Classic Motorcycle Mechanics August 2018

BMW K1 100 RS 80s

Ridden n & rated!

Kawasaki Mach III 500LC

YAMAHA RD2 250B Buyer’s Guide!

70 0s

RIDDEN N! Kawasaki 500 Twin

Years of CMM know-how at your fingertips!

THE RREAL THING?

Living with h Kawasaki’s Z900RS FIV VE DECADES OF MODERN CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS INCLUDING:

Rottor removal. 90s: Suzuki GSX GSX-R750 R750 SRAD, SRAD Aprilia RSV250 resto resto.

80s: Suzuki GSX-R1100G, Yamaha XS1100 resto. 70s: Honda 8 C CB750 K2, Yamaha CS3C, Kawasaki Hybrid Stroker, Kawasaki Z1300 and Z1325 Special. Also: Allen Millyard column Q& &A: your questions answered, your bikes and your memories!

August 2018 Issue 370

August 2018 Issue 370 Publisher: Dan Savage, asavage@mortons.co.uk Contributors: Joe Dick, Kevin Larkins, Ralph Ferrand Art editor: Justin Blackamore Picture Desk: Paul Fincham, Jonathan Schofield Production editor: Dan Sharp Divisional advertising manager: Zoe Thurling zthurling@mortons.co.uk Tel: 01507 529412 Advertising: Robert Bee rbee@mortons.co.uk, Tel: 01507 529575 Subscription manager: Paul Deacon Circulation manager: Steven O’Hara Marketing manager: Charlotte Park Commercial director: Nigel Hole Editorial address: CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS MAGAZINE, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR Website: www.classicmechanics.com General enquiries and back issues: Tel: 01507 529529 24 hour answer phone help@classicmagazines.co.uk www.classicmagazines.co.uk Archivist: Jane Skayman jskayman@mortons.co.uk, 01507 529423 Subscription: Full subscription rates (but see page 40 for offer): (12 months 12 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £51.60. Export rates are also available – see page 40 for more details. UK subscriptions are zero-rated for the purposes of Value Added Tax. Customer services: Tel: 01507 529529 Lines are open: Monday-Friday 8.30am-7pm Saturday 8.30am-12:30pm Distribution: Marketforce UK Ltd, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HU. Tel: 0203 787 9001 Subscription agents: CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS MAGAZINE, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR Printed: William Gibbons & Sons, Wolverhampton Published date: CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS MAGAZINE is published on the third Wednesday of every month Next issue: August 15, 2018 Advertising deadline: July 26, 2018 © Mortons Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher. ISSN 0959-0900 CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS magazine takes all responsible steps to ensure advice and technical tips are written by experienced and competent people. We also advise readers to seek further professional advice if they are unsure at any time. Anything technical written by the editor is exempt – he’s rubbish with spanners.

CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS (USPS:729-550) is published monthly

by Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ UK. USA subscriptions are $60 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. Periodical Postage is paid at Wisconsin Rapids, WI. Postmaster: Send address changes to CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS, Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. 715572-4595 chris@classicbikebooks.com

Who got you started?

Well? Who was it? Was it your brother, father, sister, mother or uncle? Or maybe a best mate?

It’s a nostalgic question that’s left me all dewy-eyed this month.

We received a letter from reader Carl Clarke who wanted to say ‘thank you’ to CMM’s own Pip Higham for helping him get into bikes. You’ll see the letter on page 20, but the long and the short of it is a teenage Carl turned up at Pip’s bike shop with a crisp fiver in his hand and ended up leaving with a bike (sort of) of his very own. Suffice to say Carl’s still into bikes to this very day and wanted to say thank you.

So who would you like to say thank you to?

Perhaps we should include them in the pages of CMM? Me? Well, that’s easy. You’re doubtless bored of hearing how my uncle Kev Wesley

The Professional Publishers Association

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Steve Cooper

John Nutting

Pip Higham

Scoop’s on with his C3SC and Hybrid projects, removes a difficult rotor AND gives as a round-tank RD buyer’s guide.

Who better to ride the amazing creations of Allen Millyard than our own experienced John Nutting?

Pip inspired our star letter this month, while in his column he’s carrying on his nostalgic ramblings…

Older, nicer bikes editor

Scott Redmond Scottie is not only keeping it real for us on specials, he’s also explaining what downpipes fit his sad SRAD.

Mark Haycock Q&A King

Mark is checking out his Honda CB750 K2’s motor to see if all is well down below. He’s answering Q&As too!

Having trouble finding a copy of this magazine?

Editor

BSimmonds@Mortons.co.uk

www.facebook.com/ClassicMechanics/

Talking down…pipes!

Independent publisher since 1885

(see page 24) would regularly turn up at my house when I was a nipper with a different (and hot) 1970s spec lovely lady on the back of his succession of Kawasakis. That and my first pillion ride aged about nine on his Z1000J sealed it for me. I had to become a biker!

Second person was my old mate Paul Evans, who allowed me to ride and generally thrash his Suzuki X1 over our school field. Bliss! This issue is chock full of people who inspire: from Pip, to Allen Millyard, to CMM reader Ken Turnock to you turning the pages.

Keep on keeping on!

Lucky blighter…

Allen Millyard

The man, the legend…

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH!

Inspirational engineer…

Well, it could be no other, this month.

Our Allen has plenty of coverage in this month’s mag and with good reason. As well as his regular column on the RC374 build, we ride two of his amazing creations on page 44 and remind you all of his other bikes on our archive pages. Allen takes ‘going above and beyond’ to a new level – earning him this month’s Employee of the Month. Well done that man!

Ralph Ferrand Big Zed lover

Ralph needs help getting the mighty Z13 lump back in the frame; meanwhile he turns ‘Breaking Bad’ into ‘braking good.’

Ken Turnock

CMM reader and restorer…

Big respect and thanks to CMM reader Ken, who sent us the story of a sorry XS1100 which he brought back to life.

Jeff Ware

Martin Child Cupid Stunt rider

Ad GOD!

Jeff takes a month off from the RG500 to find another old flame: the Aprilia RS250.

Read part one on page 122!

Wildy is stripping the 1100G and looking at the modern bits. But first, that swingarm bolt: page 114.

Big Bad Bob is back and fresh from his Cornish holiday: that means he’s raring to book YOUR advert in CMM…

Two-stroke lover!

Robert Bee

www.classicmechanics.com / 3

62

❙ Q&A

64

❙ KAWASAKI Z1325

68

❙ HONDA CB750 K2

72

❙ ALLEN MILLYARD

76

❙ SUZUKI GSX-R750 SRAD

Contents

Mark Haycock with a page of tips.

Ralph sorts out the stoppers.

Mark Haycock performs some engine checks.

This month Allen sorts brakes and wheels on the 374.

Scott Redmond talks downpipes…

78

❙ ROTOR REMOVAL

82

❙ YAMAHA CS3C

94

❙ YAMAHA RD250B

Scoop tackles a tricky task!

Scoop again – now that the rotor is removed!

Steve’s guide to buying the round-tanked classic.

06 08

ARCHIVE

10 12 14 20

CMM STUFF

Bigging-up our contributor!

CMM MARKETPLACE

Is a special, special? Or just a nice way of losing cash?

New kit, tools, and stuff.

CMM TESTED We try stuff out.

NEWS

What’s happening.

FEEDBACK

WIN Bridgestone tyres for our star letter!

40 44 54

SUBSCRIBE!

Subscribe and save cash!

MILLYARD’S MARVELS!

John Nutting rides two of Allen’s amazing creations.

YAMAHA XS1100

Ken Turnock turns a tub into a thing of beauty.

60 RETRO REBOOT 127 DUCATI ST4/S

Kawasaki’s ZX-7R H2…

Something different and 20 years old.

110 ❙ KAWASAKI Z1300

22

SHOW US YOURS

129 NEXT MONTH

114 ❙ SUZUKI GSX-R1100G

27 32

KAWASAKI Z900RS

130 PIP HIGHAM

Ralph and friend risk a hernia with the big six!

Wildy strips the big Suzuki and comes unstuck.

118 ❙ KAWASAKI HYBRID

Scoop’s got some saucy bits and pieces back.

122 ❙ APRILIA RS250

Jeff Ware on boy meets girl, meets bike. Ahhhhh.

WIN S-Doc cleaning kit and Tamiya kits!

Does this retro ‘cut it?’

BMW K100 RS

What’s happening in the September CMM? Pip says make do and mend…

“Look at that old brick!”

Least that’s what Scoop thought they said.

Subscribe & have 10 million CMM words at your fingertips!

PAGE 42

www.classicmechanics.com / 5

Millyard’s

Marvells 6 / classic motorcycle mechanics

WORDS: BERTIE SIMMONDS PHOTOS: GARY D CHAPMAN, MORTONS ARCHIVE

W

e know our very own Allen Millyard may get a little uncomfortable with the praise he’s about to receive, but then it’s a mark of the man that he’s so humble. Pictured here (and in an exclusive road test on pages 44-52) are the fruits of his many (often seemingly crazy) labours. He’s the man in specials building and motorcycle engineering who seems to make the impossible possible and the frankly foolish flight of mechanical fancy look ‘factory’.

But then this was the man whose first special was a BSA Bantam with the engine from an Austin Mini. A man (well, lad) who – by the age of 18 – had already built a 180cc V-twin from two Honda C90 motors.

He was so proud of the Mini/Bantam, that he took it to school to show his metalwork teacher and was nabbed by the police on the way home who advised him not to ride it, thanks to the exposed flywheel spinning around on one side…

Since then he’s gone on to make specials that look not so much ‘special’ as, well, factory. He builds classic ‘double-take’ bikes. You look,

you think it is standard, and then you spot the extra exhaust or bank of cylinder heads. His Kawasaki Z1-based V8 1600 looked like the logical next step from the Big K as did his amazing 70-degree 2300cc V12 built from two Z1300 motors…

If you think it’s all about ‘big and brash’ you’d be wrong – that’s not this man at all. So while he may take a Viper V10 car engine and build a bike from it, as well as take a slice of aero engine to build ‘The Flying Millyard’ he’s just as at home putting two small motors together with Swiss watch precision just for the hell of it. So enjoy this preview here of his RC374 (latest build story on page 72) as well as some of his other creations.

Allen – you’re an inspiration. cmm

www.classicmechanics.com / 7

cmm

Marketplace

Are specials special?

Or just money pits?

Every month we take a look at the classic motorcycle market with a range of industry experts. This month, Paul Jayson from The Motorcycle Broker and our very own Scott Redmond discuss whether specials are indeed that... or not?

M

any people customise, thinking that they are enhancing their classic, and this can seriously devalue the machine, yet in some rare cases it can enhance it.

It’s all down to taste, but in general most customised classics are worth much less than a standard machine. Why is it being customised?

Just because they want something different, or does the builder have a vision and the capability to carry out that vision, realise it and do it well?

Classic Motorcycle Mechanics’ own contributor Allen Millyard immediately comes to mind.

He has a vision of enhancing a Kawasaki twostroke triple and grafts on two extra cylinders, works with all of the consequences and works relentlessly until it looks like a factory prototype. He has a vision and the ability to execute it beautifully. But such builders are very rare indeed. Having a vision is key when building a great special and many are just hacked about and not of the required quality.

The classic (and classy) ‘double-take’ special.

We like...

The other issue is, does the classic special require the original frame to be hacked to pieces? If so, then this will nearly always have a negative impact on future sale values.

I have sold quality specials and most have sold very well. The one that comes to mind is a Kawasaki Z900A4. The builder had a very clear vision and executed it without fuss and very skilfully. It had a spoked Z1000 rear wheel with a wide rim on a Metmachex ally swingarm. It lived in Z1B blue livery and had GPZ1100 forks and brakes, which allowed for modern brake pads. There was a Giuliani seat and replica 4-into-4 pipes: the bike looked like a lightly customised 1970s Z1B and it was only as you looked closer would you realise that it was quite different.

The bike sold very quickly and for a very strong price, at that time, far higher than a standard A4.

However, I have also given many lesser machines a wide berth: many live on various auction sites.

So much of building a special is about getting the proportions right, the vision and executing it beautifully. In most cases keeping the frame intact and the original parts, even if they’re not on the bike, is going to help retain the value of the machine, as it can always be put back to standard.

So many café racers will become very difficult to sell once this craze has passed, as they have been de-lugged and can never be put back to standard.

It will also make it very difficult to create another special out of such a bike, because everything will be governed by what’s left of the frame. I suppose new lugs can be made and welded back on, but it’s not a task most builders will be willing to take on.

Some specials can be worth a lot more than the standard machines, such as Rickmans and a Moto Martin CBX1000 is a highly prized motorcycle: Eglis and Harris Performance specials seem to command quite a premium too. Value comes from a bike made by a ‘known’ specials builder. On the other hand, machines that have been cobbled together and have had everything hacked off them will lose value heavily in the long run.

As fashion changes and desires move on, such bikes will look dated and will be very difficult to modify into something different again. Still, happy specials building! cmm ■ www.themotorcyclebroker.co.uk

8 / classic motorcycle mechanics

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THE NAKED TRUTH F

or many, a standard motorcycle is the perfect starting point for creating a special, taking the result of millions of yen worth of R&D and setting about making it better.

The Streetfighter scene is one sector of the used motorcycle market that simply fails to go away; some builds soak up ridiculous amounts of time and cash, but there’s no shortage of those that don’t!

The origins of the Streetfighter can be traced back to the mid-1980s, with the race-rep craze sweeping the nation it wasn’t long before many of those crutch rockets ended up in the hands of insurance companies who had paid out to settle claims for various GSX-R/FZR/CBR models after they’d ended up crashed and bashed.

The insurance men then resold them back into the market; some were broken for parts but on the whole the newer the bike the higher the chances are it would be repaired and resold. New genuine parts have always been expensive, especially those bits that touch down first, be it a full-on slide or just a side-stand topple in the garage. Yes, we’re talking about

bodywork. The high new prices keeps the value of used parts on the up, so it makes pretty good sense to ditch that crunched up fairing, chuck away the bent clip-ons and fit some Renthal bars and a nasty nose cone that was fabricated in China.

It was easy enough to find a few examples of such machines even today in 2018… Beyond the ugly bug looks can often lurk the potential for cheap speed.

Any FireBlade that’s up and running and carries a price tag of £1350 is worth some consideration. If the ‘styling’ doesn’t float your boat that can be addressed down the line, and unlike the old days you can pluck cheap parts from either online auction sites, or owners’ groups on social media.

Who knows you might even be able to sell the tawdry tat you take off.

Like the street-fightered FireBlade, I found a Yamaha YZF750 that’s basically missing its fairing; with an asking price of £1395 it’s a great starting point for a cheapie track day bike. So many of these budget builds are often a great way into buying a bike that would normally be touted around at prices double the startingg price. Sure you’d be a bit foolish to rush in

and commit to buying without seeing it in the flesh, but in a world where we all love a bargain these visually challenged motorcycles shouldn’t be ruled out.

Well, unless it’s too far gone to be an economical project. The Kawasaki ZZ-R600 I spotted is one of those bikes that sold strongly back in the day and despite being a good egg carries very little kudos, in fact the 600 market on the whole is often overlooked, which means prices are pretty sensible on the whole for good honest bikes. This leaves me scratching my swede with my third finding: ZZ-R600D that looks like the result of a large explosion at an autojumble. For the £950 ticket price you could find no end of decent 80s or 90s four-pot 600cc machines…

The specials scene continues to evolve, the café racer is perhaps the most popular route to go if you like your bikes to be ‘on trend’, then there’s Brats, Bobbers and flat-track inspired bikes: but will this current crop last as long as the humble streetfighter? Our advice? Keep this in mind when the seller is telling you how much it cost to make: ‘moneyy can’t buyy good taste.’ Then bid ’em... cmm

Buy Now

Buy Now

Buy Now

www.classicmechanics.com / 9

cmm

Stuff

The latest riding kit, top tools, tyres, retro clothing and more!

£299.99 £299 9.99

SHARK S-DRAK HELMET

Apparently this S-DRAK lid is part of SHARK’s ‘metro’ division.

We guess that means cool helmets for street use…They also say this is inspired by ‘neo-retro’ culture. What we can say is that this is a cool-looking lid, with a quick-release visor system, two shell sizes, removable/washable interior and it’s compatible with SHARKTOOTH communication and SHARK Easy Fit for specs wearers Sizes XXL w earers. S izes XS XS to to X XL. www.nevis.uk.com

£90.16

(clamp kit £19.25)

SAMCO SPORT HOSES Around

£ £899

ACE SPITFIREE COLLECTIION WATCH

atches ((these these are are A CE203 and and TW Steel’s collection of w watches ACE203 204) celebrate a number of things, the RAF’s 100th anniversary, its most famous fighter aircraft, Swiss-watch reliability and men with money who like watches.

Around £899: www.twsteel.com

10 / classic motorcycle mechanics

The ese are what the editor is going to use on his 1994 Honda VFR R750 F-R RC36! It’s a full Samco Sport Hose kit (part number HON-92) in seven pieces. It comes in a very wide array of colours from black, through to green, camo, silver, blue, red, grey, orange and d even pink! Check the website for more.

Pric c ce: £90.16 (clamp kit £19.25). www.racebikebitz.com

CHHHAIN MONKEY

Tru Te ension’s Chain Monkey is the world’s e first tool designed to help you set the tensio on o on your motorcycle’s drive chain. From new riderss through to experienced mechanics, Chain Monkey Monk will simplify the task, improve performance and save you money through its revolutionary, patented design. Not sure if this is answering a question that doesn’t need answering but we will check one out! www.bikeit.co.uk

£24.99

www.classicmechanics.com

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www.twitter.com/cmmmag

£299.99

BLADON LLEATHER EATHER JACKET JACCKET

The Oxford Products Bladon leather jacket mixes contemporary style with a dash of café racer chic. Made from cow leather, it is lightweight, supple and hard-wearing, complete with CE-approved shoulder and elbow armour, triple stitching to the back of the arms for added strength and four pockets at the front. www.oxfordproducts.com

£21.50

SEALEY SIX-PIECE FILE SET

These popular files come in a handy pouch, have comfort grip handles and feature hanging holes for storage. You have half-round, Round, Square, Three-Square, Flat and Hand file. www.sealey.co.uk

SPEED: £375.58 inc. VAT

SUZUKI RGV250 FORK OUTERS

Our good friends at the Vintage Parts Programme have hit us with these lovely things: VJ22 fork outers. Parts such as these are hard to find – but not any more. These are re-manufactured

by Suzuki Motor Corp itself…

Contact your nearest Suzuki dealership or visit v bikes.suzuki.co.uk/vintage-parts-programm me

£27.95

THE ONE GENUINELY MODERN PLEASURE

A superb book from Mat Oxley, this charts the marriage of the bicycle to the internal combustion engine and the search for speed since then. A hardback with 170 pages and many glossy black and white plates, it looks in some detail at the early years of man’s quest for speed on two wheels, where average speeds quickly moved from a sedate 27mph at Britain’s first motorcycle race in 1897 through to the later eras, where – by 1937 – the world speed record stood at a staggering 173mph!

Highly recommended. www.matoxley.bigcartel.com www.classicmechanics.com / 11

cmm

Testted d

Riding kit worn, w tools twirled & tyyres turned

From

£115

KRIEGA R25 & R30 RUCKSACKS Named after the litres they can consume (with ease) one is a 25 litre rucksack and the other a 30 litre. The Quadloc harness system shifts the weight from

From

sho oulders and back to your ch hest making it very co omfy, even when fully la aden. The zipped inside pocket is capa capable of holding plentyy of odds and sods and therre’s a pocket for a back protec ctor too. It’s not waterproof byy the way, but very comfy indeed.

The R30 is a different shape, which makes it easier to get tthi hing gs in and out, and a roll top replacess the the R25 R25’ss zip p, which makes m this pack’s main sec ction 100% waterpro oof. There are two outside pockets, p but no

£150

TCX HERO BOOTS

These TCX Hero boots are waterproof, CE-approved and comfortable enough to walk distances in when you get to where you’re riding to. They’re also styled like a particularly iconic pair of British boots!

They’re waterproof and breathable and made of full-grain leather, with reinforcement and heel protection that makes them much safer than the average boot. They also make fantastic everyday boots and (thanks to the zip down the inside) they can be slipped on and off quickly without having to undo them.

These come in regular sizes and you can choose between brown or black. Highly recommended! www.nevis.uk.com

inside one or facility for a back protector. The interior is a replacea replaceable, tough white bag though, which makes k s it it easy easy to find your kit in the bottom.

There’s an updated fastening

OXFORD DORMEX INDOOR COVER

Back in the old days cars would get stored in garages, but now it’s bikes.

Our garages also often double up as workshops too… Added to this, since getting a tumble drier, I’ve also found that small particles of dust and detritus are pumped out over my bikes!

That’s where these have come in. Designed for indoor use, the Dormex covers are soft and breathable. They do also repel water, but aren’t fully waterproof. They come in a range of sizes (and therefore prices) and have an elasticated bottom that keeps it tight against the wheels. The front and rear are labelled so you can’t get it wrong. Even me… Small is £19.99 (scooter), Medium is £24.99 (commuter-sized bike) with a Large costing £29.99 and the XL just £34.99. I’m happy as the cover has already proved its worth over winter, keeping the dust at bay. Recommended.

■ Bertie Sim Simmonds

From

£160

FFrom

£199.99£34.99

12 / classic motorcycle mechanics

system across the chest: two greatt bags bags fro from Kriega. www.kriega.com

www.oxfordproducts.com

www.classicmechanics.com / 13

cmm

News

El Tel, Cagiva & Blades!

Block-book out your diary for the weekend of October 13-14 as this year’s Carole Nash Classic Mechanics Show will be a corker!

Held at the Stafford County Showground, the annual event will see a unique gathering of Cagiva race machines – where, for the first time in the 40-year history of the firm – 11 of the racers will be displayed in one place.

The machines, part of the collection owned by Dean Simpkins and his father Martyn, are all genuine factory racers, ridden by some of Grand Prix racing’s greatest riders, including the Eddie Lawson and John Kocinski 500cc race winning bikes.

In attendance will also be two former factory riders, Jon Ekerold and Pier Paolo Bianchi.

South African Ekerold won the 1980 350cc World Championship, on a privateer Bimota Yamaha. An old skool all-rounder, Jon also won the Ulster Grand Prix and finished runner up in the Isle of Man TT twice and was a Cagiva rider in 1982. Bianchi is a three-time World Champion and was a factory rider for Cagiva in 1988: his bike is part of the display.

Bianchi and Ekerold will be interviewed on stage throughout the weekend by compere Steve Plater, alongside the show’s third Guest of Honour, racing

Pier Paolo Bianchi.

1990s Cagiva 500cc GP bikes will be there!

legend Terry Rymer.

Oh, and don’t forget we want to include a full history of the Honda CBR900/1000RR

Terry Rymer.

FireBlade at the show.

So, if you happen to have a mint Blade and you want a free weekend pass, send

Jon Ekerold.

pics to: nmowbray@ mortons.co.uk.

Discounted advance tickets for the show are now on sale, with a one-day adult pass costing just £12. Tickets will also be available on the gate, priced at £14 each. Under-12s tickets are £3 in advance or £4 on the day and parking is free.

■ For more details visit classicbikeshows.com

Fast Fred at Castle Combe Grand National The West Country’s biggest race meeting – the Castle Combe Grand National – is on over the weekend of September 1-2 this year.

Backed by Motorcycle Accident Management Services (McAMS), the event organisers have got some mouth-watering VIP/ hospitality packages set up for the event.

On Saturday evening, three-times World Champion ‘Fast’ Freddie Spencer and former 500cc Grand Prix racer and British Champion Steve 14 / classic motorcycle mechanics

Parrish will regale the audience with their stories from yesteryear in the Strawford Centre. On Sunday, the Ultimate VIP Experience is available with TT legend Ian Hutchinson and Bennetts BSB Championship leader Leon Haslam joining Spencer and Parrish.

The VIP package includes a Sunday entry ticket, autographs and photo opportunities with the stars, a buffet lunch, VIP car parking, race programme, comfortable, prime viewing

space to watch the racing in the Strawford Centre, tea, coffee and soft drinks throughout the day, afternoon cakes and a cash bar.

Tickets cost £20 for the Evening with the Legends and £60 (£30 ages 10-17, £20 under 9) for the Ultimate VIP Experience. For further details visit: http://bikesatcombe. com/meet-the-stars/

Fast Fred at the Combe!

■ If you just want to watch the track action, then there’s a packed programme of racing (around 20 races each day)

organised by NG Road Racing Club, featuring a number of major championships over the weekend.

cmm

News

The sunny side of the classic world, with the VJMC’s Steve Cooper

Pic courtesy of John Grange.

STROUD VINTAGE SHOW IS GO! South Cerney Airfield in Cirencester, Gloucestershire will reverberate to the Stroud Vintage Transport & Engine Club’s Annual Show over the weekend of August 3-5.

The show, now in its 44th year, is widely regarded as one of the biggest and best steam, vintage and countryside events in the UK. One of the largest displays is the Motorcycle section featuring 230 registered entries representing manufacturers from across the globe from 1911 right up to 2005. Among the marques on display are Honda, Cotton, Meteor, Yamaha, Harley-Davidson, Moto Guzzi, HRD, AGS, James, Triumph, Royal Enfield, Rudge, Baker, BMW, Norton,

Velocette, Panther, Francis Barnett, Matchless and Greeves. There will also be an abundance of Lambrettas to celebrate the mods and rockers era plus the show will play host to the BSA Bantam Club National Rally.

Over 70 Bantams will be participating in a motorcycle road run, culminating at the show.

As well as bikes there will be thousands of classic cars at the event as well as steam engines, tractors, a fun fair, a dog show, a countryside arena, trade zone, living history section and FREE vintage bus rides.

■ For tickets visit: www.glosvintageextravaganza.co.uk

That Bike Place If you’re in the north-west of England and you don’t have access to tools, a ramp, a garage or shed, this could be for you.

Head to www.thatbikeplace.com and you can book anything from an hour’s space at a well-equipped bay to all day. Prices start at £15 for an hour’s use (including use of a ramp, tools, gloves and protective gear) up to £90 for a day’s use which comes with all the above plus free tea and coffee and Wi-Fi access.

Better still they even offer a range of workshop tutorials, covering the basics such as oil changes, chain and sprocket changes and general motorcycle maintenance.

■ The workshop bays are available to hire in the Manchester area, so for more head to the website or ring: 0161 399 0161/07718 837000 or email: thatbikeplace@gmail.com 16 / classic motorcycle mechanics

’m fast coming to the conclusion that we classic fans are never really satisfied with our lot!

We spend the dark, inclement, winters wishing away our lives willing the spring equinox to get a move on and thus herald the so-called ‘riding season’.

Invariably we get one decent week at said celestial transition point and we’re off – like ageing hares full of joie de vivre reliving our youth.

The weather then, generally, takes a turn for the worse and we curmudgeons then moan that it never used to be like this etc.

Fast forward to May or early June and it’s now, apparently, too muggy and humid to ride, leaving us all as sweaty masses inside layers of protective clothing we earnestly hope we’ll never have to put to the test. As a side note it’s a known fact that as we get older we don’t bounce like we used to.

