Classic Motorcycle Mechanics September 2015

HONDA VTR1000

MOTO GUZZI LE MANS

Mk5 Mk

Buyer’s guide

The last 750 Superbike ■ Bridgestone

Hurricane Scrambler ridden!

■ 1990

Honda Africa Twin restored! returns!

Pro-Am

Project:

Yamaha RD350

Stan Stephens:

How to enlarge two-stroke ports

Skills:

Making gaskets

ISSUE N0.335 SEPTEMBER 2015

■ Yamaha

PROJECT BIKES: SUZUKI GSX-R1100L ❙ KAWASAKI ZRX1100 ❙ SUZUKI GT500 CAFE RACER ❙ YAMAHA RD350 ❙ SUZUKI STINGER

September 2015 Issue 335 Publisher: Steve Rose, srose@mortons.co.uk Contributors: Joe Dick, Mark Williams.

Art Editor: Justin Blackamore Reprographics: Paul Fincham, Jonathan Schofield Divisional advertising manager: Martin Freeman mfreeman@mortons.co.uk Tel: 01507 529538 Advertising: Sam Dearie, Lee Buxton sdearie@mortons.co.uk, lbuxton@mortons.co.uk Tel: 01507 524004 Subscription manager: Paul Deacon Circulation manager: Steven O’Hara Marketing manager: Charlotte Park Publishing director: Dan Savage Commercial director: Nigel Hole Associate director: Malc Wheeler 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 36 for offer): (12 months 12 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £50.40. Export rates are also available – see page 36 for more details. UK subscriptions are zero-rated for the purposes of Value Added Tax. Distribution: COMAG, Tavistock Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE. Tel: 01895 433600 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 16, 2015 Advertising deadline: September 1, 2015 © 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

A welcome return!

Imagine if entertainment’s biggest ever names were still around today. Think about it: Hendrix headlining Glastonbury, or a new Morecambe and Wise festive special plonked prime-time on Christmas Day? These things aren’t going to happen, but the halcyon days of motorcycle racing are being remembered and now recreated. Recently, we saw the inaugural World GP Bike Legends event at Jerez, attended by our own Steve ‘Stavros’ Parrish, and now we have news of the re-creation of that most exciting of race series the Yamaha Pro-Am. We at CMM heard ages ago about the proposed Bennetts Yamaha RD Pro-Am plans: after all, IDP Moto (who have to get 30 RD250LCs ready for the race) are with us on the Retro Reboot RD350LC project. However, we – like Niall Mackenzie – wondered how on earth

Having trouble finding a copy of this magazine?

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Bertie Simmonds

editor

Bertie Simmonds

Chris Moss

Alan Dowds

bertie@classicmechanics.com ..swing one of his cats in his newly cleared-out garage. Good vibes.

editorial@classicmechanics.com Mossy returns with a ride on one of the late 1990s big twins – Honda’s VTR FireStorm.

editorial@classicmechanics.com How to make Project ZRX seem as long as Tolstoy’s epic!

Steve Cooper

Mark Haycock

John Nutting

editorial@classicmechanics.com This month Scoop mastered the heel-and-toe gearchange, among other things.

editorial@classicmechanics.com Master Mark helps you with all your questions in this month’s Q&A pages.

editorial@classicmechanics.com The old smoothy rides a very special XS650 and reminds us of the original.

Editor with room to…

Older/nicer stuff editor

Stan Stephens Independent publisher since 1885

it could happen and, as I write this, we’re still weeks away from the event at the British Grand Prix on August 30, so fingers crossed it does!

See page 50 for more.

It’s hoped that both the World GP Bike Legends event and the Pro-Am will be a regular on the classic calendar. We could just stand and gape at these bikes in museums, but – thanks to trailblazers like the Classic TT and the National Motorcycle Museum – isn’t it great to see them displayed as they were back in the day and ‘in action’. We may (sadly) lose the sight of amazing machines like the Avro Vulcan in our skies, but we shouldn’t lose the sight and smell of angry two and four-strokes, rotaries, twins, fours and triples from our race circuits.

