VJMC #133

+ NEWS . EVENTS . RIDE REPORTS . AND MORE Quarterly Club Mag www.vjmc.org.au

ISSUE 133

VJMC INC AUSTRALIA

VJMC Inc Australia The Australian branch of the VJMC is a registered association incorporated in the state of New South Wales.

Objectives of the VJMC: To foster the preservation, restoration, riding and enjoyment of older Japanese motorcycles.

Club Postal Address PO Box 254 Modbury North SA 5092 Membership Applications and Renewals: VJMC Inc, PO Box 254 Modbury North SA 5092 Website: www.vjmc.org.au VJMC Australia Committee President John McNair | (07) 3133 0191 | president@vjmc.org.au Secretary Jeff Eeles | 0409 912 065 | secretary@vjmc.org.au Treasurer Greg Watson | 0417 608 360 | vjmctreasurer@gmail.com Vice President/Public Officer David Bernardi | 0431 661 769 | mrdbernardi@gmail.com Area Rep Coordinator Peter Hunt | 0418 214 754 | phunty@bigpond.net.au Committee Member Graeme Knight | 0411 034 938 | glknight22@hotmail.com Committee Member Steve Phelps | (02) 9456 2851 | steve.phelps@bigpond.com Committee Member Phil Dawes | (02) 6236 9868 | dawes105@bigpond.com Membership Secretary Mick Godfrey | 0401 196 922 | vjmcmembership@gmail.com Merchandise Officer P eter Donnellan | 0408 839 805 | merchandise@vjmc.org.au (for orders) peted@internode.on.net (for merchandise enquiries) Librarian Lyndon Adams | (02) 4945 1780 | lyndarra@gmail.com Web Manager webmanager@vjmc.org.au QUARTERLY VJMC MAGAZINE This is a forum for members in which they may advertise bikes and/or parts for sale or wanted, exchange ideas and restoration tips, seek advice, share opinions and experiences, or anything else relating to the club’s objectives. Contributions are very welcome.

Editor Tom Calderwood | tom@pepperpublishing.com.au Cover:

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133 CONTENTS

President’s Report |4| Vince Report |6| West Vic Report |7| Queensland Report |8| Broadford Bike Bonanza | 12 | SA Report | 14 | Tamworth Report | 20 | Business Directory | 23 | Ricks Diner Ride | 26 | Club Tour Info (Japan/Suzuka) | 28 | Tail of a Honda 400four | 30 | Z50 Resto | 31 | Honda XL family | 34 | Scooter TT | 38 | Milestone | 39 | Club Info | 40 | Membership Renewal | 42 |

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PREZ REPORT

ITS BEEN A BUSY FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR UP HERE IN QUEENSLAND WITH LOTS OF MAJOR EVENTS HAPPENING. THE VJMC ATTENDED THE HISTORIC MOTORCYCLE CLUB OF QUEENSLAND’S ANNUAL BREAKFAST RUN WHICH TURNS INTO A 100 PLUS BIKE SHOW AT THE RED CEDAR PICNIC GROUNDS ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF MOUNT GLORIOUS. SEVERAL MEMBERS ATTENDED WITH SOME GREAT JAPANESE CLASSICS. MARCH SEEN MEMBERS FROM QUEENSLAND AND ALL OVER THE COUNTRY CONVERGE ON VICTOR HARBOUR FOR THE 2014 NATIONAL VJMC RALLY. HERE WE HAD THE CHANCE TO SEE OVER 200 GREAT MACHINES AND JOIN THEM ON MAGNIFICENT RIDES. A GREAT EVENT. In April it was time to head to Inverell for the Restorers Rally where we had the opportunity to catch up with members from Tamworth, Urunga, Narrabri, Gosford, Newcastle and Delungra. Despite one of our Brisbane members coming down it was a great weekend and so good to catch up with our fellow VJMC members from throughout NSW. In early May QLD members Eric and Merilyne Leah co-ordinated the Classic Bike Show at Olivers Motorcycles in Moorooka, a southern Brisbane Suburb which was very successful. Well done Eric and Merilyne. In late May we had a club display and and several bikes entered in the Ray Owen Classic Bike Show at Canungra and then another display at the annual Laverda Concours.

The one thing in common with all of these events is that they all helped to raise the profile of the VJMC. Together with the fantastic coverage of the 2014 VJMC Rally in the motorcycle press it all helps to get our name out there. There have been other wonderful events in other states as well that have spread the word. I take a pride in our club and love to see it getting the recognition it deserves.

In June I had the pleasure of catching up with our Membership Officer Micheal Godfrey and wife Faye during their Queensland holidays. Micheal and Faye attended the South East Queensland branch monthly meeting and I took them out to

the Australian Motorcycle Museum at Haigslea just west of Brisbane. Unfortunately the museum is closing down due to the owners health problems and Micheal was keen to see the collection over 200 motorcycles before it closed. The return to Brisbane via Mount Cootha lookout and the Clem 7 Tunnel under the city capped off a top day. Good to catch up with you both.

Plans to attend the 2013 National VJMC Rally were dashed for Queensland member Ray Burrows when he was struck down with a life threatening desease.

Thankfully Ray recovered in time to take four bikes over to the 2014 Rally. A great therapy during his recovery period was the restoration of his Suzuki TS250. It was heart warming to see the little Suzy win Runner Up in the Best Suzuki class at the Rally.

The bike then won Best Suzuki at the Classic Bikes show at Olivers Motorcycles in early May and then Best Bike in its year group at the Ray Owen Bike Show. Nice to see some good can come out of bad.

Well done Ray. Looking forward to the trip to Japan in July next year (page 35 in the last mag). The price is a bargain for such a wonderful trip. Hope to have lots of members come along. In the meantime, restore, ride and keep safe.

VINTAGE JAPANESE MOTORCYCLE CLUB

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John McNair

PREZ REPORT

IMAGE BY: ANNE KIERREN/RED GEORGE MEDIA

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VINCE’S REPORT

VINCE’S REPORT FROM THE

LOWER HUNTER HI EVERYONE I HOPE YOU ARE ALL FIT AND WELL. I HAVE BEEN BUSY WITH BOTH CLUB AND NON CLUB EVENTS SINCE THE LAST REPORT. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK PETER HUNT AND ALL HIS MERRY MEN AND WOMEN FOR PUTTING ON A EXCELLENT RALLY, IT HAD TO BE THE BEST ONE YVONNE AND I HAD EVER BEEN TO.

Congratulations. The Lower Hunter’s Club membership continues to grow, it is evident from the new members turning up at our monthly meetings, and on our rides, keep it up folks.

March 23rd we rode to the Mangrove Creek Dam for a sausage sizzle and a bit of relaxation, it’s a real nice spot, but I was a bit concerned about the metre long goannas wanting to be next to take a bite out of my sanger. It was good to see Alan Kensit and several of the upper Hunter guys and girls turn up. April 27th we rode up to Karuah I counted 17 bikes, some were from the Upper Hunter and Phil and Bron Kendrigan rode down from their new abode at Gloucester.

In the past we had always gone to this park down near the water which has electric Barb e Q s. But this year we were not allowed, owing to the fact that it was Karuah Town’s yearly festival day.

Not to be put off we went to a park near bye and found a an old wood barby, so the lads rounded up some wood and lit it up, everything turned

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out really good. May 18th we rode down to Pie in the Sky, for those who don’t know where it is, it’s on the Northern outskirts of Sydney on the Old Pacific Highway. The Old Pacific highway is a magnet for motorcyclists and its pretty easy to get swept up in it all. It was a warm and sunny day, and some of the bikes going past both ways ( you could be forgiven for thinking that you were at the Isle of Mann TT.) I saw one bloke never made it up the hill, the bike was leaning up against the Armco and he was gathering up the bits, it looked to me that no one was hurt which was good. It was the first outing for my son Mark’s 750 Kawasaki Triple and my 1975 500 Triple, Mark said that his 750 went rally well, but my 500 needed a push to start at Peats Ridge on the way home. Thank Steve Keogh. Well that’s all the info I have this time. Hope to see you Lower Hunter members at the next meeting.

Stay Safe Vince

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WEST VIC REPORT

DAVID DESERVES A MEDAL WEDNESDAY JULY 12TH

THERE WAS MUCH BANTER WITHIN THE WESTERN VICTORIAN REGION GROUP EMAILS FOLLOWING THE FINGER FREEZER RIDE TO KYNETON ON 29TH JUNE 2014.

