shock absorber with remote pre-load adjustment as standard.
No matter whether you’re looking for sports or touring duties, the new Ninja 1100SX is ready to deliver – from its height adjustable screen to a range of colour-coded luggage options, plus a number of Edition models.
Offering increased torque across the rev range
ninja 1100sx
The new machine features
The jewel in the crown of our 2025 lineup, and a bike that Z fans have been waiting for, the all-new Z900 and Z900 SE.
With a completely new, eye-catching design, ramping up the Sugomi philosophy that has become synonymous with the Z family, the new machine features sharp, edgy styling that makes effective use of metal parts to hint at the sharp performance that lies within.
A major part of a sharper-looking, innovative front end are the new precise and compact headlights as well as an advanced LED taillight. New brushed aluminium side shrouds and other accents give the Z900 a high-quality, metallic look while the new, more comfortable seat is flatter, allowing the rider to shift around easily and keep their attention on the large 5” all-digital TFT colour instrumentation, plus the convenience of electronic cruise control as standard.
The engine has also been revised for 2025, with the powerful 948 cm3 liquidcooled, 4-stroke In-line Four engine providing a quick-revving character and stronger mid-range hit allied to precise
control from the new electronic throttle valves. Updated camshaft profiles contribute to improved fuel economy, increased torque at lower rpm and new ECU settings aiding a 16% potential increase in fuel economy and reduced CO2 emissions over the previous model. Kawasaki’s KTRC traction control also features as well as selectable power modes and integrated riding modes.
New front brakes now feature radial-mount 4-piston calipers offering a linear brake touch through the new Dunlop Sportmax Q5A tyres. Additionally, in a first for Kawasaki, turn-by-turn navigation can be displayed on the instrument panel, allowing the rider to see where the next turn should be made.
In addition to the standard Z900, the Special Edition (SE) model features higher-grade suspension (including an Öhlins rear shock), Brembo front brake components, and special colour and graphics.
The new Z900 will start arriving with dealers in March 2025.
The 2025 Z900 also comes in a SE flavour featuring an Öhlins rear shock and Brembo front calipers
sharp, edgy styling
Z900
z900 se
z900
Z500 and Ninja 500
Making a big splash following their launch last year, the Z500 and Ninja 500 accelerate into 2025 with a host of new colours for the new year. These A2-compliant machines offer ample power through the entire rpm range
The Z500 offers big bike thrills in an A2compliant package
thanks to their 451cc engine, while the trellis frame, Kawasaki Assist and Slipper Clutch create genuinely riderfriendly machines.
No matter what angle the Z500 is seen from, its triple headlight-centred front face and aggressive lines make it clear that this is a member of the Z family, with aggressive Supernaked looks and ample street presence. The Ninja alternative offers a distinctive front face and sleek, flowing lines, making it clear that this is a member of the Ninja family, with raceinspired, big-bike looks. The shape of the full-fairing bodywork fosters a sense of unity with the rider, helping them feel at one with the bike.
Both machines boast a full LCD instrument panel on the standard
Z Family
The ever-popular Z Family also continues over into 2025. The powerful, supercharged Z H2 SE continues in the same colours as this year, while the standard model is available in Emerald Blazed Green/ Metallic Matte Graphenesteel Gray/ Metallic Diablo Black. For the Z650, two new colour options are being released in the guise of Metallic Spark Black/ Red and Metallic Spark Black/Green while the globally successful RS range flexes its muscles once more with three new options for the Z650RS and the same number of possibilities within the Z900RS offering.
models and a TFT display on the SE models, offering smartphone connectivity that enables riders to connect with their machines to enjoy display notifications, riding logs and community features. SE models also feature original colour and graphics along with other exclusive features and accessories.
And for 2025, a new colour option is offered for the Ninja 500, mirroring the accents seen on the KRT Ninja ZX-10RR in many superbike races – the lime green base colour is augmented by black and white graphics with yellow striped highlights. Whatever the colour and whether Ninja 500 or Z500 in standard or SE spec, the choice in 2025 is going to be the right one!
The sleek and sophisticated Ninja 500
Ninja Range
With only two current colour schemes carried into 2025, there’s a host of new colour options in the Ninja range. Retained is the Metallic Graphite Gray/Metallic Diablo Black Ninja ZX-10R option alongside a lime Green/Ebony/Pearl Blizzard White while the formerly Lime Green Ninja ZX-10RR will soon be offered in a Metallic Matte Graphenesteel Gray colourway. Both colour options for the Ninja ZX-6R in 2025 are new, with customers able to specify either Lime Green/Ebony/Pearl Blizzard White or Ebony/Metallic Flat Spark Black. The Ninja ZX-4RR is also available in Lime Green/Ebony/Pearl Blizzard White.
The final three new Ninja colours for 2025 adorn the Ninja 650 twin with black, green and grey represented. Metallic Spark Black/Metallic Flat Spark Black will be the darkest option sitting alongside Lime Green/Pearl Blizzard White and, finally, Metallic Matte Carbon Gray/Flat Ebony.
Versys and Vulcan Twins
The popular Versys 650 adventure tourer and much-loved Vulcan S are also both set for a colour refresh for the 2025 sales season. Continuing to be offered in black, the two new 2025 colours for the Versys 650 will be Pearl Robotic White/Metallic Spark Black and Metallic Graphenesteel Gray/Metallic Spark Black. Carrying the current highly demanded Metallic Flat Spark Black colourway into 2025, the new colour option for Vulcan S will be a subtle take on the same theme encompassing Metallic Flat Spark Black/ Metallic Flat Raw Graystone.
Eliminator
Arelatively recent and welcome addition to the Kawasaki range, the Eliminator 500 will continue to be available in two model specifications in 2025 with potential owners being able to select from three new colourways. For the standard model two colourways will be on offer for the coming season, Metallic Flat Spark Black or Pearl Robotic White, while the range-leading SE model will be offered in Metallic Carbon Gray/Flat Ebony.
Ninja 650
Ninja ZX-10RR
Ninja ZX-10R
Ninja ZX-4RR
Versys 650
Vulcan S
Eliminator 500
ninja zx-6r
Turning to four wheels, 2025 will see the launch of the muchanticipated Brute Force 450, which offers the perfect balance between physical size, performance and innovative features. This new model joins the impressive Brute Force 750, creating a formidable ATV range.
KX Range
Covering both youth and adult categories, there are eight machines in the KX range for 2025. From the legendary KX65 all the way up the experience ladder to the awesome KX450, Kawasaki is focused on covering the bases and offering choice, quality and durability in the competitive off-road arena.
The first ‘real MX bike experience’ for many of Team Green’s current adult riders, the water-cooled, two-stroke KX65 is nothing short of a legend, while the KX85 is the ideal ‘next step’ and is available in both standard (17inch front / 14inch rear) and big wheel (19inch front / 17inch rear) versions. Next on the ladder for many riders will be the KX112, a classic two-stroke, water-cooled single cylinder machine with an 870mm seat height and a 19inch front and 16inch rear wheel combination. Needing no introduction, the KX250 is all new for 2025 and ready to make its KRT factory debut in
a green machine for every occasion
the MX2 class in the upcoming season. Sharing the same straight path inlet and exhaust technology as its bigger brother, the KX250 features a redesigned airbox, a KX450 style frame, mass centralised silencer, smoother bodywork and Smartphone tuning via the Kawasaki Rideology App for KX.
A single-shaft primary engine balancer for both machines contributes to smoother power delivery and reduced vibration while engine power feeling at low speeds and throttle control when exiting corners are both improved for 2025 as a result of the symmetrically aligned intake and exhaust and optimised downdraft intake.
The ‘crowning glory’ of the 2025 KX line is the duo of the KX450 and KX450X, the pinnacle of MX and cross-country racers. As base bike for the KRT factory KX450-SR, the MXGP-developed KX450 is ready to deliver when it matters, complete with chassis and engine specifications tested and approved by Romain Febvre and Jeremy Seewer.
The Mule utility range also gets updated for next year, led by the Mule Pro-FX. This flagship model is powered by a Kawasaki-built 999 cm3 liquid-cooled, 4-stroke Parallel Twin engine combined with a highly reliable continuously variable transmission (CVT) delivering excellent driveability, while throttle response and reassuring engine braking add to driver confidence when descending slopes.
Joining it will be the Pro-DX and PRO-DXT, alongside the popular Mule SX, which boasts selectable 2WD and 4WD with Hi-Lo dual-range transfer case and a rear differential lock.
