Classic Motorcycle Mechanics November 2019

E WALL THISISSUE ISSU FREE FR WALL PLANNER PLANNER WITH WITH THIS THIS ISSUE

HONDA CG125 H 70s

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Buyer’s guide

DUCHINNI BOOTS, BRIDGESTONE TYRES, S-DOC CHAIN KIT!

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SUZUKI KATANA SPECIAL!

KITTY

Pop-up Kat!

WELDING GUIDE, TOOL OF THE MONTH. 00s: YAMAHA YZF-R1, SUZUKI GSX-R1000. 90s: BMW R1100S, KAWASAKI ZXR750J. 80s: YAMAHA TZR250. 70s: HONDA CL350. ALSO: ALLEN MILLYARD COLUMN. Q&A: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND YOUR BIKES AND MEMORIES!

UK off-sale date – 20/11/2019

FIVE DECADES OF MODERN CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS INCLUDING:

No.385 November 2019

Old meets new…

Aussie Kat racer!

Six-cylinder Katana!

£4 4.40

K TS!

November 2019 Issue 385 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 sales: 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 £52.80. 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-5pm 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: November 20, 2019 Advertising deadline: October 31, 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

The game changers…

What bikes for you, changed things entirely?

I’m talking about bikes where – sometimes just the look – made your jaw drop. For many, the Suzuki Katana did just that. Here was a machine which was (after all) pretty much an existing model, but one which with some European design influence was elevated on to a completely different plane.

The balance between form over function is a fine line and it’s interesting to hear what our testers think when comparing both old and new Suzuki Katanas. I have to echo this. What is wrong with manufacturers of retro machines, that they have to cut down the rear end of a bike and give it naff all practicality?

Both old and new Kats were and are variations on existing themes/machines and some of the best-loved bikes have also been the same. Think of Honda’s 1997 Hornet, which was a spine-framed CBR600F, with a de-tuned

Tony Greenslade

Pip Higham

He’s hard at it again! Not only is it Honda CG125 and Yamaha L5T classic rides, it’s project bikes with his Yamaha C3SC!

Finally, at last and some months after the actual event, we hear what happens with Team Allspeed and the little TZR at Spa!

We had to put him in here this month. Who else would be crazy enough to build a six-cylinder Suzuki Katana? Aye, Pip!

Mike ‘Boothy’ Booth goes to the TT races with a 1992 Kawasaki ZXR750 J2 – but does it do a lap in anger, or leave him in anger?

Independent publisher since 1885

Rob Bean

Former jet fighter fixer Nice of the big guy to help out our former art editor Justin Blackamore with his Kawasaki GPZ500S fork seals!

Having trouble finding a copy of this magazine?

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

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Steve Cooper

CMM’s Number One!

Fast berk!

Member

Editor

BSimmonds@Mortons.co.uk

www.facebook.com/ClassicMechanics/

Mike Booth

The Professional Publishers Association

motor, simplified suspension and brakes, but a machine which spawned a superb racing class and served as a basis for a wide range of wonderful specials and was much loved.

Conversely, Honda’s X-11 was based on the brilliant Blackbird, but wasn’t so admired!

Now, I may not be popular when I say this, but, for me, one of the jaw-droppers of recent years was 2001’s Harley-Davidson VRSC V-Rod. I was on the launch in California. Expecting a normal air-cooled cruiser, when the covers were lifted we were gobsmacked! Great bikes linked with beautiful design often do that… and long may it continue!

Jeff Ware

Down Under dude!

Jeff gives us the low-down on Shawn Giles’ very special Suzuki Katana racer and is back next month with the Yamaha RZ500R!

Team Allspeed

Stuart Barker Kata-tonic

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH!

Stu Barker rides old and new Suzuki Katanas in this issue and (it’s fair to say) has fallen for the charms of the older machine. A typical Stranraer Jock, he loves booze, bikes and bir…err, ladies in equal measure. It’s just a shame he can only hold on to his booze and bikes, eh Lisa?

Lily Schiller Top ad lady!

The lovely Lily is the person to go to when it comes to adverts in this Movember (or any month) edition of Morton’s finest motorcycling publication!

Sixy Kat man!

Ralph Ferrand He loves Europe!

Ralph loves Europe! This is clear from his acceptance of a BMW R1100 S for restoration! Check out Tool of the Month, too!

Jim Lindsay Welding wizard!

Our Jim continues with his piece on the very basics of welding by telling us what he bought and what you need to wear to be safe!

Paul Berryman Bad buyer!