We had only one Club Member ride there, which is how the idea of a "David Deserves a Medal Evening" grew. Yes, David braved the freezing weather on his Yamaha RZ 350.

David reported in his email: Well One did brave the black slippery line that leads from Ballarat to Kyneton , Nice day for a ride ....NOT ....but something we just have to do .....Arrived cold but happy in the knowledge that I did it and did it ALONE!!

Once there, it was a bit hard to relay to my fellow riders, from warmer regions, what I had just endured to get there , as the weather over in Kyneton was Not! that chilly ,nor wet compared to the crap I just rode through and over to be there .

51 bikes I believe was the final count that did turn up , how some got there sooooo damn clean has me more bemused than to why I rode over there in the first place!

Any way a pie, a coffee and a chat about bikes, weather , and the meaning of life with only one motorcycle , it was time to go home. At this point I was convinced that the weather had improved , and the thought of revisiting the cold, slippy wet crap of the morning had all but gone from my mind.

This lasted till Tylden, mmmmmmmm that's wet , Trentham Falls Road , shit

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its getting ff-freezing cold ....,bend bit before Lyonville WWOOOOHhhh thats slippery - (hits water on road starts quiet a tail slide ) forgot how cold I was till the other side of Daylesford. Just when I thought I couldn't get any colder or wetter (on the outside ) a semi going in the other direction managed to time hitting a very large sheet on water and an RZ350 going past perfectly. THANKS for that Mr Truck Driver.

Any way arrived home safe and well, somewhat cooler than my ideal body temperature , and with one very grubby but beautiful little RZ still as good as ever.

Alan Stork sent out invitations for a "warm" Ballarat get together and 13 of us met for dinner at The Mallow to swap notes and to pay silent homage to David's efforts. To reward David for his heroism, Michael Brooks generously donated a gift voucher for some fine goodies from Ferguson Plarre.

Alan reminded us of his suggestion for Members to contribute or organise a monthly ride over the next twelve months. Mudd (aka Vic Muller) has put his hand up for August, Ian Bradshaw for September and Loreen Jackson for October.

Article contributed by Loreen Jackson

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QLD REPORT

QLD CLASSIC BIKE SHOW “WHY DON’T WE HAVE A BIKE SHOW?” AND WITH THOSE WORDS THE THOUGHT TO RUN A CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE SHOW FOR BIKES PRE 1984 WAS BORN.....

Olivers Motorcycles at Moorooka (one of Brisbane’s newest Suzuki and Triumph Dealerships) was approached to see if they would be interested in the VJMC Brisbane holding an event at their premises, and they were wholeheartedly enthusiastic.

The classes were split into Japanese, British, European & USA, with separate trophies for Best Suzuki, and also Best Motorcycle in show.

Saturday dawned fine though a little windy, (this was an improvement on Friday’s rain!) and club members arrived early to set up, many with bikes to put in the display.

The barbeque was fired up early, the sausage sizzle being done by the club, free coffee and tea were supplied by Oliver’s Motorcycles. Ann was kept

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busy for most of the day at the coffee machine.

Entries topped out about 35 entries, with a good range across all Japanese marques. the majority of them being 1970’s models. The range of bikes included a mid sixties Honda CB 77, a group of CBX’s from the CBX Owner’s club, five Hondas CB750’s from the SOHC Owners Club, two Suzuki A100’s, and three dirt bikes.

British bikes were represented by a 1939 BSA WM20, and a trio of Norton Commandos (1971 1975).

Judging was done by entrants in the show only, a vote by peers as to the best bike in each class.

Due to the efforts of one of our members, we had prizes enough to run a Raffle every hour,

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QLD REPORT

prizes being 5 Litres of oil, shirt and hat pack, Battery charger, these being supplied by Olivers Motorcycles, a dinner voucher for two at Belmont Tavern, Isle of Mann Toffees supplied by Joan, entry to Scotty’s Barn Display at Flagstone, and Earmold earplugs, who also had a stand there on the day, which attracted a fair bit of interest.

Despite the windy conditions, there was a good attendance, quite a few interested onlookers, and

the sausages were popular. (Apparently a nearby car yard phoned to see what the crowd was at Oliver’s, and wanted to know what they had going on!).

Votes were counted, and presentation started at 12.30pm, with John McNair, National President of the VJMC awarding the winners their prizes for each class. Each Class winner was presented with a Medallion and a DVD of TT Racing from Duke Videos.

Class Winners were: • Best Japanese - won by John Bush with his Honda CB750.

• Best British - won by Vince Losurbo with his 1975 Norton Commando MkIII. •Best Suzuki - won by Ray Burrows with his TS250 • Oliver’s Choice Best in Show went to Gordon Aldred with his Kawasaki H2.

We would like to thank everyone who participated on the day, all entrants who displayed their bikes, and to the companies and individuals who donated prizes. We would also like to thank Oliver’s Motorcycles for the opportunity to use their premises.

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SE QLD CALENDAR

AUGUST 2014; Sunday 24th

Visit to the Panorama Museum at Roadvale near Boonah. Lunch afterwards at the Royal Hotel in Roadvale. Meet at the Macca’s carpark next to the Woolworths garage in the Yamanto Shopping Centre Warwick Rd Yamanto at 9am.

Sunday 31st

Visit to the Indian Motorcycle Museum 419 Newman Rd Geebung Then on to Rockers Motorcycle Café and Bar 130 Ryans Rd Nundah. Meet at the Indian Museum.at 10am.

SEPTEMBER 2014; Friday 5th

Meet 7pm at Harry’s Rock & Roll Diner 104 Newmarket Rd Windsor. Good food and lots of great classic cars.

Tuesday 9th

Club Meeting at the Belmont Tavern in Belmont Shopping Centre corner Burstall Ave and Belmont Rd Belmont at 7pm.

Sunday 14th

Honda 4 Clubs “Living In The 70’s” Classic Bike Show for bikes pre 1985. To be held at Pro Honda’s new shop 1019 Ipswich Rd Moorooka. From 8.30am.

Saturday 20th & Sunday 21st

Northern Rivers Classic Rally at Ballina.. Also the VJMC Blue Ribbon Bike Show weekend in Tamworth plus dinner on the Saturday night.

Sunday 21st

Day Ride to Stradbroke Island with Honda 4 Club. Meet at Ferry terminal at Cleveland at 9am. More details at September meeting.

Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th

2014 Australian Historic Road Race Championships at Lakeside Raceway.

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SE QLD CALENDAR

OCTOBER 2014; 4th, 5th & 6th

Kyogle - Lions Rd TT motorcycle trials.

Sunday 12th

Historic Clubs Phil Irving Concours. More details TBA.

Tuesday 14th

Club Meeting at the Belmont Tavern in Belmont Shopping Centre corner Burstall Ave and Belmont Rd Belmont at 7pm.

Saturday 18th & Sunday 19th

Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island.

Sunday 19th

Breakfast Ride to the Pitstop Café at Ocean Grove near Mount Mee. Meet at the Caltex Garage Gympie Rd Carseldine (just north of Beam’s Rd) 7.30am.

Saturday 25th & Sunday 26th

Laidley Motorcycle Swap Meet at Laidley showrounds.

NOVEMBER 2014; Friday 7th

Dinner at Harry’s Café 104 Newmarket Rd Windsor. Great food and classic cars. 7pm

Sunday 9th

Tiddler Ride.A steady back streets cruise for machines up to 250cc.Meet at the Planetarium Carpark at the food of Mt Cootha at 9am.

Tuesday 11th

Club Meeting at the Belmont Tavern in Belmont Shopping Centre corner Burstall Ave and Belmont Rd Belmont at 7pm.

Sunday 23rd

Day ride to Cunningham’s Crest Lookout then to the Eagle Rock Café in Laidley for lunch. Meet at the Caltex Garage (Not the BP) Blacksoil at 9am.

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BROADFORD

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BIKES. AND MORE BIKES. AND EVEN MORE.

The Broadford Bike Bonanza was a carnival of motorcycling, just north of Melbourne at the State Motorcycle Complex. The two days over Easter featured it all - road racing, moto-cross, trails, endure, grass track and speedway – over the massive site.

