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91 Articles

A cool kit for just three grand…

A cool kit for just three grand… This month John Nutting enjoyed a very special kit bike. The CRK Triumph Roadster takes the basic bits of a 20 (or more) year old bike from Hinckley and transforms it into something unique. You can mix and match parts from the café racer kit to pretty much tailor the bike to what you want from it. We know that some of you out there may quail a little at the prospect of cannibalising a classic bike. Steve Cooper talks about the very same thing this month in his Kawasaki Hybrid build and the T300 series of Hinckley Triumphs are fast-becoming classic themselves – but you can find bikes out there that would otherwise just fade away. We think that our friends at…

A cool kit for just three grand…

A cool kit for just three grand…

This month John Nutting enjoyed a very special kit bike. The CRK Triumph Roadster takes the basic bits of a 20 (or more) year old bike from Hinckley and transforms it into something unique. You can mix and match parts from the café racer kit to pretty much tailor the bike to what you want from it. We know that some of you out there may quail a little at the prospect of cannibalising a classic bike. Steve Cooper talks about the very same thing this month in his Kawasaki Hybrid build and the T300 series of Hinckley Triumphs are fast-becoming classic themselves – but you can find bikes out there that would otherwise just fade away. We think that our friends at Café Racer Kits have manufactured another stunning kit bike which…

A cool kit for just three grand…

Clown Prince of Speed

It’s an oft-used phrase, but Randy Mamola was definitely the best rider never to win a 500cc world championship. From 1979 to 1992 Randy was in the thick of the action in Grand Prix, racing for the Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha and Cagiva factories. He would take 13 wins overall in his GP career and finish runner-up in the series four times, in 1980 – behind friend and later team manager Kenny Roberts, 1981, 1984 and 1987 behind Australia’s first 500cc champion Wayne Gardner. Towards the end of his career he helped develop the Cagiva 500cc two-stroke, staying with them for three years (1988-1990) following his controversial dropping from the Lucky Strike Yamaha team in 1987 after he had (once more) been the bridesmaid. He sat out 1991 but returned for a swansong…

Clown Prince of Speed

Clown Prince of Speed

Clown Prince of Speed It’s an oft-used phrase, but Randy Mamola was definitely the best rider never to win a 500cc world championship. From 1979 to 1992 Randy was in the thick of the action in Grand Prix, racing for the Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha and Cagiva factories. He would take 13 wins overall in his GP career and finish runner-up in the series four times, in 1980 – behind friend and later team manager Kenny Roberts, 1981, 1984 and 1987 behind Australia’s first 500cc champion Wayne Gardner. Towards the end of his career he helped develop the Cagiva 500cc two-stroke, staying with them for three years (1988-1990) following his controversial dropping from the Lucky Strike Yamaha team in 1987 after he had (once more) been the bridesmaid. He sat out…

Clown Prince of Speed

Healthy investments

Whatever the criticism about people using their classic motorcycles as an investment, there is not much that will match them for returns. I’ve been crunching the numbers and now have the figures from 2010 until 2017 and all of my predictions from 2013 have already come true. Ducati 916/996 SPs are becoming the Broughs of the future. They have been outperforming Broughs, since 2010, quite considerably. They’ve slowed a little, but prices won’t stay static for long, so now is a great time to buy. Bipostos have increased in value recently and will become collectible and rideable machines, even if finding a good one is difficult. The stand-out performer over the last two years has been Honda’s CB750 Sandcast, increasing 32% in 2016 and 80% in 2017! Other machines will follow suit. The…

Healthy investments

Healthy investments

cmm Marketplace Healthy investments Every month we take a look at the classic motorcycle market with a range of industry experts. This month, Paul Jayson from The Motorcycle Broker and our very own Scott Redmond look at the high and low end of the marketplace. Whatever the criticism about people using their classic motorcycles as an investment, there is not much that will match them for returns. I’ve been crunching the numbers and now have the figures from 2010 until 2017 and all of my predictions from 2013 have already come true. Ducati 916/996 SPs are becoming the Broughs of the future. They have been outperforming Broughs, since 2010, quite considerably. They’ve slowed a little, but prices won’t stay static for long, so now is a great time to buy.…

Healthy investments

THE CLASS OF 2018

Here at CMM we like to keep our finger on the pulse of both established classics and emerging classics. Our rule of thumb is the ‘15 year rolling rule’ that the gods from the VJMC use in helping to define what can join their club. So, here’s a pick of the crop from the class of 2003. To get in the mood we need to remind ourselves what was happening within the motorcycle world 15 years ago. The two-stroke was all but dead; a few tiddlers still used the configuration but the heyday of screaming strokers had passed. MotoGP was also a year into the new four-stroke age, and that’s a decent place to start our homework. The Honda CBR600 got a top to toe makeover, becoming an RR model. The looks were very…

THE CLASS OF 2018

THE CLASS OF 2018

THE CLASS OF 2018 Here at CMM we like to keep our finger on the pulse of both established classics and emerging classics. Our rule of thumb is the ‘15 year rolling rule’ that the gods from the VJMC use in helping to define what can join their club. So, here’s a pick of the crop from the class of 2003. To get in the mood we need to remind ourselves what was happening within the motorcycle world 15 years ago. The two-stroke was all but dead; a few tiddlers still used the configuration but the heyday of screaming strokers had passed. MotoGP was also a year into the new four-stroke age, and that’s a decent place to start our homework. The Honda CBR600 got a top to toe makeover,…

THE CLASS OF 2018

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

HVC CYCLE PARTS These two items are from HVC’s wide-range of top-quality kit targeting classic two-strokes. Parts such as this petrol cock and performance cylinder heads (both for the air-cooled RD series) are custom made at the firm’s facility in Lincoln, Nebraska. The heads alone apparently give the 250 an extra five bhp! www.hvccycle.net MUC OFF HELMET CARE KIT Keep your lid in tip-top condition with this care kit. It includes a can of Foam Fresh cleaner, a helmet visor and goggle cleaner, a can of Premium Anti-Fog Treatment and a micro-fibre cloth to keep your helmet clean and your visor clear whatever the season. www.oxfordproducts.com KEIS J501 HEATED JACKET Heated kit just keeps getting better and this Keis Premium J501 Heated jacket looks the business. It is lighter and thinner than before so it…

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

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

cmm Stuff The latest riding kit, top tools, tyres, retro clothing and more! HVC CYCLE PARTS These two items are from HVC’s wide-range of top-quality kit targeting classic two-strokes. Parts such as this petrol cock and performance cylinder heads (both for the air-cooled RD series) are custom made at the firm’s facility in Lincoln, Nebraska. The heads alone apparently give the 250 an extra five bhp! www.hvccycle.net MUC OFF HELMET CARE KIT Keep your lid in tip-top condition with this care kit. It includes a can of Foam Fresh cleaner, a helmet visor and goggle cleaner, a can of Premium Anti-Fog Treatment and a micro-fibre cloth to keep your helmet clean and your visor clear whatever the season. www.oxfordproducts.com KEIS J501 HEATED JACKET Heated kit just keeps getting better and…

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

MOTOGP YESTERDAY AND TODAY This is a pictorial look back through the years by the legendary Michael Scott. The book contains 192 pages with 190 colour and black and white pictures looking at the blue riband class of motorcycle racing from 1949 to 2017. www.carltonbooks.co.uk MOTOGP THE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY Much more word-heavy (80,000 as opposed to 20,000) this is a full history of the 500cc/MotoGP class of Grand Prix racing over 256 pages. Includes 150 pictures and exclusive interviews with the likes of Casey Stoner, Valentino Rossi, John Surtees, Kenny Roberts and Nicky Hayden. www.carltonbooks.co.uk…