We love PB here at CMM! He finds motivation difficult, but when it kicks in, it kicks… him in the pants. See what he’s just bought!

www.classicmechanics.com / 3

58

❙ Q&A

60

❙ BMW R1100 S

64

❙ KAWASAKI GPZ500S

70

76

80

Ralph Ferrand restores this 1990s Teutonic twin Justin Blackamore enlists help with a fork seal sort out

❙ ALLEN MILLYARD

He’s off to the Classic TT on the Velo… Or is he?

❙ SIX-CYLINDER KATANA Pip Higham’s amazing sixy beast… Lovely!

❙ TOOL OF THE MONTH

Ralph again on his fave tools for November!

82

❙ YAMAHA YZF-R1

86

❙ SUZUKI GSX-R1000 K1

Paul Berryman’s buying acumen revealed! And it's not pretty...

Scott Redmond breaks this legendary sportsbike

88

❙ HONDA CG125

92

❙ YAMAHA C3SC

96

Contents

Mark Haycock with a page of tips

Steve Cooper with our buyer’s guide on this hit single Scoop with part nine of this (long) tale… Pull up a sofa!

06 08 10 14

110 ❙ WELDING PART 2

Jim Lindsay on what kit to buy

118 ❙ HONDA CL350

Mark Haycock lines the tank

Another look back in time...

CMM MARKETPLACE CMM STUFF

NEWS

44

New kit, tools and tyres and stuff Events, news and what’s happening

FEEDBACK

22

SHOW US YOURS

26

DOWN UNDER KATANA

32

36 42

Is the Kat out of the bag?

20

❙ YAMAHA TZR250

Tony Greenslade and Team Allspeed at Spa: do they finish?

ARCHIVE

WIN Bridgestone tyres for our Star Letter!

WIN S-DOC cleaning gear!

Win Tamiya kit for ‘The Way We Were’!

A quick ride on Shawn Giles’ racer!

KAWASAKI ZXR750 J2

Mike Booth gets to the Classic TT

48 56

YAMAHA L5T

Steve Cooper rides a trailinspired tiddler

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Subscribe and save cash!

DIARY DATES

Some top events to go to this November

SUZUKI GSX KATANAS

Old versus new: who wins?

RETRO REBOOT

Suzuki’s pop-up Katana rebooted!

121 NEXT MONTH

What’s happening in the December 2019 CMM?

122 PIP HIGHAM

Pip talks about (not from) his exhaust pipe…

Kat’s pounce!

6 / classic motorcycle mechanics

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

hi h 0 which We’ve teamed up with SDoc100 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 Chain Care Kit worth £50, which includes their new White Chain Spray 2.0 that offers four times more wear protection for chains and sprockets than the competition. Find out more at www.motohaus.com

DAN AND NIGEL PETTITT’S HONDA VFR750s My dad Nigel and I have been avid readers of CMM for the last four years and thoroughly enjoy reading every issue! My dad has had a huge influence on my passion for motorbikes, introducing me to road racing at Oliver’s Mount back in the early 1990s. I’ll never forget the iconic sounds of Ducati 916s and Honda RC30s on the back straight! We gradually got involved in trials riding with a TY80 and a Bultaco Sherpa 325, which we had hours of fun tinkering with! We both still ride trials to this day. However, the one thing that stuck in my childhood memories was riding pillion on the back of my dad’s 1992 Honda VFR 750F (J28 AUG).

We’d love to find that bike!

We continued trials riding; my dad had a Honda SP1 and (at 37) I took my test! And yes – I bought a VFR! My dad rang up one day all excited, saying he’d found me a bike on eBay. We tinkered with the bike and it is on the road and

22 / classsic m

mechanics

doing well. As a result, my dad regained the VFR bug and is the proud owner of two! One has a paint job in the style of an RC45, the other an RC30. The RC30-rep was bought as a project when my dad was going through a very difficult time and helped him through it. It’s a great-looking bike. He did the paint himself and it has a cool left-exit exhaust system. The bike puts a smile on both our faces when he takes it out for a blast!

We have had some great rides out and the old VFRs always turn heads; we can’t think of a modern bike we’d rather own.

Two of my best mates have also opted for 90s sports bikes, riding a Honda CBR600 and a Kawasaki ZX-6R. In my opinion these old 90s bikes have brought two generations together, provided a focus during difficult times, and continue to provide hours of fun all on such a relatively small budget. Keep up the excellent work with the magazine! Thanks for inspiring us!

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#48

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Forty-eight Autumn 2018

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