For VJMC members, the road-racing circuit was the main drawcard, being a celebration of the Castrol Six Hour. Many bikes from that golden era were on the track and in immaculate condition. Former Grand Prix rider Kevin Magee was one of many past Six Hour winners to take part.

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Other events featured vintage bikes, big and small – and that was just the riders!

Among many highlights was a swarm of 1980s era Elite Honda scooters who tore around the track like they were superbikes. In their view, their mighty midgets are super. Nine Melbourne club members rode to the bonanza, leaving from Eltham and winding through Kinglake, Flowerdale and Strath Creek. Other members met at the track.

The relaxed, friendly atmosphere helped make the event great, just like so many of the bikes.

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BROADFORD

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SA REPORT

AREA REP. REPORT FIRSTLY, I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE A NEW AREA REP FOR THE TAMWORTH REGION – RAY FOX. RAY HAS TAKEN ON THE ROLE FROM RETIRING REP PAUL ROWLING, WHO HAS DONE A MIGHTY JOB GROWING THE CLUB AND ITS PROFILE IN THE REGION – MANY THANKS AND CONGRATULATIONS TO PAUL. AND THANK YOU TO RAY FOR FILLING THE SHOES.

We’ve also had a change to the Area Rep for West Gippsland – Dennis Flynn has stepped down and the spot filled by Mick Gunn – thank you to Dennis for all his efforts and good luck to Mick.

A new region has been born – Broken Hill. With a strong interest in VJM’s and excellent representation at the last 2 rallies from that city Sam Muscat has stepped forward to be the Rep – thank you Sam and I know you’ll be a great asset to the club and generate lots of activities up that way.

You’ll see a list of Reps in the back of the magazine – and you’ll note there are a few vacancies. If you live in one of those areas and would like to be more active and generate more interest in your region, then I’d encourage you to get in contact with me and have a talk about becoming an Area Rep. It’s not hard, it won’t take a lot of your time, you meet new friends and catch up with old mates – but the pay is pretty lousy.

You can’t have everything.

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As I say each issue – all Area Reps should be encouraging their members to submit articles/reports/ photos for this magazine – without member input we won’t have a mag, so don’t rely on the same old contributors each issue – keep the submissions coming. The ideal situation is to have articles held over for the next issue due to overwhelming supply – lets keep it that way.

And wouldn’t it be great to see an area rep report for EVERY area EVERY issue....?? C’mon folks, it only takes a few minutes to knock up a report and submit it – think of the fame and glory..haha.

Articles should be titled with the next issue number...eg VJMC #133....and submitted to the article coordinator Adrian Dixon adixon@ contechengineering.com

That’s it for this issue – stay safe and keep smiling.

Peter Hunt VJMC Area Rep Coordinator.

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SA REPORT

RALLY HANGOVER RIDE DAWN……..A FARMER’S LIFE IS ALL ABOUT DAWN………….

DAWN ON SATURDAY 12/04/14 WAS TO SAY THE LEAST OVERCAST BUT NOT WET!

After feeding the Horses and a few Farm Chores I wander over to the Bear Cave to Get My little TT500 ready for the ride after all its 6am and half the day is gone already!

As I walked towards the Cave, our Trusty Staffies followed me hoping for a game but not now this is Bike time!

I opened the door to the Cave and I swear I could hear all my bikes arguing over who was getting to go out and play, sorry only you little one, for today anyway!

After filling her up and a last check over, I did the old 500 single dance which anyone who owns or has owned a big single will tell you is quite errrr fun!

Ignition off, run the lever through the stroke 3 or 4 time’s find TDC, ignition on …fuel on …one almighty kick and Boom first kick!! Yaaaah !!!

She settled into a Coldish I don’t really want to play idle and gradually got warm enough to give her a few small revs …. Ahhhh Music….

After 4 min or so I turned her off and rechecked everything …all good ready to roll!

Finally 9am arrived and after a year of her not be-

ing ridden the Mighty TT500 Honda saw the road!

The ride from Just outside of Echunga to our Meeting point was uneventful but fun as I know these hills back roads well and I took the twisty long way to Stirling!

Upon arrival I thought , bugger I’m going to have to wait as I’m the only one here…… not to worry as I got closer I saw a bike…not any old bike but a sweet CBX1000 with its long 6 cyl engine poking out Yes it was Bill and his lovely CBX waiting for someone to turn up, as it turns out he wasn’t sure of the meeting time so he had been waiting almost an hour!

Never mind , after greetings and much hand shaking and gawking at each other’s bikes , I started wondering if anyone else was going to turn up !?

I didn’t have to wait long as the sound of old bikes started to fill the air….I know that sound I used to have a Red Black GSXR750 and sure enough a Blue n White lovely example came around the corner , followed by a CB900F , GPZ750 , DT250 Trail bike , Zxr1100 , Yamaha900 , CB750/4 , a CL175 , a Honda Benley ?? In all 14 bikes turned up

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SA REPORT

at the start with another 2 who had breakdowns, one in his own driveway where a blown fork seal drowned his Brake Calliper, and the other electrical problems Bad luck for Ben, as you can’t ride a bike without a front brake (Next time Ben!) The other Bike Another 750/4 which ran out of spark managed to meet us at lunch time and had a quick ride back with us! Any way after much greeting and intros , and more Bike Gawking , I gathered everyone up for a quick briefing on where we were heading and Corner marshalling , all this done it was time to Kick the Tyres and light the fires ! Needless to say the sound of all those different engines starting was awesome! The Little TT500 swung into action and led the way out of Stirling around the roundabout and down to the first right hander which would lead us down towards the Blackwood golf club and beyond!

The first bit of this ride was very twisty and to be honest I was still finding my feet a little on board the TT500 as she is so small and light one movement and she changes line etc., but after a while I was into it once more! Now having all those big powerful bikes behind me and a few little ones as well, it was hard to find the middle ground in regards to the speed to keep everyone happy!

After I while it seemed that 80 kmh in the twisty and 90kmh on the straights was enough to keep

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everyone happy!!

The first part of the ride was uneventful, but fantastic, looking in my mirrors seeing a line of headlights coming around a corner behind you is a great sight!

Half way to Clarendon I pulled over expecting to have to wait for the little ones to catch up, but no …as I got off my bike and looked around I saw Tail end Charlie on the DT250 come around the corner and wave saying all good !

Well onwards and upwards!!

Lots of twisty roads unveiled themselves before us and the odd long straight until we got the Clarendon, upon when leaving and us all getting up a head of steam so to speak we all started getting passed by a mob of Harleys who were not doing anywhere near the speed limit… looking in my mirrors I just wanted them to go the same way as us through the real twisty bits… come on boys!!!

Then I rembered all of the guys behind me and what I was doing and the thought of chasing them in the tight stuff was gone! We had another quick regathering stop in Macclesfield , where everyone was thinking we were turnin g right towards Strath… no boys follow me a different way that none of them had Ever gone before !

A half an hour later we arrived at Garage motorcycles and lot of laughs and more greetings and comments on the Harley Boys and all the roads we had just come through….then I realised we were 3 bikes short.

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SA REPORT

While everyone was getting coffees and joking around talking bikes and roads , here’s me pacing up and down at the front of garage MC waiting like an expectant father for the others to turn up … thoughts like …no phone call yet can’t be bad… my car and trailer are only half hr. away… And Geeeez I want a coffee!! After 15 mins which seemed like 4 hours ……there in the distance…that’s the sound of a DT250…. Ringgggdiingdingdingding….. And into the drive way came the DT250, the CL175 and the Benley!! Thank God! Lots of sorrys were said and the reason became apparent … the little CL175 muffler bolt had decided to run away… and after using some farmers fencing wire they had fixed it enough to get to GMC and the coffee stop! After many laughs and stories, we also found out the little Benley was having clutches problem, as in the cable was giving out... bloody hell what next! After Spending time talking to Marylou the owner and everyone having a rest it was time to Kick those tyres again and light the fires!

We were off again but with a slightly changed way back to the pub for lunch because of the little ones problems, we were going to come back up Bull creek road, but because of the mechanical woes of a couple we took the shorter way back to Meadows down a part of Mackey road where upon arrival at Meadows we swung a righty down some roads no one knew about again, lots of hills and twisty bits ……Grin Factor 9!!

The short cut took us back to Mackey road, but in

the middle of it so we picked up the last 12 kms or so of great twisty bits again…Fun Factor 9 again!!