Jet Skis
The 2025 Kawasaki range isn’t just on the land! There will be six craft across our LX and LXS Jet Ski range. A new addition arrives in the guise of the Ultra 160LX-S Angler, a machine equipped specifically for the needs of fishing enthusiasts, which joins the Ultra 160 series and Ultra 310 series. n
Mule Pro FX
Ultra 160LX-S Angler
From the KX65 to the KX450, there’s
Brute Force 450
kx250
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO BOUGHT OUR NEW, INNOVATIVE PROTECTION PRODUCT IN 2024
Demand for the Helite H-MOOV was way ahead of forecast, so thank you to all who purchased and thank you for your patience to all who are still waiting for supply
Order yours now to beat the demand in 2025 and use the code KAWASAKI FREE to get a spare free CO2 canister with your new product
Sports Bodywarmer
MALE
RRP £119.95 | CLUB £107.96
Puffer padded body warmer with zipped inner and outer pockets.
n Quilted stitching is engineered according to Kawasaki design
n Outer pockets and inner breast pockets are zipped
n Printed green details
n 96% polyester/4% elastane
n TPU membrane, WP 8,000mm BRP 3,000mm/normal water repellency
WSBK 2024 Bodywarmer
MALE
RRP £89.95 | CLUB £80.96
Softshell body warmer with zipped outer pockets.
n Inner open pockets
n Kawasaki racing and sponsor logos
n Sponsor logos applied as badges
n KRT & Ninja logos silicone print
n Fleece bonded
n 96% polyester/4% elastane
n 80% cotton/20% polyester
2024 clothing & accessories
You might not be getting out on the bike as much as you’d like in the coming months, but you can still show your colours and keep the bad weather out with our stylish and comfortable autumn winter wear collection
WSBK 2024 Jacket
MALE
RRP £158.95 | CLUB £143.06
Padded water-resistant jacket in Kawasaki WSBK 2024 team colours. It has zipped inner and outer pockets and internal sleeve cuffs.
n Taped seam
n Horizontal quilted thermal lining
n Internal stretch cuffs
n Outer pockets and inner breast pockets are zipped
n Kawasaki racing and sponsor logos
n Sponsor logos applied as badges
n KRT & Ninja logos silicone print
n 96% polyester/4% elastane
Like all Kawasakis, the Sports Puffer Jacket for women handles curves with ease
Sports Puffer Jacket
FEMALE
RRP £179.95 | CLUB £161.96
Puffer padded jacket with zipped inner and outer pockets.
n Quilted stitching is engineered according to Kawasaki design
n Green lined hood
n Shoulder and underarm areas
printed with grey hexagon pattern
n Outer pockets and inner breast pockets are zipped
n Printed green details
n 96% polyester/4% elastane
n TPU membrane, WP 8,000mm BRP 3,000mm/normal water repellency
MXGP 2024 2-in-1 Jacket
MALE
RRP £175.95 | CLUB £158.36
Kawasaki MXGP Team replica two-in-one jacket with detachable inner thermal liner, zipped inner and outer pockets and internal sleeve cuff. Seams are taped to keep the rain at bay. Unzip the liner to convert the jacket for mid-season use. Also available in XS.
n Taped seam
n Detachable quilted thermal liner
n Internal stretch cuffs
n Outer and inner breast pockets are zipped
n Printed logos
n 96% polyester/4% elastane
Keeping you snug in those cooler months
WSBK style, softshell warmth
Sports Sweatshirt
FEMALE
RRP £82.95 | CLUB £74.66
Zipped sweatshirt with kangaroo pockets, standup collar and ribbed hem and cuffs.
n Kangaroo pocket
n Shoulder and elbow areas printed with grey hexagon pattern
n Ribbed hem and cuffs
n Double faced interlock
n 72% cotton/28% polyester
Kawasaki Rivermark Umbrella
RRP £39.95 | CLUB £35.96
This large, Kawasaki-branded black umbrella is 135cm in diameter, has a green inside and provides shade from the sun or shelter from the rain. Whether your track side supporting your favourite racer or walking the dog in the park, this umbrella has you covered.
WSBK 2024 Sweatshirt
MALE & FEMALE
RRP £85.95 | CLUB £77.36
Zipped sweatshirt in Kawasaki 2024 WSBK team colours with zipped outer pockets, standup collar and ribbed hem and cuffs.
n Zipped front opening and pockets
n Ribbed hem and cuffs
n Embroidered KRT and Ninja logos
n Sponsor logos embroidered badges
n Polyester side panels with sublimation print
n Unbrushed French terry fabric
n 80% cotton/20% polyester
MXGP 2024 Zipped Sweatshirt
MALE & FEMALE
RRP £82.95 | CLUB £74.66
Kawasaki MXGP team replica zipped sweatshirt with zipped outer pockets, standup collar and ribbed hem and cuffs.
n Zipped front opening and pockets
n Ribbed hem and cuffs
n Embroidered Kawasaki and KX logos
n Sponsor logos embroidered badges
n Unbrushed French terry fabric
n 80% cotton/20% polyester
The female version of the MXGP zipped sweatshirt is tapered at the waist
Male version of the MXGP zipped sweatshirt adds instant kudos in any scenario
Winter is coming...
Get prepared for the end of the riding season with help from our tech experts – and useful tips from Kawasaki owners
Autumn heralds the time when our motorcycles are put away for the winter – except for those hardy souls who continue to ride all the way through the colder months. For the rest of us, some care taken in the autumn will pay dividends when the time comes to get your bike back out on the road, either when spring rolls around, or when it is too tempting to take advantage of those dry, bright winter days to go out for a ride. Maintenance is far cheaper than repair, so taking a few relatively simple steps before winter sets in can make all the difference – and potentially save you a lot of money to boot.
The first step is to thoroughly clean and dry your bike, making
sure it’s bone dry before storage. Use a pressure washer on a cool setting to remove any major dirt, then use a cleaning product and allow a few minutes to activate before thoroughly rinsing it off, removing any detritus that might cause problems during storage. Allow your bike to dry fully, grease exposed cables and linkages and use an anti-corrosion protectant to fend off damp and corrosion. Putting a clean and dry bike away also reveals any potential problems with oil or fluid leaks during the storage period. Winter storage in a climatecontrolled area is of course the ideal, but not everyone has access to a heated garage. As a minimum, ensure your storage area is ventilated, or use a humidifier;
position your bike away from windows to avoid any risk of paint fade from direct sunlight, and use a loose cover to eliminate dust or debris falling on it. Block the air intakes and exhaust with
For best results get it nice and wet, then get it nice and dry
Illustrations: Kardesign
rags or plastic plugs to prevent small animals, insects or damp air intruding. Mice want to be warm and dry too and they can cause havoc with motorcycles by nibbling on wiring, eating air filters and nesting in exhaust pipes and air intakes. You could even consider using an inflatable bike chamber to protect your investment.
Winter is super hard on batteries, so periodically charge the battery. The owner’s manual advises to remove the battery and charge it about every month at a rate of under 1 amp. Once it is fully charged the battery charger should be disconnected. If you do remove and store the battery you may need to check how this affects any aftermarket electrical accessories or alarms that may be fitted.
Do not start your bike during winter storage unless you intend to ride it! Cold starts are hard on engines and if you don’t get your bike up to full operating temperature you are risking condensation building up in areas where you don’t want it – plus you will deplete some of the battery’s charge.
Tyres can deteriorate over winter if care isn’t taken. Ideally, lift the wheels off the ground with a stand
Your Kawasaki dealer can advise on supply and best use of products for cleaning and winter storage
or, if this isn’t possible, overinflate the tyres and put blocks of wood or pieces of carpet under them to remove contact with a cold floor. Remember to rotate each wheel periodically to reduce deformation. Fuel left in your bike can degrade
Batteries hate cold weather so it's a good idea to give them a charge from time to time
Changing the oil before the riding season starts again in Spring is a good move, but doing it before storage is an even better one
or attract moisture so consider draining the tank completely or add a fuel stabiliser and fill the tank to the brim to keep moisture at bay. For older, carburetted bikes, drain fuel from the carburettors before storage to avoid clogging jets or risking degradation of pipes and seals. Winter storage means you should ideally change the engine oil too before putting your bike away, as old oil can contain acids and other impurities. Alternatively, change the oil as soon as you resurrect your motorcycle in the spring. Following these points will ensure that when the temperatures begin to warm and spring finally rolls around, your bike will be ready and waiting to hit the road. Your Kawasaki dealer can advise on supply and best use of products for cleaning and winter storage that are specifically formulated to work with your Kawasaki motorcycle. n
reader hibernation tips
“Give it a good clean and dry, lube all the moving bits, fill tank with E5 and add fuel stabiliser, give it a good going over with ACF-50 and WD-40, pump up the tyres and hook up the battery to a trickle charger. I also leave the bike on both front and rear paddock stands to keep the tyres off the ground.”
Popeye45, Uttoxeter
“As soon as my bikes are parked in the garage, they are connected to battery tenders. I haven’t had to buy a battery for any bike in decades and I tend to keep my bikes longterm. My 2004 ZX-10R battery was the original from new and still worked fine when I sold the bike in 2020.”
Skub
“If you don’t have access to a climate-controlled storage area for winter storage, consider renting a storage unit. It can be surprisingly affordable, especially if you split the cost with a couple of friends.”
Stew Keene
“Mice don’t just like to eat wires, and sleep and crap in exhaust pipes, they also like to chew seat foam, so I remove my seat and store it inside with my gloves and riding gear when I overwinter my bike.”
Smudga, Banbury
“I always use ethanol-free fuel or Avgas in the bike over winter. It’s usually available with a little research. Doing this, the bike starts up on the first turn in the spring every time.”
