Classic Motorcycle Mechanics June 2019

KAWASAKI KH750 YAMAHA YLL1

Ridden and Mach V reboot!

Buyer’s guide

60s

KAWASAKI GPZ900R

HONDA VF500

The year of Big Brotther and d the BE EST bikes!

YAMAHA FJ1100

UK off-sale date – 19/06/2019

FIVE DECADES OF MODERN CLASS SIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS INCLUDING:

SILVER SOLDER 90s: YAMAHA FZS600 FAZER, YAMAHA YZF-R1 80s: SUZUKI RG500 70s: KAWASAKI Z1325, HONDA CL350, KAWASAKI Z650 Also: ALLEN MILLYARD VELOCETTE Q&A: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND YOUR BIKES AND MEMORIES!

No.380 June 2019

GUZZI V7 RETROS RIDDEN!

£4.30

HONDA CBX750F

June 2019 Issue 380 Publisher: Tim Hartley thartley@mortons.co.uk Publishing director: Dan Savage asavage@mortons.co.uk Designers: Charlotte Fairman, Jake Sidebotham, Michael Baumber Picture Desk: Paul Fincham, Jonathan Schofield Production editor: Mike Cowton 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 42 for offer): (12 months 12 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £51.60. Export rates are also available – see page 42 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: June 19, 2019 Advertising deadline: May 23, 2019 © 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

Time to wheel in the future I guess we all get to an age where we almost look to our futures in some way or another.

Be it saving for a rainy day, buying a house together with a partner, or taking out an insurance policy. Whatever… we need to look ahead; we’re told we have to look ahead.

Strange thing to say, in a classic-oriented motorcycle magazine, but it’s this sort of thing that’s been on my mind recently. Now, as well as the amazing ‘back catalogue’ of bikes from the decades, I do enjoy modern two-wheelers, but – by ‘eck – often they can be either very fast, quite tall, hard to manage easily, or a mixture of all these things.

Bikes like the Moto Guzzi V7 IIIs tested this month are a view to an alternate future of the bikes people like us may want to ride. Most

The Professional Publishers Association

Member

Having trouble finding a copy of this magazine?

Why not Just Ask your local newsagent to reserve you a copy each month?

Editor

BSimmonds@Mortons.co.uk

www.facebook.com/ClassicMechanics/

www.twitter.com/cmmmag

Steve Cooper

Tony Greenslade

Mark Haycock

Our favourite verbose scribe, Steve ‘Number One’ Cooper is back scribbling this month with a piece on silver solder and the YL1 buyer’s guide.

It’s a case of lights, (no camera) and action as Tony and Team Allspeed wire up some lights, take to the track and take very few pics! Ha!

Mark helps you all out with queries and gives us the latest on his current project: the Honda CL350.

Older, nicer stuff editor!

John Nutting Master of MIRA

Independent publisher since 1885

manufacturers now offer ‘retro’ bikes which hark back to better times, but give us the latest in techno-gubbins, without the outright power, speed and plain daftness of a racereplica or even a too-tall adventure bike.

Over the last few years I’ve loved tootling along on something stylishly old-fashioned but thoroughly modern, be it a ‘new’ Triumph Bonnie, a Guzzi V-twin, a Kawasaki Z900RS or – next month – Suzuki’s new Katana. The future is as bright as our past, so let’s embrace it.

Our very own Nutters delves into the archives to find out what shook our world back in 1984. Big Brother and brilliant bikes!

Allen Millyard

Yes, it’s part two of Allen’s new Velocette V-twin project: where does he go from here?

Jeff Ware

Square four hurrah!

Our Down Under correspondent finishes mate Helmut’s RG500 and gets time to take a few laps on a Kawasaki KH750… what does he make of it?

Team Allspeed

Ralph Ferrand

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH!

Let’s raise a glass …or two, to this leviathan of Kawasaki cool: our very own, un-wreck-it Ralph! A man to Kawasaki what Hannibal Lecter is to cannibalism: yes, he loves his Kawasakis. This month he finishes the custom big Zed 1325 and starts his good lady’s Z650 clutch conversion. We had to remove 75 rude words from his work this month…

Q&A wizard

Alan Dowds

Bike Jock, poo-pong McPlop The Scot who still needs to finish his ZRX is back with a budget bike – the Fazer 600.

Scott Redmond Marketplace master!

Scottie is back in the chair in the Marketplace massive and this month he’s pondering basket-cases.

Pip Higham

Robert Bee

The man for whom shorts were made for (ahem) tells us about the style icons of his biking life.