Quick Spin King

The Q&A King

Project ‘War and Peace’

The Master of MIRA

Lord of the LC

Reader rides roads!

Nick Watson

Niall Mackenzie

editorial@classicmechanics.com Our Stan reveals ‘Two-stroke Smoke’ and how to enlarge ports!

editorial@classicmechanics.com And you can too. Ride roads on your classic and write for us!

editorial@classicmechanics.com Check out page 50: Spuds is back racing a Pro-Am RD Yamaha.

Gary Chapman

Kar Lee

Sam Dearie

editorial@classicmechanics.com Chappers’ art extends from the Hurricane Scrambler, to the XS650 special to fatty editor on an SRAD.

editorial@classicmechanics.com Kar re-creates the late 1990s classic middleweight sportsbike the R6.

editorial@classicmechanics.com He’s massive and a member of Mensa, so no messing.

Arty photographer chap

Retro Reboot genius

Reliving his youth!

Genius Ad Giant

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Contents 06

ARCHIVE

08

HONDA VTR FIRESTORM

13 18 20 22 26 30

Alex Bedford on the Pro-Am RD350LC

Chris Moss on Honda’s 1990s 1000cc twin.

NEWS

Damon Hill on an RD-LC?

CALENDAR

Get hill-climbing this September!

FEEDBACK

Those short in the leg should read this!

SHOW US YOURS

An EXUP re-born, amongst many others.

1990 HONDA XRV750 AFRICA TWIN

One reader’s restoration.

BRIDGESTONE HURRICANE

Steve Cooper on a 175cc satanic scrambler!

38

OGILBY’S ROADS

42

1996 SUZUKI GSXR750WT

A reader shows us some classic roads to ride.

Bertie Simmonds on the frantic, radical SRAD!

68

❙ WORKSHOP NEWS

70

❙ Q&A

74

❙ WITHOUT WHOM

78

❙ ENLARGING PORTS

80

❙ GT500 CAFÉ RACER

What new parts you may be partial to.

Your questions answered.

Why Harrison Billet are the best of British!

Stan Stephens shows how.

What’s been happening with our stroker?

50

PRO-AM RETURNS!

And CMM’s Niall Mackenzie will be riding in it!

84

❙ YAMAHA RD350

56

YAMAHA XS650 SPECIAL

88

❙ KAWASAKI ZRX1100

94

❙ SUZUKI GSX-R1100L

98

❙ SUZUKI STINGER

64 129

Dirt-track homage in this month’s MIRA Files!

YAMAHA YZF-R6

Manic 90s middleweight retro-rebooted!

NEXT MONTH

Honda trail bikes and a Munch Mammoth!

130 PARTING SHOT

Mike Hailwood and James Hunt!

Scoop’s only gone and got one!

Alan Dowds’ turn to strip and coat his project.

Suzuki Apprentices strip and rebuild the motor.

Steve’s pulling the various bits together at last.

110 ❙ MOTO GUZZI LE MANS Mk5 Read our buying guide.

122 ❙ HOW TO MAKE A GASKET Scoop shows us for his Stinger.

127 ❙ COMING CLASSIC

Suzuki’s follow-up to the SRAD.

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2000 HONDA WORDS: CHRIS MOSS PHOTOS: MIKE WESTON

Back in the late 1990s everyone had a thing for twins – even Honda built a big-bore twin, which is strangely forgotten.

M

y earliest memory of a VTR1000 FireStorm came in early 1998, when a copper pulled me up on one for going a bit sharpish.

I’d love to tell you the story of how said officer of the law passionately threatened to seriously adjust my licence, but then suddenly (and thankfully) had a change of heart, but that one's best recalled down the pub. What is worth noting was his enquiry about how good I thought the Honda was before

letting me go on my merry way. “It’s not a Ducati,” I replied. My assessment was a bit more detailed and elaborate than that, though in essence that was the crux of the matter.

