Classic Motorcycle Mechanics May 2019

MOTO M GUZZI STORNELLO S 60s 6

Ridden!

HONDA CB750 K7

70s

Buyer’s guide e

FIVE DECADES OF MODERN CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS INCLUDING:

WIRING LOOMS. 90s: HONDA VTR FIRESTORM. 80s: SUZUKI RG500. 70s: KAWASAKI Z1325, HONDA CL350, HONDA CB750K2, YAMAHA C3SC. ALSO: ALLEN MILLYARD COLUMN. Q&A: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND YOUR BIKES AND MEMORIES!

UK off-sale date – 15/05/2019

AND rides on retro Super Cub A and Triumph Speed Twin

No.379 May 2019

K TANA RIDDEN!

£4.30

D, MODERN MAD, MODDE LABBY GSX-R1100 S

May 2019 Issue 379 Publisher: Tim Hartley thartley@mortons.co.uk Publishing director: Dan Savage asavage@mortons.co.uk Designer: 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: May 15, 2019 Advertising deadline: April 25, 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

Modded or mainstream?

This month’s main test and cover star is the project that our ex-pat pal Martin Child finally completed Down Under.

We love the classic looks, the motive muscle from the glorious old air/oil-cooled GSX-R1100derived Bandit 1200 motor and the fact that this is one of those ‘double take’ bikes. You need to take a second look to see those upside-down forks and the much more modern swingarm, brakes and wheels.

Wildy, as he’s known, worked with me back in the day on a motorcycle magazine and it’s fair to say he can ride a bit! Being a former stunt rider you will see the results on page 50.

When I worked with him it was also clear that he could twirl the spanners, so it’s good to see the fruits of his labours and him confess to the lessons he has learned.

Steve Cooper

Engineer extraordinaire!

Allen Millyard

Jeff Ware

Scoop is (as I write this) on his fifth holiday so far this year – but still he churns it out!

Check out his Guzzi test on page 32.

For Allen, deciding on and planning a new project is like playing chess. So, by hook or by rook we will be covering it in CMM. See page 70!

Just two more parts of the resto of Jeff’s mate Helmut’s Suzuki RG500. Find it on page 88.

Our very own Francophile has finally got the Moby going – but then gets confused as to whether to eat or ride: page 112.

Independent publisher since 1885

Tony Greenslade Team Allspeed

He of exhaust excellence joins CMM to tell the tale of getting the Team Allspeed TZR250 Yam ready for Spa!

Having trouble finding a copy of this magazine?

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

www.twitter.com/cmmmag

Older, nicer stuff editor!

Motorcycling Mullet

The Professional Publishers Association

Editor

BSimmonds@Mortons.co.uk

www.facebook.com/ClassicMechanics/

Kev Raymond

Member

A different sort of modification is undertaken

by Scott Redmond this month. Scottie loves his cheap ‘maid-of-all-work’ FireStorm, but decided to make the thing that bit more comfortable for him: find out how on page 110.

Me? Well, I used to like a different end-can and some mild modifications, but now I’m more of a KISS, kinda biker: Keep it Standard, Stupid!

What are you and what do you like? Let us know and keep the bikes coming for Show Us Yours and our reader restorations – like Rob Williams’ Moriwaki ZRX!

Mikko Nieminen

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH!

Do-do-de-do-do…

Editor of our sister title Motorcycle Sport and Leisure, our Mikko has been flying around the globe riding the retro bikes that matter to you all.

This month he’s sampled the much-awaited new Suzuki Katana and the Triumph Speed Twin. Also this issue, our mate Ross Mowbray samples the new Honda Super Cub. Thank you both!

Down Under bloke!

Ralph Ferrand Big Zed lover

Ralph is sorting the chain on the Z1325 project and next month he WILL be back with his good wife’s Z650. Honest!

Scott Redmond

King of the Cut and Shut!

To make it comfy (and make Bertie weep) our Scottie has been hacking about with his FireStorm. Cushty!

Pip Higham

Robert Bee

Mark Haycock

There’s not much ol’ Pip doesn’t know about the infernal combustion engine: see page 122 for his take on timing.

Big Bad Bob had us stop the press last month as he didn’t like his mug shot. So we figured we’d put this one in.

Mark is back with his CB750 K2 and Honda CL350, while helping you all out with your queries.

Pip’s perfect timing

Manchester United fan

Q&A wizard

www.classicmechanics.com / 3

4 / classic motorcycle mechanics

62

❙ Q&A

64

❙ KAWASAKI Z1325

70

❙ ALLEN MILLYARD

74

❙ HONDA CB750 K2

76

❙ YAMAHA CS3C

Contents

Mark Haycock with a page of tips

Ralph sorts the chain out He’s back with his new project Mark Haycock nears the end Steve Cooper returns with his Yam

80

❙ WORKSHOP: LOOMS

84

❙ HONDA CL350

Scoop sorts wiring looms out

Mr Haycock checks carbs and cables... cool!

