Classic Motorcycle Mechanics September 2019

PUCH VZ50 APRILIA MOTO Buyer guide 6.5 RIDDEN! 70s

DUCHINNI HELMET, BRIDGESTONE TYRESS, S-DOC CLEANING KIT!

No.383 September 2019

The four that forged a legen nd!

UK off-sale date – 18/09/2019

£4.40

WIN!

90s

Suzuki’s RG250 S FIVE DECADES OF MODERN CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS INCLUDING:

CLUTCH ACTUATORS. 90s:YAMAHA FAZER 600, TRIUMPH CRK CAFÉ RACER, KAWASAKI ZXR750J. 80s:YAMAHA TZR250, SUZUKI RM80X, YAMAHA RZV500R. 70s:KAWASAKI Z650, HONDA CL350, KAWASAKI H2C. ALSO: ALLEN MILLYARD COLUMN. Q&A:YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND YOUR BIKES AND MEMORIES!

September 2019 Issue 383 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 38 for offer): (12 months 12 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £52.80. Export rates are also available – see page 38 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: September 18, 2019 Advertising deadline: August 22, 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

Copycat or quirky cool?

This is what’s been going through my head this month while putting together CMM. This month’s main test is the – perhaps – undervalued and overlooked Suzuki GS750, a bike many claimed was a bit of a Kawasaki rip-off, replicating many of the Big K’s thencurrent features from the likes of the Z-series and yet building something special of their own.

Whatever you think of the bike and its origins, it is the grandsire of the likes of the GS1000, GSX-series, Katanas, GSX-Rs and modern Suzukis all…

Then there are those bikes that go their own way, either from a technology point of view or from a styling perspective. Enter, stage left, Aprilia’s Moto 6.5. Here was a machine with humble Pegaso-based running gear, but with the design that was very dividing.

The looks were penned by designer Philippe

Jeff Ware

Mark Haycock

Following on from his Honda CB900F test last issue, JB returns with another, undervalued four-cylinder: Suzuki’s GS750.

Our man from the Antipodes is on with part two of his Suzuki RM80X and begins a sort out of the Yamaha RZV500R.

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

Testing, testing

Nutters is metal-deep in his build of the CRK café racer Triumph – check out his current progress on page 60.

Independent publisher since 1885

Allen Millyard

Engineer extraordinaire!

Allen finally finishes his Velocette V-twin motor – and she looks a doozy. But what next for our intrepid builder?

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

Jonathan Bentman

The café king!

The Professional Publishers Association

Editor

BSimmonds@Mortons.co.uk

www.facebook.com/ClassicMechanics/

John Nutting

Member

Starck, more known for house lamps than lairy motorcycles. Our own Steve Cooper rides an example from page 30 and falls for its charms.

Me? Well, I rode one back in the day and I couldn’t stand the thing: it was an ugly home that the lovely five-valve Pegaso motor didn’t deserve at all. But, each to their own, eh?

With this in mind perhaps I need to sort Steve out with a lovely, mid-1990s Pegaso to go ride on. Trailie singles such as the Aprilia and machines like the Honda Dominator and Kawasaki Tengai offer lots to the rider.

So, copycat or quirky, what spins your crank?

Down Under dude!

Steve Cooper

Q&A wizard

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH!

Engine room Yes, he deserves his place in the sun once more for pushing himself to the limit this month. Not only do we have a ride on the oddball Aprilia Moto 6.5, but we have a workshop on clutch actuators as well as a piece on Yamaha’s YDS1 and a guide to the Puch VZ50! Top work, Scoop!

Alan Dowds

Fickle Fazer fella!

Big Al’s put the champagne on ice this month as he tries to work out coils, coolant and running issues!

Ralph Ferrand Kawasaki King

Double helpings from Ralph again.

Ffirstly, he finishes the good lady’s Z650 clutch and gets on with his H2 stroker…

Mike Booth

Tony Greenslade Team Allspeed

Biking Zeus

Following last issue’s Fast Bikes bloke, this time Mike ‘Boothy’ Booth is in a race against time to get a Kawasaki ZXR750J ready for the Classic TT!

It’s more racing, thrills, spills and blow-ups as Tony and the team get ready for the Spa Classic.

Former ‘newspaper’ man Chad is a TT racer, UK record holder, award-winning journalist, a great lover, fighter and wild bull rider!

Another Fast Bloke

Adam ‘Chad’ Child

www.classicmechanics.com / 3

58

❙ Q&A

60

❙ TRIUMPH CRK CAFÉ RACER

64

❙ KAWASAKI H2 C

70

❙ ALLEN MILLYARD

72

Mark Haycock with a page of tips.

John Nutting in 'Carry on Cafe'!

Ralph back with his Purple Pain.

Allen finishes his Velocette V-twin motor.

❙ SUZUKI APACHE

Scoop hunts for a new bike

76

❙ CLUTCH ACTUATORS

80

❙ YAMAHA FZS600 FAZER

84

Scoop on this vital doobrie.

Alan Dowds tries to get the motor running well…

❙ SUZUKI RM80X

Jeff Ware gets the motor out of his tiddler classic!

88

❙ PUCH VZ50

92

❙ YAMAHA YDS1

Steve Cooper's buyer’s guide.

06 08 10 14 20

Contents ARCHIVE

Was this the first Jap ‘retro’?

CMM MARKETPLACE What impact has the Suzuki GS750 had?

CMM STUFF

New kit, tools, tyres and stuff. Lovely!

NEWS

Events, news and what’s happening out there.