Bryan Curran, Leamington
“Remember to periodically recharge Satnavs, helmet intercoms and other electronic devices and do software updates throughout the downtime period so they are ready for use in the New Year, and remember to clean down, dry and protect jackets, trousers, gloves and helmets, making sure they are dry before storage.”
Pootler, North Cheshire
Adding a fuel stabiliser before filling up the tank with fuel will keep moisture at bay
"I remove my seat and store it inside with my gloves and riding gear when I overwinter my bike to keep them away from mice who like to chew"
Smudga, Banbury
kawasaki british
Ahistoric name in British racing history, the Superteen class has produced many fantastic riders over the years including James Haydon, Michael Rutter and John McGuinness from the original series thirty-two years ago. Since then, it has been the breeding ground for young upand-coming talent who want to showcase themselves on the best stage in the UK,
the British Superbike Championship. With the arrival of the Ninja ZX-4RR late in 2023, we knew straight away that we had to reintroduce the Superteen class, in conjunction with the team at BSB putting the high-revving pocket rocket machine on the race track in a class of its own – quite literally!
Thus, the Kawasaki British Superteen Championship was born – and after a
launch at Motorcycle Live last year, we saw over 20 young riders aged between 15 and 20 sign up to do battle across the 2024 season. We were lucky enough to have a wide variety of riders both in terms of age and experience join the class and this made for not just close battles at the front of the pack, but also several other battles further down the field. Each weekend the Superteen race provided, arguably, the
Seventeen teenagers, and not a single iphone in sight!
superteens
closest and most exciting racing of all the classes.
The machines were all built by our Team Green technical partners, MSS Performance, and each bike was exactly the same as the next, with both the ECU and engine being sealed units. The idea from the start was to crown a champion who we knew was the best rider with the most talent, not the rider who had the
This
year saw the inaugural Kawasaki British Superteen series, and what a debut season it
was!
most money or the best team around him. Straight from the outset it became clear who was going to be in contention for the title with Ted Wilkinson, Lewis Smart, Brodie Gawith, Kalvin Kelly and Carl Harris all showing great speed. In fact, throughout the year, we ended up with six different race winners and many more featuring on the podium. And it wasn’t just the boys either – Chloe Jones and
KAWASAKI
BRITISH SUPERTEENS
The ZX-4RR is the perfect pocket rocket for racing, a sublime package of revs, power, and handling
“We always hoped that the Championship chase would go down to the wire, and we weren’t disappointed”
Kalvin Kelly may have become the first Kawasaki British Superteen Champion, but it’s fair to say we were ALL winners
The eyes have it! Racing bikes that have exactly the same performance means getting right inside the screen on the straights for maximum aero
Charlotte Marcuzzo showed the girls could do it too, with Chloe taking podium finishes and ending the series in 4th place!
We always hoped that the Championship chase would go down to the wire, and we weren’t disappointed; in fact, it went down to the last lap of the last race at the last round where Rokit Rookies rider Kalvin Kelly became the first ever Kawasaki British Superteen Champion.
The Team Green ethos is very much to give young riders opportunities within racing, and we believe we have a great recipe here to do just that. As we look ahead to 2025 and heading into
the second year of the series, we truly hope that it continues to bring about the chance for these boys and girls to show what they are capable of and begin their journey towards the World Championship paddocks and beyond. We will certainly be behind them. n
thank you
The series wouldn’t be possible without all of our valued partners who have been instrumental in its success in this debut year for the class.
Our Team Green technical partners, MSS Performance have provided an outstanding service both ahead of the season to get over twenty ZX-4RRs built and prepped but also during the season keeping everyone going with parts supply and repairs.
We also had the support of a number of product suppliers, without which it would not be possible. Fuchs Silkolene, K-Tech suspension, GB Racing protection, Spark exhausts, Vesrah brake pads, Samco hoses and Reactive Parts have all been heavily involved from the outset.
We look forward to working with these guys again in 2025.
home...
TOTAL JOURNEY TIME FROM CALAIS TO THE FIRST SWISS MOUNTAIN PASS: 9 HOURS 23 MINS
Europe is closer than you think! Kar Lee swaps M25 tailbacks for Alpine switchbacks on a Kawasaki Versys 1000 S GT
CALAIS, FRANCE
SIMPLON PASS, SWITZERLAND
SWISS BORDER
There’s something about a big road trip that excites, from floating the idea to mates in the pub to the last-minute prep the night before, the buzz from planning and undertaking a ride to a foreign land far away using only a motorcycle is unequalled. Just 504 miles – a day’s ride from Calais – gets you to Switzerland, arguably home to the most aesthetically blessed mountain passes in Europe.
But first, a little trip down memory lane: it’s summer 2000, a friend and I were both on sportsbikes, I was travelling light with just a tailpack, rucksack and Michelin map (remember those paper things?). Neither machine was really suited to the trek to Switzerland, but that made it extra interesting. We left on a Friday, came home on Sunday, a total of 1,600 knackering miles in just three days: an exhausting, back-breaking, crampinducing, character-building journey of epic proportions that left such an impact on me it instantly became a favourite destination for years after until fatherhood arrived and life got in the way. Fast forward to 2024, and with the kids grownup I decided it was finally time to head back to sample those Swiss roads with my wife Polly. It’s been two decades since we were last there, myself on a Yamaha R1 and her on a Kawasaki ZX-6R. I have a blurry memory of us riding like the wind and making it back from Geneva to our home in the UK – that’s 700 miles in a single day (including a ferry crossing).
Lesson #1: Sometimes you just need to go back to basics and a good old-fashioned paper map makes prep so much easier. As there was a small group of us, we prebooked accommodation to guarantee a place to sleep every night over the flexibility of going wherever we wanted, whenever we wanted. If it were just the two of us I’d happily wing it so we weren’t tied to any particular destination and could make use of that flexibility in case there was a change in the weather. I naively thought booking a whole four months in advance would be plenty of time to choose decent hotels with secure parking, but this wasn’t the case at all. Many places were already full so there were a
I can slash that time down on with some progressive riding.
I also love the speed and convenience of going by rail to cross the English Channel, but the trade-off is missing that sense of journey you get with a sea ferry crossing. Riding on and off at the other end of the train half an hour later is akin to stepping into an elevator as opposed to taking the escalator where you can see and experience the distance you cover. However when you have several hundred miles to cross before the end of the day it’s definitely the preferred option to save valuable riding time.
I’d hoped to swing by the old race circuit in Reims but the rain we’d escaped in the UK found us again, and it was heavier too, which meant we kept going instead before finally stopping in the French town of Dole for the night, just short of the Swiss border. After a 550-mile stint, much of it through some torrential downpours of near-biblical proportions, I was appreciative of the waterproof kit I had on – a pair of Alpinestars Hyde XT Drystar gloves, Alpinestars CR-8 GoreTex boots, Oxford Mondial 2 MS jacket and trousers meant I stayed bone dry. Kit that is breathable, protective and all-day comfortable is always worth the investment.
These days, being older, wiser, greyer and definitely less flexible for that kind of charade on sportsbikes, I needed another approach. What’s more, Polly had decided to ride pillion instead of taking her own bike, so I needed a suitable machine. Luckily, Kawasaki UK very kindly offered a shiny new 2024 Versys 1000 S GT adventure tourer, complete with full luggage for the job, and it would’ve been rude to refuse. Joining us on the trip were my buddies: Jason on his Fazer 1000, Joe on a Honda VFR800 and Hoff on a brand new BMW R1300GS. I spent way too long pulling my hair out trying to plot the route and the various Alpine passes on Google Maps, and it wasn’t until I turned to my trusty old paper Michelin map of Europe and Switzerland that the pieces started falling into place! Top tip – look for the green highlighted routes, this means the road is a scenic one.
Sometimes you just need to go back to basics and a good oldfashioned paper map makes prep so much easier
lot of emails and hotel shopping before we finally got all the accommodation sorted.
Lesson #2: The earlier you book the better. Navigating the chaos of the M25 on the first day, with nose-to-tail traffic as far as the eye could see, reminded us why we were heading to Europe.Filtering with the width of the Versys and its spacious 28-litre panniers took some focus but no kneecaps were lost, no car mirrors were bashed and the cases remained scuff-free by the time we rocked up at the Folkestone Channel Tunnel crossing. I love it when Google Maps gives me an ETA, not realising I’m on a bike
Crossing from France to Switzerland, the border guards didn’t bat an eyelid and we were waved through with no checks. Immediately noticeable was the change in asphalt quality – the standard of French roads can vary but Swiss roads are butter smooth and are in five-star condition.
Potholes? I don’t recall seeing any at all in Switzerland.