From here our summer, such as it is, flits annoyingly between tropical humidity through monsoon season-like storms and then gently roasts everything with the ‘hottest temperatures since records began’. This may or may not actually be global warming but if it is, as a classic fan, you can reprimand yourself for making the situation worse by riding two-strokes back in the day.

If, and this is a huge assumption, we actually do get a full summer with halcyon summer days, balmy evenings and only the odd mid-summer equatorial-like downpour we’ll doubtless still be bitching that it’s now too damn hot to ride. We’ll also mutter under our collective breath that there are far too many interesting events on during the good weather and ask no one in particular ‘why can’t the organisers arrange stuff so it doesn’t all clash?’ Of course the answer to that one is that (just like you) they’re cramming as much in as they can while the weather is at its best.

From here it’ll be a gentle downward run through late summer and into early autumn where, finally and blissfully, the worst of the heat will have abated and we can get some serious riding under our belts. Well, we could if it was still light later into the evening which it isn’t because the nights are starting to pull in and our eyes aren’t as good as they used to be. September might well be the best month to enjoy a long ride if only we weren’t looking for that late availability holiday now that the kids are back at school. Then the clocks will go back, we’ll all retire to the shed or workshop sorting out that bike that we stripped down over last Christmas, then, come February, complain that ‘it’s too bloody cold out there!’

You might assume we’re a miserable bunch given the above, yet we repeat all of this and more year after year while remaining perpetually happy despite constantly moaning. And you wonder why the authorities and the general public don’t understand the appeal of motorcycles?

www.vjmc.com ❙ 01324 410519

I

www.classicmechanics.com / 17

cmm

News

MORINIS MAKE MAIDSTONE!

There was a peaceful Italian invasion of Kent at the start of June involving scores of mainly V-twin Morinis.

First, a little background: although Moto Morini had long been established as a manufacturer, nothing was officially imported into Britain until the new 3½ models arrived from the early 1970s. Designer Franco Lambertini, was ex-Ferrari and he applied car technology to this new design. The pushrod 72º V-twins used toothed belts to drive the cams. The mixture was fired inside Heron-form combustion chambers.

The resulting package was a brilliant middleweight, even if the price ticket was more appropriate to a bike of twice the capacity!

Luckily, there were still enough takers and in 1975 the Morini Riders Club was established. The inaugural meeting took place at The Highlander, the landmark pub on the Isle of Man TT course. The club soon became firmly established and one of the long-running highlights has been an annual track day at Cadwell Park and some continental Morini events.

Current chairman Mark Bailey said: “The idea was to hold an international rally in Britain. The hope was that this would succeed by featuring the most popular aspects of other rallies.”

A barn, with alcoholic refreshment dispensed at ‘The Heron’s Head’ (geddit?), and constant tea and coffee provided a suitably atmospheric rendezvous. Many friendly faces from other nations made it across the water.

On the Saturday a local scenic tour on the bikes included a stop which

18 / classic motorcycle mechanics

SEE YOU THERE! August 2018 3-5

Gloucestershire Vintage & Country Extravaganza www.glosvintageextravaganza.co.uk

4-5

LlandBikeFest 2018 www.llanbikefest.co.uk

5

Normous Newark Autojumble Newark Showground www.newarkautojumble.co.uk

5

Suzuki Sunday london.acecafe.com

10-12 Moto Guzzi Club GB GuzziFest www.motoguzziclub.co.uk

Morini parking only!

offered a choice of the Kent & East Sussex Railway or a visit to Maidstone Motoliner in Aylesford. Established by Ray Palmer (now run by son Tommy) this business repairs accident damaged motorcycle frames and cycle parts and Ray and Tommy have gradually assembled a collection of Italian bikes.

Mark Bailey summarised the appeal of the Morini: “The bikes are simple to work on, I can change a cambelt in 20 minutes, the electronic ignition is great, I can just get on and ride it across the continent!”

The Moto Morini International Rally proved to be a great success and the club looks forward to many more.

Alan Turner ■ For more information, go to: www.morini-riders-club.com

12

Taunton CMC Exmoor Run www.tauntonclassicmc.weebly.com

12

VMCC & Classic Bike Day Ace Cafe London, london.acecafe.com

15

SEPTEMBER ISSUE OF CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS OUT TODAY!

18-19 The Classic Car & Cheshire

Autojumble www.cheshireautopromotions.co.uk

19

Ladies Day london.acecafe.com

26

Cheshire Classic Bike & Car www.classicshows.org

27

Notts Classic Bike & Car Show www.classicshows.org

27

Blenheim Festival of Transport www.classicshows.org

30-1

Salon Privé 2018 Blenheim Palace www.salonpriveconcours.com

www.classicmechanics.com / 19

Post to Mechanics, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ Z or email your pictures to editorial@classicmechanics.com m

WIN

TYRES S

Every month we’re giving away a pair of Bridgestone tyres to the writer of the best submitted letter we receive. You can choose between Bridgestone’s BT-016 Pros, BT-023s or BT-45s! No cash alternative, before you ask! Simply get in touch by sending emails to: letters@classicmechanics.com or post yourr letters to the normal address, giving contact details just in case you are that lucky winner.

**Prize winner****** Thank you, Pip!

Not so great?

Rose-tinted CBX!

On reading June’s special on the 40th of the CBX1000, back in 1980 I had a red one supplied by Neil Tuxworth’s Honda, Lincs. I found the engine to be a revelation, so smooth and revving so readily: one of the less positives was the fuel consumption; riding it hard it might return 29mpg!

The biggest failing was the handling: anyone who tells you it was okay was or is not riding it hard enough as it was a big wobbler. The forks were weedy and flexed under hard cornering, the brakes are the same as the type used on the CB900 and not up to the extra weight, the rear dampers were a joke and I managed to get Honda UK to swap them for a pair of S&W shocks which I sourced myself. The point was that on the fuel tank it stated proudly beneath the Honda name: ‘Super Sport’. To get an idea of the frame you need to take off the tank and saddle. It is possibly the weediest frame that you will encounter and not strong enough to deal with the engine weight when pushed hard into corners. These points were the reason that Honda came out with the later version that is really a big tourer.

20 / classic motorcycle mechanics

I wonder if you would be kind enough to pass on my regards to Pip Higham please. This was the man who started my adventure in life with motorcycles. In around 1977 or 1978 as a 13/14-year-old, I had been longing for a bike for some years.

With my parents unable to fund my passion, I began to save like a mad thing… Some time later I had amassed the princely sum of £5 and decided I could wait no longer! Pip probably won’t remember this but I set off walking to The Village Bike Shop, that he ran, a distance of around six or seven miles from where I lived. I walked in the shop and was greeted by Pip who asked what I wanted.

I told him I want a bike! He laughed and asked how much money I had, so I produced my £5 note and he laughed even louder.

He must have seen the look of disappointment showing on my face because he stopped and said to me: “Tell ya what, let’s see what we can find, eh?’

I looked around at all the fantastic bikes, wondering which I would take home.

Pip took me out back of the shop where there were piles of old bikes b es stac stacked ed up. up He pulled out a Hon nda C50 and asked me if this would do. I nodded and he took my fiver.

I was so excited I haad a bike at last I started to walk away p pushing this thing home as I didn’t even know if it ran. Pip then asked how I woulld get it home and I replied that I would w walk home, pushing it all the way. He then asked where I lived an nd I told I sold mine and got a new CB900F; this bike in comparison to the CBX was a disappointment, it handled better but the engine being a four and a long-stroke motor made it more of a plodder.

When I bought my CBX I got a good deal for cash as they

Carl has Pip to thank for this...

him I had a good seven miles to do, then he said: ‘Oh no you won’t lad!’ And he promptly put me and my ‘new’ bike in his van and took me home!

I have never forgotten what he did for me and I ran that bike for the next few years until I could get a licence and a proper road bike. I am still in love with bikes today as ever I have been, all thanks in part to Pip. Without his kindness I would probably not have had the chance to experience this wonderful hobby. So y Pip, p, from the now 54-year-old child thank you you once gave a helping h hand to! I’ve now got a 1978 Z650 0 but all the paint work is away being redone. r I’m still in the game!

Carl Clarke

Bertie sa ays: “Carl, what a beautiful story! Obviou usly the daft ol’ fool can’t remember, butt have a pair of lovely Bridgeston ne tyres for this heartwarm ming story!”

were not selling here and it didn’t remain in the catalogue for very long, my friend’s Suzuki GS1000 could run rings round it and only lost out to the CBX’s better acceleration.

It seems to me that there are a lot of myths about this

now iconic model and anyone who has no problem with the handling can only be referred to as ‘steady’. Can I also say that I was one of the founder members of the CBX Owners Club that was organised by Dave Barton. That was in 1980; it was amusing when at

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Sweet spot!

Is this sweet or sacrilege?

the inaugural meeting Dave asked who had bought the CBX because it was a six could they put their hands up. Not one person in the room raised their hand! It is all very well reviewing these old bikes but it is too easy to get the old rose tinted glasses on.

Daniel Davidson

Bertie says: “Wow! Did you ever like the bike sir? Each to their own, and it’s often the way that we look back with nostalgia on a machine’s performance, I guess!”

An imposter!

I’ve had my XSR700 painted in the RD350LC original colours with an original tail piece and rad cover. It looks great and wondered if you might be interested in a feature.

Antony Parkinson

Bertie says: “Wow she looks lovely. We’ve heard of shops doing this too… what do we all think?”

Ride my GSX!

I see from a couple of copies of CMM that the Suzuki GSX 1400 has been discussed as to whether it’s a classic or not?

To help make your mind up I wish to offer my 2000

GSX1400 for a test by any of your staff including Andy Bolas and Steve Cooper! I only highlight those two because I am the southern regional coordinator for the VJMC and will see them at our committee meeting this Sunday. The GSX is a family-owned, very early bike with chassis number 00087 and is completely standard with only 13k miles on its clocks. Your call if you fancy a spin!

The May issue hit my two sweet spots: small Honda twins and big Honda V4s! I have one of each, as you can see in the pictures. Neither is perfect, (drooping indicators are a VF750F design feature) but both run well and I get a lot of fun fiddling with them. The twins were ground-breaking in providing reliable, clean, quiet usable motorcycles to a generation brought up to distrust everything to do with bikes.

The V4s set a standard that the inline fours still can’t match, the motor is so smooth and pulls strongly and easily without snatch virtually from idling, and the handling is sharp and predictable. Yet it was potent enough and had the handling to win Daytona three times and the Castrol Six Hours production race in Australia.

I’ve just renewed my sub for another two years, so you can guess I enjoy CMM. I glance through the articles on particular machines, road tests and so on, with various levels on enthusiasm depending on whether the model interests. But I read all the technical articles, I find the fixes and advice really helpful for a non-trained, inexperienced tinkerer, and it’s encouraging to see things can go wrong, even for experts.

Items showing ‘how-to’ abound on YouTube, but the quality is variable and the qualifications of some of the contributors questionable. When I take advice from your experts on what is, or more particularly what isn’t, a reasonable workaround, I feel a lot more confident about fixing things. I also get a good gauge as to which repairs are beyond my limited skills, and when to send things to an expert. Keep up the good work.

Mark Porter

Bertie says: “Thanks Mark. We do have a YouTube channel – but it’s not well-used. Perhaps we should have how-to videos on there? It’s all a matter of cost, mind…”

Lovely original VF750...

Andy Hodder

Bertie says: “We’d love to! It’s 18 years old and therefore fits with the VJMC’s 15-year rule!”

Thank you CMM!

You recently printed a reply to my 1974 RV90 charging query (CMM June 2018). I’ve followed Mark’s advice and, hey presto, the bloody thing now actually charges the battery. After the best part of 12 months messing about with coil rewinds, new diodes, wiring checks and lots of swearing Mark has solved the problem. Please pass on my thanks!

Begs to be taken off the beaten track!

Rob Neal

Bertie says: “Glad to have been of service, Rob!” cmm www.classicmechanics.com / 21

u can d joy in our pages, so yo an ide pr UR YO e se to We want rs. restore with fellow reade share what you ride and .co.uk or mail to bsimmonds@mortons Email your hi-res shots mag. Let us know dress at the front of the in some photos to the ad d after ne it and send before an do e u’v yo w ho d an ne what you’ve do in touch. Bertie. shots if you can. Do get

We’ve teamed up with SDoc100 (www.sdoc100.co.uk) which manufactures some of the best bike cleaning kit in the business!

So, send in your pictures of your bikes and you could win an SDoc100 cleaning kit worth £50!

Remember to send your name and address on each submission so we know where to post the kit.

Paul Wrigley’s 1976 Kawasaki Z900 A4

Michael McGinnis’ Yamaha SR500 This year is also the 40th anniversary of the Yamaha SR500! I found mine four years ago in Vermont, USA as a tatty but complete runner and have restored it in stages since then: a bare-frame stripdown and top-end rework in 2015, followed by the tank and side-panels respray the following year. I have ridden it 12,000 miles since acquiring it and will rack up plenty more!

22 / classic motorcycle mechanics

Hi, just thought I would show you some before and after shots of my 1976 Kawasaki Z900 A4.

I purchased it in May 2017 as a non-runner, originally from the USA. It was seized and has been stood for quite a long time.

It took around 12 months to complete, and all with a little help from the Z1 Owners club, to name but a few. Many long hours in the garage over the winter months were invested into the finished bike, but I think it’s well worth the effort!

WINNER

David Wright’s 1977 Suzuki GT500 Hi CMM! Just thought you would like to see my 1977 Suzuki GT500. Ooooh that noise! Ooooh that smell! It’s just the thing that reminds me of the 1970s and so many good memories so I thought I’d share!

A Arthur Greenhalgh’s Honda CB125 and CB400 This is the Honda CB125S that I have restored as my winter project and my CB400. I stripped the CB down to bare metal then resprayed it with aerosols that the local paint shop made up for me, followed by having the seat re-covered and engine rebuilt. The hardest part was finding the right exhaust for the model. I ended up getting one for the later version then a friend made a tail-piece up for it and welded it on then I had it re-chromed. After having both wheels rebuilt and new tyres I was happy with the result.

Gary Hooley’s Kawasaki 1986 GPZ1000RX

Roy Mayne’s 1983 GPz1100 Hi CMM I thought I’d show you my recently finished and much-modified 1983 GPz1100 Uni-Trak.

Thought I’d show you pics of me and my GPZ1000RX! In 1986 I bought it brand-new from Queens Park Motors in Salford and sold it in 1988 and always regretted it! Well, fast-forward to 2014 and in a million to one chance I bump into the guy I sold it to. I was so shocked that he still had it after 26 years of ownership. We exchanged phone numbers and I arranged to go down to Northampton one weekend to view it. From there I made him an offer he couldn’t refuse so now I’m one happy ‘born again’ biker note the same leather jacket but no hair!

Douglas Jackson’s 1982 Honda V45 Magna Hi, this is my Honda Magna V45 750cc 1982 cruiser which I rebuilt myself. It’s an American import and it took about two years to finish.

www.classicmechanics.com / 23

The way

we were… back in the day Send us your nostalgic snaps of you at bsimmonds@ with your steed! Either send to me ebook page. C’mon! mortons.co.uk or via our vibrant Fac Bob Davis says: “I’ve always been a regular readerr of Classic Motorcycle Mechanics and I have been an enthusiastic rider since the 1960s. I have had a varied selection of bikes including BSAs, Triumphs, Nortons, N t Velocettes and now Yamahas. The first photo is of me back in the 60s on my 1939 Velocette KSS 350cc. complete with Ace bars. A friend of mine had it for sale at £10 and I managed to knock him down to £8.50!

“I had the inlet bored out to take an Amal GP carburettor, large inlet valve and a MK 8 KTT cam. For a 350 it went like the clappers and my pal on his 500 Dominator had a hard time keeping up! I later fitted the engine into a Featherbed frame, along with a Manx tank/seat, alloy rims and clip-ons for the ‘Café Racer’ look, as you did back then. Sadly, I didn’t take a picture of it. It was a real head turner back then.

“I had a few Yamahas in the 80s and then stopped riding. When I retired in 2013 I decided to get back involved with motorcycles and now restoring vintage Japanese two-strokes with my son-in-law.

The picture is of me on the 1972 Yamaha YDS7 ‘Café Racer’ we built up last year from a pile of bits. We are now restoring a 1979 Yamaha RD250F.”

(www.hobbyco.net) which We've teamed up with The Hobby Company our ou favourite iya plastic motorcycle kits in the UK to give di t ib ttes TTamiya distribu in miniature. So, send in restoration one of its amazing motorcycles to the chance indulge in a your pictures of your bikes and you could win Remember to send your name miniature motorcycle restoration of your own. where to post the kit. and address on each submission so we know

KIT WINNER

Lee Wesley says: “Whatever happens, I will never be as cool as this bloke: my dad Kevin Wesley!”

Apparently it’s a 1969 Triumph Trophy 650, with lots of chrome and Honda indicators. This was probably taken when Kev was around 19 – in 1976. He later got into Jap bikes in a big way, working at Dave Fox Kawasaki in Ramsgate, Kent.

Roger Finch says: “This is both a ‘Show Us Yours’ and a ‘The Way We Were!’ Here is me in 1976 Bulawayo, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe, with my TS400 and my TS400 now in Johannesburg South Africa (2018) after a restore. I love the bike; just after the first photo I had my licence taken away for six Darren Lebreton ended up with a poor Katana so he fitted a silver GSX1100 engine while he had the black finished engine rebuilt. Like many best laid plans the original engine was never refitted and the Katana was sold on.

The bitter-sweet thing is Darren might not own the bike now, but he does still have the original engine!

www.facebook.com/ClassicMechanics/ 24 / classic motorcycle mechanics

months for wheeling through the centre of town at lunch time! It didn’t help that I had an unsilenced TM exhaust pipe on at the time. With a licence covered in endorsements (not good for insurance) I let it bake in the sun so I could scrub them out!

“Once I left to go to South Africa I did live my dream of racing internationally at the TT a few years later. The last photo shows me (33) and Joey Dunlop in an International at Kyalami. It has taken a lot of will power to never sell her and am happy that I never did!”

www.twitter.com/cmmmag

26 / classic motorcycle mechanics

RETRO RIDE

R

WORDS: BERTIE SIMMONDS PHOTOS: KRIS JONES, BERTIE SIMMONDS

iding pretty much any bike gives you that feel-good factor: it’s why we do it. It’s why we accept the risks and embrace the thrills as riding on two wheels just puts a smile on your face.

Riding classic bikes is both different and the same. It’s the same as the thrill of two wheels is there and it’s different because not only are you often riding something special –there’s a unique bond between rider and machine. There’s a deep emotional link that we have with our classics.

It may be shared history, pure nostalgia or the fact that we know every nut and bolt on the bike.

It’s a heady blend of thrills and the passion of our chosen pastime.

Bertie has had Kawasaki’s Z900RS on test for the past few months: but does it deliver the real flavour of a classic Jap bike?

Recently, many manufacturers have tried to – for want of a better phrase – cash in on this. They’ve built full-on, modern retro machines, offering turn-key, modern motorcycling in pretty packages.

Honda has the CB1100 range, BMW various R nineT versions and even Moto Guzzi has a varied assortment (you’ll see them in CMM soon) while Kawasaki has recently produced this, the Z900RS. Of course, we could argue Kawasaki were first on the retro bandwagon back in the early 1990s with the Zed-inspired Zephyr range. With 550, 750 and 1100 powerplants they were popular enough, but perhaps not very well finished.

So let’s look at the Z900RS. www.classicmechanics.com / 27

RETRO RIDE Looking is what we have to do first with the Z900RS. It’s clearly aping the classic lines of the Z1 of the early 1970s and – in this colour scheme – it’s doing a very good job. In fact it looks simply stunning. The quality of paintwork on this tank – and the side-panels – you feel you could dive into: it’s that deep and lustrous. This is the Candytone Brown/ Orange version – akin to the original and best ‘Jaffa’ colour for the first Z1s and it is jaw-dropping. This attention to detail is courtesy of Z900RS stylist Norikazu Matsumura. Apparently he is a Z1 fanatic, owning a Z750RS which is a Japanese market version of the 1976 Z900.

Other lovely touches from the original Z1 are there. The clutch cover almost looks like the original’s casing, those bold badges on the tank and side-panels are glorious, the routings of the throttle cable apes the older bike and even the seat strap conjures up memories of throwing a be-flared leg over the generously upholstered seat.

And yet the proof of this pudding is in the eating and plenty of people stop and stare when the Z900RS rides past. Pub runs on this inevitably end up with people checking it out. Even race-replica riders will saunter up and chat to you, nodding their approval of the styling. After all, following the CB750, the Z1 was where it all started…

It’s a bike that deserves a very close look. Take the clocks: apparently they share the exact type-face/ font of the original Z1 clocks and a centre-boss style on the needles. That’s where it ends, as the clocks are given a dash of modernity thanks to the useful LCD centre display which has all the modes you could wish for, including current/average mpg, two trips and range left in the (beautiful) 17-litre tank.

Yes, the purists are howling at the lack of twin shocks – and I am a bit, too. But to keep costs down they had to base the Z900RS on something and it’s based on the Z900. I know from readers’ surveys that many of you have ‘modern’ bikes, but if you don’t know what a Z900 looks like, believe me when I say it’s ‘aesthetically challenged’. Not so the

28 / classic motorcycle mechanics

BELOW: Be prepared for long conversations at the pumps.

Z900RS, but sharing the ‘floorplan’ means something has to give and in this case it’s twinshocks. Of course Kawasaki said that it’s also to make the handling better – but my old ZRX1200R wasn’t too bad out on the open road. You’ll also notice upside-down front forks and the lack of spoked wheels. Again, it’s about giving the RS a modern ‘feel’. One thing that had to change to get that trademark tear-drop tank on the base Z900 was the frame – changes had to be made to get the gorgeous tank to fit. It was worth it.

If we want to classically nit-pick, then we could moan about the exhaust. This carries an Akrapovic, so it’s modern and it’s also nothing like the original 4-into-2-into-4. It’s also way too quiet for my liking.

So, me and the Z900RS have shared two months together; what’s it like? Riding is bliss. This is one well-sorted motorcycle. You can have thrills aplenty at seriously legal speeds. There’s something about the ‘look’ of the bike from on-board that makes you want to be noticed – so you don’t wind the wick up to silly speeds.

The motor is smooth as silk, but it does have a slight catch for the unwary. At low rpm – most noticeably when pulling away from a standstill – the Zed has just a whiff of a snatchy feel to it.

The first time you’ll chide yourself for being ham-fisted, the second time you’ll blame the bike, the third time will be the last as you’ll start to be that little more delicate balancing throttle and clutch. It’s a pain that soon passes.

SPECIFICATION

Kawasaki

Z900RS ENGINE TYPE

948cc, liquid-cooled, 16-valve, inline 4-cylinder.

MAXIMUM POWER

110bhp @ 8500rpm

MAXIMUM TORQUE

72.6lb-ft @ 6500rpm TRANSMISSION

6-speed

FINAL DRIVE

chain

FRAME

Steel trellis SUSPENSION

Front: 41mm inverted forks, adjustable for compression, rebound and pre-load.

Rear: Single, horizontal back-link shock adjustable for pre-load and rebound.

BRAKES

Front: Twin 300mm discs, 4-piston monobloc calipers with ABS. Rear: Single 250mm disc, single-piston caliper.

TYRES

Front 120/70-17 Rear 180/55-17 SEAT HEIGHT

835mm

WHEELBASE

1470mm WEIGHT

215kg (wet) FUEL CAPACITY

17 litres

LEFT: Sunny short summer hops are what the Zed are all about.

BELOW: Akra is cool, but quiet.

The motor itself has been altered for the RS application. Not just those fake cooling fins but reducing top-end power to around 110bhp at 8500rpm while giving the RS a dollop more mid-range. I’ve not ridden the base machine, but what we have here is a very flexible motor. Apart from that hiccup very low down it pulls crisply and cleanly to the rev-limiter at 10,500rpm. Gearing is altered from the base machine, with a shorter first gear and a taller top. I did wonder if that short first cog has owt to do with the initial snatchy feel.

Dancing in the urban sprawl is a doddle on the Z900RS. The seat is amazingly comfortable and generously padded (if a little too short for a decent pillion – that’s modern bikes for you) while the wide bars give you plenty of leverage when it comes to tight turns and even feet-up U-turns. Just be ready with that light clutch when you’re at low speed… www.classicmechanics.com / 29

RETRO RIDE Comfort then, is spot-on and the big, round mirrors show plenty of what’s going on behind. And – yes – you could do many miles on the RS, even if – at motorway speeds – your noggin would be a-hurtin’.

But that’s not the point. This isn’t for doing big miles on at motorway speeds, it’s for making smiles.

And on a nice bit of country B-road the RS is in its element. Use that willing and flexible motor and enjoy what the chassis can provide. Sure, it’s set up a tad on the soft/comfort side, but you can get a bit of a hurry on, if you so wish. Here’s where we may just be reaping the benefits of a single rear shock.

Forks seem stiffer. Those inverted 41mm items are hard to bottom out, even if you’re really squeezing the lever of those thoroughly modern monoblock calipers hard.

Only once have I been suckered into going a tad too fast on the RS, when chasing a mate on a sportier steed. A thud through the rear Dunlop and into my lower back soon saw me roll off the gas, cursing road tax/state of our roads as I did so. I’ve since added a bit more preload to the rear and this has improved things at that end.

What weight the RS has (around 215 kilos wet) she wears well and you’d swear she’s a tad lither than the spec sheet would suggest. She doesn’t have laser-fast steering, but is more than quick enough: this Zed is both stable and agile.

Tech-wise you get all the modern bells and whistles. You have ABS, two levels of traction control (and off) a slipper clutch and a little ‘Eco’ riding indicator. As mentioned the brakes are mighty fine – I’ve yet to get them chirping – while the traction control is (for me) a bit of an irrelevance.

We’ve touched on the lack of practicality: that classic Kawasaki duck-tail is there, but the original BIG seat is replaced by an excuse of a pillion seat.

You also don’t want to stick luggage on it – although

Oh that tank and that paint.

30 / classic motorcycle mechanics

Pillion seat should be a little bigger.

Ventura does a tail-pack and frame. Instead you just want to fuel up and go ride. Avoiding the rain, of course… Range-wise that 17-litre tank does have a useful ‘range to empty’ facility (we are all still fishing around left-handed for the reserve cock) but I’ve found you can easily get around 150 miles from a tank and get a return of around 48.5mpg.

So let’s price this baby up. The base model is £9899 but for THIS paint job (and you only want this colour, believe me) it’s £10,199. You can also get a café racer version with a bikini fairing and other bits (only in lime green) for £10,349. Here we have the RS Performance version of the naked model, with Akra can for £10,949. That’s a lot of wonga. But then the high price of new bikes also means our favourite second-hand stuff is appreciating too. Just go take a look at ZRX1200 prices right now…

Overall then, the Z900RS is a lovely bike to ride and enjoy. As to our original premise: no, this isn’t a replacement for a classic bike. Yes it does a passable impersonation of one. Instead it’s a machine which (if you squint a bit) really looks the part, rides very well and would be a worthy second bike.

Second bike? Well, if you want practicality then look elsewhere and if you want the full-on classic experience – nothing comes close to owning, maintaining, riding and interacting with your classic.