FEEDBACK

WIN Bridgestone tyres for our Star Letter!

22

SHOW US YOURS

110 ❙ KAWASAKI Z650

26

KAWASAKI W800

118 ❙ KAWASAKI ZXR750J

30

APRILIA MOTO 6.5

96

Steve with part one of this legendary Yam.

❙ YAMAHA TZR250

Tony Greenslade has some issues with the stroker.

Ralph finishes this fluid clutch swop at last.

Mike Booth in a race to race.

WIN S-DOC cleaning gear, Tamiya kits!

Adam 'Chad' Child rides this W1 homage.

38 40 42 46 56

SUBSCRIBE!

Subscribe and save cash!

DIARY DATES

Some top events to go to this September.

CMM TRACK DAYS

What happened at Cadwell and Combe?

SUZUKI GS750

Jon Bentman rides this game-changing Suzuki.

RETRO REBOOT

What would a modern RG250 look like?

129 NEXT MONTH

What’s happening in the October 2019 CMM?

130 PIP HIGHAM

Our Pip has a ticket to ride!

Steve Cooper rides this charming Suzuki classic.

122 ❙ YAMAHA RZ500R

Jeff again with a new resto.

126 ❙ HONDA CL350

Mark Haycock is back.

www.classicmechanics.com / 5

Kawasaki

W1

Kawasaki's W1: squint and it could be a Brit bike...

Arguably Japan's ďŹ rst 'retro'.

WORDS: BERTIE SIMMONDS, ADAM CHILD PICS: MORTONS ARCHIVE, GARY D CHAPMAN

J

apan is now known for innovation in all things two wheels, but there was a time when really all it could do was copy what went before.

Take, for example, the original Kawasaki W1 of 1965. Here was a machine that – if it was parked up anywhere today – you would almost swear it was a beautiful British twin-cylinder motorcycle.

And yet the chrome-plated tank says Kawasaki on it, but the exhausts are the same shape as a Brit twin too… This was a Kawasaki production bike that ran from 1966 through to 1973, by which time that innovation we were mentioning had been in full force with the likes of the Honda CB750 and Kawasaki’s own Z1…

You’ll see on page 26 Adam ‘Chad’ Child’s ride on the latest retro W800, which pays homage to the original W1. While he was in Japan on the launch they let him ride an original 1965 machine. He said: “Riding the bike was an explosion of the senses. The sound is lovely, two straight through pipes per cylinder, it has a real rasp to it – I was surprised how quickly it revved. Gear-shift on the right side, in with the heavy cable clutch, down one to first and we’re away. With a quoted 50bhp, the classic W1 has more ‘on paper’ bhp than the modern W800; there’s more than enough to have some fun with and once you’re used to the four-speed, right-foot gearbox it was a pleasure to ride – l loved it. The ride quality was impressive, and the engine, backed up by a rasping exhaust note, has some kick to it; the old girl can still dance. It must have been sensational back in 1965. I’d love to have this W1 in the garage for the odd late summer evening ride, what a lovely looking and enjoyable bike to ride – I didn’t stop smiling all day.”

Chad loved it!

■ Want to get hold of pictures from Mortons Archive? Then head to: www.mortonsarchive.com

cmm

Stuff

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

HJC CAL CRUTCHLOW REPLICA

This is the RPHA11 – a helmet to you and me – and it’s the current helmet worn by British MotoGP rider Cal Crutchlow. The lid is made from carbon fibre, aramid and carbon glass hybrid fibre – which sounds very techy. It also has an ‘enlarged view port’ which we think means the hole in the front you look out of is bigger than before. It comes with two visors (one light smoke, one clear) and an anti-fog insert. Sizes are XXS (52-53cm) to XXL (62-63cm.) www.ls2helmets.com

£479.99

SEALEY TOOL OFFERS/COMP!

Running until the end of September is the new Sealey Power Tool Promotion, which Sealey say has lots of ‘GRRR-Gear’ inside! The promo has a packed 28 pages with more than 170 great deals on power tools and accessories, as well as air-tools, compressors and vacuums. Some discounts are up to 47% off list price!

AND if that’s not enough, you’ve also got the chance to win a selection of hand tools from Sealey’s Premier Black Range, which is worth over £350! Up for grabs until the end of September is a prize that consists of a 34 piece 3/8-inch Square Drive 6pt WallDrive Metric Socket Set, ½-inch Square Drive Calibrated Micrometer Torque Wrench, a 3pc Quick Release Locking Pliers Set, ½-inch Square Drive 600mm Breaker Bar and a selection of TRX-Star Sockets. Enter online at www.sealey.co.uk for your chance to win. Competition closes September 30, 2019. Lifetime Guarantee T&Cs can be found on their website in the Help & Support section.

S100 CHAIN SPRAY

MARQUIS GLOVES The perfect companion to the Pol 2G jacket, these Marquis gloves offer retro style with the protection of 100% goat leather and CE-approved padded inserts on the back and on the fingers, as well as soft armour on the palm. Nice. They come in black and sizes are XS-XXL. www.tucanourbano.com/gb/

10 / classic motorcycle mechanics

£59.99

Apparently, this extends the life of your chain and gives four times the protection of lesser sprays – as well as not spinning off the chain and also has corrosion protectant built in. So, it’s liquid enough to penetrate the chain links, but sticky enough not to be chucked all over the back of your pride and joy! Apparently, you only need to apply this stuff once every 600 miles or so and being white, you can see where you’ve sprayed it. www.motohaus.com

£14.99

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