We spent the next four days zig-zagging across Italy and Switzerland and its incredible ribbons of asphalt, enjoying some truly stunning scenery, though a surprising number of passes I had planned into our route were out of bounds in mid-June due to excessive snowfall during Easter. Typically, by the end of May they’re all open, so if you’re heading that way I’d suggest going from late June onwards. We were also plagued by unusually wet weather at times, which forced us to rethink our trip to the Stelvio Pass. Due to their closures and thunderstorms we missed out on the Grimsel, Furka, Susten, Nufenen, San Bernardino, Julier and Bernina Passes. We ticked off just two passes on our list of 10. The Simplon and Gotthard passes were both excellent, and the Gotthard was supremely beautiful with its
...and away
Slow-moving traffic on the M25 is a reminder of why we’re taking a break from the UK’s congested roads. Filtering with a full load twoup takes a little focus but the big Versys offers superb visibility
We stumbled upon this quaint little house in Oberwald, Switzerland, which turned out to be Toni’s Ski Museum, full of skiing-related items as well as more general trinkets from decades gone by
Checked into a hotel, bikes locked up and unloaded, showered and ready for a well-deserved meal with friends.
In total we stayed in a mixture of pre-booked Airbnb and hotels, the main requirement was decent off-street parking. Here we’re taking over another hotel reception area with luggage and helmets!
L-R are Polly, Hoff, Joe and Jason. Cheers!
Lights! Corner! Action! The Versys 1000 S GT’s cornering lights on display as daylight fades on this hairpin bend. The Versys lived up to its name, being capable, comfortable and versatile
Breathtaking snow-capped mountain vistas, grippy winding roads and mildly spiritual moments while taking stock of the sheer scale of the world around you are just a day’s ride away
We found this little gem of a route near Mulhouse, France, just outside the Swiss border. A twisty hairpin climb that was used for cycle racing but also popular with local motorcyclists
For peace of mind we pre-booked hotels with off-street parking, usually out of sight from the public. Here are two of my favourite things: the Quadlock wireless charger and adjustable windscreen
Coffee at a sunny Simplon Pass cafe. We had planned to visit 10 mountain passes but due to unexpected levels of Easter snowfall many remained closed until mid-June
Even loaded up, the Versys took it all in its stride with tourer levels of tank range and sportsbike-like performance in the corners. Aesthetics are subjective but the bike is a looker in my eyes!
Crossing the Channel by train might not be the most scenic option, but it’s definitely a time-saver. Ride on, ride down the train, then ride off at the other end. Switzerland, we’ll return next year
Stunning scenery along the cobbled road of St Gotthard Pass is a real treat for the senses and well worth a coffee stop. Parts of that route looked like another planet!
wallsof snow and white-topped mountains. It speaks volumes that we still sampled so many amazing roads and crazy vertical landscapes, despite missing out on a huge chunk of the passes I’d set my sights on.
The other noticeable thing is the camaraderie abroad. I’d forgotten just how much other bikers wave in Europe, and it’s not just a subtle nod but full-on waves of acknowledgement with the left hand. The lower to the ground, the cooler. The roads, are a joy to ride, aided by the fact there is so much more room. France has a similar size population to the UK but more than double the land mass – this means the roads are less knackered and more spacious.
A shout out to my trusty Quadlock phone mount and wireless charger. It fitted to the Versys in under 30 minutes, and the ability to use Google Maps on the bike while keeping the phone charged was an absolute game changer. We’ve come a long way from trying
The Versys 1000 S GT was magnificent throughout
to read a paper map in the rain at night using the headlight for illumination, and I’m all here for it. Special mention for my HJC RPHA lid with its internal sun visor feature, it was a godsend not having to contend with adjusting my eyesight going from dimly lit Swiss tunnels to bright sunshine.
The Versys 1000 S GT was magnificent throughout. It posseses a silky-smooth 118bhp inline four-cylinder motor that will relax any pillion to a higher state of calm when combined with a top box and French toll road. The weather protection was outstanding, the hand guards and aerodynamic fairing keeping the worst of the rain at bay, not just torso but legs as well. The handling was faultless, even two-up on a tight uphill switchback fully laden proved no problem. It might look like a “tall rounder” but when the going gets twisty the Versys can roleplay at being an agile sportsbike all day long. The cornering lights proved their worth on the nights we were out and I am officially a cruise control convert.
The quick-release panniers were so slick in use and I’d even sussed out the knack of pushing the top box down while pressing the button to open it. Niggles? Fully loaded up the engine could benefit with a little more low-down grunt (funny enough Kawasaki have just announced the Versys 1100 which beefs up the midrange and top end with a final power outout of 133bhp), and I’d be opting for the gel comfort seat for distance work, as shorter riders tend to end up sitting on the narrower front section where there’s less support.
However, the true sign of how impressed you genuinely are with a bike is how often you look on eBay for the latest prices, and let’s just say I’ve spotted a few bargain Versys 1000 SE GTs in white...
Opting for the scenic route home to the UK, we headed (again) to Reims in a bid to visit the old race circuit. As luck would have it, heavy rain forced us to change our plans for a second time. It just wasn’t to be – June of 2024 was a bit of a soggy one.
Lesson #3: Go in July to guarantee ALL passes are open! n
The sign we didn’t expect to see in June
closed passes
Versatile! The Versys 1000 S GT can swallow everything you need for a two-up week trip. The huge Abus chain lived under the seat
Discover Santa Pod’s mission to revive the sport of drag racing in the UK
drag racing
Along with sand racing, grass track and the Land’s End trial, many motorcyclists would be forgiven for letting drag racing slip off their radar. Enjoying huge popularity in the late 1960s and across pretty much the entire 1970s and even into the 1980s, tearing up a quartermile run from a standing start on either a modified motorcycle or in a souped-up car went hand in hand with the fashion for customising with a blend of performance and styling ‘upgrades’ – some of which were either inefficient or plain crazy.
The decline can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, cars and bikes simply got better. Manufacturers made more powerful engines and tamed the errant handling, making modifications less and less necessary. The sport, too, was ill equipped to publicise itself in terms of investment to attract crowds across a season rather than a few stand-out events. Finally, and worst of all, the footprint of a drag strip (usually on a former airfield) was highly attractive to developers eager to satisfy the burgeoning demand for housing.
‘Nimbyism’ was rife, and successive UK drag strips in the UK have succumbed to the house builder’s digger, most recently Long Marston in Warwickshire. One stands out though – a proud bastion of drag racing and with a clear agenda to survive and thrive once more, despite predatory house builders.
Santa Pod, on the borders of Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire, can justifiably claim to be the spiritual home of drag racing in the UK and is doing an admirable job of making the jaw-dropping sport of drag racing more attractive once more. It’s not easy in these tough economic times, but the spirit that pervades from top to bottom at Santa Pod is infectious and the spectacle is better than ever, with records still being broken and the paddock full of competitors for a wide variety of events across the racing and event season.
The spirit that pervades from top to bottom at Santa Pod is infectious and the spectacle is better than ever
Santa Pod – why and how?
In terms of naming, that’s easy. ‘Santa’ because it evokes the towns of the southern Californian heartland of drag racing and ‘Pod’ as the nearest village is Podington.
In terms of history, Santa Pod Raceway began when John Bennett announced plans to establish a permanent drag strip on the former Second World War Podington airfield near Wellingborough at the British Hot Rod Association’s 1965 annual meeting. A new company, National Dragways Ltd., leased part of the airfield and operated it as Santa Pod Raceway.
Staging its first event on Easter Monday, 11th April 1966, it was the first permanent drag strip sited anywhere in Europe and, for the first two seasons, the start line stood close to where today’s finish line is located, the current track layout being completed at the start of 1968.
It’s impossible to overstate the importance of Santa Pod to the history of British drag racing, and arguably European drag racing as well. It is quite simply the most famous drag strip outside the USA, which is some accolade, and competitors from the UK and across Europe (plus American visitors) regard Santa Pod with a mixture of awe and huge affection as we will see in the interviews later in this feature.
The Main Event
Club Magazine was fortunate to be invited to one of the season highlights at Santa Pod called ‘The Main Event’. As the title
Ricardo Grauer getting some heat into his tyre before the run
Eric Grober waits patiently for the next run on his 700bhp turbocharged ZX-12R
drag racing
suggests, the event covers a wide variety of racing classes all the way to the Top Fuel pinnacle and attracts the best riders and drivers from across Europe. The track surface is reckoned by many to be among the best in the world and since being re-laid entirely in concrete, the surface has been extensively ‘rubbered in’ to provide incredible levels of traction (sometimes too much!). It regularly plays host to record runs up the timed length of 440 yards, including some Top Fuel runs in the three second bracket (from a standing start), terminating at over 300mph – just read that again and try to take that in!
Our mission was to look at the two-wheeled side of things (with a few sneaky sideways peeks at the cars), and try to understand what motivates the riders, how they view the sport and, crucially, what they think of Santa Pod.
Class act
In all, there were five two-wheel classes at the 2024 Main Event, from the elite Top Fuel bikes all the way to Junior bikes for riders as young as eight years old.
Pursuing the ‘eight’ theme, there were that number of entries in Top Fuel, 14 in Super Streetbike, four
in Supertwin, four in Pro-Stock and six in the Junior Drag Bike Cup – no less than 36 bikes. Apart from some small track repair sessions when oil or water (or engine internals) got on the track, it was action all the way.
If you have never been to Santa Pod (and you really should experience it), the track has a start line and start lights with a commentators’ gantry above. Looking down the track towards the finish line and huge timing light screens on your right, you have a small VIP area and then a long earth bank that provides a quarter-mile viewing facility. To your left is a grandstand area and then a run of fencing that reveals the extensive paddock.