Big Bad Bob the ad legend was a tad upset over us joshing him about his love for the mighty reds! Hee hee!

Style guru

It just wasn’t cricket…

www.classicmechanics.com / 3

RT VE AD L IA OR

No admin fees from the classic specialists

W

hen you buy a classic motorcycle – whether it’s a minty fresh white 1980 Yamaha RD250LC or a seen-better-days Honda FireBlade in the timeless red, white and blue livery – choosing the right insurer is vital.

The last thing you need when you’re anxiously stripping down your new pride and joy to see what horrendous bodges have been perpetrated against it by previous owners is to discover that your new insurer has tacked on a few little extra fees for‘administration’and ‘document handling’.

It’s important to have confidence and trust in your insurer – that they are going to understand the giddy highs and (occasional) bolt-shearing, paintwork-ruining lows of owning a beautiful classic machine from an era when manufacturers and owners did things rather differently.

They also need to understand that although you might need cover for a bike you ride every day, you might also need cover for a bike that’s going to be spending a lot of time being worked on in the garage.

It’s thiss knowledge, understanding and up-front approach to the cost of insurance that sets RH Specialist vehicle insurance firmly apart from the rest.

They will never demand extra payments for renewing, policy adju ustments*, document duplication, cancellation or posting g. What’s more, underwriting performance

and/or specialist vehicles are particular specialties.

RH offers a bespoke approach to underwriting your motorcycle’s insurance policy with no hidden fees and charges which means you’ll never go through the process of handing over your details, getting a quote, and then discovering to your considerable disgust that with all the additional charges it’s suddenly become more expensive than some of the other quotes you got in the first place.

With RH it’s simple and straightforward – the price you’re quoted is the price you pay. It’s as simple as that.

And that’s not all. RH are also specialists in underwriting those future classics we keep telling you about here at CMM. Providing you have one or more motorcycles registered prior to 1991 insured with RH, they will consider covering your entire fleet under a discounted multi-motorcycle policy.

You will also receive automatic cover for attending club rallies, cover for dismantled parts up to the value of the motorcycle, subject to being kept in a locked garage or building, and ‘ccherished salvage’:: unlike other insurers, RH offers free and automatic return on all motorcycles over 20 years old.

If you’re looking for an insurer who understands what you need and who’s going to be completely open and honest with no hidden fees, look no further than RH. All quotes have been n based on: Policyholder - male, aged 38.

Clean licence, Memb ber of a motorcycle club, Mileage: 5000 per annum.

Occupation -Advertissing rep Postcode: DE4 4DL. • 1976 Kawasaki Z90 00, approximate value £16k = £99.91 plus insurance prem mium tax.

Kept garaged overnight.

* No fee es for policy adjustments. In fact, only a material change in risk, such as an increase e in value will potentially have an effect on your premium.

4 / classic motorcycle mechanics

60

❙ Q&A

62

❙ KAWASAKI Z1325

60

❙ ALLEN MILLYARD

70

❙ TRIUMPH CAFÉ RACER

76

❙ WORKSHOP: SILVER SOLDER

It’s finally finished!

More on his Velocette V-twin!

John Nutting with part two.

Scoop tells us what’s hot.

80

Contents

Mark Haycock with a page of tips.

❙ YAMAHA FZS600 FAZER Alan Dowds returns to CMM.

84

❙ SUZUKI RG500

88

❙ YAMAHA YL1

Jeff Ware finishes the RG! A buyer’s guide.

102 ❙ YAMAHA YZF-R1

Niall Mackenzie returns!

104 ❙ KAWASAKI Z650

Ralph with part one of this clutch swop/conversion.

110 ❙ HONDA CL350

Mark Haycock back with this classic machine.

114 ❙ YAMAHA TZR250

Tony Greenslade and Team Allspeed return!

06 08 10

ARCHIVE

The Big Yin on a big Kwak!

CMM MARKETPLACE Scott Redmond looks for basket-cases!

CMM STUFF

New kit, tools, tyres, helmets and stuff.

40 42 44

CMM TRACK DAYS

Join us and CBT at Cadwell and Combe.

SUBSCRIBE!

Subscribe and save cash!

PRESCOTT HILL CLIMB

Come and attend this awesome event.

14

NEWS

20

FEEDBACK

22

SHOW US YOURS

26

KAWASAKI KH750

121 NEXT MONTH

32

BEST BIKES OF 1984

122 PIP HIGHAM

Events, news and what’s happening.

WIN Bridgestone tyres for our Star Letter!