But with even rough original Z1s selling for around £9000+, perhaps it does make sense to have a doppelgänger sat in the garage for the odd sunny day… Either way, the Z900RS certainly has enough of the DNA from the original Zed. cmm

Second opinion: Roger Jones In 1974 (blimey that’s 44 years ago) yours truly had one of the first Z1 900s in Lincolnshire, so when I first set eyes on the Z900RS I just had to have a shot on it for old time’s sake. And Bertie allowed me it for a couple of weeks.

At a smidge under £11k, the modern Z1 (if I may call it that) at first seems an awful lot of dosh for an updated Z1 but my faithful notebook from 1974 showed that I paid £1199 for my original bike and bolted on a second disc costing £97. Interestingly, this equates to £13,800 in today’s money. My notes also showed a set of Koni

rear units at £25 and a pair of Borrani wheel rims laced up for £28. A genuine Kawasaki steering damper (and you needed one) was just £6.50!

Enough of the old Z1, how does this new baby sit in the modernday bike scene?

As a Sunday morning ride bike ridden at Captain Sensible speeds, it fits very well.

Don’t expect to pack in the miles at anything marginally above the open road speed limits as this un-faired machine will start to feel like hard work for the torso.

The engine is super smooth right up to its 10k max; the mirrors begin to blur

Urgh! This is why the Z900RS isn’t getting ‘luggaged’. li htl above b 8k but b t to t slightly 8k, be fair these revs are not required or even needed for normal riding, as at a steady 70mph, just 3800rpm is required.

Back in the day my Z1 was my only road bike so was used for touring and Sunday blasts but if there is one thing the new Z900RS will do it’s handle.

h d ld enough h Those readers old to have owned the original will know exactly what I mean. No such problems with the Z900RS! For a nostalgic bit of fun though, this bike slots nicely in to the ‘I want one in the stable’ box.

Alongside something more practical, of course… oh and your classics…

www.classicmechanics.com / 31

CLASSIC RIDE

“This could be the ultimate incarnation of the four-pot K-series motor: the K100 RS SE. Yes, Special Equipment.

This brick is both practical and stylish even if uniquely Bavarian in design.�

32 / classic motorcycle mechanics

Sponsored by

Sponsored by

Building WORDS: STEVE COOPER PHOTOS: GARY D CHAPMAN/MORTONS ARCHIVE

BMW took an about-turn from the boxer twin and carved a new niche in Beemer history when it created the legendary Flying Brick. We ride BMW’s K100 RS.

T

he bike you see before you represents one of the most fundamental shifts in motorcycle design by a single manufacturer ever.

Short of venturing into the world of forced induction two-strokes, BMW could not have opted for a more radically different set-up to that which it had previously championed. And yet the resultant new machine did retain two key features that had traditionally characterised the marque; shaft drive and a low centre of gravity. The new K series Beemers had arrived…

Covered in acres of swooping plastic panel work, ducts and louvres, screen and sculptured seat the bike could almost have come from any of the big Japanese players. Doubtless this is more than mere happenstance; the K’s designers had unquestionably q y been briefed to ensure the bike had d a greater mass market appeal to aid sales. Yes, thee earliest K

models looked a little more quirky but they were still light years away from the old established boxer engine bike. By the time the fully-faired variants arrived on the scene there was an unmistakable Oriental theme going on but it was only ever superficial. Both on the surface and beneath it, this BMW was unlike any other motorcycle before or after it.

One of BMW’s long-time unique selling points had been its bikes’ apparent lack of mass; an act of artifice courtesy of the engine and transmission being mounted ultra-low in the frame. Characteristic of the marque, this still had to be a feature of any radically new model yet the German manufacturer nevertheless needed to compete head-on with the manifold offerings g from Japan. At the time the prevalent engine configuration was the inline four but BMW couldn’t simplyy rip-off a layout that was

www.classicmechanics.com / 33

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CLASSIC RIDE universally recognised as being Japanese in origin, so what other option was there? The smoothness and power offered by the inline four was desirable but not the visual profile, so what to do? If you’re BMW you lay the engine down flat to minimise the C-of-G, then turn it through ninety degrees so it suits your preferred method of final drive, then add water-cooling. Inline fours were nothing new and certainly water-cooled fours had been done before but a flat, water-cooled, inline four? BMW instantly had an exclusive engine configuration and a supremely novel USP. Our subject matter this month is quite possibly the ultimate iteration of the four-pot K series motor, the K100RS SE; the SE meaning Special Equipment in the guise of fuel and temperature gauges. From any angle the bike is best described as substantial both in the visual and avoirdupois sense. From the side-on aspect the bike is almost a solid entity with little daylight showing through anywhere other than in between the rather stylish eight-spoke cast alloy wheels. Huge expanses of alloy, steel and plastic are evident, and most of that is conventional in purpose if uniquely Bavarian in design.

Obviously the engine is the most ‘different’ object in view yet it doesn’t actually look like a power unit.

By the time the K100RS SE was on sale BMW had chosen to almost disguise the flat four with satin black paint covers and the odd discrete decal proclaiming ownership. Behind the motor is probably the largest bell housing-cum-gearbox combo ever fitted to a Beemer which, if nothing else, keeps the rear drive shaft relatively short. Sitting above and outboard of the transmission close to the pillion rests are a pair of black, vaguely cylindrical objects that form the dual hearts of the anti-lock braking system aka the ABS. Looking at these relatively large lumps of early motorcycle safety technology makes you realise just how the science has moved on but when the K was

new this was cutting edge stuff. In fact at this point in motorcycling history it was still an open-ended question as to whether the concept was even of real practical value, let alone commercially viable.

Elsewhere the bike is essentially a pure carbon copy of standard Bavarian Bayerische Motoren Werke AG fare, just in a more modern guise. Having pioneered manufacturer-fitted fairings back in the 1970s with the R90S, you’d expect the plastics on this much later model to be finely executed and they are. Much effort was expended on making the bike as smooth and aerodynamic as possible and a head-on or three quarter profile shows just how sleek the bike is for a one litre machine.

Fitting the mirrors with the front indicators is a perfect example of BMW utilising available free space while at the same time not adding one iota to the machine’s frontal area. Inside the cockpit there’s a plethora of instruments, readouts, idiot lights and the like yet, in that typically Teutonic way, everything makes sense once you grasp its purpose and/or function. The only minor aberration to this almost flawless logic is the apparently crazy setup for the indicators’ activation with individually operated thumb switches on both bars – they’ve only recently given up on such a weird system. Anyone new to the layout would be well advised to literally play with the various buttons, levers, sliders and toggles before embarking on a ride. Ultimately and predictably everything makes perfect sense and soon becomes second nature in use but the indicators are a little counterintuitive.

If you have ridden flat twin Beemers before then the first thing you notice is the marked absence of cylinders in front of your shins. And in fact if you’ve ridden any transverse four before you are also in for a surprise; the K100 is a remarkably narrow motor.

It may seem trite, hackneyed or clichéd but as this is a piece of Germanic engineering everything does, automatically, fall perfectly to hand in terms of the

The flat four K series history The horizontal flat engine BMWs ran from 1983 to 1993 and were designed to get ‘buy in’ to the famous blue and white roundel from riders who would never have considered a flat twin. The naked K100, often called The Flying Brick, was BMW’s first major move away from the boxer engine. In quick succession followed the K100 RS (1983) and K100 RT (1984) aimed at sports and touring riders respectively.

The K100 LT was arguably something of a lily-gilding exercise whereby BMW tried

to poach customers away from the GoldWing scene.

Initially sold with two valves per cylinder the bikes ran 16 valves around the 1987 model year; both engine types ran double overhead cams which was another first for the brand on a road bike.

The final hurrah for the Flying Brick was the K1 series (19891993) which saw BMW producing a machine close in concept if not in outright performance to the Japanese sports bikes.

With massive front

34 / classic motorcycle mechanics

guards, aerodynamic fairings and seat cowls these bikes were targeted at riders who wanted to use the 140mph performance available.

Very much a niche market machine, due in no small way to the outlandish paintwork, the K1 remains a Marmite bike to this day.

As almost every Beemer before it, the K100 spilt opinion with some welcoming the changes from the traditional set, while others felt it all to be a step too far. What few argued about was the

K100’s smaller sibling; the three pot K75 introduced in 1985.

Initially sold as a naked the bike gained a cockpit fairing to become the K75C in 1985, gained a sports fairing a year later to

be the K75S and finally a touring fairing in 1991 becoming the K75 RT. Those that have ridden both the 1000 and the 750 reckon the latter is the easier machine to live with long-term.

K1 is something of a classic.

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SPECIFICATION

ENGINE TYPE

987cc liquid-cooled, four stroke, DOHC, four-valve, four-cylinder BORE AND STROKE

67 x 70mm

CLAIMED HORSEPOWER

90bhp @ 8000rpm

MAXIMUM TORQUE

63lb-ft @ 6000rpm

TRANSMISSION TYPE

5-speed, shaft ямБnal drive COMPRESSION RATIO

10.2:1

CARBURETION

Bosch LE fuel injection TYRES

100/90V 18 (F), 130/90V 17 (R) FUEL CAPACITY

4.8 gallons (22 litres) BRAKES

Disc x 3 ~ (285mm) OVERALL LENGTH

2200mm (87.4in)

OVERALL WIDTH

800mm (31.5in) WHEELBASE

1516mm (59.7in)

Almost unique, almost a legend?

WET WEIGHT

249kg (584lb)

www.classicmechanics.com / 35

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CLASSIC RIDE bars, the seating position and the foot pegs; someone spent a lot of time getting this part of the bike just right and much else besides… Which is a shame because I’ve almost given myself a hernia trying to get the bike off the stand; I’m almost banjaxed by the effort it takes. BMW has thoughtfully supplied a lifting handle to get the bike back on or off the stand but, in my humble opinion, it is more window dressing than practicality. When Honda could produce bikes that would almost jump up on their stands at will back in the 60s, remain stable at rest yet were paragons of virtue to get back on their wheels I wonder how anyone, especially BMW, can make a simple task so damn difficult.

Oh, and the side-stand is a pain to find when you’re sitting on the bike. One is a simple case of lever/ pivot/fulcrum, the other a careless oversight.

Being fuel-injected there’s no choke to jiggle about and with the ignition on it’s just a case of pressing the green button atop of the kill switch.

The motor instantly leaps into life with a unique and subdued rustle. Clutch in and first gear selected the bike is off and away in a manner you don’t historically associate with older Beemers. In fact the unique motor is a bit of a lout on the quiet, egging the rider on to increase throttle and speed.

Quite possibly not inimitable but singularly rare, the motor’s piece de résistance is torque and huge great dollops of the stuff. You are urged forward by that flood of twisting, turning, surging ability supplied in an almost laissez faire manner. Short shifting the easy to use box becomes the norm and then suddenly you look at the speedo and think: how bloody fast? Very much in the manner of the large capacity Honda VFRs the K100 mill gets you up there and hurtling along much faster than you’d expect. The only slight ‘at odds with the BMW experience’ is the typical four-cylinder engine buzz that comes through the foot pegs from time to time.

All of this happens once you’ve got some heat into the motor, which takes some time to accomplish

given just how much mass there is, but once warm it stays warm. At the front of the K there’s a radiator as you’d expect which presumably vents its excess thermal energy out via the louvres at the rear edges of what’s ostensibly a half fairing. All of this works as it should and at speed you’d not notice a thing.

However, the radiant and convected heat from the motor is a different thing unless you’re going fast and even then it can still make the rider rather toasty: which won’t be a bad thing if it's winter but I’d not be choosing a fully fitted K100 for a trip to the south of France come July. Our test bike wears a belly pan and I can’t help but wonder if this somehow plays havoc with heat dissipation.

What’s not up for debate is the way in which the bike so easily dispatches miles. Once beyond walking pace the bike’s a paragon of virtue with negligible shaft drive effect despite crass attempts by today’s pilot to get a noticeable reaction. Even ham-fisted and inappropriate down-changes fail to evince the sort of response you’d have expected and received from an old school Guzzi. The only foible the bike occasionally throws up is an almost random shimmy from the front end when encountering

Clean pipes and the tell-tale ABS system.

BMW's circuitous route to the K-series flat four By the mid 1970s BMW knew it had to broaden its horizons if the motorcycle division was to remain functioning and in profit. The previous move from almost handmade to mass produced motorcycles helped – but only to a point.

The car division was overtly selling high-end products to an affluent yet wide market and the bikes needed to move in the same direction.

A new engine was required if the company was to survive.

It was Josef Fritzenwenger who led the way with the then radical notion of flat-four engine coupled to an engine speed clutch and shaft drive.

36 / classic motorcycle mechanics

Retaining the trademark transmission system dovetailed in nicely with the market BMW was still targeting and the use of a flat four motor retained the low centre of gravity that was traditionally associated with the brand.

The only question was how to go about the genesis of the new engine. Proof of concept came via the adaptation of a Peugeot 104 car engine which pretty well matched the basic aims of the project. However, when additional expertise was brought in from the BMW car division the end result was far too large and unwieldy.

It wasn’t until early 1979

and with a change in senior management that the K project was injected with new energy. Martin Probst, father of the Volkswagen Golf engine and the BMW Formula II, was put in charge of engine development.

By August 1980 a prototype engine was ready for testing. Fuel injection had been decided upon from the off and Bosch had

been chosen as the logical supplier. The peripheral space around the engine was limited which essential ruled out carburettors anyway and Bosch had an ace up its sleeves. Almost a decade before it successfully

Sponsored by

“This unique motor is a bit loud (on the quiet!). It eggs-on the rider to increase throttle and speed. The motor has huge great dollops of torque.”

pioneered and sold fuel injection systems to Volkswagen for the company’s super-compact ‘suitcase’ series engines as installed in all of the Type 4 cars.

That first K motor ran for 10,000 hours and once optimised delivered a healthy 90 horse power.

Issues with engine seals, drive shaft couplings and extreme heat generation were all eventually overcome via what was then state-of-the-art computer monitoring; something that was then very rare in the motorcycle engine development world.

BMW knew the power unit

had to be right first time out and the various engines, installed into new chassis, received hugely rigorous shake downs.

The first pair of prototype machines were made to endure 60,000km apiece of severe riding and the subsequent three upgraded bikes then had to manage a further 30,000km each. Finally, 25 preproduction K100s were built at the Berlin factory in May 1983 and every single one of them was ridden for a fairly staggering 250,000km before BMW felt sufficiently confident to go public with the machine in September 1983.

Cockpit as well-appointed as a rep-mobile. www.classicmechanics.com / 37

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CLASSIC RIDE certain road imperfections. The Bridgestone BT45s are fresh and at the correct pressures, yet once every so often there’s the briefest moment of uncertainty to the bike, one which you get used to.

The K100RS becomes more and more addictive proving to be a real hoot to ride around the winding trunk roads of Oxfordshire. The narrow bars that were decidedly lacking in leverage when manoeuvring the bike around at walking pace are now perfect for the job in hand.

That apparently minimalist seat is actually pretty much ideal and cants you forward just enough so you’re not sitting bolt upright. This in turn leans you forward onto those bars but there’s no wrist ache apparent. And this is part of what you’re buying into with the BMW brand; countless hours of unseen research and development that makes your riding experience so much better. I get this, in fact I begin to embrace it but one thing I cannot forgive is the screen dimensions. At 5ft 10in I’m pretty much average height and build and the screen does a superb job of taking the wind off my torso yet the upper edge of the same unit buffets the top of my helmet like merry hell. Duck down and the pummelling stops; raise my head up and the wind just does what it’s normally does: strange.

The suspension system is set for the plush side of functional as befits its role of what we’d now term ‘sports tourer’. The front dips down under braking yet not dramatically so but it similarly doesn’t uncontrollably pogo back up either. The rear end runs a single side swingarm allied to a single shocker and together they do a damn fine job, no more needs to be said. Braking-wise the K runs period top end Brembo calipers augmented by that early ABS system. I have to go on record as saying

38 / classic motorcycle mechanics

the system worked faultlessly with no clumsy first-generation, nanny state, ‘I-know-better-thanyou’ inference. Unless you’d clocked the ABS units you’d never know the bike was anything other than conventionally retarded.

BMWs have always been different to mainstream motorcycles and the K100RS is no exception. It shares traits and values of its twin pot predecessors yet it is fundamentally dissimilar to them. The K-series was and remains a brave, courageous and ultimately commercially successful venture, so it’s perhaps the most supreme of twin ironies that we now have Beemers that have little if anything in common with the early K-series machines as shown by the S series transverse fours. That said you might well argue they learnt a lot from the Ks and perhaps it was this that put them once more on the rostrum of the TT. cmm

The owner’s tale: Karl Chadwick Despite having had three K100s, two RTs and an LT plus a K75RT, I found none of them to be really ‘my sort of bike’. The twin was my real Beemer, yet in 2013 while recovering from a crash on an R1200 I spotted this on the internet.

A gut feeling told me that I had to have it, which is what we tell ourselves, and it was duly purchased.

With 28k miles from 1989 it was hardly run in and still rides like a new bike. It was the

colour that was the attraction as I had always admired the combination. It rides beautifully, different from all my previous Ks. The pearl white luggage came with it and last year I took it to northern Spain and on the mountainous roads it rode a treat.

The grunt from what is an automotive engine proves a hell of a bonus; just open the throttle at low speeds and it’s away. Fuel economy is much better than my RRS, which has tramped

the same roads, and the aforementioned grunt makes it a lot of bike for half the cost of the R. Therefore it’s very much another keeper.

www.classicmechanics.com / 39

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ALLEN MILLYARD KAWASAKIS

WORDS: JOHN NUTTING

44 / classic motorcycle mechanics

PHOTOS: GARY D CHAPMAN AND ALLEN MILLYARD

There have been plenty of fourcylinder Yamaha specials built over the years, but Allen Millyard used a different approach for his. John Nutting finds out what a 500LC Kawasaki hybrid is like to ride, and what the leftovers produce.

W

hen legends collide, some sparks are bound to fly. Or so I expected when presented with the prospect of riding Allen Millyard’s Kawasaki 500LC, a combination of the early Mach III with a four-cylinder liquid-cooled engine. Right from its launch in 1969 the triplecylinder 500cc Mach III was a fearsome beast, and having ridden the first to arrive in the UK I can testify to the hair-trigger delivery of its 60bhp that was too much for its flimsy chassis.

What happens then when Allen comes up with what is potentially an even more crazy combination: a Mach III powered by an engine topped with four cylinders transplanted from a pair of Yamahas? This crossed my mind last year when after I tried out three of Allen’s Kawasaki specials – a 350cc four, 850cc five and a 1026cc four – he showed me the finished 500LC engine before it was fitted into a chassis. “Put me down for a ride on that,” I said half-jokingly, and true to Allen’s word, here I was a year later on the Great West Road with the Kawasaki 500LC laying a blue haze of exhaust fumes across Berkshire.

The challenge of making the Yamaha top-ends fit the Kawasaki crankcases proved to be more complicated than Allan’s usual Kawasaki specials.

But he hasn’t been described as ‘legendary’, ‘awesome’ and a ‘genius’ without good reason after bike fans see his creations and the techniques he uses to fabricate them. We’re lucky to have him here in the pages of CMM as a columnist!

After more than two decades he’s produced dozens of Kawasaki fours and fives, little Honda V-twins, V8 and V12 Kawasakis, the Viper V10, the Flying Millyard five-litre V-twin and his latest, the six-cylinder RC374 ‘Hailwood Tribute’, inspired last year at Castle Combe when he saw Guy Martin riding one of the replicas of the 297cc Honda racer. www.classicmechanics.com / 45

ALLEN MILLYARD KAWASAKIS

46 / classic motorcycle mechanics

Kawasaki two-stroke triple history After offering 250cc and 350cc discvalve two-stroke twins (the A1 and A7) in limited numbers from 1967, Kawasaki launched itself into the superbike age in 1969 with the 500cc three-cylinder Mach III which with 60bhp barely harnessed in its chassis was the hot-rod of choice. This was followed in 1972 by the 750cc Mach IV H2 triple with 76bhp, and the 350cc S2 (Mach II) which with 44bhp was pretty hot.

To satisfy the UK’s learner market,

a smaller 250cc S1 was offered.

Following the 350cc timeline, the S2A was launched in 1973 with a disc front brake instead of the drum.

This was replaced by the bigger-bore 400cc S3 in 1974 using a softer 42bhp engine and wider tyres. It was made even softer for the first KH400 in 1976 with 38bhp, along with CDI ignition, revised carbs and exhaust and more rain resistant disc pads. The series was completed in 1978 with the KH400-A5.

Typically, Allen was able to craft the RC374 from scratch in the cramped workshop next to his house, taking seven months to complete it in time for last April’s Stafford show where it was briefly fired up for the first time.

Likewise, the 500LC engine was created earlier in 2017 by extending some Kawasaki H1 crankcases to take the extra pot and repositioning the studs to take the liquid-cooled 250LC cylinders and widened cylinder heads. A water pump from a motocross engine replaced the ignition distributor and a radiator was crafted.

Yes, the engine is wider than previous fourcylinder two-stroke specials I’ve ridden. Of course, factory-made two-stroke fours like Suzuki’s RG500 and Yamaha’s RD500LC are stacked twins, and the TZ750 had the benefit of not having generators and the like hanging off the end of the crank. But Allen’s 500LC is pretty close to what he intended to achieve: a machine that the Kawasaki factory might have produced in prototype form. Okay, we know about Kawasaki’s 750 square four prototype, but Allen’s special is here in the flesh and ready to ride.

Not only that, it’s won awards at shows such as the Salon Privé.

And it’s pretty tidy. There’s no need for any special procedures to get the 500LC going. Add ‘practical’ to the list of Allen’s credentials. Just switch the fuel tap and ignition on, and a sharp kick on the neatly tucked in lever brings it to life. So easy is it that you can fire it up by hand. Allen likes to ensure that everything about his Kawasaki-based bikes is authentic to create the illusion that they could have come from the factory, so the original hand and foot controls are nicely detailed. The clutch is lighter than you’d expect despite using heavier springs, and likewise the twistgrip, which is connected to the four 26mm Mikunis with a junction box. Even the five-speed gearbox is the same, with neutral below bottom gear, meaning you’ve got to keep your wits about you, particularly because you have to find neutral to kick it over.

Once fired up the 500LC engine crackles excitedly through the stainless-steel expansion-chamber exhausts and at first its response feels relaxed. But the 250LC lineage shines through and at about 6000rpm it hits the powerband; the exhaust takes on a nasal drone and the steering lightens as it approaches three figure speeds. Gearing is higher than a 500cc Kawasaki triple, with fifth good for almost 118mph at 9000rpm.

The 500LC has a novel sound too, because like the 350cc four, the crankpins are at 90º intervals rather than having pairs of pistons firing together.

Kawasaki’s S2.

It’s so smooth there’s no need for rubber mounts or the like.

Handling and steering is a bit less flickable than I’d expected too, no doubt because Allen has used a front fork and 19in wheel from a 750cc H2. Even though the bike weighs in at just 188kg tanked up to go (slightly more than the Mach III) tipping into corners calls for deliberation. Measured on Allen’s bathroom scales, the front to rear wheel ratio is 47/53% so the geometry must be part of the reason.

At least the H2 disc brake has bite enough to provide security.

Cornering clearance? With the modern Avon Roadrider tyres fitted I’m sure there’s enough grip to deck the engine both sides if you’re brave enough.

But how on earth could I face Allen if things went wrong? It might take him a day at least to build another engine!

Just how capable Allen has become is shown by the 500 twin he created from some leftover parts of the various 750cc triples. Kawasaki fans will know that the triples were derived from 350cc disc-valve twins, so a bigger engine is not so far-fetched as an idea that might have been tried at the factory. Allen cut and shut the cases, narrowed (rather than widened) the final drive sprocket position, fitted a set of tuned oversize 750 cylinders and came up with a 527cc twin that he shoehorned into a restored chassis from a 400cc S3.

I got the chance to ride the twin back-to-back with the 500LC and it couldn’t have been more different than chalk from cheese. Light and lively, the bike goes like stink, partly because at 162kg it’s so light, with just 45% of that on the front end. Power comes in like a moto-crosser on steroids and although there’s more vibration, because of the 180º crank, acceleration at the top end is a delirious experience, with a top end capability of 110mph not far short of the 500LC. I loved riding it.

It’s a bit tricky to kick-start though because the gearing is low from using H1 internals, rather than the H2’s with the stroke of the lever spinning the crank through one and a half turns. The tight fit also means that a gear linkage is needed, which reverses the action, giving neutral at the top and the five speeds all below. That made switching from the 500LC to the 500 twin, well, interesting.

Fans of T500 Suzuki twins will wonder I’m sure how Allen’s bike compares. His Kawasaki twin is as different as it could be. More like an RD400 Yamaha on steroids, it darts like a terrier, crazily squirting up and down lanes, whereas a T500 – at least in stock form – is a relaxed ride, more like a Labrador occasionally sniffing at the grass. www.classicmechanics.com / 47

ALLEN MILLYARD KAWASAKIS “Fired up, the 500LC engine crackles excitedly!

Handling and steering is a little less flickable than expected, but open the throttle for that amazing sound!”

Origin of the species: The Kawasaki 500LC

Allen Millyard wanted to make another Kawasaki special, but different from those he’d already produced. “I was going to make a four-cylinder Yamaha engine and fit it into a rolling chassis that a friend owned, but I didn’t think it would look right, being just a Yamaha Kawasaki bitsa,” he says.

“Plenty of those had been made and I didn’t want to make that sort of thing. So I thought, let’s take the barrels off the Yamaha and put them on the Kawasaki bottom-end.”

He chose 250LC cylinders rather than 350LC because they were easier to locate, and cheaper.

But he found that when he dropped the barrels on, nothing lined up. “You could see light through the transfer ports,” he says. “It was really bad. But that made me want to do it even more. So that’s why I did it and how the project started.”

Allen took a pair of 500cc Kawasaki cases and cut them so that an extra crank could be added on the left. He found that the spacing between the cylinders is different because the Kawasaki has bigger 61mm bores, while the LC has 54mm.

Allen continues: “That really stumped me initially, 48 / classic motorcycle mechanics

Allen with the 500LC motor during development.

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3

so I thought I’d cut the LC heads in half and space them out so the barrels are where they needed to be, and then joined the heads back together. Otherwise if I used pipes it wouldn’t look original and would look horrible, and obviously it keeps it all rigid with one-piece heads.”

Then he found that because the Kawasaki had a longer 58mm stroke the pistons would stick out of the barrels. “I wanted to retain the sound of the Yamaha so I retained the 54mm x 54mm bore and stroke. It’s the best for efficiency.” He bought a couple of crankshafts from a Yamaha RD250DX because those for the LC were more expensive and he stripped them down. “And then the bearings wouldn’t fit and I had to use adapters. I had to line bore the Kawasaki crankcase to open up one end, because on the Kawasaki triples you’ve three little and three big bearings, so I had to line bore all the small bearings the same size as the big bearings and I could just about get the Yamaha parts to fit.”

With the crankshaft in place it was then necessary to reposition the cylinder studs by filling the original holes and boring new ones, and then matching the transfer ports. “I could see straight through into the bottom of the engine when I first put the barrels on.

It was really open.”