We finally got to The Echunga hotel (Hagan Arms) at approx. 1 pm where upon arrival to my surprise everyone was all together even the poor suffering bikes … well done boys!! Well Done!!!!

We all piled into the pub being greeted by Stewart the owner….much laughter and talking over a Fantastic lunch... stories being told, more greeting were had when the broken CB750/4 rolled in half way through lunch… great time was had by all!!

After Lunch I got the staff to take some Great photos of all of us in the car park with the bikes from the balcony…. Then we were off again ……….

This time we started off towards Stirling through Mylor, turning left there and again through some twisty roads that no one had been down…local knowledge pays off some times !!

All to soon we were back where we started in Stirling … greetings and farewells were everywhere …it seemed that everyone had a great time …. Me..I can’t wait to play Ride Captain again………

Many Thanks to everyone who came along for the ride, it was a Fantastic sunny day, bikes were great, members Great, food great. Next time it maybe the Z1 900s turn.

Thanks again to all

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Cheers, Ride captain Bear….(Graeme)

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SA REPORT

THE ANNUAL MONDAY QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY HOLIDAY RIDE WAS HELD ON JUNE 9TH - 35 BIKES/38 HEADS ATTENDED, A FANTASTIC EFFORT. THIS INCLUDED HARDY TRAVELLERS VONNIE FROM MT GAMBIER AND ASH AND SYLVIA FROM RENMARK.

The day was cool (verging on cold), slightly overcast, but dry and no wind. Roy had the fire going which was very welcome (especially for those mental giants who rode from Victor in summer gloves), and a hot coffee and one of those custard tart thingies (or 2 or 3) soon warmed the insides.

Much chatting, laughing, bs’ing – a great bunch of people at a fantastic setting.

At 11am the organised ride headed off, led by Matt, to tour some of the best roads the hills have to offer. I say ‘organised’ – it was in theory, but when the lead rider passes tail-end Charlie you get the impression that something went a little pear shaped – but it all ended well, with everyone back in one piece and smiling. At least it provided

some entertaining discussion over lunch.

Speaking of lunch – Bev and her hard working team provided a gastronomical delight yet again – chicken/mushroom pie or a hearty soup and bread – delicious and fulfilling.

More coffee, more custard thingies, more bs and laughter – a top day yet again.

And let’s not forget the bikes – Les brought along the immaculate and totally original RC30 (drool), a couple of beautiful RD’s, Nev’s awesome KH400, John’s multi award winning XS650 Flat Tracker special, couple of really nice Z’s etc etc, and one of my bikes that actually started.....and with a mixture of some moderns (and a, erhum, Norton) as well.

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SA REPORT

The thank yous: Roy, Bev, family and friends – for providing the venue, drinks and food – awesome as always.

Matt for leading the ride, and Ash and Sylvia for being tail-end Charlie – not necessarily in that order, haha.

John Drury (Flying Colors Mob 0417 993 330) for working really hard doing the official photography (not the ones attached) – some of his photos will appear in an upcoming issue of

Classic Motorcycle Mechanics.

And everyone who attended and helped make the day such a success.

Moral of the Day – check your jackets for secret pockets that hide Z keys.....(you had to be there....). J

Cheers Peter Hunt

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TAMWORTH REPORT

WE HAVE HAD QUITE A BUSY FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR WILL A LARGE GROUP TRAVELLING TO INVERELL FOR THE INVERELL MOTOR CYCLES RESTORERS RALLY ON THE 4TH 5TH AND 6 OF APRIL. SATURDAY SAW CLOSE TO 200 BIKES ASSEMBLE AT THE PIONEER VILLAGE AT INVERELL FOR A DISPLAY AND JUDGING. THEN A 240 KILOMETRE RETURN RIDE FROM INVERELL TO THE HISTORIC TOWN OF EMMAVILLE WHERE WE HAD LUNCH AND A CHAT TO THE VERY FRIENDLY LOCALS. THE RIDE THEN MOVED ONTO TO THE NEW ENGLAND HWY DOWN TO GLEN INNES WHERE WE TURNED WEST AND RETURNED TO INVERELL.

The only mechanical problem we encountered was a rear shock coming adrift on a one of our members Kawasaki Z1 R. The some bike redeemed its self later that day by winning the best 1970s category, a very good result as it’s the second time we have bought home the bacon in this the most populated class. After the Saturday ride we pulled the wagons in a circle back at camp and lightly primed ourselves for the presentation dinner.

Sunday saw the chance of rain but we made it through the short ride and headed for home.

Just a week later the club fronted up for the Shannons Tamworth Motor Show held at the Regional Entertainment Centre. The Motor Show

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was the biggest indoor event held in N.S.W. this year. This is the second year we have displayed as a club and we were given a large area of the front foyer. Over the 2 days 5,000 people attended the show. The proceeds of the event are divided between local charities and it is well supported by both locals and people travelling from interstate.

The date for next year has been set as 16-17th of May and we would love to host as many members as possible, please bring you bikes to Tamworth.

Again one of our members won best bike on display for his stunning 1976 Suzuki Water Bottle. I would like to think that we can continue our support for this show next year and make it bigger and better.

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TAMWORTH REPORT

The club is currently busy organizing our Blue Ribbon Ride and Show Weekend Held on the 20th and 21st of September. We will run the event same as last year. Saturday Ride Day. Sunday Show day. Again all welcome. The Sunday Show Day has always attracted a large crowd as it is held in conjunction with the local Main St Markets.

The Local branch was kicked off by Paul Rollings on the 22nd April 2010 with a social meeting at our beloved City Bowling Club with a few interested like-minded people. The following

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Sunday 5 riders took off for the scenic 75 Km ride to Nundle. I was lucky enough to meet Paul the week after and attended the second meeting. I have always appreciated the Japanese bikes we grew up with. The local group now has between 40-45 local members.

Paul has decided to step down from his roll and I was lucky enough to be nominated and will keep up the good work.

Thanks Paul and thank you to all the members I have met so far.

VINTAGE JAPANESE MOTORCYCLE CLUB

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DIRECTORY

MEMBER’S BUSINESS DIRECTORY IF YOU ARE A VJMC MEMBER AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS ON THIS PAGE, PLEASE EMAIL YOUR DETAILS TO ADRIAN DIXON AT ADIXON@CONTECHENGINEERING.COM

Allen Sutton The Hydroblast Shop 3/ 41-43 Sinclair Rd Dandenong, Vic 3175 0400 516 979 www.thehydroblastshop.com.au Superior restoration of automotive, motorcycle and industrial components. We can make those engine casings, barrels, heads, carbies and intricate parts look like new again. Let our experience be a part of your next restoration project. Visit our website for more detail.

Alvin Wong Doux Wedding Corp Wedding photography and Videography. Special discount for VJMC Members. www.doux.com.au 0433 142 522 Alan Jansen Pals Automotive Services 11/42 New St. Ringwood 3134.

Motorcycle & car RWC inspections in Melbourne's Eastern suburbs by 'Vintage Friendly' inspectors.

By appointment only. www.palsautos.com.au alan@palsautos.com.au 03 9879 6044

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Tony Sculpher NORD Drivesystems 18 Stoney Way, Derrimut Victoria 3030 www.nord.com tony.sculpher@nord.com Phone 1300 00 NORD ( 6673 ) NORD Drivesystems are a supporter of the VJMC. NORD are the second largest manufacturer of industrial Helical geared motors internationally.

Ned Vernon Traditional trained metalsmith and specialises in finely crafted motorcycle fabrication. Working in both aluminium and steel manufacture and specialises in tanks fairing and crafting one off custom designs. www.clavo-loco.com nedvernon@gmail.com 0403 805 301

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DIRECTORY

Richard Scoular Classic Bikes Direct 41A Jarrah Drive, Braeside Victoria 3195 0400 222 040 www.classicbikesdirect.com.au Let our world wide network be your advantage when buying a Classic to add to your collection, Nearly 40 years industry experience.

Tony and Catherine Fresh as Bread Cafe 76 Aberdeen Road, Macleod Victoria 3085 For VJMC members: your first coffee is complimentary, great quiet location off main roads, opposite park, with plenty of parking right in front of cafe. Good stop for group rides.

Steve Gittings Printforme 03 5334 2605 0417 336 360 printforme@ncable.net.au Design. Print. Finish.