Riding kit worn, tools twirled & tyres turned

OXFORD XL HARDCORE HIGH SECURITY CHAIN & PADLOCK Adding a visible security device to your bike may deter the lowlifes of this world, and fitting a Thatcham approved one will probably make them look elsewhere. Thus is the simple psychology of motorcycle security. With 12mm thick links it’ll take some getting through, ditto the locking hasp with is 11mm and well protected by the lock body. Covered by a bike-friendly material that’s secure at both ends, the chain comes in three lengths (1.2m, 1.5m and 2m) offering a wide range of options. It’s not light but that’s a small price to pay for peace of mind. Steve Cooper www.oxfordproducts.com CONTINENTAL SPORTATTACK3 TYRES The first thing that you will notice with these tyres is they aren’t shiny like new tyres usually are, this is due…

Riding kit worn, tools twirled & tyres turned

BOOK CORNER MOTOGP YESTERDAY AND TODAY This is a pictorial look back through the years by the legendary Michael Scott. The book contains 192 pages with 190 colour and black and white pictures looking at the blue riband class of motorcycle racing from 1949 to 2017. www.carltonbooks.co.uk MOTOGP THE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY Much more word-heavy (80,000 as opposed to 20,000) this is a full history of the 500cc/MotoGP class of Grand Prix racing over 256 pages. Includes 150 pictures and exclusive interviews with the likes of Casey Stoner, Valentino Rossi, John Surtees, Kenny Roberts and Nicky Hayden. www.carltonbooks.co.uk…

Riding kit worn, tools twirled & tyres turned

cmm Tested Riding kit worn, tools twirled & tyres turned OXFORD XL HARDCORE HIGH SECURITY CHAIN & PADLOCK Adding a visible security device to your bike may deter the lowlifes of this world, and fitting a Thatcham approved one will probably make them look elsewhere. Thus is the simple psychology of motorcycle security. With 12mm thick links it’ll take some getting through, ditto the locking hasp with is 11mm and well protected by the lock body. Covered by a bike-friendly material that’s secure at both ends, the chain comes in three lengths (1.2m, 1.5m and 2m) offering a wide range of options. It’s not light but that’s a small price to pay for peace of mind. Steve Cooper ■ www.oxfordproducts.com CONTINENTAL SPORTATTACK3 TYRES The first thing that you will notice…

Riding kit worn, tools twirled & tyres turned

Classic lovelies at LIVE!

Once more the annual pilgrimage to the Birmingham NEC for Motorcycle LIVE was rewarded by much classic nostalgia! More than 107,000 bike fans attended the nine-day event to see more than 40 of the world’s motorcycle manufacturers display their latest goodies, some of which harked back to the good times. As well as a rebuild of Kevin Schwantz’s Pepsi Suzuki RGV500, (see separate story) and 25 years of the Honda FireBlade (ditto) and 20 years of the R1 (more soon) there were also the UK unveilings of the Kawasaki Z900RS (see next month for a launch report) and the café racer Suzuki SV650X. The National Motorcycle Museum also added to an already incredible atmosphere with regular start-ups of their respective Moto2, MotoGP and classic race bikes. Everywhere you could see the influence…

Classic lovelies at LIVE!

Classic lovelies at LIVE!

cmm News Classic lovelies at LIVE! Once more the annual pilgrimage to the Birmingham NEC for Motorcycle LIVE was rewarded by much classic nostalgia! More than 107,000 bike fans attended the nine-day event to see more than 40 of the world’s motorcycle manufacturers display their latest goodies, some of which harked back to the good times. As well as a rebuild of Kevin Schwantz’s Pepsi Suzuki RGV500, (see separate story) and 25 years of the Honda FireBlade (ditto) and 20 years of the R1 (more soon) there were also the UK unveilings of the Kawasaki Z900RS (see next month for a launch report) and the café racer Suzuki SV650X. The National Motorcycle Museum also added to an already incredible atmosphere with regular start-ups of their respective Moto2, MotoGP and classic…

Classic lovelies at LIVE!

Winter Classic tickets available!

Winter Classic tickets available! Don’t forget you can still get tickets to the Carole Nash Classic Bike Guide Winter Classic show, which features veteran racer Michael Rutter as guest of honour. Michael has always been a fan favourite and he is going to be at the show and on stage over the weekend of January 6-7, 2018. The show – which is held at the Newark Showground – is also the perfect opportunity to explore hundreds of lovely classic bikes on display. For more and ticket info go to: www.classicbikeshows.com.…

Sexy Suzuki RGV500 rebuilt!

Kevin Schwantz’s 1989 Pepsi Suzuki RGV500 was restored to full working order at the recent Motorcycle LIVE event. The iconic Grand Prix machine was completely stripped, before being carefully and meticulously restored by Team Classic Suzuki Chief Mechanic Nathan Colombi, supported by Suzuki’s Vintage Parts Programme. Looking back, 1989 was one of Schwantz’s best season for results, with only crashes preventing him from lifting the world title. He finished either first or second in every race he completed that season, taking six wins and a further three runner-up finishes. Eventual winner was Eddie Lawson on the Rothmans Honda, while Lucky Strike Yamaha’s Wayne Rainey also figured highly. Kevin would eventually lift the world title for Suzuki in 1993 and the Texan was named a Grand Prix legend in 2000. Suzuki restoration projects or…

Sexy Suzuki RGV500 rebuilt!

Sexy Suzuki RGV500 rebuilt!

Sexy Suzuki RGV500 rebuilt! Kevin Schwantz’s 1989 Pepsi Suzuki RGV500 was restored to full working order at the recent Motorcycle LIVE event. The iconic Grand Prix machine was completely stripped, before being carefully and meticulously restored by Team Classic Suzuki Chief Mechanic Nathan Colombi, supported by Suzuki’s Vintage Parts Programme. Looking back, 1989 was one of Schwantz’s best season for results, with only crashes preventing him from lifting the world title. He finished either first or second in every race he completed that season, taking six wins and a further three runner-up finishes. Eventual winner was Eddie Lawson on the Rothmans Honda, while Lucky Strike Yamaha’s Wayne Rainey also figured highly. Kevin would eventually lift the world title for Suzuki in 1993 and the Texan was named a Grand Prix…

Sexy Suzuki RGV500 rebuilt!

Do you ever question your reasons for buying a Japanese classic? I only ask because I’ve been hearing a lot returnees muttering they’re not the bikes they thought they were when they set their heart on them all those years ago. Those shiny chrome and candy paint icons have only aged the same as their aspirant owners, but time and expectations can be uneasy bedfellows. Simplistically the brakes on an early 1970s superbike were never outstanding and the handling on an early 1980s bike was far from ideal. Would-be owners of Suzuki Kettle and Yamaha XS1100s please take note! Even when things got rapidly better with machines such as the Kawasaki GPZ900R in 1984 they were never the pinnacle of Japanese motorcycles. Time and technology march on etc. and a bike…

Anniversary Blade book coming!

The 25th anniversary of the Honda FireBlade (or Fireblade post-2004) was in 2017 and a new Mortons’ bookazine is coming along in 2018 to celebrate this fact. Written by our own editor Bertie Simmonds, it tracks the development, birth and subsequent models of the Honda CBR900RR FireBlade from 1992 all the way through to the current model in 2017. Chapters cover technical aspects of all models as well as the rich racing history of the bike itself. Based in part on his 2000 book on the first models of the Blade, Bertie says: “I really think people should buy this book.”…

Anniversary Blade book coming!

SCOOPER MAN! The sunny side of the classic world, with the VJMC’s Steve Cooper www.vjmc.com ❙ 01324 410519 Do you ever question your reasons for buying a Japanese classic? I only ask because I’ve been hearing a lot returnees muttering they’re not the bikes they thought they were when they set their heart on them all those years ago. Those shiny chrome and candy paint icons have only aged the same as their aspirant owners, but time and expectations can be uneasy bedfellows. Simplistically the brakes on an early 1970s superbike were never outstanding and the handling on an early 1980s bike was far from ideal. Would-be owners of Suzuki Kettle and Yamaha XS1100s please take note! Even when things got rapidly better with machines such as the Kawasaki GPZ900R…

Anniversary Blade book coming!