Nigh-on two decades later, after another blat on a VTR, that’s still pretty much how I feel. Now, not being a Ducati works both for and against the Honda. Not being built in Bologna means having a lot less character and personality and somewhat reduces its endearment as a consequence. You’re

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READER’S RESTORATION

WORDS: BERTIE SIMMONDS PHOTOS: NICK ROACH

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It’s amazing how popular the old Africa Twin is. One Welshman took his time restoring his lovely XRV750 RD04.

T

he Honda Africa Twin has enjoyed something of a renaissance in recent years. Prices of used (and sometimes very abused) models have risen sharply, while a strong following on sites such as the superb www.xrv.org.uk and www. hondaafricatwin.com has shown there is most definitely life in the old V-twin dog yet.

Many Twinkies, it seems, are still out there and being enjoyed for what they do best: munching the miles and crunching all manner of Tarmac, tracks, trails and dirt beneath its spoked hoops. Indeed, such is the draw of the name that the Africa Twin name is soon to make a comeback in the form of a parallel twin of around 1000cc.

But here at CMM we live firmly in the past, so it’s the old, loyal Africa Twin that we are interested in. And so is Nick Roach. Nick is from Caerphilly in South Wales – the perfect sort of terrain for a Twinkie to tackle. Nick takes up the story. “I love adventure bikes, big trailies, call them what you will, but I love them. With a Honda XL600LM from 1985 already restored and tucked away I was on the lookout for a suitable Africa Twin. Eventually I found one in Manchester. The bike itself was a Spanish machine and the owner was going to restore it, but didn’t have the time.”

The machine was one of the first 750 models – the XRV750L RD04. This was the first version with the ‘new’ 742cc 52º V-twin engine, which could trace its lineage and engine architecture back to the

ABOVE: As-bought the Micron was too loud.

Like the paint!

TOP RIGHT: The stripdown begins.

Honda VT500 family in the early 1980s. With the popularity of the Paris-Dakar race in the late 1980s and Honda’s success in the race during the decade with its NXR machines, the beefed-up (if dumbed down) successor to the XRV650 was a sure-fire hit. Upgrades over the RD03, 650cc version were many – even if the styling was similar. Up went the capacity and up front in came twin 276mm discs and a larger rear disc brake to bring everything to a halt. Weight was 185 kilos dry and with just around 60-claimed horsepower, things weren’t going to be frantic, but instead the early 750 models of the Africa Twin inspired loyalty and more importantly gave every trip the chance to become an event.

Along with the R1100GS it became the big trailie of choice, in a world before the phrase ‘adventure bike’ had been coined or Charley Boorman had even been heard of.

Africa Twins are pretty robust, but they do have their issues and quirks. Nick says: “I checked on the Africa Twin site to find a bike that was the right price – but more importantly to ensure that the engine sprocket hadn’t been welded up. The bike itself is well known for having output shaft issues if the chain is adjusted too tightly. Owners not in the know will judge that the chain is too slack, but the adjustment needs to be gauged with someone sitting on the bike. If the chain is adjusted to what ‘looks’ right without the rider on board it’s going to be way too tight when the rider is on the bike. This is what wears the sprocket and output shaft. It’s a common problem.” Thankfully Nick’s new bike didn’t have such issues and it looked to have been fairly well looked after for its 38,000km. “I did put it on the road for a month,” says Nick. “As I wanted to make sure it was mechanically sound, but after that I

“I put it on the road for a month to check everything worked. It didn't have any major issues.”

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READER’S RIDES

Ogilby’s roads

It’s amazing what you can find in a garden centre among the pot plants and patio furniture: just ask Nick Watson, who went back to 1675 on a 1977 KH400.