Now here’s proof that Allen really is human. “The pistons didn’t initially go to the top of the bore,” he admits. “I was a bit flummoxed. It was 5mm short, but I couldn’t machine 5mm off the crankcases

2 THE 500LC BUILD: 1/ Sound engineering basics are behind the 500LC special. Crank, gears and finish look 'factory.'

2/ The heads needed to be widened as shown here.

3/ Downpipes and heads look as if they were made for the motor. Well, they were...

4/ The motor from the gearbox end.

4

because there wasn’t 5mm to take off. But just by luck I had a GT550 Suzuki crankshaft laying around so I popped off the rods and low and behold they were 5mm longer than the Yamaha rods but with the same small-end and big-end dimensions, so that solved the problem. So it’s got Yamaha crankshafts, Suzuki rods, Yamaha barrels and pistons and the Kawasaki crankcases.” Lubrication follows Kawasaki practice with a pump feed to the crankcases, but in this instance an H2 item is used with four outputs rather than the H1’s three, which required some adaptation of the longer pipe to the left side.

LEFT: Even the clocks fit the bill, look 'of the time' and blend in.

www.classicmechanics.com / 49

ALLEN MILLYARD KAWASAKIS Next step was to fashion a coolant pump. “When I was making the engine it was critical to me that it would look like it was made at the factory, not in someone’s shed,” he says. An electric pump would have been an option. “It would have been too easy.

So on the H1 Kawasaki there’s usually a distributor drive on the right, which I didn’t need any more, because I was running on points.” So using the drive he made a new casing from a KX250 moto-crosser’s rotor. “I made my own water pump with the ceramiccarbon type seal – you can buy it for about £10 – and an inlet and outlet pipe out of the crankcase,” says Allen. “The only downside was that it made the engine about an inch and a half wider but I didn’t mind that, it’s part of its character. The coolant radiator is from a racing item from a Yamaha RD350LC with dual cores and adapted pipework.

It was a surprise to learn from Allen that despite the 500LC replicating the 250LC’s peakiness, the design of the expansion chambers was more for style than acoustic engineering. As he said in his CMM column in February, two geometries are used: one for the smaller engines and one for the large ones.

Stainless steel sections are guillotined by sheet fabricator friend Bernie Andrews and Allen forms them into cones for welding and the attachment of the mutes. “It’s the fine detail that creates the illusion that it’s right,” he says. “If you can include enough little bits of fine detail it’ll hide the fact that other bits aren’t right. So many people have said ‘I didn’t know they made that’ or ‘is that the prototype they made?’ ‘Did they make a water-cooled?’ To me that’s the ultimate sort of compliment.” For example the authentic-looking front mudguard is from a BSA

50 / classic motorcycle mechanics

Like the signature on an ‘Old Master’ portrait.

A65 in stainless steel. “I made up the stays to suit the appearance of the early Kawasakis, but to fit the later H2 fork legs.”

For the same reason, Allen is particular in ensuring the zinc plating for nuts, bolts and fittings looks right. “I specify bright decorative zinc, which is like chrome,” says Allen, who uses Williams Plating (Alresford, Hants 01962 733199). “For example with the spokes I polish them first to a mirror finish. That’s the trick. My friend Gavin at the platers told me to polish them up with wet and dry then buff them up. It doesn’t matter about the grease. But if they are mirror shiny they come back looking great.”

The 500LC’s fuel tank is from a Mach III and came from Neil Haworth who first painted it 20 years ago for one of his bikes and sold it to Allen along with the H1 rolling chassis. “The reason the side-panels are silver is because it’s a pain to match the tank perfectly because it’s a pearl paint, so I thought I’ll do it like a Norton Commando Fastback or the Yamaha AS1.

I think it suits the bike even though the colour isn’t a Kawasaki colour.

“The instruments are stock although it’s got a wayward rev counter because the damper’s dried up inside. I made the temperature gauge by machining up a case using a chrome bezel of an old ammeter.

I used the guts out of a Suzuki 750 Kettle’s temperature gauge. The sender is out of a Kettle, so it should work.” The seat is new from Z1 Parts in San Diego, California. “I ordered it and it just turned up on the doorstep for a couple of hundred quid, says Allen: “Gorgeous quality, with a steel base, all the trimmings; brackets, hinges and circlips, everything.”

SPECIFICATION Engine Capacity Valve operation Compression ratio Lubrication Ignition Carburation Peak power Primary drive Primary ratio Clutch Gearbox Internal ratios Final drive Final drive ratio Overall ratios Frame Front suspension Rear suspension Front wheel Rear wheel Front tyre Rear tyre Front brake Rear brake Electrical system Battery Fuel tank Wheelbase Seat height Castor angle Trail Weight with fuel

Millyard Kawasaki 500LC

Millyard Kawasaki 500 twin

Liquid-cooled two-stroke four 492cc (54 x 54mm) Piston ports 6.2 to 1 (est) Automatic oil injection Coils and contact breakers Four Mikuni VM26SC 70bhp at 9000rpm (est) Gear 65/27, 2.41 Wet multiplate Five-speed 2.20, 1.40, 1.09, 0.92 and 0.81 to 1 Chain 520 45/17 14.0, 8.92, 6.95, 5.86, 5.16 to 1 Duplex tubular cradle Telescopic fork (H2) Swing arm, twin shocks, 3-pos preload adj.

Laced spoke, steel rim Laced spoke, steel rim Avon Roadrider, 100/90V19 Avon Roadrider, 110/90V18 Single 280mm disc, floating caliper 200mm drum 150-watt alternator, 35/35W headlamp 12V-6Ah 17 litres (3.75gal Imp) 1400mm (55.0in) 813mm (32in) 61º 110mm (4.3in) 188kg (413lb)

Air-cooled two-stroke twin 527cc (73 x 63mm) Piston ports 6.2 to 1 (est) Automatic oil injection Coils and contact breakers Two Mikuni VM28 60bhp at 8000rpm (est) Gear 65/27, 2.41 Wet Multiplate Five-speed 2.20, 1.40, 1.09, 0.92 and 0.81 to 1 Chain 520 41/16 13.6, 8.64, 6.72, 5.68, 5.00 to 1 Duplex tubular cradle (ex-S3) Telescopic fork Swingarm, twin shocks, 3-pos preload adj.

Laced spoke, steel rim Laced spoke, steel rim Avon Roadrider, 100/90V18 Avon Roadrider, 110/90V18 Single 280mm disc, floating caliper 200mm drum 150-watt alternator, 35/35W headlamp 12V-5.5Ah 14 litres (3.08gal) 1310mm (51.5in) 790mm (31in) 62º 109mm (4.3in) 162 kg (356lb)

“The challenge of making the Yamaha topends to fit the Kawasaki crankcases proved complicated. But Allen hasn’t been described as a genius without good reason. Then he creates a 500 twin from the leftovers”

www.classicmechanics.com / 51

ALLEN MILLYARD KAWASAKIS

Nutters on the lithe 500 twin.

The Kawasaki 500 twin

“The 500 twin is made from scrap,” says Allen.

“After making the 1000 fours I realised that it would be possible to make a 500 twin from the leftover bits of crankcases,” he says. “Unusually I had to make everything narrower rather than wider. I had to cut down the gearbox because the sprocket was so far out to the left. I had to shorten the output shaft by about 40mm and make a new oil-seal support and a clutch operating mechanism and then make it all sealed.” The cases are from a 750 H2 but the internals: the primary drive, clutch and five-speed gearbox, are from an H1.

“I bought the H2 barrels online, but they’d been tuned and ported and skimmed, so there was more holes than metal, and they were already 1.5mm over. I managed to get some 2mm-over pistons from Wiseco with Dykes rings so they come right up to the top and give maximum compression. Because the barrels were skimmed I made up a thick gasket to bring them back to the standard compression ratio otherwise they’d ping.

The chassis is a complete 1973 S3 minus engine and exhausts bought from DK Motorcycles in Stoke on Trent. Neil Haworth also did the paintwork to make the bike look like a factory original. “He’s painted vintage cars that have won best in class at the Pebble Beach Concours in California,” says 52 / classic motorcycle mechanics

Allen. “One beat Jay Leno’s car into second place.

Knowing Leno I introduced him to Neil. Leno mentioned that he’d been winning at Pebble Beach over the years except for 1999 when he came second to ‘some bloody bloke in England’. So I said, that’s Neil. He’s the guy that painted the Lagonda that beat you. Then Jay said to Neil, ‘come and work for me. I’ll pay you and you can come and work for me.’ Neil said: ‘No way, I like it in England’.” cmm

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THE 500 TWIN BUILD: 1/ 500 twin appears ‘easy’ in comparison to 500LC four.

2/ But still has the same attention to detail: it looks ‘factory.’

READER’S RESTORATION

CMM reader Ken Turnock tells a tale of the healing power of restoring a Yamaha XS1100 XK.

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WORDS AND PHOTOS: KEN TURNOCK

e always welcome stories from CMM readers about how they’ve gotten involved in other people’s restorations.

Often we find that fact is stranger than fiction!

What we have here is a story separated (as is often the case) by many years of the bike in question being left to rot under a tarpaulin, only to be brought back from the brink: this time by reader Kenneth Turnock. Don’t forget, if you have a story then let us know. You’ll find our contact details at the front of the mag. Over to you, Ken! The story of this bike starts (for me at least) a year after it was manufactured: 1984…

Bear with me on this! The bike was originally purchased new by Phil Wiggly who was a friend of Jess Bower’s cousin, Luke Carter, who purchased it from him when it was a year old in 1984… are you following all this? Luke then put all the miles on it, using it as his everyday transport including several holidays to Europe with his then wife Beverly.

Jess Bower purchased it from Luke in around 1991: he then passed his bike test just prior to moving to London to start his garage business Coachworks Motovalet (which is very successful to this day.) It’s fair to say that Jess and the bike didn’t quite gel at the beginning. He’d ride the bike and park it in the works garage as he had the flat above which was where he lived while the business found its feet. Shame Jess couldn’t, as one night after a couple of jars he went down to the garage and sat on the big Yam, then promptly forgot to put the side-stand back down. He lifted both feet off the garage floor and… well… you can imagine the rest.

Poor Jess was trapped under the mighty XS until the next morning when his business partner arrived… both were in a bit of a state!

His business partner then decided to take the bike away until he was ‘a bit more sensible’. How long did that last? Well, read on. Running the successful garage saw 20 years scoot on by and not without

54 / classic motorcycle mechanics

some tragedy. Jess’ cousin – a chap called Luke – had sadly died in a road traffic accident and suddenly Jess’ memories of his (short) time on the Yamaha XS1100 were rekindled and he decided to get the thing out of the ‘business partner-imposed storage’ and get it restored in Luke’s memory: and that’s where I came in, as someone who liked to restore bikes I was recommended. Me? Well, I was retired and had restored a few bikes as a hobby and this Yamaha – like the other bikes I’d restored – would also help in my recuperation from having my larynx removed some years ago due to cancer.

Firstly we had to find the bike – where had it been stored? Jess asked his business partner where he had hidden the bike to be informed it was left on a farm for the last twenty years: yes, a proper ‘barn find!’ That would have been fine, but the big Yamaha wasn’t just hidden away in a nice barn – oh no, instead it was left outside on the farm… hidden under a tarpaulin, but not even the wheels were covered which meant that they and the brakes were seized solid.

Jess was horrified!

So, to get the bike up to me on Merseyside it had to be carried into the van and then it took four men to carry it from that van into my garage! Little wonder poor Jess was trapped underneath the thing all those years ago…

At last – after more than 20 years hidden away and rotting away – it was time for this machine to be brought back to life.

Despite my excitement to getting started, things didn’t start out too well. Not only did we have to all lend a hand just to get the thing into my garage, but when I put the side-stand down it literally snapped off due to the rust! This was going to be some job.

Things didn’t get any better. The bike was totally stripped, revealing that the both rear shock mounting points had totally rusted off and had to be replaced. The engine had also seized solid. Several fins were missing on the barrels and a number of

Main pic: back to her best, courtesy of Ken! Other pics: mor more th than 20 years (mostly) ( tl ) under d a ttarp h had d taken t k their th i ttoll! ll! www.classicmechanics.com / 55

READER’S RESTORATION

Frame was sorted along with all the bits and pieces. Carbs cleaned and parts sourced. The dash of gold was a little bit of genius.

vermin nests were scattered around. The seat was a total mess, the engine casing covers looked like they had been in a war and had been camouflaged with Tarmac and the exhaust system itself was a botched-up thing. There was one surprise though: the electrics, except for cleaning and re-looming, were in good condition and worked.

From here on and with the whole bike stripped down, the frame and wheels were sent to Triple S powder-coaters and the rest of the tin ware was sorted out locally including the levers and switches.

The exhaust was a large problem as we wanted it to have two silencers but no-one was able to assist so we purchased two Motad right-hand silencers and the affable Mark at Max Torque Cans in Burscough made a left silencer out of a right one and then made the four exhaust pipes to fit. They were then sent to be black ceramic coated. The front fork sliders were re-chromed and then titanium nitrate coated. The seat base was powder-coated and a purpose-made cover fitted by R K Leighton in Birmingham. The rest of the paintwork was completed by a friend, Mark, and the fairing screen was purpose-made by Skidmarx from an old mould they still have – it’s amazing what is still about when you ask.

Motor-wise, the carbs were ultrasonically cleaned and all new jets fitted by CRC Restoration in Rainford who found that at some time the carbs has been replaced with ones off a FJ1200: apparently this was a common thing done back then to make the bike go faster!

All bearings and oil seals and brake pistons and seal kits were replaced as well as new vacuumed petrol valve and tap seals. Every nut and bolt was replaced with stainless steel or gold titanium in some cases to add a bit of sparkle. Replacement 56 / classic motorcycle mechanics

Black and gold always goes well together...

engine barrels were fitted as well as new piston rings. The cylinder head had the valve seats recut and all new valves fitted.

That dreaded side-stand was replaced and the centrestand refitted as well as new front and rear foot pegs. The front pegs were from the USA and had a larger offset so the gear and rear brake levers were replaced with longer ones to suit.

And that was that!

I was pleased that – when we took the big Yamaha for its MoT – it sailed on through first time. Let’s just hope that Jess enjoys his time on it, rather than under it… cmm

www.classicmechanics.com / 57

www.classicmechanics.com / 59

RETRO

Kawasaki ZX-7RR H2 Arguably the most handsome race-replica to come from the 1990s: we reboot the Kawasaki ZX-7R. WORDS AND IMAGES: KAR LEE / KARDESIGN

60 / classic motorcycle mechanics

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L INA RIG O THE

How do you improve on perfection? Simply put, you don’t – even Kawasaki left it unchanged during its seven year life-cycle, though we have given our ZX-7R a few subtle modern tweaks like the light and compact LED headlights the styling remains mostly faithful to the original 1996 model. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? Oh and the same goes for the colours schemes. Avoiding the nasty yellow they did, we’ve stuck with what the Big K did best: simple, solid colours…

One of the main issues with the original bike was weight, however as our bike uses the H2 motor it also takes advantage of the lightweight steel trellis frame, including the subframe from the SX sports tourer.

To keep weight low and as a nod to the ZX-7R we’ve opted for a traditional two-sided swingarm. Wheels and brakes are also donated from the H2 and we’d hope the front-end remains as legendarily planted as the 1996 bike.

ENGINE

CHASSIS

BODYWORK

he 1980s provided a bumper harvest for inline 750cc sportsbikes and Kawasaki can be credited with having provided more than its fair share. From the air-cooled GPz to the water-cooled GPZ and GPX, the big K’s range carried the most macho points of any Japanese manufacturer. This went on into the 1990s when the butch flat-nosed ZXR750H stomped onto the playground, treading on the toes of the RC30 thanks to its much lower price-tag.

It may have been all fake ‘Hoover’ pipes and rock-hard suspension, but the chiselled good looks ensured it was a top seller, even against the mighty GSX-R750. We didn’t know it at the time but the successor to that machine would be the last 750cc race-rep Kawasaki would build. Production of the ZX-7R may have ended in 2003 but somewhere in a parallel universe it lives on and looks like this:

Making less power than a modern 600 the original ZX-7R engine was unremarkable bar the most glorious howl of any 750. As Kawasaki has got the supercharged thing pretty much nailed with the H2 and second generation H2SX we’d love to see a 750cc version powering our bike. Expect a real world rear wheel 150bhp – 25bhp up on the GSX-R. Thanks to the wonders of fuel injection, carb-icing is of course completely eliminated. cmm

What do you think? Should Kawasaki revitalise one of the best-looking sportsbikes ever built? www.classicmechanics.com / 61

HAYNES PRINT & ONLINE

1983 Yamaha XS1100

Q:

Hi guys. I have a 1983 Yamaha XS1100 5K7 that has an oil leak. It seems to be coming from the camchain adjuster/tensioner. It’s been in the shop twice but I’ve still got the leak. I’ve been on a few American forums and it seems to be a common fault. I doubt very much if Yamaha has NOS adjusters. Maybe black silicone sealant around the plug would work: any suggestions?

Brian Dixon

A:

Yes, this is a common fault. There are a number of places where oil can come out in this area and it is not too much trouble to address each one. Start by checking that the leak really is coming from the tensioner, rather than the area near it. Some cylinder blocks develop cracks just above the tensioner: then oil can emerge and fall down on to the tensioner giving a false impression. Clean the tensioner very carefully, run the engine for a few minutes and inspect closely to see where the oil really is coming out.

If there is a crack, you can carry out a semi-permanent repair on the cold engine by cleaning very thoroughly around the crack with solvent repeatedly and if you can, trying to get the solvent in the crack

Our very own wizzened sages, Messrs Maark Haycock and Stevve Cooper are here to answer all of your woes, be th hey mechanical or spiritual.

Evvery month we will be giving advice, as well a

and wiping away to at least minimise the amount of oil remaining. Then apply a layer of silicone sealant, pressing well in to get a good seal. Leave it to set before starting the engine.

If that is not your issue, remove the left-hand engine cover and turn the crank clockwise (as you look at it from the left) until the C mark is aligned against the pointer. Do not turn the crank from now on. Then undo the tensioner’s two mounting bolts and remove it. Apart from the body itself, there are three places where oil can get out here. They are the mounting gasket, the little O-ring on the locking bolt and the blind plug at the far end. The part numbers are 2H71221310, 9321006632 and 9033814004 respectively; they are all still available from your Yamaha dealer and are very cheap. Use a little silicone to seal everything when you reassemble and refit the tensioner, after pressing in the tensioner rod and locking it. Then when it is in place, release the locking bolt and retighten it, just as you would when you adjust the tensioner normally and you will hear the tensioner take up the slack. Now you should find that you have no more leaks – at least until it fails again!

R U S! YO IP T

Carb cleaning?

This is to Dave Head and his seized mixture screws on his VFR last month. I soak the carb bodies in combustion chamber cleaner after disassembly and that often works, some judicious heat applied with a propane torch can also help. Clean and dry carb bodies first to eliminate any fire hazard, of course!

Manufacturers sell combustion chamber cleaner here in Canada in aerosol cans. I empty a can into a tin and dip carbs and parts in it, it’s reusable.

Naughty, but I poke a tiny hole in the bottom of the aerosol to relieve pressure and then cut the bottom.

Spraying takes longer and it froths!

Bloys Dekker cope with the extra power which is now at 120bhp. Consequently the clutch lever has considerable resistance which isn’t a problem on a run but in traffic is a nightmare with my fingers. Question: is the clutch mod needed for the extra power and if so, is there a larger master cylinder that I can replace the standard one with to make the lever action easier? Any help would be appreciated as I don’t want to have to sell her!

Tim Cannon

A:

The XJR1300 clutch uses a diaphragm spring and I suspect the previous owner might have carried out a simple mod to prevent possible slipping, i.e. adding an extra spring. The reported extra power output is only about 15% more than standard and you may well find that you never need to use it anyway so you could return the clutch to its standard layout. Dismantle the clutch and check for this and at the same time it might be beneficial to ensure that all the parts are in tip-top condition. This includes overhauling the hydraulic system. cmm

2004 Yamaha XJR1300

Q:

I have a 2004 Yamaha XJR1300.

Being of a certain age, I have developed arthritis in the fingers of both hands and need some advice regarding the clutch lever. My baby has been tuned by the previous owner and he either put in tougher clutch springs or a similar mod to

Send your queries to: bsimmonds@mortons.co.uk or write to Problem Solver, CMM, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ 62 / classic motorcycle mechanics

HAYNES PRINT & ONLINE

All the renewed components for the rear calipers ready to go.

Project Kawasaki Z1325 part 10

WORDS AND PHOTOS: RALPH FERRAND

Better brakes!

The Zed special moves on apace this month: which also means it needs decent brakes!

T

his month I am going to start off by stopping or rather facilitating a method of stopping this extravagantly powerful Zed from whatever insane speed it may reach in the hands of its South Wales owner.

As the bike has the front and rear ends from a pair Gixxers, it stands to reasons that the original stoppers fitted to the Suzukis be restored to as-new condition and used. The Nissin four pots that originally adorned the GSX-R750 WP are a very fine set of calipers. So good in fact that I have just fitted a set to my 2004 ZRX1200R to replace the six pot Tokicos.

I know the six potters work fine providing you service them on a weekly basis, but I truly haven’t the time nor inclination and I believe that the Nissins have more feel as well as consistency.

All the calipers were pretty scabby and the chrome plating on the pistons had succumbed to damp storage and become perforated allowing the steel below to rust.

64 / classic motorcycle mechanics

This is hardly uncommon and a lot of bikes on the road have dodgy caliper pistons. For some inexplicable reason some bikers seem far more likely to hand over their shekels to improve the looks of their steeds than the items that could make the difference between living and dying in an emergency situation such as

Corrosion Block grease.

good brakes. I am fastidious about the condition of the braking systems on my own bikes and those of my customers. I stripped both the front and rear calipers down to their individual component parts and cleaned every element consummately.

As this bike was being built to such a high standard, I got the caliper bodies stripped and re-anodised and all the fasteners re-plated. I bought new Tourmax aftermarket pistons which are good quality, manufactured in Japan, and on a par with the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts. When buying pattern parts one has to be a bit canny; I have bought some parts that were very obviously out of the same factory as the OEM products and others, often made in the far east, that were of deplorable quality. Often price is an indicator of grade, though regrettably with classic bike parts there generally isn’t a great deal of choice.

Although I hope with all my heart that this bike doesn’t spend much of its life in high humidity, I still decided to brush a

HAYNES PRINT & ONLINE

Using a paint brush to apply CB grease inside the seal groove.

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Lubricating the seal with red rubber grease. Mucky, but necessary!

SEE PAGES 40-41 FOR DETAILS

The piston installed in the caliper half.

All parts look as new.

The dust seal fitted.

The assembled rear caliper.

thin film of ACF50 Corrosion Block grease, which does not have a detrimental effect on the rubber brake components, into the insides of the seal grooves. While this is not common motorcycle workshop practice, it is a trick I developed myself and have found that calipers last far longer between services if they are treated.

The most damaging corrosion in calipers affecting braking performance is as a result of oxidation of the aluminium alloy in the seal groove, which forces the seal against the piston impeding its smooth movement, thereby causing a deterioration of braking efficacy.

As always, I coated the seals with a thin film of red rubber grease to lubricate

them. I gently and evenly slid the pistons into their bores, pressing with my thumb at the centre of the back face to ensure an even slide and then added the dust seals.

I often wipe the thinnest of films of red rubber grease over the pistons to help lubricate them. I placed the square section O-rings in their positions around the fluid transfer holes and then joined the two caliper halves and tightened the bolts to the torque specified by Mr Suzuki.

I always replace the bleed nipples with 316 stainless steel items, as nipples are undone and retightened quite a bit in the life of a caliper and the standard zinc plating protection is often impaired which makes them rust, which is not good on any

Using a straight pick to assist turning the nipple as the PTFE tape is wrapped.

The finished rear caliper. These aren’t new bolts, simply re-plated.

level. Because I use a vacuum bleeding system I also wrapped the bleed nipple in PTFE tape which is a good idea anyway as it isolates the two dissimilar metals that help in reducing galvanic corrosion as well as preventing the vacuum device drawing in air. A useful tip is to push the hole of the nipple onto a straight pick tool so that the nipple is held firm on the slow taper of the tool. You can then use the pick tool to turn the nipple with added mechanical advantage so that you can wind the PTFE tape tightly into the threads to better effect.

As this is to be a performance bike I specified SBS sintered pads which are the nicest pads I have ever used on a bike.

They’re not the easiest to source, and not for the budget conscious but well worth it.

For some reason, that I find difficult to get my head around, someone had previously hacked up the indicator mounts and pillion foot rest hangers from the frame. The remains were left unsorted with plenty of razor sharp burrs likely to be a serious hazard to the unwary. To return some classic Zedness to the bike we decided to use a set of original (pattern) indicators with are easily sourced for a fair price together with all the required rubber dampers etc.

The more onerous task was to put something on the frame to attach them to.

Trying to make a pair from scratch would www.classicmechanics.com / 65

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Coating the inside of the seal grooves with Corrosion Block grease.

be a major headache and cost my customer dearly. His credit card was already going into melt down. Luckily for him I have a good friend who had a scrap Z650 frame so we took an angle grinder to it and removed the rear indicator mounts.

I removed the paint, bead blasted them and then fettled them to fit on the frame of the project. They’re not exactly the same as the originals and not in exactly the same place, but given the bike was already mono-shocked, this didn’t seem a big issue. I first tack welded them in place, photographed them with my phone and sent the pics to the bike’s owner.

Once I had the okay from him, I used the TIG welder to make them a permanent part of the frame.

Next I turned my attention to the front indicators and head light. On a stock Zed the headlight is supported between two fork shrouds using the front indicator’s

Carefully encouraging the seals into their grooves.

Pushing the pistons in, from the centre of the back of the piston crown.

mounting studs as a securing pivot (see the accompanying photo). Because this bike has upside-down forks, that method was not going to work. The donor bike would have had a front sub-frame supporting its fairing with lights attached to that. A previous version of this special had some massive spotlights bolted to the

front which really didn’t add much to the aesthetic beauty of this motorcycle in my opinion. Fortunately for my artistic sensitivity they were in quite bad shape so it was clear an alternative had to be sought. As we were trying to recover as much Zedness as possible, a decent quality pattern Zed head light was sourced

Sliding in the pad securing pin, lubricated with copper-based anti-seize paste.

66 / classic motorcycle mechanics

Brake pads don’t get any sexier than these sintered SBS items.

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Z650 mounting bracket tacked in place.

Someone previously had chewed the indicator and pillion footrests off.

New bracket welded in place.

and I had the challenge of trying to make a set of mounts to mimic the original. The owner came up with some rather nice extruded aluminium alloy brackets finished in black anodise.

The first problem was that the diameter of the leg going through the bottom yoke was somewhat larger that the diameter at the top. This was probably fine for a sports bike where the leg would protrude through the top yoke to have a handle bar clamp attached but was far from ideal for this project. The clamp brackets our Welsh Zed man came up with would not quite tighten up around the larger diameter so I clamped a pair in the milling machine vice and opened up the clamp gap with a slot drill. The top clamp was going to need to be sleeved which would require some careful lathe work about which I will

How the headlight and indicators are traditionally fitted to a Z1000.

expand upon in next month’s exciting episode of the building of this fire breathing kick arse Zed special. cmm ■ www.bikerstoolbox.co.uk

The clamps had too big a hole to tighten up around the fork so I widened the slot in the milling machine.