Anniversary Blade book coming! The 25th anniversary of the Honda FireBlade (or Fireblade post-2004) was in 2017 and a new Mortons’ bookazine is coming along in 2018 to celebrate this fact. Written by our own editor Bertie Simmonds, it tracks the development, birth and subsequent models of the Honda CBR900RR FireBlade from 1992 all the way through to the current model in 2017. Chapters cover technical aspects of all models as well as the rich racing history of the bike itself. Based in part on his 2000 book on the first models of the Blade, Bertie says: “I really think people should buy this book.”…

Anniversary Blade book coming!

SEE YOU THERE! January 2018

1 Ace Cafe London The Hangover Meet.london.acecafe.com 6-7 The Carole Nash Classic Bike Guide Winter Classic Newark Showground NG24 2NY: www.classicbikeshows.com 17 FEBRUARY ISSUE OF CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS 19 Ace Cafe London Bike Night + Rockers & Classic: london.acecafe.com 20 Kempton Park Motorcycle Autojumble TW16 5AQ: www.kemptonparkautojumble.co.uk 21 Malvern Drive-In Classic Car & Bike Autojumble Three Counties Showground, Wye Halls WR13 6NW: www.classicshows.org 28 Normous Newark Autojumble The Showground, Drove Lane, Winthorpe, Newark, Notts NG24 2NY.www.newarkautojumble.co.uk…

Mackenzie Hodgson Insurance

Triple British Superbike Champion Niall Mackenzie and World Superbike Champion Neil Hodgson have become insurance salesmen! With many race and former race stars fronting up big bike insurance companies for their own gain, this is a little different. These two have spent two years researching the market and now want to provide ‘insurance by bikers for bikers’. Niall and Neil realised that there was a need for a more biker-focused kind of cover and hence their joint ambition to create Mackenzie Hodgson Insurance Our very own Niall explained: “This isn’t just a sponsorship thing: my name is above the door, so to speak! “Anyone who knows me, knows that I live for bikes and I’m always ready to put something back into biking. Working alongside Neil Hodgson, I believe Mackenzie Hodgson can provide…

Mackenzie Hodgson Insurance

SEE YOU THERE! January 2018

SEE YOU THERE! January 2018 1 Ace Cafe London The Hangover Meet.london.acecafe.com 6-7 The Carole Nash Classic Bike Guide Winter Classic Newark Showground NG24 2NY: www.classicbikeshows.com 17 FEBRUARY ISSUE OF CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS 19 Ace Cafe London Bike Night + Rockers & Classic: london.acecafe.com 20 Kempton Park Motorcycle Autojumble TW16 5AQ: www.kemptonparkautojumble.co.uk 21 Malvern Drive-In Classic Car & Bike Autojumble Three Counties Showground, Wye Halls WR13 6NW: www.classicshows.org 28 Normous Newark Autojumble The Showground, Drove Lane, Winthorpe, Newark, Notts NG24 2NY.www.newarkautojumble.co.uk…

Mackenzie Hodgson Insurance

Mackenzie Hodgson Insurance Triple British Superbike Champion Niall Mackenzie and World Superbike Champion Neil Hodgson have become insurance salesmen! With many race and former race stars fronting up big bike insurance companies for their own gain, this is a little different. These two have spent two years researching the market and now want to provide ‘insurance by bikers for bikers’. Niall and Neil realised that there was a need for a more biker-focused kind of cover and hence their joint ambition to create Mackenzie Hodgson Insurance Our very own Niall explained: “This isn’t just a sponsorship thing: my name is above the door, so to speak! “Anyone who knows me, knows that I live for bikes and I’m always ready to put something back into biking. Working alongside Neil Hodgson,…

Mackenzie Hodgson Insurance

Just want to say how much I’ve enjoyed the first two marketplace sections in the new part of the magazine. I know some people will criticise those that buy bikes clearly for an ultimate profit, but it’s balanced with Scott’s section where he looks at the lower end of the market. It’s all covered. And besides, you’re never going to stop people doing that. One thing I would like to suggest is tests with more than one bike in. I know the competition does this but I would love to see what Scoop, you and John Nutting think about a selection of bikes tested back-to-back. Steve Smith Bertie says: “Cheers Steve. We know that the whole investment thing can be a touchy subject, but as long as plenty of us are buying more…

WIN BRIDGESTONE TYRES

FEEDBACK WIN BRIDGESTONE TYRES Every month we’re giving away a pair of Bridgestone tyres to the writer of the best submitted letter we receive. You can choose between Bridgestone’s BT-016 Pros, BT-023s or BT-45s! No cash alternative, before you ask! Simply get in touch by sending emails to: letters@classicmechanics.com or post your letters to the normal address, giving contact details just in case you are that lucky winner. Another Stinger! Greetings from San Diego! Although my 1969 Stinger didn’t take 10 years, I did follow Scoop’s build and was even fortunate enough to be able to provide a small bit to his Stinker’s oil pump. Mine didn’t start out as rough as Steve’s, but it did suffer from the previous owner’s ‘maintenance’ attempts. Apparently the only tool he owned was…

WIN BRIDGESTONE TYRES

WIN BRIDGESTONE TYRES

Another Stinger! Greetings from San Diego! Although my 1969 Stinger didn’t take 10 years, I did follow Scoop’s build and was even fortunate enough to be able to provide a small bit to his Stinker’s oil pump. Mine didn’t start out as rough as Steve’s, but it did suffer from the previous owner’s ‘maintenance’ attempts. Apparently the only tool he owned was a hammer. He did, however, have a nice selection of SAE hardware… My build is an ‘on-the-cheap’ tribute with many ‘approximate’ shiny bits. Those include CB400F handlebars, pattern turn signals and mirrors, YG1 petrol-cock (try and find an original), USA Dupli-Color Paintshop Yellow (close to Steve’s correct Pholina yellow for 1970) and finally, badges taken from Suzuki automobile wheel centre caps (diameter is spot on and the look is a…

WIN BRIDGESTONE TYRES

Tyre winner Marvellous Marketplace! Just want to say how much I’ve enjoyed the first two marketplace sections in the new part of the magazine. I know some people will criticise those that buy bikes clearly for an ultimate profit, but it’s balanced with Scott’s section where he looks at the lower end of the market. It’s all covered. And besides, you’re never going to stop people doing that. One thing I would like to suggest is tests with more than one bike in. I know the competition does this but I would love to see what Scoop, you and John Nutting think about a selection of bikes tested back-to-back. Steve Smith Bertie says: “Cheers Steve. We know that the whole investment thing can be a touchy subject, but as long…

Kevin Budd’s Honda NS400R Thought you might like to see my recently finished Honda NS400R. A good friend of mine bought it new in July 1986 from Neil Young Motorcycles in Northampton. He rode it for a couple of years doing about 3500 miles then put it in a shed. Following a series of family tragedies he forgot about this little Honda until the shed fell down about six years ago! It was in a pretty sad state with ivy growing through it but thankfully most parts were salvageable. It then sat in my garage for another three years while he decided what to do with it. Eventually we agreed on a price and the restoration began! Most of the rubber items were perished so I’ve had to make them but…

The way we were…

“I enclose a few photos of my first big bike – a BMW R80,” says Martin Kesans. “Check out the socks and helmet, very retro in the 1970s! The second is a rebuilt Honda Nighthawk. It’s had a top-end rebuild carbs, refurbished clutch-plates, new shocks, braided hoses and it took two resprays to get it right at a total cost of £900. My first rebuild was in 1975. I bought a BSA A10 and sidecar for £35, advertised for £50 (a lot of haggling!). It had a seized cylinder, which he had been working on, and showed me his tools: he had been using an axe hammer and pliers! They were not included in the sale, he said! I’m currently riding a T100: bike number 52, still riding at 67.…

The way we were…

SHOW US YOURS We want to see YOUR pride and joy in our pages, so you can share what you ride and restore with fellow readers. Email your hi-res shots to bsimmonds@mortons.co.uk or mail in some photos to the address at the front of the mag. Let us know what you’ve done and how you’ve done it and send before and after shots if you can. Do get in touch. Bertie. Kevin Budd’s Honda NS400R Thought you might like to see my recently finished Honda NS400R. A good friend of mine bought it new in July 1986 from Neil Young Motorcycles in Northampton. He rode it for a couple of years doing about 3500 miles then put it in a shed. Following a series of family tragedies he forgot about…

The way we were…

The way we were… Send us your nostalgic snaps of you back in the day with your steed! Either send to me at bsimmond s@ mortons.co. uk or via our vibrant Facebook page. C’mon! “I enclose a few photos of my first big bike – a BMW R80,” says Martin Kesans. “Check out the socks and helmet, very retro in the 1970s! The second is a rebuilt Honda Nighthawk. It’s had a top-end rebuild carbs, refurbished clutch-plates, new shocks, braided hoses and it took two resprays to get it right at a total cost of £900. My first rebuild was in 1975. I bought a BSA A10 and sidecar for £35, advertised for £50 (a lot of haggling!). It had a seized cylinder, which he had…

The way we were…

FAST BERK RACES!