WORDS AND PHOTOS: NICK WATSON

G

Follow the blue line on the map and you end up here.

38 / classic motorcycle mechanics

arden centres: all right don’t turn the page, this magazine hasn’t gone all green-fingered on you, it’s just that my wife likes them and to keep her happy I sometimes accompany her on her plant-finding expeditions.

It was while at such a centre, hiding in the book section, that I came across a tome entitled: Lost Roads of Devon and always being on the lookout for new stretches of highway to ride it was duly purchased. After reading this charming and informative book a plan hatched in my mind to perhaps ride some of these old roads on my classic bike, a 1977 Kawasaki KH400 triple and then being the glutton for punishment that I am I decided it would be good if I could make a circuit of forgotten roads, perhaps taking a day or three to complete. So off to a book shop where a further book entitled The South West Atlas of 1675 was ordered.

This book contained what were then the main roads of the West Country, chartered out by a man called John Ogilby in 1675. Some are still used today as main roads, but the nice thing is, a lot

of them are now country lanes or quiet B roads.

Many an hour was spent with the Ordnance Survey maps working out where the old roads were and (in the case of where they no longer exist) plotting new routes as close to the old roads as possible.

Eventually a circular route had been planned. I found the nearest point to me where the old London to Barnstable main road ran, which as luck would have it was about three miles away at a place called Ansford in Somerset. This was going to be the starting place of my adventure back to 1675, from here I would follow the old route to Bridgwater, across to Dulverton on Exmoor, South Molton and end up in Barnstable, from there I would travel to Exeter and take the old route back to Bristol which at one point would get me back near home.

So finding myself free for a day or two on a sunny afternoon, the tent and sleeping bag was strapped onto the Kawasaki and I bade farewell to my loved ones (well at least the dog would miss me) and I headed off to Ansford. The actual starting place of this trip was where a bridle path called Solomon’s Lane came out onto the A371 as the lane was part of the old main road from London. Off down the hill out of Ansford and past what was the George Inn back in 1675, over the centuries this once grand establishment had ended up as a cow shed, furniture store and lockup garages before recently being converted into apartments. Less than a mile gone, I came across the first deviation from the original route. At the bottom of Ansford Hill the road took a sharp right but in front of me I could quite clearly see the true route, which is now a stone track leading down to some houses. Half a mile further on and I was back on the old road, the reason for the detour, the railway, came to town in 1856 and cut right through the old way. Bloody progress!

Several miles on and I passed through Alford, which back in 1675 claimed to have a well of medicinal properties and where the weary and parched traveller would have partaken of a healing drink. By 1692 its popularity had waned due to the fact that the lease holder let no-one near it and the water was used for brewing beer, finally in 1912 it

Camping next to water was a high point.

was concreted over and built upon. On such a warm day I would not have minded having a pint of that medicinal beer. The Kwak was buzzing along now, the old classic seemingly made for these quiet A and B roads. Through a few more nice twisties and a couple of long straights and I arrived at Lydford on Fosse, the old Roman road to Ilchester. A few more miles on and the road was relatively straight, only making a deviation to go around the parklands of Kingweston House. This became quite common on the route, the old roads tending to go as straight as possible, only making deviations for insurmountable obstacles. Sensible, really.

A bit further on, I glimpsed a large upright monument through the trees. Stopping to take a look I found it was in memory of Admiral Hood.

Samuel Hood was captain of the Zealous during the Battle of the Nile and defeated the French Navy in what is described as one of the greatest naval sea victories. It’s amazing how history can be found everywhere. Now I was heading up Walton Hill and onto the A39, along the Poldon Hill Ridgeway

1977 Kawasaki KH400 I had a KH400 in my youth and when about 14 years ago one was advertised in my local paper I decided to go and take a look.

It had been stored for 11 years in the seller’s attic!