Offset and digital printing.

Frank Van Den Broek Garage Door & Gate Solutions 23 Canterbury Roar, Braeside Victoria 3195 9587 4000 www.garagedoorsolutions.com.au Swee and Leong Tan Macleod Pharmacy 70 Aberdeen Road, Macleod Victoria 3085 For VJMC members: 10% off non prescription and non sale items. Local service oriented community pharmacy. Friendly and caring. We listen and give you the best advice or health solution.

SUZUKA 8 HOUR RACE AND TOUR OF JAPAN

From $3,680.00 Per person Twin share

Price Includes international airfares flying Qantas Airways, accommodation with daily breakfast, transfers, admission tickets Itinerary:

DAY 1 (21JULY)

Depart Australia on Qantas DAY 2 (22JULY)

Arrive in Tokyo and transfer to Shinagawa by charter coach,

Accommodation at Shinagawa Prince Hotel for 3 nights.

DAY 3 (23JULY)

Charter coach tour of Tokyo with English speaking guide.

DAY 4 (24JULY)

Charter coach transfers and visit to motorcycle factory in Yokohama DAY 5 (25JULY)

Transfer to Nagoya using your Japan Rail Pass, and attend the Suzuka 8 hour endurance race (2 day ticket included)

DAY 6 (26JULY)

Free day at Suzuka Circuit DAY 7 (27JULY)

Charter coach transfers and tour of motorcycle factory in Nagoya DAY 8 (28JULY)

Transfer to Kyoto using your Japan Rail Pass. Accommodation at New Miyako Hotel Kyoto for 2 nights DAY 9 (29JULY)

Free day in Kyoto DAY 10 (30JULY)

Use your Japan Rail Pass to travel to

Hiroshima. Overnight accommodation at Hotel New Hiroden Hiroshima.

DAY11 (31JULY)

Use your Japan Rail Pass to travel to

Osaka. Overnight accommodation at Accommodation at Nagoya Castle Plaza New Hankyu Hotel Osaka. for 3 nights DAY 12 (01AUGUST)

PHONE: 03 8623 0015 (Olivia Burke) www.jtbtravel.com.au

Charter coach transfer from Osaka to

Itami Airport and fly to Narita Airport.

Return to Australia on Qantas

Single room $4,180.00 per person Twin room $3,680.00 per person Triple room $3,590.00 per person Tour prices based on a group of 30 people Itinerary can be extended or shortened for individual participants. Please enquire at the time of booking for prices. *Prices subject to change due to exchange rate and tax fluctuations. All prices are correct at the time of printing and subject to change due to operators’ price increase and/or exchange rate fluctuations. Please read “Conditions” on the back of JTB 2013-2014 main brochure or on our website.

This tour is not organised by the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club Australia Inc. The use of the VJMC logo is permitted only to reflect that the tour is organised for the benefit of Club Members, their partners and friends

RICKS DINER

JUNE 2014 EIGHT BIKES LEFT FROM THE CALTEX GARAGE AT CASTLEDINE ON BRISBANE’S NORTH SIDE FOR THE RIDE UP TO PALMWOODS IN THE SUNSHINE COAST HINTERLAND. THE BRUCE HWY IS ALWAYS BUSY AND BORING SO IT WAS A UNANIMOUS DECISION TO TAKE THE BACK ROADS.

The ride was a combined one with the Honda 750/4 club and Ben led us on a great ride on one of our favourite roads up through the back of Narangbah and Roxburg. Although it is sealed road part of the trip runs through private property so its eyes on the road and dodge the cowpats.

Soon we were crossing Zillman’s Crossing on the Upper Caboolture River and heading up to the D’Agular Hwy at Wamuran. A right turn and then a left seen us heading north through pineapple farms and out onto the Steve Irwin Way for the run up past Australia Zoo to Landsborough for morning tea at the bakery. They do a nice coffee and cakes but have no idea how to make a cup of tea. Thought it was a cup of milk.

This quaint little village is the step off point for the run up to the magnificent little town of Maleny situated high up on the Blackall Ranges overlooking the Sunshine Coast.

Its 3 “M” country. Three towns in a row, Maleny, Montville and Mapleton.. The ride up to Landsborough had been cool however it was quite cold up on the range. Coming into Montville we passed the turn off to Palmwoods but Ben pressed on. Soon he turned into a carpark and I thought he missed the turn off and was doing a u-turn but no, all of a suddenly he disappeared in between two buildings and dropped off the edge of the mountain. Well not

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literally however he took us down Razorback Rd, an incredibly steep descent down to Palmwoods and our destination, Ricks Diner.

The Diner was and old Garage and has been transformed into 50’s – 60”s diner with lots of memorabilia. Oh, and fantastic burgers.

Ray and Jenny Burrows drove up in the ute so Jenny could reduce the area’s Bromeliads.

They joined us not long after we arrived. Also joining us were Sunshine Coast residents Don and Raylene Williams who arrived on a very tidy Honda CB750 and Raylene was on an immaculate Honda CB350 Four. Club member Stan Langley came down from Gympie to catch up with us too. Great effort Stan.

The return ride was enjoyable via Steve Irwin Way and Old Gympie Rd. All in all it was a great day.

John McNair

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RICKS DINER

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VINTAGE JAPANESE MOTORCYCLE CLUB

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JAPAN/SUZUKA

RECENTLY, WHILE PLANNING A TRIP TO JAPAN FOR 2015, THAT INCLUDED A VISIT TO THE SUZUKA 8-HOUR RACE, I DECIDED THAT THE SAME ITINERARY COULD BE USED FOR A VJMC TOUR.

So, with the assistance of the Japan Travel Bureau [JTB], we created a 12 day itinerary that includes the first few days in Tokyo with some sightseeing and cultural insights.

As many of you know, the last weekend of July each year sees the running of the Suzuka 8-Hour Race. Therefore, the itinerary will include time for that, with a 2-day pass to the race.

Also on the agenda are visits to two motorcycle factories. JTB are working on which factories they will be, so I can’t enlighten you further

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on that at this stage. However, whatever your motorcycle brand loyalty or preference, I’m sure you’ll enjoy a visit to any factory.

Following the race weekend, the tour takes us to historic Kyoto and Hiroshima and, later, to Osaka before flying back to Tokyo for the flight to Australia.

JTB are really flexible with the itinerary and, if anyone would prefer to shorten the tour and maybe fly home straight after the race weekend, they’re happy to organise that.

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JAPAN/SUZUKA

If there are others who would like to stay on longer, and see more of Japan, JTB are happy to assist with the necessary arrangements too.

Please see JTB’s brochure in the next issue of the Club Magazine for further details.

The tour is open to VJMC members, their families and friends, so feel free to spread the word among those you think may be interested.

The prices shown in the brochure are based on a number of factors including, a minimum of 30 participants; the present exchange rate; current prices for accommodation and tours; all of which may impact slightly on the final cost. Final numbers will also influence our ability to secure exclusive use of tour buses where indicated in the itinerary.

JTB have provided me with a brochure for motorcycle rental in Japan too. The same company also provides guided motorcycle tours.

I can make this brochure available to anyone interested.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me by one of the methods set out below or, contact the JTB representative, Olivia [ph. 03 8623 0015], shown on the brochure.

Since announcing the tour at the 2014 Rally, I have had many enquiries with very positive discussions, as have JTB. The tour will go ahead … even if it’s just my wife and I, but I doubt that from the response so far!

To book your spot, all JTB require is a $220 per person non-refundable deposit, with the balance payable just prior to departure. So, get onto JTB and reserve your spot now … and tell your friends … the more, the merrier

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VINTAGE JAPANESE MOTORCYCLE CLUB

Jeff

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HONDA 400FOUR

Words & Photo’s – Mark Lewis I HAVE BEEN TOLD I SHOULD TELL THE STORY OF MY 400/4 HONDA, AND HOW I CAME ABOUT PURCHASING IT. SO HERE’S HOW IT GOES.

My cousin rang me about this man who had his 400/4 for sale. I thought I would give him a ring, talked to him about the bike, everything sounded okay, so I told him I would give him another ring in a couple of weeks to chat some more.

Time went on, so I picked up the phone and gave him a call to ask for his address. He gave me the address to a house in Horsham. After hanging up, I thought to myself, ‘originally he said he lived in Donald.’ Anyway, come Sunday I hooked the trailer on the car and went on the drive out to Horsham.