WIN S-DOC cleaning gear.

Win Tamiya kit for ‘The Way We Were!’

Jeff Ware rides a mighty triple Down Under.

John Nutting takes us down memory lane.

46HONDA CB175 K6

CMM reader Tom Garland's resto.

50 58

MOTO GUZZI V7 IIIS

We ride three variations on the retro Guzzi theme.

RETRO REBOOT

Kar Lee’s amazing Mach V Kwak triple.

What’s happening in the July 2019 CMM? Pip’s a frustrated carpenter…

www.classicmechanics.com / 5

Yin!

Big

The

T ■ A biker goes to the doctor with hearing problems. ‘Can you describe the symptoms to me?’ ‘Yes. Homer is a fat yellow lazy bastard and Marge is a skinny bird with big blue hair!'

■ People who point at their wrist while asking for the time. I know where my watch is pal! Do I point at my crotch when I ask where the toilet is?

his is legendary comedian Billy Connolly at the Earls Court show in 1980 aboard the fuel-injected Kawasaki Z1000H. Enough from us: have some of his best one-liners to make you smile.

■ Scotland has the only football team in the world that does a lap of disgrace.

■ There are two seasons in Scotland: June and Winter.

■ Who discovered we could get milk from cows, and what did he think he was doing at the time?

■ One sex therapist claims that the most effective way to arouse your man is to spend 10 minutes licking his ears. Personally, I think its b*ll*cks!

■ What always staggers me is that when people blow their noses, they always look into their hankies to see what came out. What do they expect to find?

■ Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cosy, doesn’t try it on!

■ Marriage is a wonderful invention: then again, so is a bicycle repair kit.

■ My definition of an intellectual is someone who can listen to the William Tell Overture without thinking of the Lone Ranger.

■ Honestly, some folk will take offence at anything, I met a bloke with no legs this morning while at the bus stop. All I asked was ‘How are you getting on?'

■ I’ve always wanted to go to Switzerland to see what the Army does with those wee red knives.

■ A bird in the hand sh*ts on your wrist!

ENJOYED THIS PREVIEW? THE BEST ACTION IN TRIALS AND MOTOCROSS

DIRTb bike ke

VELO MAC MA S SPECIAL PECIAL NORTON RT RTON INTER AJS SCEPTRE SCEP E SPORTS! SCEPTR SPORTS POR !

PORTS

CLASSIC

#48

ISSUE

Forty-eight Autumn 2018

OCTOBER 2018

No. 330 October 2018 £4.30 UK Off-sale date 31/10/2018

MOTO MEMORIES // TECH TALK // MONTESA COTA 200 // BULTACO MATADOR

3.60

Running, Riding & Rebuilding Running, Rebuilding Real RealClassi RealC Classic C lassi Motorcycles

BOXER CKS TRIC

HOW THE LEGEEND BEGAN

SUPERMAC’S TRIUMPH DRAYTON

PRINTED IN THE UK

PLUS MOTO MEMORIES TECH TALK MONTESA COTA 200 BULTACO MATADOR AN HOUR WITH: GERRIT WOLSINK

£3.60 US$9.99 C$10.99 Aus$8.50 NZ$9.99 PRINTED IN THE UK

HOME, JAMES!

UNIVERSITY GRADUATE

#48

001 Cover_OCT.indd 1

AT THE CASTLE

DRUMLANRIG 2018 D 20

WINNER

SUPER PROFILE: ARIEL’S HT3

GREEVES ESSEX TWIN BUYING GUIDE // STRIP YOUR TWOSTROKE // BSA B31 RESTORATION // MALLE MILE // CAFE RACER CUP // SHETLAND CLASSIC // THE CLASSIC TT // MIKE HAILWOOD REPLICA

CLASSICS

65 PRE65 PRE

PRINTED IN THE UK

R 2018 ISSUE 174 OCTOBER

N48 2018 US$15.99 Aus$14.99 NZ$18.99 UK£5.50 UK Off-sale date 15/11/18

BUY  SELL  RIDE  RESTORE

13/09/2018 10:34:50

001 CDB Cover_048.indd 1

02/08/2018 14:53:55

001 Cover_174.indd 1

03/09/2018 10:18:26

•SINGLE ISSUES •SUBSCRIPTIONS

CLICK HERE

www.classicmagazines.co.uk

ENDOFPREVI EW

I fy oul i k ewhaty ou’ v e r eads of ar ,whynot s ubs c r i be,ort r ya s i ngl ei s s uef r om:

www. c l as s i c magaz i nes . c o. uk