A big problem with the upside-down fork legs is that the diameter changes between the top and bottom yokes.

The lower clamps fitted nicely after a seat in the milling machine vice for five minutes. www.classicmechanics.com / 67

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Project Honda CB750 K2 part 14

1 Looks okay, but had seen better days...

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WORDS AND PHOTOS: MARK HAYCOCK

T

he K2 engine was nearly ready to go, but there was just one last check and that was to the ignition system.

The contact breaker and auto advance unit are mounted at the end of the crankshaft under a chrome plated cover which I must admit had seen better days (Photo 1). This appears to be another example of how these bikes are knocked about during transporting from the USA, which is quite annoying as this is not an especially cheap part. This is what it looked like after being beaten out to greatly improve the appearance.

After taking off the points mounting plate, I checked the points and decided that they would best be replaced (Photo 2), and here I was faced with a choice: genuine Honda or pattern parts? To help you make your mind up, all I need to do is to tell you that the Japanese-made Daiichi pattern parts are available for less than a tenner for each set (the CB750 has a separate set for each pair of cylinders) but the genuine ones – which are still available – are £33 per set. So that is a difference of £46 for the pair and there seems to be no significant difference between the two types. So it is not too hard to choose – though later on in this series we will see that things are not quite as straightforward as they seem.

You should always check the capacitors, especially in this case considering they are now getting on for 50 years old and (in Photo 3) I am checking one with a multimeter which can read capacitance.

I am getting the reading 244 picofarads which is usually expressed in automotive

Motor-head!

Mark is almost there with the CB750 – but he does try to do things on the cheap! It’s why we love ’im… circles as 0.24 microfarads and this is correct for this application. The other was similar. Strictly speaking, the tests should include putting a high voltage across the terminals to check the dielectric but as I do not have a suitable instrument I had to assume they were okay.

It is a lot easier to change the points when the plate is on the workbench as it is less likely that you will lose the tiny but all-important insulating washers (Photo 4) or anything else. The auto-advance unit (Photo 5) can be simply pulled off its mounting by hand and dismantled into

2 Points had to be replaced.

its component parts almost equally simply (Photo 6). I do this to check wear as it does have quite an effect on performance.

Mine seemed in pretty good shape. The unit is driven by the crankshaft via a small pin and not by the thin rod, which is merely used to keep everything in place (Photo 7). Incidentally, it is a very good idea to avoid over-tightening the M6 (10mm AF) fixing nut as that little rod (or advancer shaft as it is known) is no longer available as a Honda part. The crank can be turned to facilitate setting the static advance using a so-called ‘special washer’

3 Checking the capacitors.

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4 Things are easier off the bike.

Simple solutions: Keep old parts – you never know when you’ll need ’em!

5 The auto-advance unit.

6 Its component parts.

7 Rod keeps all in place.

8

9

Advance controlled by this ‘nut’.

TX500 tank helps supply fuel!

which looks like a 23mm AF nut and I must say is a really very convenient arrangement (Photo 8).

So having serviced the engine, checked for sparks, made sure the oil tank level was okay, squirted a little oil into the cylinders, checked that it turns over and there is at least some compression, I was ready to have a go at running it, using jump leads from an external battery. The fuel tank was not ready to use as it was away being painted (we’ll see this next time) so I used the tank from the TX500 which could be made to fit reasonably well, even if it was the wrong way round (Photo 9).

The engine started without too much fuss and ran reasonably well. At this stage I could set the points dwell (190˚±5˚) and dynamic ignition timing. After I had it warmed up I could check the cylinder compressions properly and for this I had bought a brand new special tool to replace my ancient one which had more-or-less fallen to bits.

The technique is quite simple: warm w the engine up and remove all the sparkk plugs.

Then connect the tester (which is simply s a pressure gauge connected to a spaark plug hole adapter via a one-way valve), either disable the ignition system or connect the spark plugs and earth them to avooid damage to the HT side of the systtem, open the throttle fully and turn th he engine over fairly briskly (meaning makin ng sure the battery is fully charged for an n electric starter or kicking it over hard). Th he one-way valve allows the cylinderr pressure to be transmitted to the gauge bu ut not to return and the effect is that the gauge shows a higher and higher figuree for a few turns until it reaches a maximum m, which reflects the actual cylinder presssure.

In line with my ‘is the cheapeest actually usable?’ policy, I splashed out something s like £12 for a tester (Photo 10)). The short answer in this case was no. The one-way valve was actually a Sh hrader type, more usually seen on tyrees. In this application it simply did not work

10 £12 tester tester... does it work? w www.classicmechanics.com / 69

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11

12

Perhaps this one will work.

Make do and mend still works!

because the parts had not been made properly. I did have a go at modifying a few bits, without success and got fed up and bought a different tester for very slightly more wonga (Photo 11). This second set proved to be far better designed and made, working perfectly okay. Incidentally, how they make these sets, transport them halfway round the world and retail them for such a cheap price remains a complete mystery.

This superior set had a choice of using a screw-in connector (there were connectors for 10, 12, 14 and 18mm plug threads) or two different styles of tubes (straight or bent) with push-on rubber tips. The push-on type is quicker but I did find it impossible to use for this application, though the 12mm screw connector worked okay. Incidentally, the inner plugs are quite hard to access on the CB750 and many years ago I made up a special tool, consisting of a 17mm nut, a bit of steel tube and an 18mm socket welded

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14

This shows before...

And after... much better!

together, which still manage to do the job (Photo 12).

My results were (from cylinders one to four): 160, 160, 155, and 152 psi.

The specification is 150 to 170, with a variation (minimum to maximum) of no more than 10%. Analysing the results,

cylinder four was within the spec but only just, but because 152 + 10% is 167 I was okay with the percentage difference.

Before I start tearing the engine to bits though, let us think about the results. The gauge I was using was very cheap and probably not highly accurate (though it should be okay for the percentage difference), and the engine has probably not been in working order for some time so the cylinder walls and valve seats might not be in tip-top condition. Either way, why not run it around for a bit and then retest, as at least I have shown that the engine is not complete scrap!

The other procedure was to balance the carburettors and for this I used my Morgan Carbtune set, which I have discussed in previous articles and this as usual worked well. The principle, if you have not seen this set, is that steel rods are used to form a four-way manometer as a much safer alternative to mercury columns as well as being much more compact. Photos 13 and 14 show the before and after results.

The only thing I might say is that I don’t much care for the plastic adaptors it comes with which were very hard to fit to the inner carbs and I had a much easier time using the old long metal ones in my toolkit (Photo 15). cmm

15 Metal adaptors always work better than plastic ones.

70 / classic motorcycle mechanics

■ Next time I shall look at sorting out trim and paintwork.

www.classicmechanics.com / 71

cmm

Allen Mil l lyard Award-winning motorcyccle engineer!

Machining the front hub on my lathe.

Roll… and STOP! It’s a case of brakes and wheels to get this beauty rolling and stopping right.

A

fter last month’s successful test run of my 374cc six-cylinder engine I’m now really excited to be making a start on the rest of the bike. My aim was to make a six-cylinder RC174 tribute that has the right feel, correct scale, and most important to me the right sound, but not necessarily an exact replica.

I have named my bike the RC374 due to its actual engine capacity of 374cc. The original Honda RC174 was in fact 297cc.

With this in mind I needed some nice clear photos of the original RC174 to follow while I was making parts, so as to capture the fine details. My birthday was

72 / classic motorcycle mechanics

approaching so I hinted to my wife Tracey that I needed a reference book on the Honda RC174 and gave her a link to one I had seen online. It was a guidebook for model makers, but to me this was perfect because it featured actual close up photographs of an authentic Honda RC174.

When I make a bike from scratch I like to make parts in a certain order, engine first, then wheels followed by forks, swingarm and the frame last. This way I have all the main components to fit into a frame jig while I build the frame. I had recently bought a 1966 Honda CB77 bare

rolling chassis thinking that I could use some of the parts. The wheels had twin-leading drum brakes, which looked like they may be usable, also the forks look similar, and with a bit of work could be made to look like original RC174 forks.

The first thing I did was to strip the rolling chassis, making a pile of parts that were potentially usable. The wheels were rusty so I cut the spokes to remove the hubs. The rear hub was basically okay with one exception, it had to be flipped around so that the chain drive was on the left which involved a bit of modification to the brake plate; more on that later.

Drilling spoke holes on my milling machine.

Iron inner rings and CB77 brake shoes.

The Honda RC174 is fitted with a double-sided four leading shoe (4LS) drum front brake, which was a prominent feature on the original bike. The CB77 front hub was only a single-sided twin leading shoe drum so was no good to use in standard form. I did have a quick look online and found several companies making 4LS front hubs but they are expensive and didn’t really match up with the original look I was aiming for.

I had already decided that I wanted to make as much as possible myself by hand from raw materials so I thought why not make the front hub from scratch as well?

I was going to modify and use the CB77 forks and yokes so I had the dimension between the axle mounting points that determined the width of my hub. I then realised that I had to make a twin-sided four leading brake to fit in the same place as the standard twin leading brake, ‘this is going to be interesting,’ I thought to myself. I made a basic layout sketch to see how much space I had to work with, adding up known dimensions like the

Finished front hub.

www.classicmechanics.com / 73

cmm

Allen n Millyard

Award-winning motorcycle engineer!

Revised brake cable anchor point ready for welding.

width of CB77 brake shoes, wheel bearings and brake plates then subtracting the width of the speedo drive because this wouldn’t be needed and then taking the final figure away from the dimension between the forks. I was pleased to find there was 12mm left over which I would need for the internal central spokes.

The next thing I did was to buy some cast iron to machine the internal braking surface rings. I needed 200mm internal bore to suit the Honda CB77 brake shoes and I thought it would be cheaper if I bought a pair of car drums to make them from. I had a look online again and found and bought a pair of 1970s Vauxhall Chevette brake drums that were 200mm internal diameter. ‘Perfect’, I thought; the car drums were made from the correct grade of cast iron and would require the minimum amount of machining. I set them up on my lathe and parted off a portion from each drum to machine into the rings for my new hub.

I then ordered a solid billet of 6082T6 aluminium alloy to machine the main body of the hub on my lathe. This was a really interesting job to do, working to a few basic dimensions with my model maker’s guidebook for reference. Once the lathe work was complete, I set up the partfinished hub up onto my milling machine to machine the internal spokes and drill the 36 spoke holes. The hub was then heated to 150°C in the oven, first making sure that Tracey wasn’t planning to use it for the next hour or so! Once the hub was heated through I quickly measured the internal diameters, which had now expanded and then finished machining the iron rings 0.05mm larger on the outside diameter to provide a tight interference fit.

The rings were then pressed into each side of the hub on my hydraulic press.

When the hub cooled the rings were held securely in place. As an additional precaution I also pinned the rings in three 74 / classic motorcycle mechanics

Air scoops ready for welding.

places. I then pressed one wheel bearing and made the internal spacer tube to suit and pressed in the second bearing. Next up was the brake plates; these were modified from original Honda CB77 brake plates to look similar to the RC174 brake plates by fabricating and welding on air scoops, and modifying the brake linkages on the left-hand brake plate. The righthand brake plate was originally on the left-hand side and needed more work to swap the positions of the pivots and cams to make the brake twin leading.

If I had left the pivots where they were the right side brake would be twin trailing and not very effective. I had to do this modification on the rear brake plate as well due to the Honda CB77 having its chain on the right-hand side as I will be fitting it flipped over so that the chain is on the left. The last job I had to do to both front brake plates was relocate the anchorage point. I made a pair of triangle plates and welded one to each fork leg

The finished wheels.

then made an aluminium boss to weld on to each brake plate that lined up with the triangle anchor point on each fork leg.

After a trial fit to confirm all parts fitted and the hub rotated freely I was ready to complete the build of the wheels. I bought a pair of 18in flanged aluminium rims that are similar to the original Honda rims. The rear spokes were standard CB77 and laced in a three-cross pattern (this is the term given to how many spokes a single spoke will cross between the hub and rim) but the front spoke length were unique to my wheel and needed to be specially ordered.

I used an online spoke length calculator to determine the required spoke length after measuring a few critical dimensions from the hub and rim and specifying the two-cross spoke pattern as used on the Honda RC174 front wheel. I then ordered the new spokes and a week later when they arrived I built up the wheels and fitted the period-looking tyres.

Superb! cmm

WORDS AND PHOTOS: SCOTT REDMOND

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Project Suzuki GSX-R750WT SRAD part 6

Downpipe decisions!

From downpipe denial to downpipe replacement: sorting the zorst is no longer a pipe dream for our Scottie!

I

n the previous installement of my GSX-R750 SRAD project story I was flirting with the idea of dumping the rough and rusty though solid downpipes from my golden wonder Suzuki 750; the thought of fitting some GSX-R1000 K1 original headers proves to be an idea that I can’t shift.

Back then I had trawled eBay for a while but failed to find any suitable exhausts to solve my issue, which lead me to parking the idea and moving on to another job.

Lady Luck then stepped in! Last year I tinkered with an old GSX-R1000 K1 within the back pages of CMM. Always one to push the boundaries I had spent less than £1500 on a 145bhp bike that hit 15 years old in 2017. I used the bike daily, did a few jobs and sold it on at a profit: my kind of biking.

76 / classic motorcycle mechanics

Weirder still, I bought the bike late last year after the chap I had sold it to hung up his crash hat for the winter.

He’d been busy piling on the miles and also he’d returned the bike to a race-rep look; long gone was my comfy top yoke and straight bars. Instead he’d fitted original bars, top yoke and treated it to a full set of clothes in the rarer red and black strip. I flipped it straight on to a trader and that was that, well except it wasn’t.

Here I sit having just broken that very bike into a zillion bits and it’s all over my garage floor. The boomerang GSX-R came back in a deal on another bike! I had a number of a guy who wanted a modern front-end for a project bike, a quick chat and the complete GSX-R1000K3 radial-braked front-end was his! Suddenly my GSXR1000K1 downpipes plan was back on!

K1 titanium downpipes.

Lovely headers: fit an SRAD too...

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Simple solutions: Find out which parts are interchangeable on several models.

Red bodykit replaced old blue!

How the red bike USED to look!

She looked good and broke well!

I love stripping bikes down; it’s like therapy for me, but some people still frown at my antics. The bottom line with this particular bike is it’s worth more in parts – sad fact but true. On the plus side one bike allowed lots of others to live.

If you’ve ever taken an exhaust off any old bike you’ll be aware how a classic five minute job can go sour: years of road muck and heat cycles can result in exhaust bolts that either refuse to budge, or decide to snap. The worse case scenario is when the bolt rounds off: then you really are up the creek without a paddle.

I firmly believe in what you think about you bring about, so I approached the eight exhaust bolts with a positive attitude.

Sadly I didn’t have any penetration sprays to hand, nor did I have my trusty impact driver (never lend tools out). But I did have a clear view of the bolts and my trusty Halfords tools. Suzuki likes to use Allen bolts to secure its headers, this adds to the odds of the job going wrong when the Allen head socket gets mashed.

The first one came undone fairly easy, so did the second, then the third one too, so far so good. I was sure to tap the extension bar once the socket was in place: it’s easy to think that a positive mating is taking place only to find that dirt inside the bowels of the Allen-headed bolt causes the socket to go skew quiff and round out the purchase point, yes I speak from

A mighty mill!

Rest in pieces... two weeks and money back plus profit!

experience. My patience and positive mindset was rewarded, despite the odd groan resulting from the dried out threads being disturbed.

One swift pull and a minor wrestle to get them past the radiator and oil cooler and the headers were free. The reason these stock downpipes are so prized is because they are made from titanium, the weight saving over steel items is immense, plus they don’t rot like a compost heap. I did have to chuckle; Suzuki went through all of this effort and expense to shave weight from their flagship GSX-R yet components like the rear brake caliper and wheels still weigh much the same as other older GSX-R items. The headers are in great shape, a quick soaking with some bike cleaning stuff from the pound shop and they rubbed up a treat! Sadly I sold the titanium link pipe last year when I fitted the Max Torque Cans silencer.

A friend of mine did this exact transplant to his GSX-R750 SRAD, so I know that it’s not just an urban myth about these titty-items being a straight fit. I watched his progress virtually via his Facebook updates – it looked a straightforward swap, which is probably why I’ve entertained doing the conversion myself. Right, suppose I better get my impact driver back and some lubrication spray and get the crusty, rusty exhaust off the SRAD. Wish me luck! cmm

Off they come!

Eventually all comes apart. www.classicmechanics.com / 77

WORDS AND PHOTOS: STEVE COOPER

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Mr Rotor-vator!

Sometimes the only answer to a problem is a destructive one!

Scoop removes a stuck-on rotor!

U

nless you ride some sort of race bike it’s pretty much guaranteed to have some form of generator and in most cases it’s mounted on the end of the crank.

Generators can fail in service or may need to be removed in the course of an engine rebuild. If you’re lucky the rotating part of the unit will come off the shaft without a problem but as we know Dame Fortune rarely smiles on those who tinker with old bikes!

The default settings are generally a range of pullers. Often these screw into the rotor and then a draw bolt is wound down onto the crank’s end. Tension is then applied and, if the gods are smiling, the rotor comes off its taper. To enhance the effects of the puller it’s quite normal to hit the end of the draw bolt with a decent hammer; this shock is often enough to break the bond holding the rotor. Another alternative is to use a three or four-legged puller which engages with the crank’s nose 78 / classic motorcycle mechanics

and pulls on the outer back face of the rotor. Here it’s vital to make absolutely certain that you’re pulling on nothing critical. Damage the back of the rotor, bend the steel plates around which the windings are positioned or fracture the carcass and no one will be taking it off you as a service exchange part!

Sometimes heat and/or penetrating fluids may be necessary, oh and some patience as well. On the basis that your rotor has been comfortably homed for decades it’d be naïve in the extreme to

A handy slide hammer.

expect it to virtually fall into your hands at the first attempt. Quite often it’s necessary to wind the puller into place, tension it, walk away and then repeat, tightening the draw bolt over a succession of days.

Normally the rotor will jump off at some point so it’s a good idea to have something soft for it to fall onto. The other ‘go-to’ tool for rotor removal is a slide hammer. This is simply a long rod threaded at one end to suit the rotor with a positive stop at the other end. A large mass is thrown with force away from the rotor and with the rod screwed in place the resultant forces shock the rotor off its taper.

All of which is absolutely marvellous but sometimes, no matter what you try, the wretched rotor stays put. Here your options are far fewer and most, by default, are likely to be destructive. When the rotor of the Yamaha CS3C failed to give up after all of the above and much more there really was only one option – cut it off.

What follows isn’t nice but sadly it was the only viable option.

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1

2

1/ Brutal but necessary: an exploratory cut’s been made across the rotor and now a second one’s made around the circumference. The small chisel to the right holds the engine, which is in gear, static so the rotor can’t turn. 2/ Now we can see the rotor’s internal composition.

There’s an inner core of steel plates with copper windings on either side. The copper wire is also encapsulated by an insulating resin.

3

4

5

3/ A second cut is made in the hope that a chunk of windings can be removed. Out of camera shot I’m wearing safety glasses, face mask and a hat to protect from the sparks and fumes. 4/ With small sharpened cold chisel and club hammer a few strategic strikes are made in the hope of cracking out a segment. I need to know where the rotor’s core ends and the crankshaft taper begins if I’m not to damage the latter.

5/ Well that was almost a wasted effort! Little has been achieved other than removing some of the commutator but at least I have a better idea of how the unit is configured.

7

6

8

6/ After lots of cutting, levering and tugging I’ve removed a substantial amount of metal…p rogress of a sort at least. 7/ Up closer you can see the layers of steel plates and the copper windings that run around and through them. Crucially I can now also see the splines that mark the outer face of the rotor’s core and the component that won’t free off the crank. 8/ The angle grinder is limited in its ability by the proximity by the engine case. Utilising these cable grommet apertures I can get the cutting disc in a fair bit deeper. www.classicmechanics.com / 79

Simple solutions: Don’t skimp on full protection on jobs like these!

9

10

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11

9/ Finally, substantial progress; two large lumps removed and more of the inner core almost visible. I’m now three hours into this but the end is not in sight yet! 10/ It’s a frustratingly painful process. The steel plates are consistently reluctant to loosen even when cut free from the inner core because the copper windings hold everything tightly in place. 11/ Finally! One more concerted wiggle with the big-beast screw driver and the rotor core is exposed.

12

13

12/ Having taken careful measurements I’ve sliced my way carefully down to the nose of the crank ready for the final stages. 13/ Cutting into the rotor core as deep as I dare with the angle grinder it’s now the turn of the Dremel with numerous cutting discs. I need to get close to the crank but hopefully not mark it. 14/ The shape of the engine cases means Dremel access isn’t ideal but I’m almost there.

A series of holes has been drilled into the rotor core close to the crank. A few cold chisel/hammer attacks sees the job done. 15/ Look at the left-hand end of each half; there’s a faint brown stain that’s probably corrosion. A 2mm band of corrosion is the likely culprit for all this grief; just 150 square millimetres that has proved so damn resilient. 16/ All that’s salvageable was the half-moon key!

Everything else is going in the bin and, frankly, good riddance to it.

Now all I need to do is find a new Yamaha CS3C rotor! Read that elsewhere in this issue! cmm

14

15

Damage limitation!

No one likes destroying perfectly good components and no more so than when the parts involved are the thick end of half a century old. Sourcing a replacement generator won’t be easy or cheap but it’s the lesser of two evils. Left-hand CS3 crank wheels aren’t exactly common and many that turn up have suffered from botched attempts at getting the generator off.

I can get a damaged set of windings replaced but I’m not going to be able to repair a bent taper or damaged shaft quite so easily. And also, fortuitously, if it all goes pear shaped there’s a Plan B. Power Dynamo offers an electronic ignition system for the CS series Yamahas.

I might not have the electric start facility but at least I’d have an ignition and viable crank.

80 / classic motorcycle mechanics

16

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WORDS AND PHOTOS: STEVE COOPER

HAYNES PRINT & ONLINE

Project Yamaha CS3C part 4

Motor mayhem!

A wrecked rotor and rusty races but Scoop’s fortune might just be turning!

W

hen faced with an apparently insurmountable engineering problem it’s not at all uncommon to take ever more desperate measures to overcome the issue.

I’m fortunate to have Sean Allen living nearby; he’s the youngster who built the amazing LC/YPVS hybrid featured in CMM some years ago. Sean loves his tools and offered to give the rotor a very serious talking to with his mega-torquey rattle gun, a device so far unbeaten. The rotor simply laughed at the tool, ate a handful of high tensile steel draw bolts and sat impassively on the workbench totally unmoved by the experience. The last resort had finally become the only option – it was angle grinder time! Leaving aside the gruesome details (full story on page 78) I ended up with a box full of scrap steel plate, copper wire and a bifurcated rotor centre. Okay so at least the engine could 82 / classic motorcycle mechanics

be taken apart now while I tried to find a replacement rotor.

And on that very same subject it dawned on me that I may have inadvertently stumbled across the fabled Mitsubishi generator often referred to in earlier Yamaha parts books but rarely if ever seen.

If you care to look back at earlier instalments of this project you may well spot that the stator for the bike is a pale

grey colour. Every other Yamaha 180/200 I have ever come across runs a black Hitachi stator. In a moment of atypical lucidity I re-examined the CS3C’s stator and found a tell-tale maker’s mark – a small diamond. This is the brand marking of Mitsubishi. Which then explains why the draw bolt thread was 8mm and not the 10mm I’ve previously always encountered!

Okay so now I have a rationale for previous

Bifurcated rotor is, er, fu... rcated...

Rusty outers on bearings.

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One carbonised piston...

Tail pipes for the CS...

chaos but not an immediate solution; Hitachi rotors don’t work with Mitsubishi stators. I had a shed search followed by a garage rummage and one of those full-on, everything-out, do-or-die parts hunts. And there, still in its original box, was a brand new Mitsubishi rotor that my old mate, mentor and long-time restorer Graham Head gave me when he packed up spannering. Now carrying the heavy copper unit likes it was the Crown Jewels, I installed it onto the crank and it fits perfectly; the stator also fits like a glove.

Perhaps this project is actually blessed and not cursed after all?

Decamping to my mate Dave’s workshop so I could take pictures as he dissected the motor; it all came apart rather well but revealed issues; some known others not.

The main bearings were grumbling but the crank was always going to be rebuilt anyway. What we weren’t expecting was just how oily the right-hand side was going to be; further detective work revealed someone had renewed the crank seal on that same side but drove it in way too far.

This tied in with the heavily oiled and carbonised right-hand piston and the fact that I’d found transmission oil as far as the rear brake torque arm! The right hand pot had been pressurising the transmission. To add to the glee someone had used thicker oil, presumably to reduce the amount being burnt or used.

SEE PAGES 40-41 FOR DETAILS

All was not what it seemed with the carbs!

The CS3C’s crank.

Stinkiest carbs ever...

Gears look pretty good from here...

I was wondering why the lower half of the bike was so damn oily. Confirming the motor really did need sorting the left-hand outer main bearing was actually rusted; good job we were on the case. On the plus side the gearbox side of things looked okay so that’s one expense less. So that’s the motor as far as we can progress it for now.

I’ve now started a YamBits shopping list and it’s already almost a page long. In the interim while the crank gets looked at I’ll

arrange to have the engine cases vapour cleaned as there’s no way a quick splash in a parts washer is going to sort them out.

Another lucky find for the project has been the tail pipes that were previously conspicuous by their absence. Called ‘pipe, outlet’ in the parts book these are inverted cones that fit inside the internal baffle. Doubtless removed to make the street scrambler sound louder they were supposed to be spark arrestors that www.classicmechanics.com / 83

HAYNES PRINT & ONLINE

Mis-fitted seal.

Heck of a find: a Mitsubishi rotor, no less!

prevented the rider setting fire to forests back in the day. They also provide a controlled level of back pressure that’s key to the dynamics of the expansion chamber.

YDS Parts owner Alasdair Cowan has one in stock and I then find three more misidentified on eBay – happy days. It then turns out that there are actually two different formats; one more restricted than the other. Something else to play around with when the bike’s finally running then!

Last task for this episode is one I’ve really not been looking forward to, stripping the carbs. As with many other areas of this low mileage bike someone has been tinkering for tinkering’s sake.

There’s vestiges of silver paint on the carbs and a rat’s nest of insulation tape around their control cables. In the naïve hope I might be able to save the lower

runs I tag them L&R as, helpfully, they’re different lengths. Looking at the carbs I’m initially puzzled because something really doesn’t look right and then it dawns on me: the float bowl overflows have been linked by tubes to the slide chamber breathers… why, for crying out loud? The floats bowls are carefully removed to reveal some of the most malodourous petrol I have ever encountered. It’s actually so vile I have to work outside, it really is that bad!

Inside there’s a lots of stinky stuff and strong evidence of pieces of carbon; a sure sign this fuel had almost solidified. With both stripped they’re placed into two glass jars and hastily covered with paint thinners which mercifully kills the pong.

Unfortunately my workshop still reeks and the stench lingers for days. Can someone remind me why we do this please? cmm

New rotor fits!

84 / classic motorcycle mechanics

Mitsubishi diamond mark.

Second sourcing Seized components go with the territory on any restoration, but it can be incredibly frustrating dealing with such issues. The fact that it took almost a month of ever-desperate measures to free the rotor just shows how time consuming projects can be.