When I got to the address there he is standing

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outside the house. We have a conversation and at this point I realise that he has been drinking, a lot, so I ask to see the bike. He tells me the bike is in Donald. I ask him why he told me its in Horsham. He tells me his car is broken down, this is his mother’s house. He thought I could pick him up and take him home to Donald what’s a man to do?

We jump in the car and off we go to Donald 120km away. Upon arrival he gets the bike out of the shed, puts petrol in it and starts it. It runs beautifully. We talk about the price and he says to give the money to his wife, so I do. After loading the bike on the trailer he says I have short changed him $100. I tell him I charged $100 for the taxi fare from Horsham to Donald, which I think is cheap. We all have a good laugh and I leave on friendly terms

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HONDA Z50J

By – Tony Sculpher IN WHAT SEEMS LIKE A LIFETIME AGO BACK IN NEW ZEALAND I BOUGHT A VERY TIRED OLD HONDA Z50 FROM A FRIEND WHO WORKED AT THE LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP.

The Honda had already done a lifetime of work with his kids, and probably some else’s family judging by its condition. It really was a rat bike if you have ever seen one. There were lots of incorrect parts on it, and there were a lot of parts missing. There was no wiring harness and associated electrical components at all; an engine kill switch on the handlebar was the only on/off control.

Lake Tutira, Ohope Beach, the Green and Blue lakes at Rotorua, and Lake Taupo.

When we sold the caravan and graduated to a three room tent ( we needed more room as the family

It went well but blew a little blue smoke so a new set of piston rings and a good hone did the job. I re-fitted the original fold down handlebars which were in the spare parts that came with the Honda.

We took this little Honda everywhere when we went on our holidays. I made a steel frame with a pressed steel u-channel ( for the tyres ) which attached to the back of our caravan, and I would securely bolt the Honda on utilising the top rear shock mount and the two handlebar knobs.

There were many times whilst driving when we were passed by motorcyclists who gave us the big “ thumbs up “ as they passed the car towing the caravan. The little four stroke engine was so quiet that the other campers did not mind us riding it around camping grounds and holiday parks. We were careful not to annoy anyone as we were all living in close proximity to each other.

We took this little Honda to many popular holiday destinations in the central North Island–

TONY AND SON CRAIG ( AGED 16 MONTHS ) WITH THE Z50, MARCH 1990. THE KIWI SAFETY BOOTS ARE NOT RECOMMENDED FOR ANY FORM OF MOTORCYCLE RIDING.

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HONDA Z50J

catalog and can claim that everything on this Honda exactly matches the parts book. If it's not in the parts book, then it's not on the Honda!

From (an interested) spare parts salesman at a local Honda dealership, I purchased a large number of the genuine Honda bolts, washers and nuts to ensure they were all exact. I rezinced and re-chromed the salvageable parts, and scanned new old stock lists in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the USA for everything else.

was growing ), the little Honda still went with us.When the family grew older, I still kept the little Honda as I really did enjoy getting it out of the shed once in a while, and having a bit of fun hooning around the back yard, or simply just racing the dog – nearly ran her over a few times (dogs have no understanding that a motorcycle travelling at warp factor nine simply cannot turn sharply to avoid solid objects!).

Even after sitting for a long time, a few kicks and she would start again. You cannot kill one of these early Hondas. The cam chain and the tappets can rattle (even badly), but as long as they have oil in the engine and a little compression, they will go on forever.

We emigrated to Australia in 1999 and the little Honda came with us along with its larger stablemate, my 1989 Honda CBR1000FK. For the record, the little Honda is a 1976 Z50J1 and is the Australian market model (Honda code “U”).

I was fortunate to source one of the original type tool bags from an old dealer in NZ. I did not find much in the USA as their Z50 models were a little different. I also found that many of the Honda websites selling reproduction items were not so correct, especially the reproduction wiring looms which were mostly made for 12 Volt systems and did not accommodate indicators and the horn.

The most helpful were David Silver Spares in the U.K., with reasonable pricing. I found the hardest parts to find were the battery box, horn assembly and the carburettor hose clamp which all eventually turned up at CMSL in the Netherlands ... but they were expensive!

Very late into the restoration I finally found the

Track forward to 2012 and after 22 years I still had the little Honda among my collection.

I decided to do the right thing and gave it a complete restoration. I stripped it back to the bare frame and commenced the work.

I gave myself a challenge – I would only use genuine Honda spare parts and use absolutely no reproduction parts. I utilised both the Honda Z50J1 sales brochure and the Honda Z50J1 parts

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HONDA Z50J

wiring loom and the ignition switch (with the rare round plug) after much searching. Remember, it must be correct to the parts catalog.

VJMC member Trevor Whitty did an excellent job matching and repainting the Parakeet Yellow (Honda code “Y31”) paintwork, and applying all the transfers in their correct place.

I stripped the engine and found that it only needed a new exhaust valve and some parts for the centrifugal clutch. I had all the engine cases aqua blasted, and even zinc plated the kick start and gear lever shafts to really make the overall appearance look like new. With new gloss black paint on the cylinder barrel and all new genuine screws, the engine came up a treat. I even had the carburettor and the fuel tap aqua blasted to make them look like new.

My son Craig kept a keen eye on the restoration every time he flew home. After all, I had originally bought this Honda for him. Since leaving school, he had been working for the Australian Navy (2 years), and ever since has been is working for the Royal Australian Air Force. He is now based at the RAAF Base Richmond, near Sydney.

I organised a paint supplier to match the Honda Cloud Silver Metallic (Honda code “AU”) and I applied this to the wheels and hubs. The final assembly took only a few weeks. It took two kicks to bring the Z50 back into life. This was very satisfying for myself as I am not really a mechanic at all.

As good friend Trevor Whitty says, This part of the restoration is meant to be therapeutic,“ and he is quite correct.

the front wheel. You can pull on the handlebars in every gear, and the Z50 will wheelie - but be very careful, do not lean too far rearward as you can easily end up on your bum!

The small diameter 8” wheels do make manoeuvring at slow speed tricky; the bike tends to want to fall over at stall speeds, and those tyres are really for light off-road work only. The front suspension (especially!) is not well suited for large bumps or high speed off road work. Remember that this motorcycle was designed just for small kids and perhaps for a pit bike, but it is not a serious off road machine at all.

Although the Z50 is road registered, I would be hesitant to ride it in traffic; you are just too small, too slow, and you will get squashed in today’s traffic!

How does it go? Top speed is close to 50 kph, and the Z50 takes it’s time getting there. The three speed transmission and automatic clutch makes riding it easy. Holding the gear lever down keeps the clutch dis-engaged – release it together with a little bit of throttle and up comes

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VINTAGE JAPANESE MOTORCYCLE CLUB

33

HONDA XL

I’VE BEEN COLLECTING AND WORKING ON OLD HONDAS FOR SOME TIME NOW. IN FACT, LOOKING AT THE TIMESTAMPS SOME OF PHOTOS, I’M COMING UP TO 10 YEARS’ WORTH OF FIXING, TINKERING AND RIDING

So I thought I’d put down pen to paper or fingers to buttons to get some information on the single cylinder air cooled on/off road bike XL family that club members may find interesting and entertaining.

Without having the statistics on hand, I would venture that the XL series, especially the “L” plate friendly 250R would have to be pretty close to the legendary Postie in terms of sales volume for a single model. Equivalent machinery of the day – the Kawa KLR, Yama XT and DR Suzi never really made a dent, while the nearest 500 competitor – BMW R80GS was 50 kg heavier and featured stratospheric dealer pricing that would see you with almost 2x 500s on you trailer for the same price.

While there’s plenty of general purpose information on the internet, this article focuses on the some hard-earned practical advice.

One of the most frequently asked questions is about the difference between the XL and XR models. It actually well documented on the Net and the differences are mainly around the flywheel, and the charging system so for the purposes of the article, consider them one and the same.

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What to look for in general These single cylinder workhorses have all been worked hard. It’s very rare to see a “mint” original XL just because people bought them to ride and ride them hard. In addition, they were reasonably priced bikes ( about $1700 in ‘82 money), compared to other off-road exotica like the BMW R or the Husky and so didn’t land in hands of collector who pampered them. Just like the current bunch of Chinese knock offs.