The track team are well rehearsed, and, with good weather and good vehicle reliability, they can process cars and bikes qualifying at an incredible rate – speed is not just on the race track, these people really put their heart and soul into making the event as good as possible.
And a shout-out here to all the associated staff in the press office, the food and drink vendors and the security team. Even though it’s a serious business, and safety is paramount, you would be hard pressed to find a more dedicated and welcoming bunch of people at any motorsport event. And that is not because
The track surface is reckoned by many to be among the best in the world
we were guests – 99% of people we interacted with had no idea who we were – so it’s great to see that level of dedication to customer service.
Rules is rules
Despite the understandable emphasis on times over a quarter mile – and even speeds – the rule is simple: first person across the finish line is the winner. This can be confusing sometimes when the person in the next lane posts a higher terminal speed, but drag racing – although over in a few seconds – is a strategic sport and a successful run relies on a number of factors to become a winning effort.
Staging correctly is the first part, after the tyre has been spun up in a burnout for better traction; the track is also sprayed regularly with ‘glue’ that makes the deposited rubber from
countless competitors even more sticky. Of course, the effort of staging is also a game of brinkmanship, with some competitors coming straight to the line and sitting at the beam of the start light, while others play mind games with the person in the other lane, either idling out of stage or moving up to the beam in little forward jerks. Occasionally this will make the opposition move too far forward and break the beam before the start sequence, but at the top level of the sport this is rare.
The sequence to start a race is governed by the ‘Christmas Tree’, a series of lights that are illuminated progressively until green is shown and the sprint starts. Usually, once the vehicles are staged, the lights move at the same speed and the best reaction time results in an early lead for the competitor with their mind dialled in… but that is only part of it. The speed that the lights descend and the green shows has some ‘reaction time’ built in and competitors who anticipate the green are ‘red lighted’ and more or less give the person in the other lane a win. The border between the perfect start and red lighting is just one of the aspects of drag racing that makes it so fascinating; and so is machine set-up.
On our visit, we concentrated on the Super Street class, which
drag racing
mixes huge power with rules of no wheelie bars and no slicks –making rider control and set-up paramount on machines with a finish line potential of over 230mph. That means a combination of correct gearing, a superbly set up clutch and a delicate balance of electronic and mechanical inputs that control turbo boost and the way power can be delivered, with a huge variation of possible ignition maps to ensure perfect combustion. Get it wrong on the low side and you will wheeze up the strip seeing your opposition powering into the next round; dial in too much and you cannot manage your start and are playing a game of huge power-juggling all the way up the track, gaining and losing traction along the way. The dream launch is what everyone is looking for – matching all possible available power with the perfect clutch set-up to feed the power in and delivering useable traction in every gear and at all revs. As conditions such as ambient temperature change, then so does the bike set-up. Also, on some days the track shows more grip than others, or one lane behaves differently to the one
The dream launch is what everyone is looking for
just a few yards away. It’s a fact that a lot of drag races are won in the paddock as experienced crew chiefs and riders weigh up the accumulated data, examine the runs of fellow competitors and – for many – lick a finger and stick it in the air. That’s a fundamental joy of drag racing… matching the ponderable with the imponderable and fashioning a winning run out of thin (or thick) air.
Once launched and through the first gear change – say around the 60 feet mark – another aspect comes into play, that of ‘body English’. Drag bikes (like drag cars) are long for one reason: stability. You do not steer a drag bike in a conventional sense, but you do affect its lateral direction through a series of inputs leaning left or right, putting weight on a certain side of the tyre or chassis. This, of course, is done at breakneck speeds and in fractions of a second… with the throttle wide open. Perhaps not so easy to perceive on the banking as the bikes move from left to right, a ‘squirrely’ run is something to behold from behind the start line as a bike on full gas weaves it way up the track with the rider compensating right and left with their body to keep the ensemble as arrow-straight as possible.
Breaking the beam at the end of the drag strip is technically the end of the run, but as soon as the rider returns all the information is downloaded from the bike’s ECU as well as a ‘manual download’ of the rider in preparation for the next
run and the next nuanced series of adjustments; just like chess, but at 200mph!
The racers speak
To get the ‘word from the street’, we ventured to the ever-friendly Super Streetbike paddock and spoke to two racers – one relatively new to the class and an ‘old hand’ who has been involved since its inception.
Austrian Superstreet veteran: Erich Gruber was in at the start of Super Streetbike in 2012 and his skill in terms of making quick Kawasakis is legendary. Along with loyal mechanic Woppi, they campaign a Ninja ZX-12R-based machine, but it all started a long time ago for a rider who has been racing some 30 years.
“I began to get serious with a modified ZZR, but the flame was first ignited by illegal street racing and then, when things got serious, I moved to the track. There is no drag racing scene at all in Austria, so for every race I have to travel. I am proud of the fact that we have the only Turbo ZX-12R in the whole of Austria.
“Coming to Santa Pod is one of the highlights of the racing year, but it’s a long trip. It takes 16 hours just to get to the ferry – and we leave on a Wednesday and get back some time on Monday –
so you have to be dedicated and have a passion to make this commitment.”
Pushed about his age, Erich – who used to be an electrician for a large company in his native Austria – admits to having passed the age of 70, but none of that shows as his eyes light up when talking about the intricacies of racing.
“We do most of our fabrication and development ourselves. Some parts can last a long time – longer than you would expect – such as pistons. Obviously, we get through consumables like clutch plates, and we pack the clutch for each race using a variety of plate thickness to fine tune the power delivery.
“Currently, we have dialled in the turbo boost to deliver around 700 horsepower. There is more power available for sure, but this current state of tune is good for what we want to achieve in terms of performance and reliability. As an example, we only do one full engine rebuild per season, which keeps some kind of control on costs, as it’s a hobby that can consume money quite quickly.”
Erich’s rear tyre
Erich Gruber and his trusty mechanic Woppi
drag racing
Sitting in his small awning next to the imposing Ninja race bike, we asked Erich what he thought of Santa Pod – the atmosphere as well as the future.
“The Superstreet paddock is like one big happy family at Santa Pod. We all congregate in the same area. We all help each other. If you need some part or some help you can get it. Basically, it’s friends in the paddock and rivals on the track. As for the future, well, I suppose combustion engines might end up giving way to electric, but I will stop racing before this happens. But we have no thoughts about giving up just yet!”
Ricardo the racer: Also running a Ninja ZX-12R-based machine in the Super Street class at the Main Event, Ricardo Grauer was enjoying his racing weekend with a focused ambition to qualify for the finals. Running from a small awning, the German rider was teamed up with his sister providing moral and mechanical support.
“My father also races, and we build and fabricate everything ourselves. It’s a small group of people and we have to run on a strict budget. I decided on the ZX-12R as my father also races one so we can share parts. My father has always been a Kawasaki guy and used to run a Z750 Turbo-based bike that was the fastest in the world. He moved on eventually to ZZRs and then the ZX-12R, which is where I picked up the ball and adopted the Ninja too.
these extreme conditions, and we are thinking about having some made but it’s all a matter of money. We buy as many ZX12R parts and wrecks as we can but they are now collectable, so prices remain high.
“My ambition here is simply to qualify and then, over the next two years, I’d like to dip below the seven-second barrier. I am at 7.3 now, so I think it’s realistic, but it will take some hard work.” We asked Ricardo the same question about the paddock and Santa Pod itself as we posed to Erich and the answers were spookily similar.
Ricardo looks like a normal human, but is in fact capable of withstanding the G-force of a 7-second 1/4 mile
“The basic engine is very good and responds well to tuning, but when you put this much power through it some weaknesses do reveal themselves. The gearbox can eventually give way under
“This place is just the best. The crowds in the UK are amazing. I think Santa Pod is easily the best track in Europe. When we set up in the paddock at Super Street everyone is like a family helping each other – people will even show you data on their laptops, it’s incredible. Obviously, I’d like there to be more drag racing facilities in Germany as it’s expensive and time consuming to get to the UK, but the atmosphere at Santa Pod is unique and makes the journey worthwhile.”
So, there you have it. An often-overlooked form of two-wheeled sport and a venue that is hallowed by the cognoscenti of the UK and across Europe. Santa Pod holds a variety of events across the season, from car shows to ‘run what ya brung’ and Top Fuel. If you have never been, it’s well worth a visit – and if you are a ‘drag virgin’, then make sure you plan a visit – you might get hooked! n
Ricardo Grauer, awaiting clearance for take-off
Club Kawasaki
benefits to The
belonging
Whether you’re new to Club Kawasaki or you’ve been here for the long haul, we’re so glad you’re with us! And we just know that the more you get involved, the more you get out of your membership. So whether it’s race weekends, local ride-outs, exclusive content, Kawasaki experiences or friends for life you’re looking for from your membership – look no further! Here’s a quick reminder of everything that’s included with your account.
n Motorcycle Live preview event
Motorcycle Live 2024 returns to the NEC, Birmingham, between 16 and 24 November, with doors opening at 10am.