88

❙ SUZUKI RG500

92

❙ HONDA CB750 K7

Jeff Ware sorts the brakes out A buyer’s guide to this classic Honda four

108 ❙ YAMAHA TZR250

Team Allspeed start the race refurb before Spa

110 ❙ HONDA VTR1000 FIRESTORM

Scott Redmond goes for comfort

112 ❙ MOBYLETTE

Kev Raymond finally gets it going.

Sort of!

122 ❙ WORKSHOP: TIMING

Pip Higham with some basics

42

06

ARCHIVE

08 10 14

CMM MARKETPLACE

20

FEEDBACK

22

SHOW US YOURS

26 30

SUZUKI KATANA

The first sports-tourer? BMW R100 RS Paul Jayson on Brexit

CMM STUFF

New kit, tools and stuff

NEWS

Events, news and what’s happening out there!

WIN Bridgestone tyres for our Star Letter!

WIN S-DOC cleaning gear!

Win Tamiya kit for ‘The Way We Were!’

We ride the new Kat

HONDA SUPER CUB A classic step-thru re-imagined and ridden

30

MOTO GUZZI STORNELLO

38

KAWASAKI ZRX1109

44 46 50 60

An Italian classic tiddler CMM reader makes a Moriwaki twist

RIDE WITH US!

CMM track days

SPEED TWIN

Triumph's retro ridden

SUZUKI GSX-R1100 SPECIAL

Bandit-powered slabby with modern bits

RETRO-SPECTIVE

Why the Yamaha Thundercat (below) is a real steal

129 NEXT MONTH

What’s happening in the June 2019 CMM

122 PIP HIGHAM

Big ones, little ones...

SUBSCRIBE!

Subscribe and save cash!

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Autobahnstormer!

â– Want to get hold of pictures from Mortons Archive? Then head to www.mortonsarchive.com 6 / classic motorcycle mechanics

C

PHOTO: MORTONS ARCHIVE

apable, quirky, but cool – the R100 family of machines were also rather long-lived and are much loved today in retrospect.

The 980cc four-stroke, horizontally-opposed air-cooled ‘boxer’ twin came full of character and was plenty punchy for the time, even if the outright power figures weren’t quite groundbreaking for the mid-1970s. The model pictured here e e iss tthee co comfyy aand d accomplished acco p s ed R100 RS. It was the result of Bayerische Motoren Werke’s

stringent efforts to produce an effective sportstourer that could be ridden vast distances with minimal effort. They succeeded, and in doing so could arguably lay claim to inventing the sports-tourer machine as we know it.

Here was a machine which could cruise all day at 100mph without issue and with rider comfort – thanks in part to that wind-defying fairing, which was the product of innumerable hours in tthee wind d tu tunnel. e The frame-mounted fairing transformed this rellatively underpowered twin into a class-leadingg long-distance machine.

With just 70 horsses on tap, BMW ably demonstrated the sublime efficacy of wrapping a motorcycle in plastiic – even if the purists would howl, but then for them perhaps the R100 S would be better? If you wanted an adventure, you simply loaded the b bike up with the optional Krauser luggage, up pped the pre-load (via the convenient, easy-to-get-to adjusters) and pointed the R100 RS out oof the garage and see where it would take you, in comfort.

The family w would last from 1976 through to 1996 – alb beit with a manufacturing break in bettween, but would prove to be a vital stepping stone to the modern range of boxer tw wins still seen in BMW’s range today.

cmm

Marketplace

Brexit and bikes We’re bored of it, you’re bored of it, but what does Brexit mean for classic bike values? Paul Jayson of The Motorcycle Broker wades in with a few insights

WORDS: PAUL JAYSON PICS: MORTONS ARCHIVE

I

am sure you’re all as sick of the B-word as I am, but if we do leave the EU on whatever terms, you’ve got another five or ten years of this to bore yourself further.

Being passionate about classic motorcycles, I’m going to tell you what impact it’s had and (probably) will have on the classic motorcycle market. I don’t claim to know what the future holds, but I did write an article about the impact of Brexit on classic motorcycle values back in July 2016, shortly after the referendum, so I’ll start with my predictions back then and go from there.

In it I wrote: ‘I have sold a lot of really, super clean, original and un-restored machines. There is also a high demand for high-end classic motorcycles, such as Brough, Indian, MV Agusta and Vincent. Why is this happening now? When currencies are de-valued, investors run to tangible assets. Smart investors understand that more currency will be printed, which de-values their cash reserves. So a tangible asset, such as classic motorcycles, classic cars, art, gold and silver are in limited supply. There are only so many Broughs in the world.’