As a result, and depending on the history of the bike ( if none, you can assume the worst) at least one of items below will need fixing The top end This is the most problematic and potentially most expensive area for the following reasons a. Persistent oil leaks around the top end The root cause is poor design of the valve cover, which forms part of the structural frame by being bolted directly to the top frame rail.

Because the singles, in spite of the presence of the balance shaft, still vibrate, the valve cover slowly gets pulled from the head, although it is attached to the head by 10 bolts. Eventually bush mechanics ( and I mean that in the best possible way) overtighten the bolts, pile on the silicone and the rest is history. Bathroom silicone was particularly popular for this job at this stage of

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HONDA XL

A MUST HAVE FOR THE XL FAN - THE ‘82 500 CLASSIC

the bike’s lifecycle eg heading towards the grave Luckily, its easily fixed, but means pulling the engine, helicoiling all the threads and a light machining of the mating surfaces, which do not have a gasket.

The design flaw was corrected in later models b. The meeting place of alloy and steel The phenomenal engineering breakthrough of running the cam directly in the alloy head was a brave, brave idea. When Honda started becoming mainstream in the UK, this was one of the most reviled aspects of the Japanese designs by the English motorcycle establishment.

Now, I can confirm that the design does actually work, as long as it gets plenty of fresh, warm oil. In fact, its the same setup as the Honda Cub series, of which over 3 million have been manufactured since the early 60s However, on the basis that there’s no oil pressure gauge or light in the XLs, a religious process needs to be in place to check and replenish the oil on a constant basis.

When the system goes wrong, it goes in a spectacular form, with the cam tearing into the soft ally and often destroying itself in the process, just like picture below

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VINTAGE JAPANESE MOTORCYCLE CLUB

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HONDA Z50J

c. The head Due to the design ambition of having all of 4 valves per cylinder, the alloy between the valve stem seals is thin and this leads to propensity to run cracks well into the sparkplug opening.

A peculiarity of trail riding in the peak of Aussie summer with an aircooled single when the air movement over the engine may be negligible is that oil starts to boil. This is a factor of the marginal oil capacity in the XL, as well as lack of an oil cooler, both fixed in the later versions. As all you amateur chemists know that boiling engine oil has the same effect as on the oil’s viscosity properties as adding tap water to beer.

d. The timing chain guide The guide design is an evolution from the smaller capacity blocks and is not a real winner from a long term perspective. While it is a self adjusting design that works really well, once the plastic guide is worn out, the entire guide must be replaced with a complete brand new item. A tell tale sign is grinding or clicking noise from the head area. That would be no problem because they’re simple to put it and if a replacement was available from your friendly dealer’s counter or off eBay. No such luck, especially for the 500, where they engine must be dropped to get the valve cover off to get to the head ( what tha?). The design in the C series block ( also known as the Postie and the Cub) was a better engineering solution as it relied on an idler wheel and a spring to keep the tension. Subsequent models also has a better

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design with a “snail” spring. Luckily or unluckily, on bikes with high mileage, the guide problem usually overtaken by other events.

The suspension The famed “pro-link” design was indeed a breakthrough in off-road technology and is the standout idea for the ‘82 XLs onwards.

This was then and this is now. While the “shock to suspension arm” idea is not as technologically as slick, its far simpler in execution and maintenance.

On the other hand, the Prolink or “knuckle” suspension has 3 sealed bush links and one set of roller bearings with a total of 8 rubber seals.

This collection of moving parts needs regular greasing with a special “moly” grease, which is common now, but was rare in ‘82. Dragging this combination through 3 decades of trail conditions without a meticulous maintenance results in a set of metal to metal contacts that grind their way to oblivion. The other common problem is the rubber seals hardening and starting to seep moisture with equally predictable results.

Luckily an aftermarket set is being manufactures by “All balls”, but you will need access to a decent press to drive out the old components that are likely to be corroded, grooved scratched or all of the above. At current shop rates and including the parts, that’s a $500 + job.

When Prolink is in good shape, it rocks and gives a smooth, compliant ride in all conditions. It rocks on 30 years later in various forms and trademarks, including other manufacturers The gearbox Bottom end is usually sound, with a couple of specific exceptions. The gearchange shaft splines are likely to get stripped and damaged, either from being dropped or the securing bolt coming loose. Replacement is a new shaft, unless you have an affordable machine shop next door that can weld up, heat treat the shaft and then recut the splines. Not one for the amateurs.

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HONDA Z50J

The sprocket drive shaft tends to wear on the sprocket side where the internal sprocket splines meet the shaft cutouts. To check this, you will need to get the bike on centre stand and check the play on the sprocket with the gearbox out of neutral. The splines on the shaft are quite beefy, about 8mm and on one of my bikes, there were down to 2mm. Both parts are NLA, so you have been warned.

Finally, the kickstart mechanism gets a real workout in the 500s, so be prepared for stripped gears, weak springs and aftermarket kickstart levers Everyday life The reason that the original XLs are getting rarer, in spite of the enormous number being sold, is that a few of the combos of the above ills will actually put them out of actions However, if the items above are attended to, it’s an easy bike to maintain and live with, mainly due to modern 12V electrics and CDI. I used to ride one to work on a daily basis and especially the 250 is quite good around town, the main advantage being the height of the rider off the ground, providing great visibility over the traffic The 500, however, is on the marginal side for that purpose, being quite a bit taller and heavier. Don’t choose this bike to scrape your footpegs on around Black Spur.

Standard maintenance applies in terms of usual

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consumables - chain, sprockets, brake shoes, stem bearings, etc are all aftermarket commodities, as are the parts that are likely to get knocked off if you drop the bike eg mirrors, levers, blinkers And of course no fairing to get scratched or damaged. Due to the limitations of the oil circulation and filtration system mentioned above, 1000k is good number at which to change the oil Luckily, there are only a couple of custom tools you might ever need, mainly for removing the clutch basket and the flywheel. For everything else, your metric socket set is your friend.

The kickstart is a pain in the butt, but the cunning decompression device make the process less physically demanding then otherwise would have been the case. You can come up with a number of analogies for the all drum braking setup, but none of them translate to what you may call rapid decay of speed in 2013. On the upside, it’s almost impossible to lockup the front wheel, so that give you at least a perceived safety advantage.

Changing both the sprockets to lower ratios for both the 250 and 500 for around town suits the both “torque”, rather then “rev” motors better in that environment. Both 250 and 500 are OK for a short freeway burst, but the upright position, vibration and the rumbling tyres ( I’ve got 50/50s on mine) curtail the experience to about an hour’s riding. Which pretty much is what they were designed to do – get you on the freeway just long enough to get you to the off-road destination. In the Victorian context, that’s enough to get you to pretty decent distance away from the big smoke.

So to wrap it up folks, the XL “R” series is indeed one of the classics of the era in the sense that it represents, like all true classics, the truly definitive machine of the species at a point in history. Never before has a machine like this been available for the off road and commuter community at the price point. While it’s true collectible status is dimmed by the huge numbers of the machines produced worldwide, it’s affordable, dependable and a blast to ride.

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SCOOTER

VJMCC MEMBERS WIN SCOOTER TT THIS EVENT WAS RUN ON SATURDAY 11TH JANUARY 2014 AT MAC PARK CIRCUIT MOUNT GAMBIER.

There was 2 classes which ran together, class A with 14 entrants and class B with 22 entrants. Our team was called Team Von Ellis, Team owner and manager Wayne Von Einem bought the Yamaha Aerox for $800 and after a Valentino replica sticker kit some new tyres some fuel and oil and application of a VJMCC club sticker we were ready to roll.

The riders were Karen, Scott and David Ellis, all but Scott are VJMCC members.

We had a trouble free 6 hours with no crashes or penalties and only stopped twice for

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rider changes and a fuel top up. After the 6 hours we had completed 140 laps, second and third place in our class were on the same lap as us so it was quite close at the end.

Considering that it was Karen and Scott’s road race debut and our engine was bog stock and had 10,000 km on the clock we were stoked with the win and are still celebrating.

I have sent a photo of the team and one of the Lemans style start.

We would like to thank all at the Mount Gambier motorcycle club for putting on such a great event.

David Ellis

www.vjmc.org.au

MILESTONE

A VJMC MILESTONE RECENTLY THE CLUB PROCESSED THE 3000TH MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION - SIMON REED OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA WAS THE LUCKY MAN!