Join Club Kawasaki at this year’s Motorcycle Live on the first day of the show to gain exclusive early access to view the new Kawasaki models before anyone else in the UK. You’ll be welcomed onto the Kawasaki stand at 9am to enjoy a hot breakfast roll and tea/coffee before receiving an overview of the new machines from the Kawasaki UK team. Before you go off to enjoy the rest of your day at the show, we’ll take a group photo which will be emailed to you following the event.
What’s included?
n Hot breakfast roll and hot drink on arrival
n Kawasaki new model overview
n Access to the Club Kawasaki hospitality and viewing area
n Group photo
n Motorcycle Live Show ticket
n Club Kawasaki membership renewal
- if you’re already a member, we’ll add 12 months’ membership onto your account, making this a fantastic value package! If you’re purchasing tickets for guests who are not yet members, we’ll contact you for their details to create their membership.
Once you place your order, you will receive email confirmation of your purchase.
Early access grants you a crowd-free entrance at Motorcycle Live!
PARKING TIP - If you plan to travel to the event by motorcycle, parking will be free!
If you plan to come by car, you will need to pay for parking. If you book your parking in advance via www.motorcyclelive.co.uk the cost is £10 vs paying £18.95 on the day. To book your car parking, add a show ticket to your basket, add parking to your basket then remove the show ticket before completing the checkout.
Club members can enjoy VIP hospitality
n The Challenge
You still have a chance to join in with the Club Kawasaki 2024 Challenge, open until 10th December 2024. This is your opportunity to visit new places, meet fellow Club members and gain points for the chance to win prizes at the same time. Visit the Club Kawasaki website for the locations and details you need to be in with a shot of winning prizes such as a year’s free bike insurance, a Tracker Vantage Unit, a Silkolene bundle and more.
You’ll need to visit the specified Challenge locations and submit your photos to us; we’ll allocate your points and you’ll work your way up the leaderboard for the chance to win prizes. Boost your points by visiting official Kawasaki dealers and events too.
Everything you need to know can be found at: www.club-kawasaki.co.uk/the-challenge - get involved!
n Club Kawasaki Shop
We have handpicked several items and branded them with the Club Kawasaki logo so you can represent the Kawasaki brand both on and off your motorcycle. You will also find tickets to events in the Club’s online shop when they are available. www.clubkawasaki.co.uk
Stay snug this year with a Club Kawasaki gilet
n Members magazine
You are reading issue 28 of our exclusive, members-only magazine right now! We print two issues per year, which feature articles from regular contributors focusing on the worldwide racing scene, as well as interviews with Kawasaki UK staff, new model news, heritage stories and so much more.
Last
n Members website
As part of your membership, you have a secure log-in to our website, which allows you to view the calendar, shop, forum and news – and is the only way to access your digital service history online. Log in now at: www.club-kawasaki.co.uk and don’t hesitate to email us at club@kawasaki.co.uk if you have any questions about your account.
n Kawasaki experiences
Be it on road, track or off-road, we believe we have something suitable for everyone to experience the thrill of riding a Kawasaki motorcycle. We have joined forces with carefully selected riders and trainers throughout the UK to provide the very best experiences on the very best motorcycles. And the best part? As a Club Kawasaki member, you can book with at least a 10% discount.
n From British and World Superbikes to local weekend biking fun
One of our most popular benefits is the fantastic value tickets to the British Superbike Championship. Every year we provide access to our factory-supported Kawasaki BSB team so that you can see what is widely acknowledged to be the premier domestic superbike racing series in the world for yourself – as well as exclusive hospitality at the sole UK round of World Superbikes
with a visit from the Kawasaki Racing Team riders. On top of all of that, you’ll also find regular local meet-ups organised by your Ambassadors and dealer open days with added extras for Club members such as goody bags and exclusive competitions. Keep up to date with the Club calendar on our events page at www.club-kawasaki.co.uk
chance to join the Club Kawasaki 2024 Challenge!
Guinness World
What do you get when you take a stunt rider, a supercharged Ninja H2 SX,
What’s the fastest you’ve ever been on a motorcycle?
Chances are, unless you’re a former racer or a very experienced track day rider, the idea of riding at over 150mph is something you can only dream of. The idea of jumping off your bike at that speed and then skiing behind it is probably something you wouldn’t ever dream of!
Yet for stunt rider JD Stunts, he didn’t only think about it – he did it, breaking a 25-year-old Guinness World Record in the process. To achieve this incredible feat, the County Durham rider opted to use our supercharged Ninja H2 SX.
The Story Begins…
Jonny Davies, or JD Stunts as he’s better known, is no stranger to performing some incredible tricks on a motorcycle. Having been riding from a young age, he began performing stunts professionally
in 2015, going on to be crowned UK Stunt Champion, secure two world records and perform for tens of thousands of people around the world.
Eager to build on his already impressive CV, he stopped by the Kawasaki stand at Motorcycle Live last year for a coffee and to tell us about his latest idea: to break Gary Rothwell’s record for the fastest
Jonny gets a well-earned fistbump from Kawasaki UK’s Head of Marketing and Race Department, Ross Burridge
speed being dragged behind a motorcycle. To do that, he not only needed a bike capable of reaching the 156mph Gary set in 1999, but one that would provide him the high-speed stability to exceed it. With its supercharged engine, fantastic acceleration and, crucially, stability, we knew the Ninja H2 SX would be the perfect choice. So, agreeing to help Jonny in his attempt to claim a third Guinness World Record, the stage was set.
Preparing the Bike…
However, in order to reach those recordbreaking speeds, Jonny would need to jump off at a much lower speed and then accelerate while being dragged behind the bike. In order to do this, our Kawasaki UK technicians modified the Ninja H2 SX with a secondary throttle at the back of the bike. This gave him the ability to increase the speed and then roll off so he could slow the bike down after (hopefully) achieving
Record Breakers!
an audience and a 1.8-mile long airfield runway? A new world speed record!
the record.
Of course, Jonny would also need a destination that provided him with enough space to reach speeds of 160mph and ensure he could decelerate after. A quick search around and Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire proved to be the perfect spot. With everything in place, it was time to start practising. With years of experience performing stunts, Jonny was well versed in climbing around a motorcycle, but doing so at incredible speeds was something different. His first few initial runs were to test the throttle and other essential components, where he was already able to reach impressive figures of over 120mph.
The Record Attempt
With several test runs under his belt, the Guinness World Record attempt was set for Sunday 18th August, where Jonny would be joining the rest of the lineup at the Ultimate Supercar Show. With big
crowds on the day, all eyes were on the stunt rider to see if he could achieve the record. An impressive first run saw him achieve a personal best, but it was still 2mph shy of Gary’s record. That meant it came down to his final run, and with sparks flying from his specially created skis, he was able to take the Ninja H2 SX to an incredible 159.52mph, setting a brand-
“One word to sum up my feelings after breaking the world record? Overwhelmed!”
Jonny Davies, UK Stunt Champion
new Guinness World Record!
Speaking after the record, Jonny said: “One word to sum up my feelings after breaking the world record? Overwhelmed! It was brilliant to see so many people turn out to support the attempt on the day.
“It has also been amazing being supported by Kawasaki UK. They put their trust in me at the very beginning of the project, supplying a specially adapted Ninja H2 SX, and it was the perfect tool for the job. The bike passed the ultimate stability test of 159.522mph with no rider and pulled like a train even with me getting dragged along the floor behind it!”
What’s next for Jonny? Well, for those of you attending Motorcycle Live 2024, make sure you stop by the all-new Festival Zone, where he will be performing daily on his uniquely liveried Ninja ZX-6R. However, he’s not stopping there, and there are already discussions about what his next World Record could possibly be… n
The southernmost point on Earth, the Tropic of Capricorn, 1991
riding together
For many riders, a passion for motorcycles is a family tradition. Here, Club Kawasaki member Harry Sedgwick talks about how he’s passing the bike riding baton to the next two generations of his family
I’ve been riding since 1960, when I was just 13. I might never have discovered my passion for motorcycles if it wasn’t for school bullies! One fateful day, I rescued another boy who was being harassed by four rough lads. He happened to own an old BSA Bantam, and suggested I should learn to ride it. From the moment I mastered popping it into gear and letting off that clutch, that was it – I was caught, hook, line and sinker. I got my full licence aged 16 – an impossibility now, but back then it was the norm. Ever since, I’ve never been without a motorcycle, from the Peugeot moped I saved up to buy from my paper round and delivery wages, to the Honda Cub I passed my test on, via a series
At the coastal city of Swakopmund, Namibia, 1991
Grandsons David and Dean, 2013
“By then, my son had set his heart on a Kawasaki AR80”
of 500 and 650cc bikes in the ’60s to a new Honda 500NX and a Suzuki XFS650 – I have owned and ridden so many.
I’ve always enjoyed fixing stuff and, since bikes are fantastic things to work on, I’ve always done my own bike maintenance and repairs. That has led me away from high-tech models and towards motorcycles that I know I can fix myself when something goes wrong. The best example is the second-generation Kawasaki Versys 650, which has given me more miles of riding pleasure than any bike I’ve ever owned.