So this was it, the culmination of a nine-month build: to turn the rolling frame and box of bolts found languishing at the back of Fast Bikes magazine’s lock-up, a mere shadow of Benjamin’s beloved 30-year-old TZR250 2MA, into a race machine. The final part of this plan was to take it to Norfolk and race what we had built in the final round of the Yamaha Past Masters (YPM) series around the Snetterton 300 circuit, so here we are! For a non-racing, mechanically-challenged person like myself, with no on-track or road experience of two-stroke machines this project was ambitious. But with a whole heap of help from colleagues and local dealer Phoenix Yamaha of Trowbridge I was in a van, packed to the gunnels with fuel, tyres, warmers, paddock stands, spare…

FAST BERK RACES!

FAST BERK RACES!

CLASSIC RACING FAST BERK RACES! In his final instalment our own Charlie Oakman races the Yamaha TZR250 at Snetterton. How did it go? WORDS: CHARLIE OAKMAN PHOTOS: CHRIS SELBY, GARY CHAPMAN, JOHN MANCLARK So this was it, the culmination of a nine-month build: to turn the rolling frame and box of bolts found languishing at the back of Fast Bikes magazine’s lock-up, a mere shadow of Benjamin’s beloved 30-year-old TZR250 2MA, into a race machine. The final part of this plan was to take it to Norfolk and race what we had built in the final round of the Yamaha Past Masters (YPM) series around the Snetterton 300 circuit, so here we are! For a non-racing, mechanically-challenged person like myself, with no on-track or road experience of two-stroke machines this…

FAST BERK RACES!

In 1980 Honda had an obsession with winning production bike races. With the various rules and regulations in place restricting what could be done to a standard production bike, the company set about the very expensive task of building a race bike that would not only meet those rules but push them to their limits, right off the showroom floor – and the CB1100R certainly did that. To be eligible for racing, 500 CB1100Rs needed to be made – Honda exceeded this by producing 1050 of the first CB1100R B-models, with a limited number being built for the UK market. The result of this new race built bike was Honda literally blew the competition clean into the weeds. The bike was based on the CB900F, which at the time was Honda’s supremo…

Who was Dennis Neill?

Dennis Neill was a legendary Australian racer from the 1980s with a results list as long as your arm but is perhaps most famous for his crash on the Honda CB1100R, a bike which he assisted Honda in developing to win the 6-Hour. At the time Dennis was an A-Grade factory racer in Australia, about to head overseas, who saw Giacomo Agostini racing in 1971 at Oran Park and upon viewing the support races, decided he could probably beat most of the field. He then joined the Bankstown-Wiley Park MCC and proceeded to win his first race. Turns out he was right! In 1981, Honda built this stunning Superbike Spec CB1100R for Dennis to race in the Arai 500 Endurance at Bathurst but famously, Dennis suffered a career ending crash after the…

Who was Dennis Neill?

CLASSIC LOOK Superbike WARS Honda went above and beyond to win production superbikes races in the early 1980s. This was the first ever true Honda proddie homologation racer. WORDS: JEFF WARE PHOTOS: LOU MARTIN, HEATHER WARE In 1980 Honda had an obsession with winning production bike races. With the various rules and regulations in place restricting what could be done to a standard production bike, the company set about the very expensive task of building a race bike that would not only meet those rules but push them to their limits, right off the showroom floor – and the CB1100R certainly did that. To be eligible for racing, 500 CB1100Rs needed to be made – Honda exceeded this by producing 1050 of the first CB1100R B-models, with a limited number…

One for the Road

The sinuous roads of the Isle of Wight are perfect for a ride on the latest project from Café Racer Kits called the Roadster, a special that comes as a box of ready-to-fit parts and is based on the early Hinckley Triumphs. The prototype I’m riding was built up from a 1200 Trophy almost two decades old, and which these days would be regarded as a lusty but lardy item of kit. But in the CRK Roadster, the old mid-1990s Trophy has been transformed. It’s lean and low and for a litre-plus four-cylinder – weighing around 200kg – it is livelier than it deserves to be. I’m chasing Ian Saxcoburg, the man behind the Café Racer Kits who is well familiar with the newly-resurfaced bitumen as we duck and dive between the…

One for the Road

Who was Dennis Neill?

Who was Dennis Neill? Dennis Neill was a legendary Australian racer from the 1980s with a results list as long as your arm but is perhaps most famous for his crash on the Honda CB1100R, a bike which he assisted Honda in developing to win the 6-Hour. At the time Dennis was an A-Grade factory racer in Australia, about to head overseas, who saw Giacomo Agostini racing in 1971 at Oran Park and upon viewing the support races, decided he could probably beat most of the field. He then joined the Bankstown-Wiley Park MCC and proceeded to win his first race. Turns out he was right! In 1981, Honda built this stunning Superbike Spec CB1100R for Dennis to race in the Arai 500 Endurance at Bathurst but famously, Dennis suffered…

Who was Dennis Neill?

I bought a CRK Roadster kit

Farmer Tom Saunders was one of the first to buy the CRK Roadster kit. The donor bike is a 900 Daytona triple he bought for £700. “It was registered in 1997 but a 1995 build. It was a non-runner and a bit of a mess but when I took it apart it was only the vacuum pipe to the fuel that was kinked, so the basic are okay,” said Tom, who farms arable land in Northamptonshire. The CRK Roadster will provide a return to bikes after a break of a few years. Tom has owned Moto Guzzis, RS BMWs and various Triumphs. By the end of August he said it was coming together. “I’ve chopped the back end off, fitted the new sub-frame and assembly is not far off. All the…

Origins of the Triumph 1200 Trophy

The 1200 Trophy on which the CRK Roadster is based had its origins in the largest model of the new range of machines launched at the end of 1990 by the Triumph factory revived by house builder John Bloor. Bloor had bought the rights to the Triumph brand in 1983 after the old Meriden-based co-operative had collapsed and started development of completely-new modern designs. Meanwhile, Bloor licensed Les Harris in Devon to continue with limited-production of the old-style Bonnevilles. The modern designs used liquid-cooled three and four-cylinder engines and modular design techniques in which common components in the engines and frames allowed a range of models to be offered more cost effectively. With an investment of millions, a modern factory was newly built at Hinckley in Warwickshire and three years after the…

Origins of the Triumph 1200 Trophy

“When I got to ride an AR50 it was everything my MBX50 wasn’t. The AR looked like a scaled-down racer and you could even tune it! Try that on an MBX50...” Small bikes hold a big interest for me, but why? Well, after years of trying to suss the reasons behind this I’m still not overly convinced as to what it is that interests me but not everything in life needs a logical answer. In 1986 I was looking forward to many things; leaving school was one moment that lay in wait for me that year, before that though it would be my 16th birthday. Unlike many of my friends my parents actively encouraged me to save up for a moped. Inspired by my dad’s offer to match every pound I saved I…