This was a great milestone for the Club, and was cause for much celebration.

Of course we don’t have 3000 current members, people come and go for a variety of reasons, but it certainly shows the level of interest in the club since inception in 1983 - well done to the Club and congratulations to Simon!

For the record, Simon currently has a diverse range of bikes, including a 1980 900 Boldor, 1984 RG250W, 1982 RD250LC - undergoing a full resto, 1981 XL185 and a 2003 900 Diversion.

We hope that he, as with all new members, gets a lot of enjoyment from the Club, and is able to participate in events and activities and gets the chance to show off his bikes.

www.vjmc.org.au

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Regional

MEETS

CLUB INFO

ACT + SNWS

Meet: Alivio Tourist Park (The Ridge Cafe & Bar) 20 Kunzea Street, O’Connor ACT 7:30pm on third (3rd) Wednesday night of each month.

Contact: Ian Stevens 0407 706 705 iansac50@tpg.com.au

NSW

Lower Hunter Meet on the second Thurs of each month at the Maquarie Club, Cockle Creek, starting around 7.20pm.

Contact Vince Foreman (02) 4973 1852 or yvonnevince@bigpond.com.au Mid Hunter Meet: 7pm on 1st Tues of every even-numbered month at Greta Workers Club. Cnr New England Hwy & West St Contact: Allan Kensitt (02)4938 7223 or 0405 492700 Tamworth Meet: Tamworth City Bowling Club ANZAC Park, Brisbane St, Tamworth. 6.30pm last Thursday of every month. Contact: Ray Fox 0409 396 432 ray.fox@coateshire.com.au

QLD

South East Qld Meet: Belmont Tavern Cnr Burstall Ave & Belmont Rd, Belmont.

7pm second Tues of each month.

Contact: Steve Day 0409 196 825 stevexday@gmail.com

SA

South Australia Meet: Tonsley Hotel, South Road, Clovelly Park.

6:30pm on the last Thursday of each month Contact: Mick mgo22098@bigpond.com.au

HISTORIC REGO NSW CONDITIONAL REGISTRATION Sydney Roadworthy Inspections David Bernardi | 0431 661 769 mrdbernardi@gmail.com All other NSW areas contact Lyndon Adams | (02) 4945 1780 lyndarra@gmail.com

ACT Ian Stevens | 0407 706 705 iansac50@tpg.com.au

VICTORIA CLUB PERMIT SCHEME INSPECTORS Melbourne - West Kevin Drazdauskas | 0419 884 560 Melbourne - South East Trevor Whitty | 0419 807 212 North West Vic Trev Lawrence | trev@gracehouse.com.au Central Vic Graeme Climas | (03) 5446 3844 West Gippsland Dennis Flynn | 0407 359 278 Western Vic Alan Storck | 0401 995 061

QLD CLUB REGISTRATION SCHEME Brisbane Graeme Knight | 0411 034 938

VIC

Melbourne Metro Meet: Grandview Hotel Cnr Station Street & Heidelberg Road, Fairfield 7.00pm on the last Tuesday night of each month Central Vic Meet: Garlands Bakehouse & Cafe 124 High Street, Kangaroo Flat 10.00am every Sunday morning Contact: Ivan Eeles (03) 5448 4746 familyeeles@hotmail.com

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The club has a sizeable library of magazines, workshop manuals and parts manuals for members to use.

Enquires: library@vjmc.org.au

www.vjmc.org.au

Regional

REPRESENTATIVES ACT + SNSW ACT Ian Stevens 0407 706 705 iansac50@tpg.com.au

NSW

CLUB INFO

Tamworth Ray Fox 0409 396 432 ray.fox@coateshire.com.au

NORTHERN TERRITORY Darwin John Hefferan 0413 998 261 heffs@live.com.au

Bathurst Vacant. Rep required.

QUEENSLAND

Broken Hill Sam Muscat 0412 208 898 spmuscat@bigpond.com

Mackay Peter & Helen Douglas (07) 4954 3653

Central Coast Jeff Lockhart 0419 286 311 jefflock1400@bigpond.com Far North Coast Rob Andrews (02) 6621 4083 and32@bigpond.net.au Goulburn Malcolm Peden (02) 4821 5060 pedenmj@westnet.com.au Lower Hunter Vince Foreman (02) 4973 1852 yvonnevince@bigpond.com.au Manning Steve Wardle (02) 6551 5546 canvasz1000@bigpond.com Mid Hunter Allan Kensit (02) 4938 7223 midhuntervjmc@yahoo.com.au Mid North Coast Vacant. Rep required.

North West Graeme Tonkin (02) 6724 8454 gjtvallyn@bigpond.com.au Orange Region Peter Ezzy 0427 663 246 peterezzy3@bigpond.com Queanbeyan Rob Hogan (02) 6299 7579 robandcarolyn@bigpond.com Sydney David Bernardi 0431 661 769 mrdbernardi@gmail.com Sydney Inner Steve O’Farrell (02) 9517 3490 sofarrell@premecha.com Sydney South/West Allan Dykstra (02) 9824 7165 adykstra@tpg.com.au

South East Queensland Ray Burrows 0409 640 600 rjrburr@bigpond.net.au Sunshine Coast Vacant - rep required

WA

West Australia Norm Larkin 0412 684 097 bikesales@causewaykawasaki.com.au

More Info on becoming a regional rep: Contact Peter Hunt 0418 214 754 if you are interested in getting VJMC happening in your area.

WORLD WIDE CLUB INFO VINTAGE JAPANESE MOTORCYCLE CLUB INC

SA

South Australia Peter Hunt 0418 214 754 phunty@bigpond.net.au

The VJMC is a worldwide club.

There are independent branches in North America (USA/Canada), UK, New Zealand and Australia.

TAS

Tasmania Tony Mahoney 0438 385 176 ttmahoney@gmail.com

VIC

Some enthusiasts are members of more than one branch.

Direct enquiries for overseas branches of the VJMC to: North America

Central Victoria Ivan Eeles (03) 5448 4746 familyeeles@hotmail.com

President:

Melbourne John Doward 0467 280 425 jrha0747@tpg.com.au

St, Lunenburg, MA 01462 USA.

Thomas Kolenko 55 Howard Website: www.vjmc.org

North East Victoria Bob & Jenny Kitchener (03) 5775 1370 vjmcnortheastvic@hotmail.com

Email: president@vjmc.org

North West Victoria

Malcolm Linsley, VJMC PO

Trevor Lawrence 0412 469 337 trev@gracehouse.com.au West Gippsland Mick Gunn 0439 537 901 mickjgunn@gmail.com Western Victoria Alan & Pam Stork 0401 995 061 storka.01@hotmail.com

United Kingdom Chairman: Box 21671 Falkirk, FK1 9AL. Website: www.vjmc.com Email: chairman_vjmc@yahoo. co.uk New Zealand: Ross & Trudy Charlton, 2 Te Miti St, Paekakariki, Wellington.

Email: ross.judy@xtra.co.nz

www.vjmc.org.au

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MEMBER RENEWAL

OFFICIAL USE ONLY Received Renewal Date

ANNUAL SUBS VJMC INC

Received $

f your fees are due, please complete and send this renewal slip with payment.

Direct Credit is now available. If paying by direct credit, please complete and send this renewal as confirmation.

Cash / Cheque / MO / Direct Credit

Member No

Reply Sent

I

Receipt No

Name Due Date Cost: $40 single, $50 family.

Additional Info (address / contact change etc)

Email I give the VJMC Committe and Reps permission for my contact details to be provided to other members on request.

(Name, phone, email and locality only).

Signed Date Cheques / Money orders payable to VJMC Inc, or Direct Credit: VJMC Inc Australia BSB 062-801 ACC 10-240-688 (Commonwealth) Please include your member number as detail.

Send to: VJMC Inc PO Box 254 Modbury North SA 5092

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VINTAGE JAPANESE MOTORCYCLE CLUB

From

1/6/14 1/7/14

ANNUAL FEES

NEW $45 $55 $50 $55

Australian residents Family (member + 1 other) New Zealand Overseas

RENEW $40 $50 $45 $50

www.vjmc.org.au

PLEASE CONTRIBUTE Email contributions to: tom@pepperpublishing.com.au

NEXT ISSUE DEADLINE: OCT 15TH

www.vjmc.org.au

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