A family affair
My children’s introduction to biking came early. My son, Greg, and
his two sisters were raised and educated in South Africa where my wife and I moved for work in 1982. My two eldest grandsons were also born there. The South African Highveld was perfect for teaching younger family members to ride, and my son was soon enthusiastically tearing around on a 50cc off-road bike. That bike was soon swapped for a Suzuki B120, which he and I converted from a delivery bike into a sort of flat-tracker – an outright winner over the 50cc opposition! This taught him spanner-work, and his passion for two-wheelers quickly became as deep as my own. Soon after, I got hold of a Kawasaki KE125, one of the fleet of motorcycles my employer had bought for supervisors to get around the huge Western Deep Levels mine in the Transvaal. The
Namibia, 1991
Harry’s grandsons in Ireland, 2006
Greg’s speedy Kawasaki AR80
Namibia 1991
Keeping the next generation safe on two wheels
Here are some tips to ensure your children have a positive and secure experience:
RIDER TRAINING
bike had been designated as ‘engine seized – not repairable’ but we quickly found it had simply been filled with diesel by mistake, so a good strip down and deep clean had it running in no time at all – my son loved that bike.
All my children rode motorcycles during our time in South Africa. My two daughters rode 50cc scooters to school and to their part-time pocket money jobs. By then, my son had set his heart on a Kawasaki AR80, not least because the performance was much better than the near-identical – and legal – AR50, so the traffic cops wouldn’t know the difference! We found him one in a shop in Pietermaritzburg and it was not long before Greg was experimenting with re-jetting the carb and building home-made
Enrol them in a reputable motorcycle training course. These courses teach essential riding skills, road rules and safety techniques, as well as learned skills such as countersteering.
PROPER GEAR
Ensure they always wear appropriate and properly fitting protective gear. This includes a safety-rated helmet, motorcycle jacket, gloves, boots and riding trousers. Your Kawasaki dealer has trained staff who can make sure your child has correctly fitting gear.
ENCOURAGEMENT
Compliment them when they get things right. When you start, make sure the length and type of ride is within their comfort zone, and you have enough breaks, so they are less likely to become distracted or fatigued. Consider an intercom system while riding so you can encourage and motivate them to build up their confidence.
expansion boxes, which had his friends choking in the two-stroke fumes as he left them in the dust! Happy times.
My family and I have ridden a lot together, especially back then on those wonderful South African roads. One of the most memorable trips was around Christmas of 1991 when Greg and I went from Amanzimtoti on the east coast to Swakopmund in Namibia and back home in the New Year – a round trip of close to 7,000km. The memory of riding with my son through the mountain kingdom of Lesotho and the Kalahari and Namib deserts will stay with me forever. It was shortly after the AngolaSouth African Bush War and at one point we had to beat a hasty retreat from some armed undesirables high on cheap brandy and
Son Greg on board his KE125
Greg in 1982
‘dagga’ (marijuana) who wanted our bikes! As father and son, we obviously knew each other well, but we learned a lot more about each other on that epic ride, which is always one of the greatest parts of riding motorcycles with family.
The next generation
I moved from South Africa to Co. Monaghan in Ireland in 2000 and my son and his family followed in 2001. My two grandsons went to school in Ireland and, by the time they were 10, they were mad about motorcycles. I have a few acres of land and on summer weekends my son would often bring his lads and their bikes, and they would tear around the fields for hours. Now they’re in their 20s, both have licences; one has a little Suzuki sports bike and the other a motocross bike.
Now that I’m retired, I’m able to ride more frequently, but my needs and desires have changed from craving speed and
Nurturing the next generation of riders
Passing on your passion for motorcycling can be a rewarding experience. Here are some ways to encourage it:
START EARLY
Sit them on your bike in the garage, teach them skills by involving them in basic maintenance and cleaning, and take pictures they can share on social media. When they’re older, take them on pillion rides or give them rides to school on your bike. Let them experience the freedom of the open road with you.
ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION:
Take them to visit the dealership and to club rides and events. This will help them develop a love for, and connection with, the biking community. The Kawasaki Club will always give a warm welcome to the next generation of riders!
NUDGE TOWARDS OWNERSHIP
Encourage and help them access motorcycle training or obtaining their motorcycle licence. With cost of entry such a barrier for young people, as your child grows older, consider gifting them a small motorcycle or scooter. This will give them the opportunity to practice their riding skills and build confidence.
power to a different view of what riding means. Nowadays, my bike needs to be versatile and comfortable, and not too heavy; outright top-end performance is not critical to me anymore, so a 50–80bhp modern lightweight bike suits me perfectly. The Versys hits that sweet spot.
I’m looking forward to three generations of the family taking motorcycle trips together. My grandchildren seem to be following the recent trend where serious riders start closer to middle age than in their teens, which is the opposite of how it was for me and my children. I’m sure finances play a big part – motorcycle technology has developed, but that comes at a cost that people struggle to afford until they are older and financially selfsufficient. I’m closer to 80 than 70 now, but good fortune and friendly genes mean I can ride pretty much the same as I always have, so I should still be around to fulfil my dream of three generations of the Sedgwick family riding their bikes together. n
Airtime for Greg’s KE125
Harry and son Greg, South Africa 1982
Swakopmund, Namibia, 1992
Whether you’re new to the Club or not, we want to hear your story too! Get online to the Club Kawasaki forum by visiting: www.clubkawasaki.co.uk/forum and tell your fellow members all about your Kawasaki and you.
youtuber John bennett (also known as lamb chop rides) tells us about his kawasakis, past and present. take it away, chopsie!
Meet John Bennett, also known as Lamb Chop Rides on YouTube. He might get to ride a variety of bikes for his channel, but two bikes he's paid his own money for – which currently live in his garage – are Kawasakis.
Who are you and what do you do for a living?
My name is John and I have an IT job which keeps me busy during the days and by night I’m a YouTuber! Also known as Lamb Chop or Chopsie, that's my alter ego. When I started the YouTube thing it was just for fun, but it has developed into something I really, really enjoy and I'm hoping perhaps next year to make it my full-time job! Problem is, IT jobs tend to pay quite well and YouTube, despite being popular, can be a bit inconsistent and tough.
"My first ever Kawasaki was an absolutely mint KMX 125 which I adored"
What Kawasakis have you owned?
I’ve actually owned quite a few Kawasakis over the years. My first ever was an absolutely mint KMX 125 which I adored, such a fantastic bike. I wouldn't mind one now actually... although perhaps the rare-as-hen'steeth 200 would be even nicer!
A few years later I bought my friend's mint KR1 which I also loved. What an incredible bike, so long as you could stay in the seat with the everyday extreme tank slappers! I also had a ZXR750 H1. This bike was quite old and had 30,000 miles on the clock. That wouldn't have been a problem, but it also had a hard life. A few years after selling it I had the
police turn up at my door asking questions about it. I never did find out why they came to see me, but I suspect it was perhaps stolen or used for a bank job!
After that I got a KR1-S ex-race bike which I converted back to road use; this was race-tuned and rather mental on the road so I soon sold this on. Currently I own two Kawasakis, I have the incredible H2 which has been tuned and made to look like a H2R. I'm also trying to relive my youth with a rather tired ZXR750, which seems to be a mix between an H1 and an H2. This is my next YouTube restoration project – hopefully the police won�t come asking questions.
John with his first ever Kawasaki, a KMX 125
You currently own an H2, what made you take the plunge for this high- performance beast?
It's a bike I always coveted as my absolute dream machine, a real poster bike. I never thought I would ever own one, but after selling my KTM 500 EXC Supermoto conversion and my Suzuki GSX-R1000 I spotted a brand new example come up for a bargain price. It was PDI miles only (two miles) and pre-registered. It had lived a life in a dealership on a pedestal as a show piece for two years. It came up for a reasonable price and I realised I had just about enough money to buy it! The rest is, as they say, history.
What modifications have you made to it?
Full Vandemon Titanium exhaust and full tune (250bhp at the wheel), Carbon cowl, full H2R wings, Carbon intake, tank covers, sprocket cover, chain guard and full set of titanium
A fan of strokers, John's KR1-S and KR-1
Look again: it's actually an H2 in H2R clothes
"Thankfully I didn't have it when I was younger or I think I would be in jail now"
bolts. I've also added the optional genuine Kawasaki clip-ons which are 12mm higher, and had the seat foam changed. It's now actually quite a comfortable machine... for a missile!
What's it like living with it? Can you tell us about a crazy moment?
With the changes I’ve made to the egonomics it�s actually very nice to ride and live with. The biggest ‘issue’ is that throttle is very aggressive, even after mapping. So much so that sometimes I flick it into Rain Mode
when in town as it softens it up a lot. I’ve actually done nothing crazy on it; thankfully I didn't have it when I was younger or I think I would be in jail now. People always ask me what is the fastest I’ve had out of it, but I've honestly never gone balls-out on it. I would really like to get it on a runway somewhere and break the 200mph barrier on it.
What Kawasaki can you see yourself owning next?
The H2 is a tough act to follow, but
I can see myself reliving my youth and getting a KR1 or KR1-S as a restoration project, or perhaps that KMX 125... I actually recently tested the 2024 ZX6-R – what a brilliant machine that was, so perhaps one of those.