One for the Road

CRK 1200 Roadster One for the Road This kit from CRK turns early Hinckley Triumph multis into modern-looking customs with drop-dead gorgeous looks. John Nutting rides the Roadster. WORDS: JOHN NUTTING PHOTOS: GARY D CHAPMAN AND JOHN NUTTING The sinuous roads of the Isle of Wight are perfect for a ride on the latest project from Café Racer Kits called the Roadster, a special that comes as a box of ready-to-fit parts and is based on the early Hinckley Triumphs. The prototype I’m riding was built up from a 1200 Trophy almost two decades old, and which these days would be regarded as a lusty but lardy item of kit. But in the CRK Roadster, the old mid-1990s Trophy has been transformed. It’s lean and low and for a litre-plus…

One for the Road

I bought a CRK Roadster kit

I bought a CRK Roadster kit Farmer Tom Saunders was one of the first to buy the CRK Roadster kit. The donor bike is a 900 Daytona triple he bought for £700. “It was registered in 1997 but a 1995 build. It was a non-runner and a bit of a mess but when I took it apart it was only the vacuum pipe to the fuel that was kinked, so the basic are okay,” said Tom, who farms arable land in Northamptonshire. The CRK Roadster will provide a return to bikes after a break of a few years. Tom has owned Moto Guzzis, RS BMWs and various Triumphs. By the end of August he said it was coming together. “I’ve chopped the back end off, fitted the new sub-frame and…

1980s mopeds and the AR

Every Japanese manufacturer had not one but two mopeds in their range. One would be a sporty offering like the MBX50, AR50, RD50MX, the other something designed for mud under its mudguards, models like the MTX50, AE50, DT50MX and the stylish TS50X. Some were easier to derestrict than others. We all knew someone who had an older brother that could make our peds go faster! Prices for 1980s mopeds are on the move, but they’re still fairly ‘cheap’ when compared to FS1-E prices. Restored bikes are getting more common, and the internet makes it far easier to hook up with like-minded souls who will share knowledge, parts and tales. Although the first thing we all did to our mopeds was fit expansion exhausts and big-bore kits, most of us now prefer them to…

1980s mopeds and the AR

Super -duper HAWK

By the time the 1960s were well and truly under way, British motorcyclists of the period had just become accustomed to the annoyingly reliable if quirkily-styled small Hondas that had begun to proliferate. Initially treated with disdain, then toleration if not genuine acceptance, it was soon evident the brand wasn’t going to go away any time soon. Yet the products of visionary Soichiro Honda remained on the periphery of mainstream motorcycling. Home built bikes were still ruling the roost and even if the likes of AMC, BSA, Triumph et al were effectively leaning on an unlatched door, flag-waving patriots were still buying British. One time doyen of the industry, Edward Turner, had visited the Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha plants in 1960 and but went on record to the effect that British motorcycle…

Super -duper HAWK

Origins of the Triumph 1200 Trophy

Origins of the Triumph 1200 Trophy The 1200 Trophy on which the CRK Roadster is based had its origins in the largest model of the new range of machines launched at the end of 1990 by the Triumph factory revived by house builder John Bloor. Bloor had bought the rights to the Triumph brand in 1983 after the old Meriden-based co-operative had collapsed and started development of completely-new modern designs. Meanwhile, Bloor licensed Les Harris in Devon to continue with limited-production of the old-style Bonnevilles. The modern designs used liquid-cooled three and four-cylinder engines and modular design techniques in which common components in the engines and frames allowed a range of models to be offered more cost effectively. With an investment of millions, a modern factory was newly built at…

Origins of the Triumph 1200 Trophy

NOSTALGIA Dream realised Back in the 80s Scott had a dream: a dream to own a Kawasaki AR50. WORDS AND PHOTOS: SCOTT REDMOND “When I got to ride an AR50 it was everything my MBX50 wasn’t. The AR looked like a scaled-down racer and you could even tune it! Try that on an MBX50...” Small bikes hold a big interest for me, but why? Well, after years of trying to suss the reasons behind this I’m still not overly convinced as to what it is that interests me but not everything in life needs a logical answer. In 1986 I was looking forward to many things; leaving school was one moment that lay in wait for me that year, before that though it would be my 16th birthday. Unlike many…

The Owner’s Tale: Karl Chadwick

My Honda CB77 is a 1965 US model bought in 1991. It had the high bars and still has the US seat, with the raised front protecting the rider’s tackle, along with the folding footrests. For that one year only Honda fitted stainless steel silencers and this bike still wears them. With only 9000 miles showing on it, the CB77 is original save for a chain and sprocket, new carb needle, UK bars from one of my other 60s bikes and new brake shoes. It also has a coat of primer under new paint plus triple layered plating on the chrome bits and stainless spokes, double butted of course! The engine hasn’t been stripped and runs as quiet as a mouse eating paper, just like it should be. It is a…

The Owner’s Tale: Karl Chadwick

1980s mopeds and the AR

1980s mopeds and the AR Every Japanese manufacturer had not one but two mopeds in their range. One would be a sporty offering like the MBX50, AR50, RD50MX, the other something designed for mud under its mudguards, models like the MTX50, AE50, DT50MX and the stylish TS50X. Some were easier to derestrict than others. We all knew someone who had an older brother that could make our peds go faster! Prices for 1980s mopeds are on the move, but they’re still fairly ‘cheap’ when compared to FS1-E prices. Restored bikes are getting more common, and the internet makes it far easier to hook up with like-minded souls who will share knowledge, parts and tales. Although the first thing we all did to our mopeds was fit expansion exhausts and big-bore…

1980s mopeds and the AR

Tweaking the twin

Honda knew from the outset that its larger CB twins would be used by would-be racers and it’s fair to say they were engineered well enough to take this into account. For those that wanted to go beyond weekend amateur racing, Honda offered a kit with which to extract extra performance. Never exactly cheap, the kit was pitched over and above what the average rider of the day was prepared to spend on a fast road bike yet still relatively reasonable for successful privateers with a bit of financial backing. The goodies included: rear-sets footrests and control linkages, carburettor velocity stacks, megaphone silencers, solo racing seat, clip-on handlebars, steering damper and up-rated rear shocks. With all of this (and perhaps a little blue printing inside an already strong motor) the bikes,…

Tweaking the twin

RETRO REBOOTN Yamaha SZR660

Created by Yamaha Italy in 1995, the SZR660 was essentially a factory parts bin special. It married a TZR125RR chassis, complete with rear-sets, swingarm and front mudguard, to the single-cylinder four-stroke XTZ660 motor. Yamaha Italy designed their own (ahem) unique bodywork and added a red seat three years before the R1’s iconic scarlet perch. The lethargic engine and eccentric styling meant the SZR flopped at the showroom and it was dropped from the range after a brief two year run. You might see the odd one playing the supermono card at track days thanks to its excellent handling but the bike was (and is) a rare sight on UK shores. Here’s what it might look like if it was still in the Yamaha line-up. BODYWORK We’ve updated the original bike’s quirky styling…

RETRO REBOOTN Yamaha SZR660

Super -duper HAWK

CLASSIC RIDE Super -duper HAWK It’s the Honda twin that outperformed British 500s, it’s the CB77… WORDS: STEVE COOPER PHOTOS: GARY D CHAPMAN By the time the 1960s were well and truly under way, British motorcyclists of the period had just become accustomed to the annoyingly reliable if quirkily-styled small Hondas that had begun to proliferate. Initially treated with disdain, then toleration if not genuine acceptance, it was soon evident the brand wasn’t going to go away any time soon. Yet the products of visionary Soichiro Honda remained on the periphery of mainstream motorcycling. Home built bikes were still ruling the roost and even if the likes of AMC, BSA, Triumph et al were effectively leaning on an unlatched door, flag-waving patriots were still buying British. One time doyen of…

Super -duper HAWK

1976 Kawasaki Z900 Q: When I start my much-loved and recently restored Kawasaki Z900 from cold I’m getting quite loud valve noise which persists for around five minutes until the engine warms up and then everything quietens down. I’ve repeatedly checked the valve clearances and these are all within the 0.05-0.01mm manufacturer’s spec. The head was overhauled with new valves, guides and seals during restoration and vacuum checked, so I’m left wondering why the valves are making so much noise! The replacement valves were NOS (Doremi) parts. Could it be worth fitting OEM valves to try to reduce valve noise? Ian Wight A:I put this one to Phil at the model experts, Z-Power, and he tells me that they sell Doremi pattern valve parts and have no trouble with them. He also points…

The Owner’s Tale: Karl Chadwick

The Owner’s Tale: Karl Chadwick My Honda CB77 is a 1965 US model bought in 1991. It had the high bars and still has the US seat, with the raised front protecting the rider’s tackle, along with the folding footrests. For that one year only Honda fitted stainless steel silencers and this bike still wears them. With only 9000 miles showing on it, the CB77 is original save for a chain and sprocket, new carb needle, UK bars from one of my other 60s bikes and new brake shoes. It also has a coat of primer under new paint plus triple layered plating on the chrome bits and stainless spokes, double butted of course! The engine hasn’t been stripped and runs as quiet as a mouse eating paper, just like…

The Owner’s Tale: Karl Chadwick

Head for the Zed!