Stripped down into large lumps in order to fit it in and then loosely assembled to sell, it came with all the old MoTs up until storage and was a local bike from new. I got it running and rode it for a few years as it was and then decided to restore it, this would be my first Japanese restoration, I joined the VJMC and the Kawasaki Triples club for more info and help and have stayed a member of both clubs since, making many friends and gaining a lot of insight into this and other Japanese bikes.

Among all my bikes It has always been my favourite to ride, people who know me will tell you that I am a law-abiding, peace-loving hippie but when I get on this I turn into a person with an axe intent on doing damage, it turns you into a hooligan but with a grin as a big as any Cheshire Cat.

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RETRO

Yamaha YZF-R6 Long overdue an update, we got impatient and gave Yamaha’s R6 our own virtual makeover.

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W

The original R6 engine was a classic design with stacks of useful mid-range grunt and a fiery top-end. The 2006 refresh was a different animal; it revved higher, peakier and made more power but in a track-focused manner. Later updates helped balance this but it remains one of the least compromising sports 600s. We’d like Yamaha to use its crossplane technology in the next R6 to give us back the midrange and a V4-like sensation. With smaller pistons and titanium parts as used in the new R1, it could reignite the 600cc market.

While there are styling cues from the latest R1, it also takes inspiration from the rest of the Yamaha range including the R125 and latest R3. The central air intake remains the best place to force air into the airbox but smaller LED headlights reduce weight without sacrificing illumination power. No pillion provision means a lighter, smaller subframe can be used keeping the lines of the tail unit uncluttered. Come on Yamaha, you know you want to.

CHASSIS

BODYWORK

ENGINE

hile this year’s R1 is getting plenty of attention with its magnesium wheels and MotoGP influence, we can’t help feeling sorry for the R6. Launched to much fanfare in 1999, the R6 had the looks to match its impressive road and track performance. A major redesign in 2006 saw a bias to the racetrack with more revs, slicker styling and fly-by-wire throttle control. Some small updates in 2012 kept the R6 in the race but with shrinking interest in the whole supersports 600 class the R6 has dropped down the Yamaha priority list… until now. Here’s what we’d like to see.

Based on R1 components, our R6 would use lighter versions of the swingarm, frame and forks. Identical calipers on slightly smaller discs and more traditional alloy wheels. The R6 was always pathetic at carrying passengers anyway so we haven’t even pretended anyone will sit on the back. Adjustable footpegs and handlebars come as standard to alleviate some of the discomfort that the R6 has become known for. cmm

What do you think? Could this set a fire under the middleweight sportsbike class that began way back in 1985 with the Kawasaki GPZ600R? And what would you like to see get the Retro Reboot treatment? Drop us a line at the normal address. www.classicmechanics.com / 65

Project Suzuki Stinger Part nine

Steve Stung!

Crikey, even more progress but Scoop’s still cursing the day he bought the Suzuki Stinger...

O

ne element of the Suzuki Stinger that regularly comes back to haunt me is the plain and inescapable fact that like many of the genre my particular little T125 worked hard for its living when new.

The V5C records only two previous owners and with a total mileage of just under 21,000 it must have been used in all sorts of conditions.

Back in the day tiddlers weren’t iconic bits of kit, they were commuter bikes and had to earn their keep. When they went wrong they got fixed and if dropped they were often hit and kicked back into some form of functioning state. Quite why any sane person would have opted for a Suzuki Stinger as a commuter machine still evades my powers of reasoning.

Surely something like a B100P or even a K11 would have been a better, cheaper and potentially more reliable steed? Who knows; the reality is I’m picking up the 98 / classic motorcycle mechanics

pain decades on and trying to make sense of it all.