Is there a bike you'd like Kawasaki to build so you can test it on your YouTube channel?
I'm a huge two-stroke fan and I'd love for them to get a KR1 or KR1-S on the press fleet for me to test out! n
Above: John, aka Lamb Chop, with his YouTube plaque, presented to creators with more than 100,000 subscribers
Left: John is currently trying to relive his youth with his second ZXR750
“I’m on hand to help out with everything related to customer service and technical insight”
STAFF INSIGHT Kawasaki motors uk
ben vincent technical service advisor
Have you ever had a question about your bike or needed some help? If so, chances are you have spoken with our Technical Service Advisor, Ben Vincent. Based at our Kawasaki UK HQ in Bourne End, he’s always on the other end of the line to help our customers and dealers. We sat down with Ben to find out a bit more about his role and life outside of Kawasaki…
Hi Ben, tell us a little bit about your role at Kawasaki?
I’m the Technical Service Advisor, which means I’m on hand to help out with everything related to customer service and technical insight. This is primarily helping Kawasaki riders with various aspects, be it warranty issues, questions or simply someone needing some advice. I’m also on hand to help out our dealer network if their technicians have any questions or need some advice, so it’s a very varied role, and you never quite know what will come in!
If you could go on a biking holiday, where would you go?
I know a few other people have said this, but it would definitely be to ride across America from coast to coast. I think there are so many things over there I could see, and it would also be great to try a few different bikes and styles of riding, from road riding to Enduro.
How
did you get started with two wheels and at Kawasaki?
I’ve been a technician for a long time, so it’s a role that I know very well. I began working with various dealers, but I had always wanted to work directly for a manufacturer. Then, around two years ago, I saw a role come up at Kawasaki, which I applied for, and luckily, I got the job! I pretty much went straight into Motorcycle Live, which was a bit like being thrown in at the deep end! Luckily, the dealer I worked at previously sold Kawasakis, so I knew the brand quite well.
What’s the most rewarding part of the job?
Getting to work with a manufacturer like Kawasaki is amazing. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do so that’s definitely rewarding. In terms of the actual role, it’s definitely being able to help riders solve their issues and enjoy their bikes. It’s also a varied role, so I enjoy how different it can be daily.
Ben’s own fullyrestored KX500
First road bike? A ZXR400!
Baptism of fire! Ben’s first task was attending and answering customer queries at Motorcycle Live
What’s in your dream Kawasaki garage?
I actually own one of my dream Kawasakis already – a 1985 KX500 which I race in Evo MX. To complete the garage, though, I would love to add the all-new KX450 so I could have a modern version and then I would add the H2, so I have a road bike!
what do you like to get up to outside of Kawasaki?
I try to race the KX500 as often as possible, which is always great fun, and then I try my best to keep fit by swimming or cycling outdoors.
A 2025 KX450 makes Ben’s shortlist
metal guru
Meet Motoliner, frame straighteners based in Maidstone, Kent, with almost 40 years of specialist experience
They say that the first motorcycle race happened when the person riding bike number one met the rider of machine number two. If that is the case, then the first crash happened very soon after, and then the first overhaul and repair.
The forces that are transferred through the chassis of a motorcycle in a crash are hard to predict, with a seemingly innocuous spill resulting in a total loss, whereas some high-speed ‘offs’ result in only superficial damage. And that is where Motoliner of Maidstone, Kent, step in.
History and expertise
Established in 1987 by Ray Palmer, Motoliner were once among a small group of specialist frame straighteners in the UK. Over the years, the number of such specialists has declined, leaving Motoliner as the premier specialist in frame checking and truing (the name Motoliner derived from the Swedish brand of jig they use – quite simply, the best available).
It’s not just frames that fall to the skilled hands of the small and dedicated team at Motoliner; they also assess and repair damaged wheels, yokes and forks. It’s a dark art with more assigned to memory than is written down, so we took a rolling chassis down to Maidstone to see how the process works and to glean as much info as Ray’s son Tommy was prepared to divulge (sadly, Ray passed away in 2023). Tommy now heads up the business. Previously working alongside his father, and now as mentor to younger engineers who want to learn the trade, there’s not much (if anything) Tommy doesn’t know about the economic repair of damaged chassis items and when to simply say “no”.
And that is the key. A trained eye and years of hard-earned experience mean that, almost without a second glance, Tommy knows what is worth bolting into the jig and what should go back out of the door as fast as it came in. Case in point, while we were being shown the frame jig at the far end of the workshop, a customer came in with a Yamaha TZ350 yoke and forks from a racing project. From 10 yards Tommy said: “No mate, there is nothing we can do with those, you’ll have to look for some more.” The same goes for wheels when customers arrive with a seemingly innocuous scuff or visual fairly minor blemish. “We are 100% strict. Our opinion is final,” says Tommy. “We have to stand by that and take responsibility so if anything is even in a grey area in terms of if we think it can be made perfect and roadworthy again, we will turn it away. At the end of the day, it’s our reputation on the line. Someone could come in all smiles and offer a load of cash to repair something that is dangerous, but those smiles would soon turn to anger if the part failed and people were injured – it’s just not worth the hassle.”
They also assess and repair damaged wheels, yokes and forks
Careful and strategic
We then turn to what looks like a medieval torture device composed of huge steel box sections and intertwined braces to discover that this is one of the frame jigs. It’s not new or pretty and has seen a lot of service but is from Samefa, the Swedish manufacturer recognised as making the best jigs available.
The chassis is introduced with both the swingarm pivot point and steering head secured… and we mean secured. The bulk of business these days is from racing customers and of those, the vast majority use contemporary box or cast construction frames and not round, steel tube. To that end our Z1R project that we’d brought down to Motoliner was in the jig that is predominately used for tubular frames and classic bikes while their second jig deals with modern race stuff and customer frames be they box type, cast or any number of contemporary styles of fabrication and composed of a variety of metals and alloys.
In essence, most repairs – aside from the initial visual inspection to ascertain if the chassis is repairable – centre around the swinging arm pivot as a datum, or zero, with the steering head being the point of adjustment. In the case of our frame, the swinging arm was checked to ensure it was true and the relationship between the rear axle and swinging arm pivot point was tested and found to be correct. From this moment on we are in the lap of the gods – or at least in Tommy’s hands.
A simple steel rod is inserted through the headstock that terminates to point at a graduation on the jig. Obviously, if it points to zero, the frame is true and needs no work. Anything either side and the world of hydraulics comes into play. It might seem simple to see the bike firmly secured in the jig and then what looks like part of a car jack pushing against the chassis, but no, the alchemy starts as the handle of the pump opens and closes and increasing
Tommy Palmer, son of the late Ray Palmer, now runs Motoliner in Maidstone
A simple steel rod is inserted through the headstock that terminates to point at a graduation on the jig
hydraulic pressure comes to bear on the frame.
In our case, we wanted to check the frame before it went off for blasting and painting. Being a modern style build meant that some brackets had been removed from the Z1R, but also a Sanctuary bracing kit had been added, along with a few more tubes adding up to a whopping 25 extra braces. Upon Tommy’s advice, we took the frame to Motoliner after all the welding was done as the heat transfer of welding can easily distort even a well-braced frame. Now back to the hydraulics… and the obvious question: “How do you know when to stop adding more hydraulic pressure? There seem to be no gauges of computer sensors.” The dry and confident reply was simply: “After about 30 years, you get the hang of it.” We regretted asking!
the country’s top race teams and others from across Europe, then your reputation is something you are keen to preserve.
There’s something reassuringly Victorian about the processes used to realign frames and to true wheels employed by Motoliner. The careful and strategic application to an out-of-true alloy wheel was “just enough and not too much” but, like the jig, done by eye and experience. You certainly don’t put frames and wheels in one end of a computercontrolled machine and get “as new” items out from the other end – this is a skill and art, as Tommy explains.
Being tubes – even well-braced tubes – there is a good degree of flex or suppleness in them, so the trick is not to simply get the needle pointed to rest at zero, but to keep up the pressure until the needle moves past. Upon release, the energy built up in the tubes gradually dissipates and the needle gentle rests back exactly on zero – that’s those 30 years coming into play.
Tommy is not prone to exaggeration and goes about his task with no fanfare, just the steady and measured approach of a timeserved engineer that knows how different metals and fabrications react to certain measured inputs. Like any craftsman, he can make it seem easy, but it’s not – and when you are dealing with
“Our challenge is not finding customers. We have an order book stretching for months and every weekend we get calls from race teams and privateers who have had a spill and need to get a frame or wheels checked. Our challenge comes on a human level in attracting staff who don’t mind rolling up their sleeves, getting dirty and investing the time needed to acquire the skills required to be successful. That’s why the number of companies that offer similar services to us have waned. I have a great team here and their work is appreciated by myself and the customers. So long as we keep turning up for work, we’re sure the customers will keep coming. It’s not the easiest way to make a living, but we’re proud of our craft and happy to offer an almost unique service. Try us and we think you’ll appreciate the quality we offer.” n
Our Z1R features an additional 25 braces from Sanctuary MOTOLINER
Our Z1R frame is now ready to be blasted and painted