This month I will be tackling the tricked-up cylinder head which needs to feed extra fuel/air mixture to the massive combustion chambers. Last month I made the discovery that a couple of decades ago someone had managed to damage a couple of valve stems in No. 4. Luckily I was able to get another pair of big valves the correct size, so the first job was to lap them in. Firstly, I popped the head on my cylinder head stands. In the old days I used the ubiquitous stick with rubber suckers either end, that hadn’t changed in design since Stonehenge had a roof on it. So miserable is the task that one has often been tempted to attach a drill to the valve stem, but this is very bad practice,…

Head for the Zed!

With any motorcycle restoration, rebuild, renovation or overhaul there are a handful of factors that will determine just how good or bad the end product turns out to be. A cosmetic refresh may very well deliver a machine with selling potential to the more gullible enthusiasts but gleaming paint and sparkling chrome supply jack in terms of motive force. For a motorcycle to be a viable entity you’ll need a viable chassis, a working electrical system and, of course, a dependable engine. Arguably the crankshaft and allied components is the spot where you should throw most of your money yet it’s often the zone where many try to skimp. Simply put, if the crank’s not up to the job then it really isn’t worthwhile starting the rest of the project. This…

Tweaking the twin

Tweaking the twin Honda knew from the outset that its larger CB twins would be used by would-be racers and it’s fair to say they were engineered well enough to take this into account. For those that wanted to go beyond weekend amateur racing, Honda offered a kit with which to extract extra performance. Never exactly cheap, the kit was pitched over and above what the average rider of the day was prepared to spend on a fast road bike yet still relatively reasonable for successful privateers with a bit of financial backing. The goodies included: rear-sets footrests and control linkages, carburettor velocity stacks, megaphone silencers, solo racing seat, clip-on handlebars, steering damper and up-rated rear shocks. With all of this (and perhaps a little blue printing inside an already…

Tweaking the twin

Seals and cases

The earliest 500 triples had a reputation for crank failures which was due to the seals used. Kawasaki was really still getting to grips with high-performance strokers and had opted to use seals without garter springs. Arguably a schoolboy error but the company was on a learning curve back then. Amazingly cranks built around the older seals still show up but anyone who knows their stuff will automatically use seals fitted with the vital spring retainers. You’ll have spotted our crank uses synthetic rubber seals throughout, unlike Yamaha who ran a labyrinth seal between the primary composition chambers. This clever metal seal contains a series of carefully machined grooves which hold and trap oil around the main shaft of the crank while the tops of the ridges make intimate contact with…

RETRO REBOOTN Yamaha SZR660

RETRO REBOOTN Yamaha SZR660 One piston, two wheels and a whole lot of bend-slaying laughs: we’re re-booting the SZR660! WORDS AND IMAGES: KAR LEE Created by Yamaha Italy in 1995, the SZR660 was essentially a factory parts bin special. It married a TZR125RR chassis, complete with rear-sets, swingarm and front mudguard, to the single-cylinder four-stroke XTZ660 motor. Yamaha Italy designed their own (ahem) unique bodywork and added a red seat three years before the R1’s iconic scarlet perch. The lethargic engine and eccentric styling meant the SZR flopped at the showroom and it was dropped from the range after a brief two year run. You might see the odd one playing the supermono card at track days thanks to its excellent handling but the bike was (and is) a rare…

RETRO REBOOTN Yamaha SZR660

The joy of six!

I’ve had a really busy month working long hours on my latest project: a 374cc six-cylinder, twin-cam, short-stroke engine that will resemble a 1960s Honda RC174 six-cylinder when it’s finished, not an exact copy but my take on one. I am using a pair of Yamaha FZR250R engines for base components making and modifying all parts at home, including the 12-piece roller bearing crankshaft, with simple hand tools and my trusty 1970s Colchester lathe and 1950s Elliot Milling machine. This is by far the most complicated and mind-consuming project I’ve taken on to date and I will be talking about this in detail soon. I was also invited to display three bikes at the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show at Stafford, the recently completed Kawasaki H1 500LC four-cylinder, S2A 350 four-cylinder, and my…

The joy of six!

WORK SHOP Q&A Our very own wizened sages , Messrs Mark Haycock and Steve Cooper are here to answer all of your woes, be they mechanical or spiritual. Every month we will be giving advice, as well as some general tips. Don't forget to send in your own tips too. 1976 Kawasaki Z900 Q: When I start my much-loved and recently restored Kawasaki Z900 from cold I’m getting quite loud valve noise which persists for around five minutes until the engine warms up and then everything quietens down. I’ve repeatedly checked the valve clearances and these are all within the 0.05-0.01mm manufacturer’s spec. The head was overhauled with new valves, guides and seals during restoration and vacuum checked, so I’m left wondering why the valves are making so much…

Ah, those final tasks that needed to be completed before a restoration are finally sorted! Last time out we had the Stinger running but still with some serious fettling left to do. I’d stupidly convinced myself the dead OEM rectifier could still be mounted ‘for display purpose only’ with the working one discretely hidden elsewhere. Short of mounting the new unit under the oil tank in plain sight there were no viable options so it now lives where its ageing relative once did and if anyone takes exception then tough! It’s at this stage in an eight-year resto that you begin to panic about the few remaining parts that can’t be located. Oh, and the parts you thought you’d sussed out but obviously didn’t. So in the run up to the October…

Any lessons learnt, Scoop?

And so that’s pretty much it for Project Stinger. Fourteen years in my hands, six being hosed with penetrating oil and eight years as a work-in-progress (and don’t we just know it, Scoop. Bertie). Possibly not the slowest resto in history but certainly longer than I’d expected or wished for. Even allowing for 18 months off the tools due to the building of a new workshop, post house move, it’s still taken far too long, yet I was warned Stingers can and will tax your will to carry on. Am I glad I’ve got it sorted? Definitely. Would I do another one? Are you mad! Am I taking a break from full restorations to get over the trauma? Am I hell! Sitting in a mouldering heap is a pile of…

Head for the Zed!

Project Big Zed part 3 Head for the Zed! Our Ralph has to sort out the top-end of this big-bore Kawasaki Zed project. WORDS AND PHOTOS: RALPH FERRAND This month I will be tackling the tricked-up cylinder head which needs to feed extra fuel/air mixture to the massive combustion chambers. Last month I made the discovery that a couple of decades ago someone had managed to damage a couple of valve stems in No. 4. Luckily I was able to get another pair of big valves the correct size, so the first job was to lap them in. Firstly, I popped the head on my cylinder head stands. In the old days I used the ubiquitous stick with rubber suckers either end, that hadn’t changed in design since Stonehenge had…

Head for the Zed!