Since June 2016 I have been doing a lot of early Z1 900s, Honda CB750 sand-casts, Ducati 916/996 SPSs, bevel-drive Ducatis, MV Agustas, rare race bikes, and I’ve been looking for some un-restored green-frame and 900SS Ducatis in excellent original condition. So a lot of demand has come from the top end of the market and there’s a big demand for only original machines and no interest in eBay-type motorcycles.

At the end of the article, I wrote: ‘So over the coming years expect classic motorcycle prices to harden even more, for investment-grade machines.

For the projects, non-investment grade classic motorcycles and machines requiring un-quantified amounts of work, expect prices to fall. Everyone knows what it costs to sort these machines out when there are problems. For the investment-grade classic motorcycles there will now be more demand from the export markets and from the home market as people run for the safety of tangible assets.’

I have been exporting, with the weak pound, and selling more than I expected in the UK recently.

Should we crash out, then our export markets will be dead and we won’t be able to import due to the minimum price increases of 30% in VAT and tariffs.

This doesn’t take into account Sterling weakening further, which would increase prices yet more. In that scenario, the market may well quieten down in the UK for about six months and then prices would 8 / classic motorcycle mechanics

increase by the cost of a weakened pound, tariffs and VAT. These machines are being held by very strong individuals who won’t be accepting a blood-bath on prices, but for non-investment grade machines expect prices to be hit extremely hard.

It may well be that people decide to immediately buy more motorcycles to protect their wealth from being eroded by a weak currency.

How do I know this? I know my customers very well and all of these scenarios have been covered before they bought from me. I am just giving you some insight into the people who buy these machines.

Many people claim investors don’t ride these bikes, but that is just not true, as nearly every one of my clients ride their motorcycles and rode as a teenager.

So far, what I predicted has come true. What I missed was some new dynamics coming into play.

The classic car market is taking a long-earned breather as China enters the market before it takes off again. As it’s now paused, classic car owners have cast their gaze on the classic motorcycle market and have decided that these machines provide incredible value for money. They also take up less room than a car: there’s no right or left-hand drive and they’re great fun.

In the US and the UK there are a lot of new buyers entering the bike market from the car market and this is beginning to have an impact. These people are clued up, or they take sound advice. They are also incredibly litigious, so if you do try and palm off something that isn’t correct, then their lawyers will happily chase you down and make your life hell.

Another factor hardening the prices of genuine classics is China. Chinese buyers were out at Mecum’s in January this year and this will have a profound impact on this market, just as it did on the art market. If you think the prices of classic motorcycles are outrageous today, wait until you see them in five and ten years’ time. I believe you will be sticking a zero, or much more, on today’s prices 10 years from now. Don’t believe me? Would you have thought for a moment, in 2008, that someone would have paid over £160,000 for a Honda sand-cast prototype, which needed restoring?

The market is also splitting, like I said in my original article from July 2016. The machines you see for sale on auction sites that are not investment grade, or that require a vast amount of work, are dropping in value. By investment grade, I mean something not mucked about with and in very good condition and as it left the factory. Not a pretty/ shiny restoration: people want authenticity rather than bling.

ABOVE: This original test bike went for a cool £161,000.

www.classicmechanics.com

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We have great screening processes, and after bikes go through that process, we reject 92% of them.

Finding investment-grade motorcycles is difficult and expensive. The motorcycles that go through auction and auction sites are rarely investment grade.

Another issue that is dividing the cream of the market from everything else is lawyers. If these machines are not correct, many years after you’ve sold it you can receive a solicitor’s letter threatening court action. It doesn’t matter what you wrote on the bill of sale, there are laws regarding this that most people don’t understand, and defending such a case can cost in excess of £50,000. Investors want to know they won’t be dealing with such problems.

Brexit is attracting vast sums of money seeking a home, and classic motorcycles are offering people security and great value. But they only want the best

www.twitter.com/cmmmag

RIGHT: What price a mint, original Z1 come post-Brexit, eh?

and d mostt autthenttic examplles wiith prooff thatt they’’re genuine. It has speeded the market up and developed it much more quickly, and there are other forces at work that will profoundly grow this tiny market.

If you think Brexit will de-globalise the UK and insulate it from rising prices, think again. The internet has globalised the world and there are no secrets any more.

The classic motorcycle market is more global than the classic car market and demand is growing daily.

Interesting times indeed... www.classicmechanics.com / 9

cmm

Stuff

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#48

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Forty-eight Autumn 2018

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