An underlying and recurrent theme is the way Suzuki’s engineers chose to address the issues generated by designing such a radical engine layout. Words such as unique, unusual, distinctive, singular and idiosyncratic are often bandied about when it comes to Stingers. At this stage in our relationship I’ve come down firmly in favour of my own carefully considered adjective – special. There are times when I really do wonder the how and why of both the bike’s design and my supposed dedication to its resurrection. Just take a look at the deviant belligerence of the carbs in this article. When you take an old nail (sorry… potential classic) apart it’s often in the heat of that initial inferno of enthusiasm. Copious notes, photos, sketches or what have you should detail damage, errors, mistakes, oversights and the running repairs the original owners made. Well that’s the theory at least. cmm

1

1/ OEM factory manual, pattern carb overhaul kit, some new throttle springs and the original constituents makes for a fun afternoon. Stinger carbs are totally unlike anything else of the period; parts are mega rare.

Simple solutions: Even if the part is old it may still be used and listed on a more modern machine.

2

3

2/ So how come I didn’t notice my example had two throttle tube holders? Obviously the bike’s been dropped and has had another Suzuki unit nailed on. Hello? Is that Crooks Suzuki? I wonder if you can check a part number for me please? 3/ The choke plunger O rings aren’t available but there’s always a Plan B. A full kit of metric O rings to the appropriate EN standard supplies exactly what I need. A fiver from Aldi, thank you!

4

Direction and dealer support The more observant will have noticed I’ve so far done jack with the wiring loom but there’s a good reason; well several actually. I know that, give or take the odd faux pas, this particular task is doable as I have all of the consumables I need. It’s the missing components, the parts I need to order and the annoying bits that get overlooked in any resto that take up the time.

Potentially they can make or break the job hence my change of focus.

Parking up the fitting of stuff you know you have or can fettle means you’re able to prioritise the critical show stopper stuff. In just this one

4/ Is this perverse or what? The floats aren’t mounted in a conventional manner and have a retaining plate that has to be fixed over the pivot. Without this the float falls down and carb floods. Bloody Stingers!

5

feature I’ve found I can buy parts for the Stinger that I wouldn’t have thought possible. Handle bar grips and throttle tube are still listed, ditto tank mounting rubbers, seals for the carb’s giblets and whole host of nadgery little parts the restoration would fail for want of.

Amazingly the two nuts that lock the carburettors to their stubs are also listed. Against all logic and the laws of chance they’re still used… on a VL1500 of all things! I could use a pair of stainless nuts but they would be the same profile and for a few quid why not get it right and support your Suzuki favourite dealer?

6

5/ And it just keeps getting better. The bike’s float valves are also the inlet spigots for the incoming petrol supply from the tap. See? I told you it was special! 6/ It’s back together and looking tidy. All I need now is a pair of slide chamber seals which were never listed as a spare part. I have one damaged one as a pattern. Apparently if they’re not fitted the carb tops unscrew themselves! www.classicmechanics.com / 99

Next month

MUNCH MAMMOTH: Andy Westlake returns to the Ice Age on this massive machine.

TRAIL WINGS: Steve Cooper on a delightful pair of Honda 350CL/SL trailies.

1975: John Nutting on why this was a bumper year for motorcycling.

QUICK SPIN: Simon Roots on the 1997 Suzuki TL1000S. Is it still mad?

THE FULL SP: CMM reader John Woods restores a 1990 Yamaha FZR400RR-SP 3TJ2.

PLUS!

WORKSHOP: Steve Cooper reports on a mishap at the MIB (this month, honest), reader Pete Watmough tells us how to refurbish small parts and Pip Higham and Stan Stephens give us some top tips!

OCTOBER PROJECT BIKES: James Whitham is further along with his Suzuki GT250 X7, his old sparring partner Niall Mackenzie has had his Yamaha RD400E sprayed, Paul Berryman finally examines his Suzuki DR600’s head and the Suzuki apprentices sort the clutch and gearbox on their 1990 Suzuki GSX-R1100L.

AND MUCH MORE! DON’T MISS IT!

ON SALE: SEPTEMBER 16

All subject to change.

Feel free to complain to the editor (sometimes it’s not his fault!)

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