The drastic surgery obviously necessitated a replacement component and I was lucky beyond measure to actually have one to hand but what would have been the alternatives if The Gods of Restoration hadn’t smiled? I could have trawled the web for a compatible rotor but chances are I’d only be likely to find a used unit stateside. Importing heavy, second-hand, electrical unit is fraught with problems, shipping costs and potential failure; no one guarantees used electrical items almost half a century on!

The next obvious and most likely option would have been to track down a complete Hitachi unit (stator and rotor) and hope I’d be able to test it before handing over the money. Rewinding a dead rotor is nigh on £250 now and a refurbished stator isn’t far behind that. After that I’d have to look to the likes of Power Dynamo for a totally new electronic ignition system and generator which would have worked and come with a guarantee but I’d have lost the electric start feature.

www.classicmechanics.com / 85

servicesguide

To advertise in classiďŹ edmechanics contact Rob Call: 01507 529575 Email: rbee@mortons.co.uk BIKE STANDS

BLAST CLEANING

BLAST CLEANING

Advertising deadline for the September issue is Thursday 26 July BRAKES/CLUTCHES

CARBURETTORS

86 / classic motorcycle mechanics

servicesguide CARBURETTORS

CHROMING

COMPRESSORS

CLOTHING

DEALER DIRECTORY

CHROMING

www.classicmechanics.com / 87

servicesguide DYNO SERVICES

ELECTRICAL

ENAMELLING/POWDER COATING

KEY CUTTING

LUBRICANTS & FUEL TREATMENTS

PARTS AND SPARES

ENAMELLING/POWDER COATING

ENAMELLING/POWDER COATING

88 / classic motorcycle mechanics

servicesguide PARTS AND SPARES

SEATS RADIATOR

SHOCK ABSORBERS

SPEEDOMETERS

RESTORATION

SHOTBLASTING

TANK REPAIRS

www.classicmechanics.com / 89

servicesguide TOOLS

TRAILERS

TRANSPORT

WEB DIRECTORY

TWO STROKE TUNING

VAPOUR BLASTING

VAPOUR BLASTING

90 / classic motorcycle mechanics

92 / classic motorcycle mechanics

WOR D P H O S : ST EV TOS: E GAR COOPER Y ‘D ’ CHA PMA N

BUY E GUIDR’S E

SUSPENSION

Vast room for improvement.

OEM system really only adequate at best now.

PANELS, SEAT & TRIM

Tanks now hard to find, filler caps not common and are chromed alloy. Ensure side panel and oil tank are correctly mounted on rubber bushings.

CARBURETION

Some can be prone to flat spots; see ‘What to Buy’ section

EXHAUSTS

Should be a two-part system but YDS7/YR5 one-piece units will fit! Correct exhausts carry model ID near to the rear tyre.

YAMAHA RD250B This month it’s one of the 70’s iconic learner machines: the round-tank RD250 Yam.

94 / classic motorcycle mechanics

ELECTRICS

Rotor windings can burn out or die with age: best upgraded to modern solid state replacements.

O

f the ‘Big Four’ Yamaha has always represented the maverick element of the Japanese motorcycle industry.

Willing to take a gamble, go out on limb and test uncharted waters, the company has generally made staggeringly successful motorcycles but, on occasion, it’s also wheeled out the odd lemon. So when, in 1973, they announced a new quarter-litre machine for the crucial learner section of the market many were expecting something radical.

The ‘all-new’ RD250 did indeed look fundamentally different from its forerunner, yet if you looked a little deeper there was still a vast amount of YDS7 just beneath the surface.

Prior to 1970 Yamaha had continued with the proven vertically split crankcase, twin cylinder, motors that traced their origins back to the German MD200 Adler of the early 1950s. The set-up provided an immensely strong home for the crankshaft but crucially absorbed precious assembly time on the shop floor. All of Yamaha’s native competitors had moved to horizontally split engine cases on the grounds of cost and so Yamaha had to do likewise. The resultant YDS7 proved to be a huge hit and ran for three years around the world but in Japan there were already changes afoot. Circa 1971/72 Yamaha’s design team carried out a revision to the YDS7’s styling and, crucially, added a disc brake with a twin-piston cast iron brake caliper. This bike (the DX250 PRO)

ENGINE/GEARBOX

Fed with decent oil and with the points/timing properly set little should go wrong: unless it’s been tuned and not properly set up!

BRAKES

Caliper was class leader in its day, just needs occasional servicing. Disc is made of ‘Kryptonite’ and rarely wears. Decent range of pad options if you look hard enough. www.classicmechanics.com / 95

What to buy and how much to pay

IT’S MY BIKE:

Andy Gautlett

“I bought this German import at a Stafford show a few years ago for £400.

It was a bit rough and had been thrown together probably just to get rid of it. I normally restore Hondas but thought ‘why not, it’s cheap enough!’

“I set to and sorted it with new rubber and a seat cover along with various other jobs that needed doing.

And then I ended up jumping through hoops to get a log book for it. Of course it didn’t have a current NOVA status so there were hassles there and finally I had to pay Yamaha UK £46 to get proof of the bike’s age. I got it all sorted in the end but I’ll not be going down that route again any time soon!

“I brought the RD back to Stafford with a view to selling it on but although it got a lot of tyre kickers no one was willing to make offers anywhere near the £3000 or so I was looking for. Lesson learnt I then put it up on eBay starting at £2200 and it finally sold for £2600 which I was happy with.”

Any Yamaha RD has the ability to be a mix-and-match minefield monster; parts from 1970 through to 1980 will fit. Therefore, hybrids are best avoided unless that’s your thing. It’s perfectly possible to run a 350 top-end as it drops straight on BUT you’ll need the 350’s oil pump and primary drive gears if it’s to work properly. The basic machine can be easily upgraded without significant changes to the overall appearance.

Check out CMM back issues where our Project RD350 has been featured; carburetion, inlet and suspension upgrades significantly enhance the RD experience. UK models arrived with just five gear ratios available and revised sprockets; this was done in order to pass noise emission tests. The sixth gear is in the box and can be liberated with the correct parts; rear sprockets will need to be changed to take advantage of the full complement of cogs. Avoid ex-production racing machines unless you prefer garage time over riding time. Project examples can be had for £1000-£1500 and at the upper end of that bracket you’d be hoping everything was there and in decent, reusable, order.

Between £2000-£3000 should get you a decent, rideable, example that possibly needs a deep clean and some replating. Currently the top end of the market seems to be hovering around £5000 and for that money the bike would need to be mint or close to it.

The USA market 250A with the drum front brake generally fetches £500-£700 less than an equivalent disc braked example but if the price is right and the bike ticks the boxes then they can be a little bit of a bargain.

was essentially a halfway house between the old 7 model and the forthcoming RD. Come 1973 the DX250 PRO carried a set of revised tinware, a deeper seat, curved outer engine cases, an instrument panel rather than two individual clocks, a host of minor revisions and, most significantly, a set of reed valves between the carburettors and the inlet ports of the barrels. These apparently inconsequential stainless steel petals pretty much transformed the old YDS7 motor. Until this point a stroker’s motor had effectively been something of a compromise at least on the public highway. Yes there was more performance to be had as Yamaha had ably demonstrated on the race track but getting that power into a machine destined for the general public was a different story.

However, Yamaha had been experimenting with reed valve technology for some time both on the dirt and at GP level. By installing what amounted to a one way valve after the carburettor and cutting holes in the backs of the pistons walls it was possible to run substantially more radical porting without any running issues. Simplistically the reed valves prevented fuel and air being needlessly shuttled back and forth along the length of the inlet tract from the back of the piston’s rear wall and into the carburettor.

On the road this translated into a bike that was both fast and tractable with pretty much instant drive when the taps were opened yet none of the neutral throttle hesitancy and/or surging that characterised a heavily tuned, piston-ported, stroker.

Yamaha’s adoption of the reed valve had given their twins a performance edge without the need for costly and bulky disc valve technology. The inlet side of the motor was open for a full 360 degrees allowing it to draw in fresh fuel and air whenever there was negative pressure below the piston. The upshot of this was that the RD250 instantly became the must-have learner bike leaving the likes of the Kawasaki S/KH triples and the Suzuki GTs looking decidedly old fashioned. And all of this from what amounted to little more than a crafty rework of a

96 / classic motorcycle mechanics

Classic tank shape.

design that had first seen the light of day as the 1960s drew to a close.

Our bike in camera is a 1975 model year RD250B and the last year of the round tanked models; for the following year the RD would run the angular so-called coffin tank which falls outside of our Buyer’s Guide. Over in the USA our American cousins also enjoyed the new model yet some of their 250s were cosmetically different to Europe’s.

The original 1973 model appears to be the same other than a different tail-light yet, curiously, the subsequent RD250A reverted to a YSD7 type twin leading shoe front brake and a smaller fuel tank.

The same tank in a different colour featured on the ’75 RD250B but the disc brake had reappeared.

Such differences may seem inconsequential yet can and do lead to much confusion when imported RD250s are offered for sale.

These round tanked RD250s have and continue to be overshadowed somewhat by the later and more prevalent coffin tanked models yet are now just starting to gain in popularity. They look different to both their peers and later machinery yet offer stunning performance and usability. The best of the early 70s stroker learners? Very possibly. Try one for yourself and try not to be massively impressed! cmm

SPECIFIC CATION

YAMAHA RD25 50B ENGINE TYP PE

Air-cooled 247cc, tw wo-stroke twin, reed valve ind duction OKE BORE AND STRO

54mm x 54mm m

CLAIMED HORSEPO OWER

30bhp @ 7500rpm m

MAXIMUM TORQU UE

21lb-ft @ 7000rpm m

TRANSMISSION TYP PE

5-speed (6th blanked off for UK market) O COMPRESSION RATIO

6.7:1

IGNITION

Points & coil CARBURETTOR

2 x Mikuni VM28SC TYRES

3.00-18 (F), 3.50-18 (R)

USEFUL CONTACTS ■ ■ ■ ■

HVC Cycles www.hvccycle.net Wemoto www.wemoto.com Yambits www.yambits.co.uk Air Cooled RD Club aircooledrdclub.com

FUEL CAPACITY

3.6 gallons (16.5 litres) DRY WEIGHT

155kg (335lb) WHEELBASE

1325mm (52.1in) OVERALL LENGTH

2030mm (79.9in)

OVERALL WIDTH

830mm (32.6in) HEIGHT

1085mm (42.7mm)

www.classicmechanics.com / 97

98 / classic motorcycle mechanics

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APRILIA RS50 full restoration, nos bodywork, 12,500 miles, fantastic condition, £1995 Tel. 07776 172708. Stirling

APRILIA RSV Mille, V reg, 29,080 kilometres, needs a service & battery been stood for a couple of years, nice bike, £3500 ono Tel. 07818 518582 after 6pm. Notts

BMW R100RT 1991, 43,000 miles, high & standard screens, Krausers, vgc, two owners, MoT, original tool kit & hand books, £4000 ono Tel. 07761 951298. Lymington

BMW R1100RT 1997, 139,000, red, MoT Feb 2019, fsh, £1500 ovno Tel. 07775 994087.

Berkshire

BSA A7 not your usual A7, bike in Nottinghamshire, £5000 Tel. 07818 518582 leave message I will get back to you.

BSA GOLDSTAR ZB, 350cc, 1949, bike starts & runs well, a beautifully restored machine, loads of money spent on restoration, £6500 ono Tel. 07817 256283.

DOUGLAS MK5 been restored with a powder coated frame & rechromed wheels, the engine is superb compression like new, looks stunning and is a bargain Tel. 01214 452119.

Worcs

FANTIC CABELLERO TX94, Sports moped, 1972, all original, all 100% complete, everything works as it should, only 4 owners, imported in 2009, V5, £2500 Tel. 07990 720765. Gwent

HARLEY-DAVIDSON 883 Sportster, 2006, one owner, only 5700 miles, 12 months MoT, £4750 ono Tel. 07944 634188. Essex

HONDA 400/4 1976, beautifully restored no expense spared, comes with original bill of sale, old MoTs, two previous owners, 25,000 miles, £5950 Tel. 07805 468356. Shropshire

HONDA 500/4 1973, American import, 36,000 miles, Dynatec electronic ignition, spare rear wheel, with new tyres and spare carb, £2850 Tel. 01516 303398.

Cheshire

HONDA C90 Cafe Racer, 1968, built & imported from Vietnam, comes with all paperwork ready to register, free from road tax & MoT, lovely condition, £1950 Tel. 07803 988875. Staffs

HONDA CB200 1976, 4500 miles, very good original condition, tax and MoT exempt May £1500 Tel. 01827 381026.

Staffs

HONDA CB350/4 really nice unmessed with example, MoT April 2019, approx 18,000 miles, spare set of DSS exhausts, new original handbook, £3500 ono Tel. 01469 518557. Lincs

HONDA CB360T 1975, MoT till August 2018, 8000 miles, very nice original condition, all numbered parts, £4700 Tel. 01889 570265. Staffs

HONDA CB400N Superdream, 1984, 20,000 miles, MoT July 2018, original exhausts etc, vgc, £2200 ono Tel. 07702 080245. Northants

HONDA CB500-4 1976, 41,800 miles, superb condition, 4 into 4 exhaust, owned by same family since 1981, t&t exempt, only 200 miles since MoT July 2017, £5500 Tel. 07811 333373.

HONDA CB500RS vgc, Honda XL500 engine with powder coated CB250RS cycle parts, professional build (Red Rose Retrobikes), NOS parts, stainless steel etc, Sorn, £2900 ono buyer collects Tel. 07392 487353 after 6pm. Lancs

HONDA CB550 Supersport, 1980, in very good original condition, beautiful bike, £4950 ono Tel. 07803 360124. Wilts

HONDA CB650Z 1984, MoT May 2019, very good condition, £1850 Tel. 07796 031849.

Hampshire

HONDA CB750 Bold’or imported, new 2000, 26,000 miles, MoT, new battery, tyre, oil + filter, top box CD extras, vgc, £1950 Tel. 07788 981908.

Bristol

HONDA CB750 recent brake fork, seals, new battery, Givi box, near new tyres, sweet, engine base for Cafe Racer poss, £1250 Tel. 07572 862332.

Essex

HONDA CB750 K2 1972, new seat, new handlebars, new clutch, new paint, new battery, honest example of this model, £5850 ono Tel. 07968 089939.

North Yorkshire

HONDA CB750F 1978 Cafe Racer, alloy tank, electronic ignition, powder coated frame, plus many new parts, vgc, £5000 Tel. 07811 170592.

South Devon

HONDA CB900F W reg, 38,000 miles approx, needs a battery, carbs need looking at nice bike needs a service, no MoT on Sorn, £3000 ono Tel. 07818 518582 after 6pm. Notts

HONDA CBR1100XX Blackbird, 2001, 21,000 miles, recent forks refresh, new rear shock and brakes/pads, service history, in original condition, £2600 Tel. 07823 526354.

Cambs

HONDA CBR400RR MoT June, 31,800 kilometers, very well maintained, matching new float tyres, new front pads, £2750 ono Tel. 01433 620855.

Derbyshire

HONDA CBR900RRT Fireblade, 1996 with appropriate private plate, reliable, MoT, good tyres & chain, regularly serviced, £2400 ono Tel. 07912 395132. Kent

HONDA CBX750FE 1985, 30,300 miles, four previous owners, standard apart from Neta 4:1 exhaust, MoT, good condition, need the space, £1850 ono Tel. 07736 759291.

East Yorkshire

100 / classic motorcycle mechanics

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HONDA CM400C 1981, W reg, 13,582 miles, fully restored, powder coated frame & other bits, all new chrome, tyres, battery everything, £3950 Tel. 07956 555626. Hants

HONDA CX500 W reg, first reg March 1981, MoT October, currently on Sorn, vgc, nice looking bike, £2500 no offers Tel. 01420 474032 after 6pm, leave message and I will call back. Hampshire

HONDA CX500 Tracker, 1981, professional engine rebuild, receipts for over £1100 in genuine Honda parts plus bespoke custom parts, £2450 ono Tel. 07932 073571. South Yorkshire

HONDA CX500 restored, stripped down & rebuilt with new powder coating, chrome, paint, tyres, seat wheel bearings, cables plus lots more, MoT, £1750 Tel. Mike 07511 688088. Birmingham

HONDA DEAUVILLE NT100A-7, 17,000 miles, MoT Oct 18, ABS heated grips, screen, back box, two keys, £3250 ono Tel. 01704 534510.

Lancs

HONDA GB500TT aesthetically pleasing little Cafe Racer in the Gold Star mould, absolutely pristine condition Tel. 01204 791764. Lancs

HONDA GL1100 Watsonian Oxford sidecar, Y reg, first reg 1983, MoT before sale, currently on Sorn, also small trailer, £2500 no offers Tel. 01420 474032 after 6pm, leave message, I will call back. Hants

HONDA NIGHTHAWK 650cc, 1985, MoT, steering head stripped cleaned, new fork seals, back tyre, HT leads plugs, brake seals, £1600 Tel. 07434 483039. Warks

HONDA SUPERDREAM 1987, CB125TDE, extensive refurb, new tyres, tubes, chain sprockets, suspension, front, rear, headlight not fitted, 19,000 miles, £1250 Tel. 01202 427222. Dorset

HONDA VF 500F2 1985, restored & rebuild with many new parts including brakes, tyres, fuel pump, air filter, £1800 ono Tel. Ade 07954 586501.

HONDA VFR400Z 1989, rare Z model, unfaired street bike, twin headlamp, good original condition, low mileage, exhaust solid, £1250 Tel. Paul 07847 454234. Hull

HONDA VFR750 1997, approx 65,000 miles, MoT, bike is good but will need tlc for its next MoT, used as daily commuter, £700 ono Tel. 07719 353514.

Cornwall

0800 458 2530

HONDA VFR800FI W, 1998, 28,074 miles, R reg, good original condition, plus heated grips, Spyball alarm & Scottoiler, on Sorn, £1500 ono Tel. 07968 752507. West Yorkshire

HONDA VT500 Ascot, 1984, 13,156 miles, registered last year, full service, two new tyres, will MoT, some age related marks but overall vgc Tel. 01343 820607. Scotland

HONDA VT500 good runner, new battery, 12 months MoT, £650 Tel. 07790 324952.

Buckinghamshire

HONDA VT750 44,000 miles, needs paint job, exhaust, battery and tlc, been in garage years, owner since 1991, £1200 Tel. 07972 056013. Cornwall

HONDA XBR500 1986, unrestored Japanese take on a British Cafe Racer without the oil leaks, MoT, recent service, Tel. 07530 239439. Suffolk

HONDA XBR500 1986, Sorn, good condition, small amount of work to get back on the road, filler cap, one broken exhaust stud, new tyres, 63,570 miles, £1200 ono Tel. 01273 553408.

Sussex

JAMES CADET 1967, 150cc, V5 frame, swingarm shot blasted & stove enamelled, needs cables & wiring up, front mudguard present, but rotten in parts, £650 poss delivery Tel. 07989 237837. Staffs

KAWASAKI 1100 ZEPHYR 1992, good runner, MoT, engine covered approx 27,000 miles, Micron 4-1 exhaust, new fork seals, rebuilt Koni Shox, good condition, £1350 ono Tel. 07951 093486. Basingstoke

KAWASAKI F11 Samurai, 1973, UK registered, US import with a UK age related plate, daylight MoT, £2550 ono Tel. 01953 461143. Shropshire

KAWASAKI GPZ500S 26,850 miles, MoT, new 2 into 2 Delvico exhaust, aluminium rad, brake renewed, s/s, good tyres, rides like new, £1000 Tel. 01655 331721; 07920 141700.

Ayrshire

KAWASAKI GPZ750R 1987, full MoT, 30,000 miles, brand new paintwork by Motorcycle FX,fully serviced, a lot of bike for not a lot of money Tel. 07903 500999. Lancashire

KAWASAKI GT550 1993 G8 model, been in shed for nearly 2 years so will need a good service, was fully rebuilt before storage, £595 ovno Tel. 07557 115676. Cleveland

KAWASAKI KH400 A4, 1977, UK bike, excellent condition in Royal Candy Purple, 24,000 miles, £9200 ono Tel. 07889 815460. Devon

KAWASAKI W650 vgc, only 5400 miles, MoT April 2019, new battery, T reg 2001, one of the best for year in UK, £3000 Tel. 07960 504451. Essex

KAWASAKI ZXR750H2 1990, fully restored exceptional condition, MoT April 2019, many new parts all receipts & documentation, £4750 ono Tel. Jon 07813 342329. Kent

KAWASAKI ZXR750H2 1990, superb condition, Endurance colours from new, dynojet carb kit, Maxton shock, Brembo floating discs HP1 clear, MoT, Tel. 07739 710275. Cambs

KAWASAKI ZZR600E6 1998, MoT May 2019, 15,000 miles, s/s exhaust, Hagon shock, brakes carbs & serviced, £2300 ovno Tel. 07775 994087. Berks

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MOBYLETTE Super Lux AV89 50cc, not run for few years, £800 ono Tel. 01270 256208.

Cheshire

MORINI 350 STRADA 1974, Spanish import with NOVA Cert, part restored, rebuilt wheels, good tyres, new chain/ sprockets, Armours stainless silencers, £2650 Tel. 07788 442155. Bath

NORTON DOMINATOR 1956, not prestine but not oily rag condition, bike is in Nottinghamshire, £5000 Tel. 07818 518582 leave message I will get back to you. Notts

SUZUKI needs back tyre for MoT, new main wiring loom fitted and side panels, flashers only work properly when lights on, £800 Tel. 07957 223180.

Lincs

SUZUKI 250GS 1981, 17,700 miles, MoT, ready to go, £725 Tel. 01698 305761. North Lanarkshire

SUZUKI B120 1976, MoT June 2019, owned 38 years, good tyres, rack manual, £1150 ono Tel. 07596 108060. Essex

SUZUKI B120 call for details £425 Tel. 01323 488702. East Sussex

SUZUKI BANDIT 400 V-tec, 1992, Japanese import, new MoT, recently serviced, new Michelin front tyre, battery, brake lines, disc & back brake pads, £1300 ono Tel. 01424 812057.

SUZUKI BANDIT 600 1998, MoT 11 months, excellent runner & totally reliable, good tyres, chain & sprockets etc, £1395 ono Tel. 07759 412908.

Wiltshire

SUZUKI GP100 manufactured 1984 & reg’d in the UK 1984, starts easily & runs great but needs a little tune-up, rims & tyres, forks, shockers very good, £750 ono Tel. 07470 932279.

SUZUKI GS450T 1981, 43BHP @170kgs, rebuild in 2016-2017 as ‘70’s Backstreet Racer’, with German classic registration plates Tel. +49-5231-50513. gopa la88@rocketm ail.com Germany

SUZUKI GS750B wire wheels, carbs sonically cleaned, tyres brakes & chain & sprockets all as new, 43000 miles, paint work not original but nice, £2750 ono Tel. 07739 687961.

SUZUKI GSX400F 1983, 8300 miles, immaculate original condition, full MoT, £1850 Tel. 01827 281026. Staffs

SUZUKI GSX600 1990, should run, does turn over, 35,000 miles, Viper exhaust, offers Tel. 07488 352630. West London

SUZUKI GSX600F 1990, vgc, 32,000 miles, new brake calipers & disc pads, new battery, new tyres & steering head bearings last year, £1250 Tel. 01286 881644. Gwynedd

SUZUKI GSXC1100E genuine 23,000 miles, 1987, same owner from new, immaculate have standard parts, exhaust, h/light, seat cover etc, can be put back 100% original, £3395 ono Tel. 07974 955980. Worcs

SUZUKI GSXR1100WP 43,000 miles, three owners, in exceptional condition, many extras, stunning example, £3500 ono Tel. Rob 07857 341959. West Midlands

SUZUKI GT500 1978, UK bike, last owner 15 years, vgc, rebuilt crank by SEPs, new chromed silencers & recent Candy Blue paint, £6000 ono Tel. 07555 582428 evenings. Essex

SUZUKI GT500 1978, fully documented restoration, lovely condition, £5000 Tel. 07505 881489. Buckinghamshire

SUZUKI GT750 watercooled, 1974, L model, just finished nut & bolt restoration, paint by Dream Machine, no expense spared, £12,500 ovno Tel. 07778 306139. Cardiff

SUZUKI GT750M 1974, great condition, great fun, MoT exempt, a great investment at £7250 Tel. 07788 960426. Kent

SUZUKI HAYABUSA 2000 (W), 38,000 miles, MoT, very nice condition with many extras, had new radiator & oil cooler, full service & injectors cleaned, £2500 Tel. 07990 544056.

Suffolk

SUZUKI SB200 1979, 9000 genuine miles from new, not restored, vgc, MoT, new tyres (F&R) chain, sprockets, battery, great runner, £2750 Tel. 01254 278156. Lancs

SUZUKI SV650S 2002, 1 owner, 90,000 miles, MoT, good condition, sweet runner, well serviced, too big for me, £1250 Tel. 07900 923601. Herts

SUZUKI T250R 1971, US import, good complete original condition, unfinished project, call for more info, £2000 ono Tel. 01252 319274. Surrey

SUZUKI TS250 not used since 2010, needs attention, buyer collects, sold as seen, £850 Tel. 01242 609053. Gloucs

SUZUKI TS250M 1977, 22,000 miles, one owner from new, very good condition and recent renovation, £3000 Tel. 01386 860654. Worcs

TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE T120 rebuilt to virtual show condition with 8” TLS front brake, electronic ignition and 790 oiltight miles, £8250 Tel. 07855 861680. Lancs

TRIUMPH SPRINT RS, 2002, 2nd owner since 2008, MoT till October, 9000 miles, £1600 Tel. John 02086 512102. Croydon

102 / classic motorcycle mechanics

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TRIUMPH T140 Jubilee Bonneville, 1978, S reg, extensive work done on the bike, ready to ride or investment, £7100 Tel. 01706 852775. Lancs

TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD 1995, 32,350 miles, new clutch, suspension overhauled, many extras, good condition, £3700 Tel. 07902 927797. South Yorkshire

TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD 900 1996, good condition, 23,500 miles, MoT October 2018, £3800 Tel. 07518 925786 evenings. Northumberland

TRIUMPH TR6 1967, MoT till August 2018, approx 19,800 miles, matching engine/frame nos, £7500 ono Tel. 01622 632595; 07731 953693. Kent

YAMAHA DT125E 1979 (V), 20,000 miles, rebuild finished last year using stainless spokes, powder coated frame, repainted etc, MoT, £2000 oiro Tel. 07990 544056. Suffolk

YAMAHA FZ750 1FN, 1985, early stocks spec & ready to race, Hagon fork internals & Hagon custom made rear shock, Tarozzi rear-sets, on Sorn, £2000 Tel. 01394 387319; 07752 659105. Suffolk

YAMAHA R5 (Y) 350cc, 2 stroke, clean unrestored, 1971 historic vehicle with8700 miles only, electronic ignition & reg/ rect fitted, £3500 firm Tel. 07891 389663. Preston

YAMAHA RD/RZ350 vgc, never been restored, Goodridge brakelines, new tyres, chain & sprockets, runs well, MoT, £3200 Tel. 07870 777523.