Project Kawasaki Hybrid part 2 Going cranky! Scoop’s on the way to getting the H1 engine into the tiddler frame – but first he needs to sort the crank! WORDS AND PHOTOS: STEVE COOPER With any motorcycle restoration, rebuild, renovation or overhaul there are a handful of factors that will determine just how good or bad the end product turns out to be. A cosmetic refresh may very well deliver a machine with selling potential to the more gullible enthusiasts but gleaming paint and sparkling chrome supply jack in terms of motive force. For a motorcycle to be a viable entity you’ll need a viable chassis, a working electrical system and, of course, a dependable engine. Arguably the crankshaft and allied components is the spot where you should throw most…

Getting his bearings

The final part of the front brake overhaul was to attend to the hose assembly as time had taken its toll (Photo 1). The arrangement consists of several parts: two flexible hoses joined to a block called the three-way joint, which houses the pressure-activated brake light switch (Photo 2) and joined to the end of the lower hose is a length of metal pipe which in turn fixes on to the caliper. I still cannot work out the rationale for this. The top hose does not need to be flexible as the master cylinder is in a fixed position (we shall see that later) as is the joint. The lower flexible hose does make sense because the suspension changes the position of the caliper in relation to the Joint. But why…

Getting his bearings

Seals and cases

Seals and cases The earliest 500 triples had a reputation for crank failures which was due to the seals used. Kawasaki was really still getting to grips with high-performance strokers and had opted to use seals without garter springs. Arguably a schoolboy error but the company was on a learning curve back then. Amazingly cranks built around the older seals still show up but anyone who knows their stuff will automatically use seals fitted with the vital spring retainers. You’ll have spotted our crank uses synthetic rubber seals throughout, unlike Yamaha who ran a labyrinth seal between the primary composition chambers. This clever metal seal contains a series of carefully machined grooves which hold and trap oil around the main shaft of the crank while the tops of the ridges…

Better bulb holders!

Funny things, magazine workshop articles; sometimes they’re the result of a carefully laid out plan yet at other times they come about either via serendipity or self-perpetuated disasters. Acknowledging the fact that I’ve been working on the accursed Suzuki Stinger for far too long, you (the gentle reader) may already have grasped how this month’s missive came about! On the final lap of said egregious two-stroke twin I’d been fitting the sub harness that goes to the clocks with new connectors and sleeving, as you do. The wires to one clock all checked out fine but with the second unit I had five wires and five no-shows from the continuity meter. My first thought was ‘bulbs’ but even when changed not one of the leads would give me a decent reading. Putting…

Better bulb holders!

Repair not replacement & hoarding!

It would have been easy to buy replacement parts but at what cost? Who can justify $105 for three wires, a spring and a pressed metal cup? Now add on VAT charged by HMRC at 20% plus whatever rip-off handling fee Royal Mail see fit to levy and we’re fast approaching £100 for something no one will ever see. Me? I’ve learnt something new and useful and, in my mind at least, saved a wedge of cash I’d much rather spend elsewhere and more wisely. Had the parts I was working on been Yamaha in origin there would have been a real chance I’d have had something in the ‘Used but Still Viable’ box I could have adapted. As the Stinger is the only Suzuki I currently own there was no…

The joy of six!

Allen Millyard The joy of six! Specials builder par excellence Allen Millyard tells us about his saucy six. I’ve had a really busy month working long hours on my latest project: a 374cc six-cylinder, twin-cam, short-stroke engine that will resemble a 1960s Honda RC174 six-cylinder when it’s finished, not an exact copy but my take on one. I am using a pair of Yamaha FZR250R engines for base components making and modifying all parts at home, including the 12-piece roller bearing crankshaft, with simple hand tools and my trusty 1970s Colchester lathe and 1950s Elliot Milling machine. This is by far the most complicated and mind-consuming project I’ve taken on to date and I will be talking about this in detail soon. I was also invited to display three bikes…

The joy of six!

MUDGUARDS Prone to rot, especially the rear! END CANS & HEAT SHIELDS Cans incredibly hard to find replacements for and they fall off easily if not properly secured. Heat guards very fragile and readily damaged. SEAT Rare in decent condition, seat trims impossible to find. RECTIFIER Old-style unit fragile and can fail with age, OEM replacement hideously expensive but modern solid state unit works for just a few quid. EXHAUSTS Prone to corrosion and notoriously difficult to repair. GEARBOX Wear on the countershaft is a well-known issue and not easily addressed. Noisy gearbox examples should be avoided. ENGINE Main bearings are unique to the Stinger and hard to find. Crank seals can be hard to find, especially the centre one. ALTERNATOR Two types used and parts are not interchangeable. This month’s offering is an almost standard example of the iconic Suzuki Stinger aka the T125 twin…

Project Suzuki Stinger part 13 At long last! And Scoop’s Stinger fights him to the very last but we think he’s got it beaten. WORDS AND PHOTOS: STEVE COOPER Ah, those final tasks that needed to be completed before a restoration are finally sorted! Last time out we had the Stinger running but still with some serious fettling left to do. I’d stupidly convinced myself the dead OEM rectifier could still be mounted ‘for display purpose only’ with the working one discretely hidden elsewhere. Short of mounting the new unit under the oil tank in plain sight there were no viable options so it now lives where its ageing relative once did and if anyone takes exception then tough! It’s at this stage in an eight-year resto that you begin…

Any lessons learnt, Scoop?

Any lessons learnt, Scoop? And so that’s pretty much it for Project Stinger. Fourteen years in my hands, six being hosed with penetrating oil and eight years as a work-in-progress (and don’t we just know it, Scoop. Bertie). Possibly not the slowest resto in history but certainly longer than I’d expected or wished for. Even allowing for 18 months off the tools due to the building of a new workshop, post house move, it’s still taken far too long, yet I was warned Stingers can and will tax your will to carry on. Am I glad I’ve got it sorted? Definitely. Would I do another one? Are you mad! Am I taking a break from full restorations to get over the trauma? Am I hell! Sitting in a mouldering heap…

What to buy and how much to pay

Pretty much everything inside the crankcases of a T125 is unique to the bike with only the con-rods and big-end shared with the later GT125. For this reason alone the Stinger you buy really needs to be up, running and quiet as well. Pistons and rings are semi-regularly available and come in two over sizes – 0.5mm and 1mm – so a top-end rattle isn’t necessarily a death sentence. Tinware isn’t exactly common especially the rear guard so these need to be at least repairable. Forget hunting down a specific model as overall condition is far more important. A cosmetically challenged example with a quiet engine is infinitely more desirable than a well-restored bike with a dead or dying engine. Do not, under any circumstances, buy a Stinger that said to…

What to buy and how much to pay

IT’S MY BIKE: Steve Cooper

If read CMM you’ll probably have read some of my tales of woe caused by this very bike. Owned for 14 years it’s been ‘under restoration’ for eight. I had to hunt down parts for some six years until I knew I had enough to start. Issues? Pistons corrosion welded to their bores, dead gearbox, tank like a sieve and these were only for starters. This bike is an early Mk 2 with the intermediate mudguard and low bars but I opted to use Mk 1 exhausts because they were given to me. The tank is painted Pholina Yellow, which was an option in the USA. It’s the same colour as used on the later PE enduro machines. Stingers are unique and unlike anything else, most of what’s there is a…

IT’S MY BIKE: Steve Cooper

Getting his bearings

Project Honda CB750 K2 part 7 Getting his bearings Mark finishes off the front brake system and sorts some new head bearings out on his K2. WORDS AND PHOTOS: MARK HAYCOCK The final part of the front brake overhaul was to attend to the hose assembly as time had taken its toll (Photo 1). The arrangement consists of several parts: two flexible hoses joined to a block called the three-way joint, which houses the pressure-activated brake light switch (Photo 2) and joined to the end of the lower hose is a length of metal pipe which in turn fixes on to the caliper. I still cannot work out the rationale for this. The top hose does not need to be flexible as the master cylinder is in a fixed position…

Getting his bearings

The beige bullet!