Manchester

YAMAHA RD250A 1973, pre disc brake 90% original, 17,456 miles, still on original foot peg rubbers, starts first time, rides lovely, £3995 Tel. 07792 492986. West Yorkshire

YAMAHA RD250A 14,000 miles, US import, matching engine and frame numbers, great condition, £3400 ono Tel. 07968 078454. Herefordshire

YAMAHA RD250C 1976, full nut & bolt rebuild, MoT, excellent purchase, dry stored, well worth a look, £3250 Tel. 07780 714683. Warwickshire

YAMAHA RD250C straight, clean bike, front and rear disk, good exhausts, German import, V5 present, on Sorn, £2850 Tel. 07984 608285. Bedford

YAMAHA RD250C blue, good clean bike, German import, bike is UK reg in my name V5, on Sorn, £2800 Tel. 07984 608285.

Bedfordshire

YAMAHA RD350LC superb bike in unique & sought after RZ Japanese red, UK reg bike with matching 4LO numbers, Micron fork brace, numerous NOS parts fitted £9600 ono Tel. 07889 815460. Devon

YAMAHA RD350LC 1980, genuine 4LO model, matching engine & frame, vgc, Micron expansion chambers, bellypan & Goodridge brake hoses, £7500 Tel. 08775 58970.

Ireland

YAMAHA RD400 classic 1977, professionally restored 4 years ago with no expense spared (receipts to prove), all original parts, full engine rebuild with only 4230 miles, £7000 Tel. 07592 908218. Wolverhampton

YAMAHA SR400 2014, 476 miles, shed find not used approx 2.5 years, purchased new from Bowers BSE & ridden lightly then put in shed, will have full MoT for new owner, £4550 ono Tel. 07837 176828. Suffolk

YAMAHA THUNDERACE 1996, new tyres, chain sprockets, battery, 36,000 miles, braided hoses, datatag stainless exhaust, £2000 Tel. 07597 850784. Manchester

YAMAHA TR1 XV1000, 1983, 12,000 miles, matching numbers, refurbished resprayed rechroming, many new parts, rare bike, superb condition, £3250 ono Tel. 01246 200842; 07935 175649. Derbyshire

YAMAHA TY80 1975, vgc, recent rebuild with many new parts, suit 5-10 years, £1100 ono Tel. 07941 062682. Fife

YAMAHA WR500ZE 1992, matching numbers off road scrambler, complete rebuild on top end engine, brand new Pro circuit exhaust fit, £4250 ono Tel. 07555 582428. Essex

YAMAHA XJ600 custom cruiser, 12 months MoT, new battery, runs well, £895 Tel. 07922 584298. Somerset

YAMAHA XJ600 Sports tourer complete with 134L Hepco & Becker luggage system, heated grips & engine bars, MoT April 2019, £1295 ono Tel. 01773 741994. Derbyshire

YAMAHA XJ650 1981, full service, new battery, new tyres, vgc, recently arrived in UK, last 20 years maintained in storage in Spain, V5, £2750 Tel. 01406 366406. Lincs

YAMAHA XS650SE Heritage Special, 1983, good original condition though exhausts need chrome but are solid, new MoT, excellent runner, £1750 Tel. 01280 706351. Northants

YAMAHA XT600E 2003, jacked up suspension, bar risers, Scottoiler, 28,000 miles, registered as category ‘C’ but presently runs & rides without fault, £1195 Tel. 01784 461961.

Surrey

YAMAHA YB100 1986, in good original condition, runs well, new clutch cable fitted, chrome all original, £950 ovno Tel. 07909 953124. Berkshire

YAMAHA YZF1000 Thunderace, 96 P reg, only 8500 miles from new, totally original, great condition, been fully serviced, MoT, £2295 Tel. 07919 096776. West Yorkshire

YAMAHA YZF750R 1994, original ‘Pinky’, stunning showroom condition, full power 4HD model, 29,000 miles, MoT, HPI clear, £3250 Tel. 07739 710275 . Cambs

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APRILIA RS125 1996, Chesterfield model full power, runs well, 8500 miles, £950 ono. Tel. Richard 01243 948518. Bognor.

DUCATI 996 original lovely condition, rideable investment, on Sorn, £8000 ono. Tel. 07845 798073. North Wiltshire.

GARAGE CLEAR OUT XJ650 engine 1981, XJR forks complete, GL1000 complete set of forks, pair of wheels, one engine and one engine stripped for spares, rad, swinging arm, too many GL1000 parts to list, please phone for your requirements, also pair of XJ750 power valve style wheels, 1983. Tel. Martin 02392 433919 or 07955 423436. Portsmouth.

HONDA 250N Superdream, W reg, black, lovely condition chrome is great, only three owners, original plate, manual, two keys, currently Sorn, must be seen, £1600. Tel. 07913 249232. Derbyshire.

HONDA 400/4 1976, full rebuild frame resprayed also tank and sidepanels, engine rebuilt with new cam chain, handlebars rechromed, new battery and exhaust, £3500.

Tel. 07583 427819. Derbyshire.

HONDA CB200 restored, excellent original tank & panels, red powder black frame, Honda pipes, originals, a great bike, sensible interest, £1850 ono. Tel. 01287 640472. North Yorkshire.

HONDA CB750F2 original bike exhausts, original, looks great, runs beautiful, 21,000 miles, history marks to show age, white and blue, new tyres, too big for me now, £3250. Tel. 01287 640472. North Yorks.

HONDA CBF600N excellent condition, MoT, metallic red, engine bars, rear rack 08, 8800 miles, only rode few times, to heavy now, need smaller bike, RV200. Tel. 07847 701980.

West Yorkshire.

HONDA CBR1100XX Blackbird, silver, 2001, 21,000 miles, recent forks refresh, new rear shock and discs/ pads, Werx pipes and also standards, service history, lots of receipts and mechanically sounds, fairing scratched and small piece missing around mirror, damaged in the garage, Kappa top box and panniers, great opportunity to own this classic, reflecting the fairing condition, on Sorn, £2550. Tel. 07823 526354. Cambridge.

HONDA CBR600FL 1990, 44,000 miles, good tyres, soft panniers, cover, carbs overhauled, one off auto chain oiler, no problems, just rather tatty, owned for the past 18 years, just don’t use enough, full MoT, £900 ono. Tel. Nick 07890 981670. Worcs.

HONDA CD200 one year MoT, not original, very good condition, reliable £550. Tel. 01202 773726. Dorset.

HONDA H100 S-J 1989, 38,000 miles, good reliable runner, good tyres, top box, £650. Tel. 07720 718585. South London.

HONDA VF400 1983 on Sorn, no MoT, new battery and rear tyre, needs little tlc, unfinished project, converted to a single seat naked, starts and runs, £700 ono. Tel. 07812 457484.

Cornwall.

HONDA VFR750FT 46,106 miles, panniers, Baglux cover and bag, Maxton forks, stainless exhaust system, new chain and sprockets, £2000.

Tel. Jim 01617 614556. Lancs.

KAWASAKI Z1000 A2H, 2004, MoT May 2019, red, only 5500 miles, needs nothing, std exhaust, not been messed with just needs to be used, some paint flaking off engine and small amount of lacquer off wheels, £3850 ono. Tel. 07847 225624. Derbyshire.

KAWASAKI ZRX1200S 56 reg, 15,500 miles, very good condition, rides as it should, new rear tyre, top quality top box & panniers (detachable), £2500. Tel. 07985 717456.

Wigan.

KAWASAKI ZZR600 21,000 miles, 1995, serviced not mint, but good clean bike, £850 ono.

Tel. 07522 732797. Bucks.

SUZUKI RF900R very good condition, 22,000 miles, MoT, good tyres, brakes C&S etc, dark green lovely runner, 1997, not used enough, £1375. Tel. 07968 257232. Warks.

SUZUKI VAN VAN 125 2012, white, 5500 miles only, heated grips, chain oiler, Learner-legal, immaculate, £1550 ono. Tel. 01543 682946. Staffs.

SUZUKI XF650 Freewind, 650cc single, 53,000 miles, reliable, tidy condition, recent front disc pads, MoT August, good tyres, C&S GPR silencer, £800. Tel. 07958 795335.

Teesside.

TRIUMPH SPRINT RS 2002, 9000 miles, 2nd owner, MoT till Oct, £1600. Tel. John 02086 512102. Croydon.

TRIUMPH TIGER 100 1967, new battery, Pazon ignition, Siamese exhausts + plus originals, TLSFB with new rim + original wheel, oil filter, very tidy, good runner, historic tax class, MoT August, £4250. Tel. 01474 746854; 07789 260740.

Kent.

YAMAHA TZR125 1994, MoT, white/blue, lots new parts, good condition for year, 25,300 miles, excellent tyres, £1075 ono. Tel. 07761 734520. Notts.

Parts For Sale AMAL 376/216 CARBURETTOR 15/16” size £30 inc postage. Tel. 01522 794711. Lincs.

FRONT PANELS from a Yamaha 600, partly scratched but serviceable which I want to give away. Tel. Robert 01708 556465. Essex.

HONDA CD175 1973, blue, some new parts, 17,000 miles, engine whole. Tel. 07775 994087. Berks.

HONDA CX160 ENGINE 5.5HP good condition, £80. Honda GX100 engine, good condition, £45. 3HP 240V, electric motor ideal for lathe or compressor.

Tel. 01209 831969 after 6pm.

104 / classic motorcycle mechanics

HONDA VT500 Eurosport type parts for sale, including: complete engine, carbs, frame with logbook, wheels/tyres, part engine, other bits, £150.

Tel. 07790 324952.

KAWASAKI KR1 crankcases, £95. Crank both good condition. Oil pump case, £20.

Oil pump, £20, other parts available. Tel. 01442 397790.

Herts.

MOTO GUZZI Nuovo parts: frame (Deluged) sprayed, forks, wheels (spoked) with new Avon tyres, offers for the lot (was to be built as Bobby or Cafe Racer).

Tel. 01978 842668. Clwyd.

SCREEN FOR AVON Streamliner, £100. BTH type DC2-AC9 mag casing, no armature, £40. Triumph T140 headlamp brackets good chrome, £30 pair. BSA A&B model rear m/guard bracket, £30 pair, £650. Left side panel, £20. Yamaha chrome headlamp complete, £25. Tel. 01655 331721. Ayrshire.

SUZUKI GSF600 Bandit, new oil cooler radiator, £60. Tel. 07963 787894. Armagh.

SUZUKI GS850N genuine Suzuki part (new) r/hand exhaust pipe and silencer for 1980 shaft drive, still in original wrapping. Tel. 01295 770464.

Warwickshire.

SUZUKI GSF1250 ABS pump from year 2008, from my own bike as I did not want ABS any more, £60 . Tel. 07969 457727.

Manchester.

SUZUKI GSXR600 2003, K3 original silencer + set of rear indicators £60. Tel. 07977 227321. Portsmouth.

YAMAHA RD250/400E/F exhaust, one pair £200. Down pipes, one pair stainless, £80, wheels, one pair have been refurbed, new bearings, £240.

Front mudguard, £20. Tel. 01925 730068. Cheshire.

YAMAHA RD250/400EF gear box to fit RD250 or 400 E/F £150. Tel. 01925 730068.

Cheshire.

YAMAHA YZF750 Thunderace and maybe other models, Aerospace/Aircraft grade chain adjuster blocks, both are the same length and have more adjuster lines, £70 inc recorded delivery. Tel. Graham 07488 352630. London.

Wanted ANY MAKE OR SIZE classic motorcycle wanted in any condition from a basket case to one in nice condition, cash waiting. Tel. 07811 189755.

Staffs.

BSA BANTAM engine wanted or incomplete bike for spares, anything considered. Tel. 07986 080118. West Midlands.

BSA ENTHUSIAST looking for C15, 250cc engine and body parts, road/trials anything serviceable, would also buy complete unwanted BSA single.

Tel. 01935 472584. Somerset.

HONDA C90 wanted wiring diagram for 1996, electric start model, coloured preferred, any assistance welcome. Tel. Johnathan 07710 872166.

Oxfordshire.

HONDA CB250RSD-Z 1981-84, wanted nos parts for engine, also Rickman RS accessories. Tel. 07717 075814. West Yorkshire.

HONDA CB77 or CB72, 1960s model for restoring, any basket case condition. Tel. 01978 842668. Clwyd.

HONDA H100S 1990, rear carrier, with all fittings. Tel. 07847 830078. Kent.

HONDA H100SJ HANDBOOK wanted in clean condition, also rear carrier with all fittings. Tel. 07847 830078. Kent.

HONDA SS50 1974, petrol tank and rubber for right hand paddle arm. Honda CD175A pair of 1967-69 Sloper silencers. Tel. 01633 838757.

Wales.

HONDA WANTED old pre 1970s model, CB72 or CB77 for restoring, any basket case, stood for years, rusty condition. Tel. 01978 842668 leave message if no answer.

Clwyd.

KAWASAKI GPZ1100 B1 or B2 Giuliari sports seat, Micron alloy fork brace and a short racing style plastic front mudguard. Tel. 07896 871451.

Cleveland.

KAWASAKI KMX200 ENGINE wanted or just a complete bottom end with no damage to crankcases. Tel. Steve 01562 861980. Worcs.

ROYAL ENFIELD 500T or 350T road trials version wanted, mark condition not important Tel. 07752 502447.

Lincolnshire.

SUZUKI DR/SP500 PARTS wanted anything considered, including complete/incomplete non runner/runner. Tel. 01305 826670. Dorset.

SUZUKI DR400S Twinshock parts wanted, anything considered including complete/ non complete, non runner/ runner. Tel. 01305 826670.

Dorset.

SUZUKI DR500 twin shock parts wanted or incomplete/ complete runner/non runner, anything considered. Tel. 01305 826670. Dorset.

SUZUKI TS250 1969/70, Savage parts wanted, anything considered including complete/ incomplete, non runner/runner.

Tel. 01305 826670. Dorset.

SUZUKI X7 1979, downpipes wanted, nice condition, pair please. Tel. Johnathan 07710 872166. Oxfordshire.

TRIUMPH/BSA CHOPPER Bobber wanted running but in need of tidy up £2-£3000 cash waiting why? Tel. 07766 798358. Huddersfield.

WANTED A CDI unrestricted for a Suzuki PR650SE 2004 model, from 1998 to present day, CDI will fit my bike as long as it is 644cc engine, willing to pay £200 cash, will travel anywhere in UK. Tel. 01619 500953. Manchester.

WANTED NSU QUICKLY and Cyclemasters or just parts. Tel. 07790 168224. Warwickshire.

YAMAHA AS3 125 twin wanted, 1972, preferably red, very good or restored condition. Tel. David 01953 483161. Norfolk.

WANTED TO SWAP I have a RD350 YPVS, excellent condition, just serviced, 12 months MoT, brand new GP race pipes, tyres, got original pipes to go with it, brakes etc, ready for the road, swap for TY50, FS1E DX yellow or AP50 got to be excellent condition, why? Tel. 07810 030309.

Lancs.

YAMAHA RD250E wanted, rear mudguard, rear light, seat tail piece, Allspeed exhausts, seat lock etc. Tel. 07946 331428. West Yorkshire.

YAMAHA RS125 engine casing, undamaged or complete engine, also wanted twin leading shoe, front brake for small bike. Tel. 01692 405774. Norfolk.

YAMAHA SR125 1992, right hand side panel that fits over battery housing, held in place by single screw. Tel. 01612 811917. Manchester.

YAMAHA YZF750R/SP cylinder head or whole engine, also anything considered.

Honda CBR600F 2000 on, silver nose cone. Tel. Graham 07488 352630. West London.

Miscellaneous 60 MIXED SPROCKETS MM/ AF 1/2 & 3/8 drive various makes, good condition, £60.

Moore & Wright 0-1 micrometer old model in spectacle case new never used, £30.

Mitutoyo 0-25 micrometer, nice condition, £25. Tel. 02086 414238. Surrey.

DAINESE LEATHER JACKET ladies, Euro size 44, black and cream with gold piping, excellent condition, will zip to leather trousers, £220 ovno. Tel. 07967 022526.

Huddersfield.

LADIES HEIN GERICKE motorcycle leathers matching jacket and trousers, black size 12 as new, £90 the pair. Tel. 01778 343035. Peterborough.

LUGGAGE KAPPA Q/D panniers, topbox, carrier system, excellent condition, large capacity black, also large topbox, new condition, black, £40. Tel. 07502 468319. West Yorks.

MENS RIDE-A-TEC motorcycle jacket, 54” chest, worn only once, purchased from Bikers Paradise, has shoulder and elbow protection, cost £369 accept £250 plus postage Tel. 01924 262384.

West Yorkshire.

POLISTIL BIKE MODELS small scale approx 3” long.

Honda 750-4, Kawasaki HZ750, Norton Commando, Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta, Harley Chopper, very good condition, £15 each. Tel. 07504 327299.

Torquay.

WEISE DYNASTAR textile jacket, size XL in good condition used for a few years it’s only being sold as I’ve bought a new one, never been in a spill, £50 can post if needed. Tel. 07969 457727.

Manchester.

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108 / classic motorcycle mechanics

HAYNES PRINT & ONLINE WORDS AND PHOTOS: RALPH FERRAND

Project Kawasaki Z1300 A5 part 5

B

ecause the plastic bevel gear in the drive chain to the water pump on my mighty six fell to bits I was forced into doing some open heart surgery to the elderly Kwaka.

Having had major fettling enforced on me, I decided that I may as well tidy up the bits that are usually hard to get at so popped the lump out (he says as though it wasn’t a major pain to do so!). Last month I repainted the engine and so now it’s time to cheer up the frame. I did seriously consider stripping the whole rolling chassis down and getting the frame powder-coated, but then I remembered what a massive pain in the botty it was to remove the swingarm when I had that powder-coated some years ago. The big problem is the fact that after the bevel box is removed there is a circlip buried in the shaft tube which is insanely difficult to get in and out. In the end I bought some longer circlip pliers and even then I had to fabricate some extensions.

Even with a custom made tool it was a nightmare to disentangle it from its home.

As soon as I managed to squeeze the ends together I then had to wriggle the circlip into the middle of the hole and reverse it out; 99 times out of a hundred I started it moving and one part would foul on the groove and the slippery tool pins would slip out of the tiny holes followed by a hail of swear words from me. It took three frustrating sessions before I finally managed to remove the infernal circlip of hades, and having done so vowed that I would never attempt to get the little pig out again unless I had to. Getting the

My customised circlip pliers.

110 / classic motorcycle mechanics

You’ve been

framed!

With the engine out, it’s time to tart-up the frame – should be a doddle, right Ralph?

swingarm pivots out is never easy on Kawasaki shaft-drive bikes of this era and this was no exception. The pivots are supposed to be pulled out using an M5 bolt which is breezed over in Mr Kawasaki’s book. The reality is that on a brand new bike this may work, but it certainly doesn’t on a bike that has passed its 35th birthday and there is no way on this earth that a 5mm bolt will take the force required to draw out the pivot that probably hasn’t moved in 30+ years.

At some point in my bike’s history someone had clearly tried to get mine out as there was a sheared off M5 bolt left in the extractor hole, meaning I had first to persuade that out before I could attempt removal. I applied and reapplied ACF50 to my pivot repeatedly for some days before attempting anything. ACF50 has very good penetrating properties. I finally drilled out the M5 bolt which brought some heat and vibration to the party. I then drilled and re-tapped the hole M6 and made up a puller as can be seen in the photo.

This worked and the rest of the job was

The oooh so difficult to get at circlip.

fairly straightforward. Because I refitted the pivots with Corrosion Block ACF50 grease I have no doubt that the pivot would have come out as Kawasaki intended, but I couldn’t face that circlip again so I decided to tidy up the frame using some grey import VHT paint.

My home brewed swinging arm pivot extractor.

HAYNES PRINT & ONLINE

Some muppet had clearly tried to extricate the swinging arm pivots before… and failed.

Simple solutions: Never waste time with poor quality paint!

Masking up ready for paint.

Rubbing back the old paint to give a key for the new paint.

I masked up anything that wasn’t to be gloss black and got busy with the wet ‘n’ dry after a thorough degreasing with brake cleaner. I treated any areas that were rusty with Jenolite after wire-wheeling the majority of the decay away. This effectively turns the iron oxide back into iron, preventing it coming back to haunt me from beneath the new paint. Once all the paint was keyed up and treated I gave all

The big lump on its way from my roll cab to the bike.

the areas a good final wash with panel wipe. As with the engine painting, I required the services of She Who Must Be Obeyed to hold the big flexible pipe from the extractor to ensure that the overspray

Here some old gash bits of ¾in MDF make a great slide for the big beast’s motor.

was carried outside. As usual, I started with light coats, building up the thickness by painting wet on wet. With a job like this you can achieve a pretty reasonable finish with a quality paint.

The front of the engine supported by the bike bench’s lifting arm via some ropes. www.classicmechanics.com / 111

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Noel McGuinness is a top man – I’d have been screwed had he not been kind enough to help me.

One of the most awkward tasks on planet motorcycle.

Lining up the UJ with the final drive from the gearbox.

I then allowed some considerable time for the paint to harden off while I tried to find someone skilful (and gullible) to help me squeeze the mighty powerplant back into the frame. As it turned out the only friend daft enough to help me was my good friend Noel who had helped me get it out in the first place. Other than the sheer mass of the machine and its component parts, I didn’t envisage it being as much of a trial as it turned out to be.

The master plan was to raise the bike up on the bike bench so that the frame rails were at the same height as the tool chest the engine was sitting on. I set up a scissor jack in between and used ¾in MDF to slide the motor across. I wrapped the frame rails with old towels to protect the 112 / classic motorcycle mechanics

finish. The initial part of the plan worked a treat; we had an engine sitting in the duplex cradle on some bits of wood.

If you’re a regular reader you may remember where I mentioned that undoing the bolts that secure the shaft drive UJ (Universal Joint) to the gearbox was not exactly a walk in the park. Because of this, I had wire-wheeled said bolts within an inch of their lives and had them re-plated with zinc, as new, and had cleared the threads in the receiver of said bolts with a premium quality tap. I attached the front of the engine on both sides to the lifting arm over the bench with soft material rope so that we could raise the front of the motor relative to the UJ to make life easier re-mating said parts.

I had to spanner the damned things most of the way.

A wee drop of stud lock and seal to ensure they stay done up.

HAYNES PRINT & ONLINE

It’d be easier getting a straight answer from a politician than getting these bolts in.

Loosening the final drive rear bevel box to get clearance for the front engine mounts. I really couldn’t face removing and refitting those wretched UJ bolts again!

Getting these components to stay together, while pushing the bloody rubber boot out the way and getting the bolts to start in the threads was an absolute nightmare and once more the air turned blue! Given what a life-threatening mess could ensue should any of the bolts come

At last – the mighty mill installed.

All four in, at last!

The scissor jack with a block of wood covered in a towel support the front of the engine making it easier to fit the front engine mounts.

loose in use, I played safe and applied stud lock and seal to the threads of the bolts. I very much hope that I never have reason to remove the engine from this bike again as refitting the UJ in situ was not a fun job.

There was no room to get a torque wrench in even using crow’s foot wrenches, so I

had to use my years of experience to estimate the correct tightness by feel.

As though Noel and myself hadn’t suffered enough, when we had finished tightening up the UJ joint and came to lower the front of the engine into its mounts we realised that there wasn’t any clearance and that we should have fitted the UJ joint with the engine in its final resting position with even less clearance. I was not going through that crap again so we removed the rear wheel spindle and undid the bolts holding the final drive rear bevel box onto the shaft tube by about ten millimetres. This allowed us to push the prop shaft and motor back enough to get sufficient clearance to lower the front of the engine back into its frame mountings.

This might be a useful tip to remember if you make the same mistake I did!

I have to say that if I never have to take a Z13 lump in and out again it will be a huge relief. It’s a lovely bike to ride and so well is the bike balanced that the enormous mass is barely noticeable when riding along the roads on a sunny day, but when stationery and in bits it is another world altogether. Next month with SWMBO’s help we will be reattaching six pistons to six con rods! cmm ■ www.bikerstoolbox.co.uk www.classicmechanics.com / 113

WORDS & PHOTOS: MARTIN CHILD

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Project Suzuki GSX-R1100G part 2

Strip search!

Buying the ingredients of the 1986 GSX-R1100 resto/mod has been the easy part.

Now it’s time to worry the neighbours and the spanners…

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here’s a real sense of anticipation as the garage door slowly rolls up and the sun spears onto the flanks of the recently captured trio of Suzukis.

Cowering in the far depths of the garage, the GSX-R11, Bandit 12 and remains of the Gixer Thou look a fairly motley representation of the Japanese brand’s last three decades of big-cc’d progress. As we’ve all been getting along so well up to now, I’m hoping the result of this project turns out to be more of a Stockholm Syndrome kinda deal than a ‘you’ll never take me alive,’ shootout. Let’s have no trouble out of you lot, okay?

With six wheels, three frames and only two engines, the new fleet gets pushed out into the early-morning Australian sun. The engine-less Gixer Thou obviously won’t need a test-ride and, as I rode the Bandit 12 before I laid out the grand for it, I know it still has plenty of beef left in the 114 / classic motorcycle mechanics

Reminder: some of this (front and rear ends) will end up on the 1100G.

paddock. Testing the 1200’s gearbox under load and over speed, it did nothing to dispute the fact that the big S makes some of the smoothest and slickest cog-swappers out there. And, if this 20-year-old example is typical, then age

will not diminish them. So that just leaves me and the Gixer 11 on the dance floor.

With the carb-mounted choke pulled out, the bike fires and rises to that fast-idle impatience that the motorcycling-DJ plays to signal good times ahead.

HAYNES PRINT & ONLINE Just sitting on the 1100G tells you all you need to know about motorcycle design and change over the last 30 years. Throw a leg over and your ass sinks into the low, wide, sumptuous saddle. The high tank comes up to meet and greet you, same story with the clip-ons. But it’s not until you put your feet up on the rubber-topped pegs that you realise just how comfortable modern sportbikes are in comparison.

Your knees get a workout from the acute angle they need to be so that your ankles can bend unnaturally forward to allow your feet to find purchase on the pegs. Yup, it feels pretty cramped down there. And this is just a test ride in jeans – leathers would make that knee angle feel even more pinched and uncomfortable.

We’re also ‘not in Kansas any more, Toto’ when it comes to the view ahead.

The cockpit is sparse with plenty of the inside of the top fairing showing. The exposed instrument frame houses the white-faced speedo and nothing-going-onunder-three-thou tacho. Idiot lights remind you not to be one and multi-plugs and wiring have no hiding place as they’re cable-tied to the metal frame. But it’s the screen that takes your eye: big enough for the oddest of human heads to hide underneath (that covers yours then Mr Child, Bertie) and curvier that the planet itself, it gives an uninterrupted view ahead and to the sides. It kinda reminds me of those weird-ass bubbletop custom cars of the Sixties. Man, they obviously had some good shit back then, eh?

Anyway, stop reminiscing, Wildy, and start riding the thing.

Smooth clutch pull, a gentle snick into first and the bike drives forward with an impressive urgency. Snick, snick, snick.

It’s all coming apart nicely at the moment...

Simple solutions: Keep every bit, nut and bolt: even if you plan to get new bits.

And so the stripdown properly begins.

The gears get traded up as I search for a comfortable perch. As these flexi-wheels, hard tyres, thin forks and un-braced swingarm are planned collateral damage in this project I’m not too concerned about them (apart from the Bridgestone tyres wearing a date-stamp from mid-2003!).

But it’s the slight misfire that’s got my attention. Back home, I take a temperature reading off the exhaust downpipes and it is clear cylinder number four isn’t pulling its weight. Tank off and I’m met with coils that differ from each other. I swap them out for the matched pair on the Bandit (even now I know that this donor bike won’t survive without having at least some of its organs harvested), and the Gixer 11 gets the load treatment for the second time of asking. With a crisp and strong pull to higher revs, I reckon that it’s now good to start stripping it.

K8 front-end dry-fit looks nice.

The last act before it’s garage time, though, is to make sure the Gixer 11 can be legally registered for the road, (‘Ovbs, officer, the ‘road-testing’ was done on one of the many closed circuits that I own…’).

Due to its age, the normal 17-digit VIN check throws up nothing against the chassis number when checked and, as it doesn’t have any previous rego history with it, I’m keen to get it legit before I embark on the journey of joy, tears and profanity.

Now, in this big brown land of Australia, we have many states, (and I’m not talking just drunk, vulgar or confused). And each state, in its nonconformist wisdom, has different rules for, well, pretty much everything. Here in Queensland, the registration rules are as relaxed as the thong-wearing locals. That’s thongs on the feet, by the way. So the first step to getting the bike on the road is the Roadworthy Certificate (RWC or Roady, which is

Frame and swinger! www.classicmechanics.com / 115

Simple solutions: Squirt penetrating oil over bolts the day prior to strip. invariably performed by a bloke called Johnno, Dave-o or just ‘old mate’).

Once in possession of this $100 (£55) piece of paper, you can kiss ‘old mate’ Johnno/Dave-o goodbye. This is because if you never sell the vehicle (bike, car, van), it never gets inspected again. Like, ever.

So if you like bald tyres and smoky engines, come and holiday in sunny Queensland! Also, judging by the driving standards, I’m not exactly sure that you need a driving licence either. But I digress…

Also unique to Queensland is the single-seat regulation discount. By modifying your bike so there is no means of carrying a pillion (no rear pegs or seat pad), you can nearly cut the rego costs in half. So the Gixer 11 loses the rear hangers, gets a rear cover and I get it on the road (for a year with third-party cover) for $300 (£165).

Back in the garage and I remind myself of Rule One of a garage strip: don’t throw anything away. From that dirty bolt to the bracket that holds the item that you know isn’t going to be part of the build, chuck ’em in a cardboard box, not the bin. Same goes with other components. The indicators on my bike look pretty average but can be used for bulbs, connectors or placed on eBay. The rear pegs have a value, as do their hangers and bolts, which will help keep the total cost of the build down.

Armed with a box of disposable gloves, an array of different sized freezer bags, a camera (phone) and pen and paper, the strip begins. Bolts are grouped together and put into marked bags. Write clear and write plenty. Left-side bolt? Right-side bolt? Top fairing? Belly pan? You’ll forget what’s what, even in a short build. With the bodywork off, it’s time to degrease and wash the bike. Not only does this make everything you do from this point on cleaner and easier, it gives you a heads-up to potential problems. Soaking penetration oil onto nuts and bolts that probably haven’t been touched since 1986 is a

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She’s a heavy old lump the oil/air-cooled legend.

priority, as is looking for any rounded- or snapped-off bolt heads. In this state, I’m concentrating mostly on the engine, frame and electrics.

Cleaned and dried, the rolling chassis becomes a frame and engine before it just becomes a frame. The oil-less engine sits on an old crawler board so I can move it about the garage easily and the frame has just its swingarm to give up. After encountering no dramas up until this point, the swingarm pivot spindle refuses to budge. After smacking the drift on its pivot for a good few goes, I’m thinking that grease wasn’t flowing like champagne on the Hamamatsu production line back in the Eighties. I check against online drawings to make sure there’s no secret thread involved and then get slightly alarmed reading various swingarm horror stories – that involve cutting the arms off, using stupidly-powerful presses or just plain violence. As I mentioned last month, this project is all about being completed in

the garage I’m standing in, and getting any outside help kinda makes me feel dirty.

So violence it is, then.

Luckily, the wife’s not classed as outside help so she gets the prime job of holding the thin end of the drift while I warm up the lump hammer. Just to add to the sexual frisson that’s no-doubt flowing through her veins at this point, I’ve got tennis elbow in my right arm and I’m righthanded. And to be honest, on the left side I’m a bit cack-handed. What better way to test a three-month old marriage?

Funnily enough, I seem to enjoy the process the most, especially when I detect that first millimetre of movement from the Japanese steel. Gotcha, ya bugger! Three days after I first started to soak the pivot area, the union between frame and arm is broken and I’ve reached the true depth of the strip down. All this and not even a week into the 10-week build: this is going to be a piece of proverbial, I mistakenly think to myself…

Next month: head-scratching my way through fork and swingarm conversion.

Can it be done? Can it be done in a garage? And can it be done in a garage by a man with a bung arm and a missus who claims the honeymoon period is now over? cmm

Bits and pieces, Bandits, odds and sods. Keep it all!

The offending bolt!

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WORDS AND PHOTOS: STEVE COOPER.

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Project Kawasaki Hybrid part 5

Bits and pieces…

The chassis and running gear finally look decent, according to our Scoop.

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here really is nothing quite like getting key components back from specialist suppliers and finishers.

When morale is flagging and enthusiasm dwindling, getting some shiny stuff back in the workshop is often the shot in the arm we need. First off the frame and all the black work is back from Mark Dunford of High Calibre coatings. Finished in varying levels of satin and gloss the whole shebang looks infinitely better than it had done previously; looking at everything now it’s hard to believe the KH had sat unloved for years with minimal weather protection.

In line with my decision to cosmetically 118 / classic motorcycle mechanics

follow the lines of the earliest triples wherever possible key items such as the headlamp bowl and brackets have been dechromed and finished in satin black.

A set of early S1/2 clocks would have been nice with their funky angled cases but the conversion of the top yoke and clock brackets is neither straightforward nor cheap so I’ll park that one.

On that basis the various KH units have been suitably refurbished and if I say so myself I’m rather pleased with way the clock panel came out. The three idiot light legends are plain alloy characters as standard and raised above the panel so I very carefully filed off the Cerakote with needle files followed by wet-n-dry paper.

Two keys lessons learnt here; this job takes a lot of patience and Cerakote is a seriously tough finish! The ‘Ignition’ legend is perversely a depressed casting so needed to be painted yellow. With no yellow enamel paint in the workshop an industrial marking pen gave up some of its ink and it all looks better than I’d hoped to be honest.

Also back are the wheels and I have to say Central Wheel Components have done a cracking job. They’ve polished the outer faces of the hubs then built the wheels with stainless steel spokes and the flangeless Morad alloy rims. Although not cheap the end results are genuinely outstanding. Suitably attired with some cutting edge Continental rubber from

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Clock panel to be used.

our friends at Cambrian Tyres the Hybrid now has a posh set of boots. Last big lumps to found were the alloy castings which were, by anyone’s standards, seriously dog rough. Build boss Ian Bird had dug the requisite castings out of his collection of triples parts but had struggled to find decent, fresh looking barrels and heads without any damage.

While it’s possible to get broken fins repaired this inevitably adds cost and time to the project. With everything there, if rather worryingly corroded and engrained with oil and/or paint, I’d handed the whole lot over to T & L Engineering in Elstow, Bedfordshire. They’re just down the road from me and have a grand reputation that goes back decades. What came back was frankly stunning. The finish is better than new, the surfaces have been peened to prevent oil ingress and there’s hardly a mark in on them. All this for £180 which I reckon has to be a damn fine job for a very reasonable price. Soon the crankcases will rehome the freshly rebuilt crank that Gary Clarke sorted back in Part 2 and the rest of the engine build can then progress.

Ian Bird is supplying the project with usable components rather than pristine irreplaceable pieces of NOS. Even if, in the eyes of some, we’re still committing sacrilege we’ll steal away from outright heresy. So for that reason the project won’t be frittering away items such as the initial distributor-type right hand outer engine cases or the even more highly sought after early bridged port barrels. If it’s possible to use slightly tired components and thereby not squander perfectly good original items on the project then so be it.

As previously mentioned the Hybrid will hopefully mirror some of the facets of the earliest triples but it won’t slavishly

Simple solutions: Good tradesmen/suppliers can afford to advertise in CMM!

Engine alloy before sorting... ...and engine alloy after sorting!

Suspension decisions Since specials don’t have to follow a proscribed lineage there’s a lot of options on hand. We could have gone for an inverted fork front end but that’s not the look we’re aiming for.

Ditto the Hybrid’s rear end, a mono-shock conversion would have taken away a lot of that period profile; there’s also the concern that you could be feeding stresses into areas that are not up to the task.

My Yamaha RD350 has benefited inestimably from the Race Tech

emulators fitted last year so I’m keen to see if there’s a KH250 option available. The tail end requires shocks with longish lower shock bodies in order to clear the chain guard and at the moment the list of options would seem somewhat limited. Of course it’s perfectly possible to reshape a chain guard but I’ve already had the KH’s subtly cosmetically tweaked… oh, didn’t I mention that before? Sorry, more on that next time!

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Internal clutch-case repair.

Damaged engine covers don’t look so good.

Wheels and tyres sorted.

follow them in every last detail.

Checking period brochures for the first of the genre it’s evident the outer engine cases were finished in a flat satin silver grey colour. Later triples post ’72 generally seem to have buffed alloy outer cases which were doubtless cheaper to produce.

Our set of case covers for the Hybrid are yet again an array of ‘odd and sods’ gleaned from autojumbles, scrapped bikes, lucky finds and/or abandoned projects.

Some are just tired and would polish up but others bear witness to hard use, poor maintenance and/or crash damage.

Although everything is, ultimately, repairable there’s always a cost and with parts like the clutch and points covers getting them back to pristine, polishable, alloy is going to be major hassle and expense. The clutch casing in particular is vile; it’s obviously been down the road and repaired at some point. Not that it matters too much really as we’re be adopting a pragmatic approach and once more getting Mark Dunford to work his magic. Blasted, prepped, filled, sanded and Cerakoted in flat satin silver they’re be absolutely fine for the project, leaving the OEM stuff for a more authentic restoration by someone else. The transformation from pig’s ears into silk purses is truly amazing and unless I’d confessed I doubt anyone would have even known.

By design we’re opting to reduce the amount of chrome on the bike which fits in 120 / classic motorcycle mechanics

But here’s what’s possible thanks to an expert!

rather well to the overall cosmetic plan.

The earliest triples came with a painted front guard so this should work well. Once dechromed it, along with the rest of the bodywork, can be farmed out for painting – design, colour and style yet be finalised.

In theory the Hybrid could run minus its rear guard aping the larger USA market machines but it’s not a look I like.

So the options are either paint it the same colour as the front or satin black; the jury is still out on that one. What chrome there is has been handed over to Dug/Doug Heath Plating and Polishing who worryingly tells me there’s a four month wait! Fixings-wise a lot of what should be zinc is being swapped out for

stainless steel where possible but some items will still need to be replated.

Feeling naively brave (or stupid) I’m looking at doing the refinishing of the engine bolts myself using some chemicals and information I found online. If you notice a large pall of smoke to the western fringes of East Anglia you’ll know it didn’t go too well! cmm

Thanks to:

■ T& L Engineering 01234 352418 ■ Central Wheel Components 01675 462264 ■ High Calibre Coatings 07941 668265

www.classicmechanics.com / 121

WORDS: JEFF WARE PHOTOS: DAVE HERDMAN (ACTION), JEFF WARE

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As you can see, there was a lot of work to do on the neglected 1999 RS250…

Project Aprilia RS250 part 1

Love triangle!

Almost 20-years on, Jeff and Heather get another RS250 and re-live their younger carefree days!

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n late 1999 early 2000 Heather and I were living day-to-day in Sydney, me a bike courier trying to get a start in moto journalism, and Heather working a mundane city office job.

We were so young and only really thought about three things: what to drink that night, when we were getting paid next, and how long until we could get that elusive RS250 we were dreaming about…

Well, I actually had four things on my mind generally, but I usually had more hopes of getting the RS250!

Heather had just finished university, where she completed a Bachelor of Psychology, although she would go on to become a motorcycle publisher (weirdly) and I had just returned from living and riding in Japan and had decided to take a year off racing due to health reasons.

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Heather and Jeff with their first RS250 back in late 1999. They vowed to get another one after having to sell it in 2001.

I really wanted a two-stroke road bike and loved the Aprilia RS250.

We got some cash together and got a bank loan for the balance and bought an immaculate low-mile used 1998 Valentino Rossi Replica RS250. It was our first bike

together and we scrimped and saved for the deposit for ages.

After spending plenty of weekends carving up Aussie roads on summer days, then on warm summer nights riding around Sydney Central Business District

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1/ Everything was corroded and rusted as you can see, the pegs and hangers needed a good clean up. 2/ The mufflers had been repaired and were scratched and rusted, desperately in need of some love. 3/ The top fairing bracket was bent beyond repair, the screen stuffed, master-cylinder seized and switches busted.

taking in the many harbour views and often stopping off for a pie and peas at Harry’s Cafe, it was decided I was being a right pain to live with so should get back into racing ASAP and the RS was turned into a 250 production racer…

I had a fun season in the Aprilia Challenge Cup on the bike but became seriously ill and I was rehabilitating for many months, so the RS was sold. It was a sad day when it went to a new owner but I knew we would get another one eventually.

When I got better I started full time as a motorcycle journalist at Two Wheels magazine, so I was riding all the new bikes and forgot how badly I wanted another RS. Lots of bikes have come and gone since but it eventually happened and I stumbled across this Harada replica by chance, back in 2010. It belonged to a mate of mine

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Thommo (the owner of the RG500 Walter Wolf I tested for CMM some time ago.)

He had picked it up for a few grand with the view to restoring it but never got around to it.

As soon as he told me this, I made him an offer and an hour later I was leaving with an RS250 and several boxes of bits in my trailer.

The bike sat in the corner of my garage as we seemingly had kid after kid (I know, Bertie suggests that no fertile female should even share my bath water) and it wasn’t until late 2016 that I dragged it out and made a start on the resto.

I had zero budget but lots of spare parts from years of racing RGV250s, plus I had built and raced with great success an RSX550 here, which is an RS250 with an Aprilia SXV550 engine. I won an F3

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Championship and had lap records on that bike. I also happened to have the remains of the donor bike and original VJ22 engine. Happy days!

This was not to be a concours resto by any means. I just wanted a mechanicallysound RS that ran well and handled well and looked okay. The main thing for me was that no corners were cut mechanically, so I focused on that and not on the bike’s appearance. This one was going to be a keeper and I planned on riding it every other weekend. If only I knew I would be selling it after just one ride! Yes, another kid arrived and I had to buy a minibus!

As you can see, the bike was as rough as guts and very corroded. The engine was shot, the forks leaking, brakes locked solid, tyres crap, fairing damaged and every bracket was bent in some way.

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4/ First job was to completely strip the bike and pressure wash the crap off it to assess it. 5/ The engine was removed and the chassis serviced. The wiring loom needed a lot of work. 6/ The engine had worn main bearings, leaking crank seals, completely worn cylinders and a wrecked gearbox and clutch, not to mention the seized powervalves! www.classicmechanics.com / 123

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SEE PAGES 40-41 FOR DETAILS

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7/ A mix of new and used parts went into the rebuild. 8/ New steering-head bearings, rebuilt shock, all tidied up and repainted as well.

9/ The forks were rebuilt and painted, triple-clamps and handlebars painted and so were the wheels.

10 10/ The wheels got new bearings and tyres and were also painted. 11/ I had my little apprentice helping me with the job!

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12 12/ Engine back in and starting to take shape now. Lots of small jobs at this stage from replacing fasteners to lubing and servicing pivot points, cables, replacing hoses and so forth.

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The tank was the wrong colour and basically the bike was junk.

I knew I had to be committed to do a good job on this bike and I’ve done my fair share of restorations. I know the model inside out so that helped but even I was surprised in the end by just how much work I had to do.

First off I completely stripped the bike.

Once it was down to a bare frame, I rolled it out of the shed and pressure washed the road crud off it. I also pressure washed the wheels, forks, triple-clamps, shock, swingarm and anything else I was going to strip down. It was filthy…

Once I had my chassis parts laid out and a few things on order that I didn’t have, I turned my attention to the engine.

I did a complete strip down of the motor and on assessment, decided to do a complete rebuild. I had a near-new crankshaft in my spares so I fitted that; it had only done a few thousand miles, and I also fitted new pistons (these were former 600 world champ Andrew Pitt’s spare 1995 RGV250 Production racer pistons he still had stored, so his dad Carl gave them to me), new rings, small-ends, one brand-new and one near new cylinder, completely rebuilt the powervalves, rebuilt the gearbox and clutch and put it all together and back in the restored chassis.

The chassis got steering head bearings, swingarm pivot bearings and seals along with linkage bearings and seals. I also rebuilt and painted the forks and shock, as well as the triple-trees and the handlebars.

I painted the wheels and fitted fresh Pirellis and had myself a rolling chassis with an engine ready to be plumbed up…

After rebuilding the complex carburettors and setting them to standard jetting as a starting point, I fitted them and then spent a few days tidying up the rooted wiring loom. I then replaced any damaged or ageing hoses (there are plenty

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13/ Rebuilt powervalves. These were the most expensive parts of the build, luckily I had plenty of old spares laying around from my racing days. 14/ The fresh engine ready to go back in to the restored complete rolling chassis. 15/ Brand new cylinder goes on. I also always use new OEM gaskets. Most studs were replaced and if not, removed and wire wheeled. I always use new copper washers and new nuts for the barrels too.

of them) from vacuum to fuel lines and all of that stuff. All of the powervalve cables were lubed up and fitted, timing set for the valves, a coupla fresh NGKs torqued in and a freshly painted radiator with a few new hoses bolted on. Everything was done as per the workshop manual. I’m really fussy on routing cables, wires and hoses as per the factory and study images and diagrams when doing this part of a resto…

I cleaned up and painted the original expansion chambers next, then did my best to polish the heavily scratched and previously repaired mufflers. Arrow stickers covered the marks I could not get out!

With all the fundamentals plumbed in, it was time to turn my attention to the finer details to complete the bike! cmm

16 16/ New pistons. These were gifted to me

by Andrew Pitt, his dad still had them from Andrew’s 250 Production days in the mid 1990s! 17/ Complete clutch rebuild using new fibres and a few new steels, I also had some near new ones at home. I used brand new OEM springs.

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18/ The cases ready to go together with the low mile crankshaft fitted. 19/ The calipers were stripped and rebuilt. Seal kits were not available so I had to clean the calipers up as best as possible and re-use the seals, which were fine. 20/ The bike starting to take shape, with the wheels in, engine plumbed and wired up, pipes on. Happy days and beer o’clock… www.classicmechanics.com / 125

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COMING CLASSIC

Ducati ST4/S T

he first time I saw a Ducati ST4, I shouldn’t have. I was in the Ducati factory in Bologna in summer 1997, doing a feature on the production of the firm’s 900SS. The SS-powered ST2 had already been released and I liked it. In the corner of the R&D workshop I spotted what I thought was an ST2, but the plumbing and look of the motor told a different story. Ducati apologised, threw a dust-cover over the bike and ushered me away.

What I’d spotted was an ST4 and this was a 1998-year machine building on the ST2’s good points of comfort, style and practicality with some extra shove. The ST2’s 944cc Paso-derived motor was replaced by the (by now) well-sorted four-valve Desmo from the sporting 916 range while the whole chassis plot was markedly on the ‘sport’ side of ‘sport-touring’, using as it did the same Sachs rear shock as the 916, albeit with a softer spring.

Riding a decent ST4 today still can stir the soul.

That L-twin desmo four-valver still sounds great to the ears (a set of Termignonis help) while the handling also delights if the suspenders have been looked after.

A warning: don’t expect an ST4 to be as easygoing and docile as – say – a VFR800. Even with softer springs than the sporting 916-family the ST series still feels at best ‘firm’ and at worst ‘harsh’ compared to a Japanese sports-tourer. But – when you’re in a go-for-it mood the rewards are there.

Issues: well, it’s a Ducati from the 1990s, so ignore the horror stories BUT keep on top of it. On this motor you need to religiously change the belts every two years – irrespective of miles. Reg/rectifiers can fail (but then they do on Hondas of similar vintage) the alternator nut can undo if not checked and some have starter motor/sprag clutch issues.

Set against the inevitable extra costs of Ducati ownership, let’s look at prices. Two or so years ago

BERTIE’S BLATHER Our Bertie this month waves ‘il Tricolore’ for an unsung puzzling V-twin sports tourer that never caught on.

you could find an ST4 at around £1500. But – like most used bikes – times have changed. Now, you’d start at around £2000-£2200, rising to well over three grand for a really good one. Our advice is to sniff out machines with the official (and thenexpensive) luggage/extras: with an all-important full service history of course!

The top of the tree when it comes to the ST4 would be the ST4S. This was launched in 2001 and gave the basics of the ST4 package, but with the larger-capacity 996cc motor (around 115bhp over 105 of the standard ST4) as well as new four-pot Brembo brake calipers/320mm discs, Marchesini wheels, better suspension, such as titanium-nitridecoated Showa forks and an Ohlins rear shock and a more rigid aluminium swingarm. At launch this thing was so sporty, they even did a day on the track to prove the point…

For some reason the ST4 never caught on, sandwiched as it was by the meeker ST2 and 2004’s three-valve header ST3, which had less power but soldiered on until 2007.

Perhaps buyers didn’t really know what it was?

Effectively, the ST range was at first complemented by and eventually replaced with the Multistrada range, which is a shame because – if you buy a well-sorted one – the ST4 can be a very practical AND purposeful machine. Try one. cmm

SPECIFICATION

DUCATI

ST4/S YEARS AVAILABLE

1998-2005

MAJOR CHANGES

Colours, grey frame (2000-on) ABS option from 2003.

PRICE NEW

£8940 (1998) VALUES NOW

£2000-£3600 VERDICT

Different, a Ducati that’s well worth a look!

FOR: Different, performance AGAINST: Servicing costs/parts, harsh

www.classicmechanics.com / 127

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Next month

YAMAHA YZF-R1: Mark Forsyth rides the benchmark 20-valve sportsbike. PLUS useful buying info, what's good/bad, improvements and spares prices!

KAWASAKI B8S SUPER 150: Steve Cooper on this charming classic!

YAMAHA RD350LC: Scoop with our buyer’s guide!

DUCATI 888 RACER: MF again, this time he’s finished his beautiful Bologna bullet!

KID’S STUFF: 16-year-old restorer Jack Watts and his Honda XR75.

TRACK DAYS: Two takes on hitting the track for the first time and on the cheap!

WORKSHOP: Sorting fork seals and changing brake lines.

PROJECT BIKES: We welcome back young Craig Prior with his Honda VFR400R NC30, Jeff Ware gets on with his Aprilia RS250 Harada replica, while Martin ‘Wild’ Child sorts the chassis on his Suzuki GSX-R1100G project! Ralph is getting in some lathe time courtesy of Project Z1325 ‘Big Zed’ while also sorting his Kawasaki Z1300.

AND MUCH MORE! DON’T MISS IT!*

*The editor reserves the right to completely mess up the above list in a bid to give you the best mix of 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s machines and fettling tips!

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cmm mm

Pip Higham am Tuner, engineer, rider

Things are more like they are today than they ever were...

E

ver since the final days of the Cretaceous period people have been asking me to build engines for them, one such pal has exceptional vision and ability: he can make stuff that leaves me lost for words.

I’ve built V12 Jaguar motors and even a 1913 Standard nine horsepower, complete with white metal crank bearings and a chain-driven magneto.

Jim, for it is he, had no particular reason to visit, but, as friends often do, he just dropped in for a ginger beer and a Garibaldi. Pulling a six by four photograph from his top pocket, “Betcha don’t remember that?” he quizzed with a flourish. “Course I do, ’39 bronze head Ulster, we gave Martin Tomkinson eight quid for it in, oh, about 1964”.

To be fair to Jim, I almost dropped my éclair when I saw the pic. The last time I’d seen the bike in question was many years ago as we loaded it, dismantled I’m sorry to say, into the back of an A35 van after realising a ten pound profit on the sale.

The picture shows a meticulously restored four-valve (radial exhaust, parallel inlet) Rudge Ulster which would, no doubt, command a price well into five figures nowadays.

At first I was a touch gutted that I hadn’t had the guts, ability and determination to have taken on the task way back then, but on reflection I realised that the thing I’d been short of was simply experience.

I didn’t know how to repair damaged cylinder fins, I couldn’t hone a carb body and make a new slide out of a lump of brass, and I was painfully lacking in patience. Now I’m old I have discovered a rich vein of patience, eyesight is another matter, but I have many lights and several pairs of glasses strategically placed about the bench and over my little lathe which help to ease the visual task a little. After showing the picture of the Rudge to brother Bill we did our usual ten minute journey to ‘I wish we still had that one’-ville, from Bill’s first Tiger Cub to my zero miles RC30, from his 1960 red and white TR6 Trophy (like a Bonneville but with a single carb, miles better) to a simple TS90 that I used to pop to the shops on. All delightful and all totally different, and now, sadly, all gone.

But does the monetary value of any of the four examples above relate in any way, (other than the final figure on the Bonham’s account after the poor owner has shuffled off leaving the proceeds of his estate to the members of the local knitting circle) to the fun of ownership? The Tiger Cub, with a value of perhaps £1000 would be okay for an occasional tentative wobble around, but it would have to be very well sorted and regularly fettled to keep it on the

130 / classic motorcycle mechanics

ABOVE: If you can’t buy a new slide for your old bike, make one!

BELOW: Later that same day a new slide magically appeared.

straight and narrow. A Trophy, either 500cc or 650cc would cost a minimum of ten grand, much more with any interesting provenance by either rider or possibly event history. Nice to ride, lovely to look at, much sought after nowadays but probably too much, too late and very rare. The RC30? What can I say, the most beautiful, and arguably the most accomplished production bike ever born out of the desire by Horiike-San to poke the other Japanese manufacturers in the eye with a sharp stick. I had a new one, but sadly I needed a bathroom more than a fabulous ornament, shame on me. So we come to the TS90; if you’ve had the misfortune to read any of my previous drivel, you’ll know that I love little bikes, not bothered what colour or breed so long as they do what they say on the tin. The TS90 in question here was a daily ‘gopher’. I could leave it anywhere without fear, it always started and it never broke, it actually had a TS100 engine in it which sounds like a very time consuming way of increasing the capacity by ten per cent...

But Suzuki, conscious that the little dirt bike thing made them tons of money in America, actually devoted a section in the workshop manual to ‘How to hop up your TS100’. This required the owner to remove the disc-valve, a 15-minute job, and trim it to a profile as described in the manual.

With a bit of a tweak to the exhaust baffles and tail pipe and an hour or so spent setting up the carb the TS transformed into a fully fledged smile enhancer. There is no question to be answered here; if you’re thinking of ‘investing’ some cash in a PTW, forget too heavy, too expensive and too exotic – find something that makes you smile... then tune it! cmm