Like many of you I have soft spot for old GSX-R models. My first 750 road bike in 1989 was a GSX-R750H, and there’s been plenty of other GSX-R750s pass through my paws over the decades. Here’s the twist though; when I felt that I needed another GSX-R750 in my life I wasn’t drawn to those oil-cooled models that many of you love. Having ridden a few since my teenage flirtations with the model I’ve realised sometimes the past should be that – the past. Also, given that asking prices for oil-cooled GSX-Rs have shot up I realised my future purchase could well be an SRAD. When I first arrived on this mag we had a bit of a kicking on the letters page when then-editor Ben Wilkins kicked off his reign…

The beige bullet!

YAMAHA TX650: John Nutting rides a US-inspired parallel twin. HONDA NX650 DOMINATOR: Bertie Simmonds rides a legendary single! KAWASAKI Z900RS: Our mate Mikko rides this retro on its launch! YAMAHA TRX850: Bruce Cox on the story of when Yamaha ‘did a Ducati’. KAWASAKI S2: Scoop with our buyer’s guide! WORKSHOP: How to break down a new project bike. Meanwhile, our Honda CB750 K2 with Mark Haycock gets its rear-end sorted! PROJECT BIKES: Ralph gets further on with the Project Z1325 ‘Big Zed’ while also starting us off with part one of a series on the Laverda Jota. Steve Cooper has got another project on the go, Yamaha’s CS3C, oh, and he’s still on with his Kawasaki Hybrid while Allen Millyard continues with his engineering musings! AND MUCH MORE! DON’T MISS IT!* February issue on sale: JANUARY 17 *The editor…

S90, definitely not C200, oh no!

At my stage in life I’m always delighted to wake up in the morning, but recently I woke up after dreaming about one of my little ones that I’d let go. Not one of the kids, no. This was one of my bikes. The bike in question wasn’t a GSX1100, or a turbo nutter nitrous anything, it was a Honda S90. What’s that? Well, Honda launched a diverse skulk of bikes on the world markets in the early Sixties and among them were exciting engineering masterpieces such as the CB92 and the CB72/77; there were also several 50s sporting rather uninspiring little push-rod, cast-iron top-ended motors that would struggle to lift skin off a rice pud, but soon these were joined by the S90. Honda already had a 90cc bike on…

S90, definitely not C200, oh no!

Better bulb holders!

Better bulb holders! It seems Project Stinger has given us so much over the years… and so here’s Scoop’s guide to bulb holders! WORDS AND PHOTOS: STEVE COOPER Funny things, magazine workshop articles; sometimes they’re the result of a carefully laid out plan yet at other times they come about either via serendipity or self-perpetuated disasters. Acknowledging the fact that I’ve been working on the accursed Suzuki Stinger for far too long, you (the gentle reader) may already have grasped how this month’s missive came about! On the final lap of said egregious two-stroke twin I’d been fitting the sub harness that goes to the clocks with new connectors and sleeving, as you do. The wires to one clock all checked out fine but with the second unit I had…

Better bulb holders!

Repair not replacement & hoarding!

Repair not replacement & hoarding! It would have been easy to buy replacement parts but at what cost? Who can justify $105 for three wires, a spring and a pressed metal cup? Now add on VAT charged by HMRC at 20% plus whatever rip-off handling fee Royal Mail see fit to levy and we’re fast approaching £100 for something no one will ever see. Me? I’ve learnt something new and useful and, in my mind at least, saved a wedge of cash I’d much rather spend elsewhere and more wisely. Had the parts I was working on been Yamaha in origin there would have been a real chance I’d have had something in the ‘Used but Still Viable’ box I could have adapted. As the Stinger is the only Suzuki…

BUYER’S GUIDE SUZUKI STINGER Bloody hell it’s Scoop’s Suzuki Stinger in this mag again. And it’s finished! So it does exist? WORDS: PHOTOS:STEVE C GARY OOPER CHAPMAN MUDGUARDS Prone to rot, especially the rear! END CANS & HEAT SHIELDS Cans incredibly hard to find replacements for and they fall off easily if not properly secured. Heat guards very fragile and readily damaged. SEAT Rare in decent condition, seat trims impossible to find. RECTIFIER Old-style unit fragile and can fail with age, OEM replacement hideously expensive but modern solid state unit works for just a few quid. EXHAUSTS Prone to corrosion and notoriously difficult to repair. GEARBOX Wear on the countershaft is a well-known issue and not easily addressed. Noisy gearbox examples should be avoided. ENGINE Main bearings are unique to…

What to buy and how much to pay

What to buy and how much to pay Pretty much everything inside the crankcases of a T125 is unique to the bike with only the con-rods and big-end shared with the later GT125. For this reason alone the Stinger you buy really needs to be up, running and quiet as well. Pistons and rings are semi-regularly available and come in two over sizes – 0.5mm and 1mm – so a top-end rattle isn’t necessarily a death sentence. Tinware isn’t exactly common especially the rear guard so these need to be at least repairable. Forget hunting down a specific model as overall condition is far more important. A cosmetically challenged example with a quiet engine is infinitely more desirable than a well-restored bike with a dead or dying engine. Do not,…

What to buy and how much to pay

IT’S MY BIKE: Steve Cooper

IT’S MY BIKE: Steve Cooper If read CMM you’ll probably have read some of my tales of woe caused by this very bike. Owned for 14 years it’s been ‘under restoration’ for eight. I had to hunt down parts for some six years until I knew I had enough to start. Issues? Pistons corrosion welded to their bores, dead gearbox, tank like a sieve and these were only for starters. This bike is an early Mk 2 with the intermediate mudguard and low bars but I opted to use Mk 1 exhausts because they were given to me. The tank is painted Pholina Yellow, which was an option in the USA. It’s the same colour as used on the later PE enduro machines. Stingers are…

IT’S MY BIKE:
Steve Cooper

The beige bullet!

Project Suzuki GSX-R750WT SRAD part 1 The beige bullet! Scottie has a plan: turn a tatty beige SRAD from track bike to road rocket over the coming winter. WORDS AND PHOTOS: SCOTT REDMOND Like many of you I have soft spot for old GSX-R models. My first 750 road bike in 1989 was a GSX-R750H, and there’s been plenty of other GSX-R750s pass through my paws over the decades. Here’s the twist though; when I felt that I needed another GSX-R750 in my life I wasn’t drawn to those oil-cooled models that many of you love. Having ridden a few since my teenage flirtations with the model I’ve realised sometimes the past should be that – the past. Also, given that asking prices for oil-cooled GSX-Rs have shot up I…

The beige bullet!

Next month YAMAHA TX650: John Nutting rides a US-inspired parallel twin. HONDA NX650 DOMINATOR: Bertie Simmonds rides a legendary single! KAWASAKI Z900RS: Our mate Mikko rides this retro on its launch! YAMAHA TRX850: Bruce Cox on the story of when Yamaha ‘did a Ducati’. KAWASAKI S2: Scoop with our buyer’s guide! WORKSHOP: How to break down a new project bike. Meanwhile, our Honda CB750 K2 with Mark Haycock gets its rear-end sorted! PROJECT BIKES: Ralph gets further on with the Project Z1325 ‘Big Zed’ while also starting us off with part one of a series on the Laverda Jota. Steve Cooper has got another project on the go, Yamaha’s CS3C, oh, and he’s still on with his Kawasaki Hybrid while Allen Millyard continues with his engineering musings! AND MUCH MORE!…

S90, definitely not C200, oh no!

Pip Higham S90, definitely not C200, oh no! At my stage in life I’m always delighted to wake up in the morning, but recently I woke up after dreaming about one of my little ones that I’d let go. Not one of the kids, no. This was one of my bikes. The bike in question wasn’t a GSX1100, or a turbo nutter nitrous anything, it was a Honda S90. What’s that? Well, Honda launched a diverse skulk of bikes on the world markets in the early Sixties and among them were exciting engineering masterpieces such as the CB92 and the CB72/77; there were also several 50s sporting rather uninspiring little push-rod, cast-iron top-ended motors that would struggle to lift skin off a rice pud, but soon these were joined by…

S90, definitely not C200, oh no!

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