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Classic Motorcycle Mechanics November 2016 (Digital)

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100 Articles

Rich man, poor man…

Riding Suzuki GB’s amazing restoration of the GSX-R750F was a real treat for me this month. Suzuki GB has supported our passion for a few years now, courtesy of their Vintage Parts Programme. They’ve spent the last few NEC events showcasing what they can do with rebuilds of a Suzuki TL1000S and – last year – this lovely Slabbie. They are clearly very coy about just how much it cost to restore to near-as-dammit perfect condition, but the rumour is it was around £30,000! Now, we know no CMM reader would do such a resto, but it clearly shows what parts are out there for our core classics. So more power to Suzuki for showing what they can do for us. With the VPP expanding all the time to cover less well-known…

Rich man, poor man…

Rich man, poor man…

Rich man, poor man… Riding Suzuki GB’s amazing restoration of the GSX-R750F was a real treat for me this month. Suzuki GB has supported our passion for a few years now, courtesy of their Vintage Parts Programme. They’ve spent the last few NEC events showcasing what they can do with rebuilds of a Suzuki TL1000S and – last year – this lovely Slabbie. They are clearly very coy about just how much it cost to restore to near-as-dammit perfect condition, but the rumour is it was around £30,000! Now, we know no CMM reader would do such a resto, but it clearly shows what parts are out there for our core classics. So more power to Suzuki for showing what they can do for us. With the VPP expanding all…

Rich man, poor man…

For many of us the first time we got a glimpse of Wayne Rainey was as part of the great Rainey and Schwantz double act in the Transatlantic Challenge races of 1987. This shot of the 1983 and 1987 AMA champ is from Brands Hatch, the first event, during their titanic struggles to be top Transatlantic dog. Unsurprisingly, the Brits really didn’t get a look-in and the American team ran away with the title but Kevin Schwantz and Rainey ran away with the accolades. Looking back now, it seems simple to think that they should have talked things through to win the £100,000 purse for the rider who won all the races, but each rider’s need to beat the other proved a stronger lure. Wayne – in his excellent biography written with…

1978 HONDA CB400 FOUR F2

Ican’t remember exactly when the must-have-one-more-than-anything feeling began. All I know is: I craved a 400/4. I think I’d not long since acquired my SS50, clocked up a few miles, thought I knew everything, and reckoned it was already time to move up the biking ladder. But the whole idea was pure fantasy. I didn’t even have a job to finance such a promotion, nor did I possess sufficient skill or experience to pilot one. Oh, and I hadn’t passed my test! But we all have dreams, and back in the mid-70s the little Honda had captured my heart. Having one seemed more important than life itself. Ah, the straightforward simplicity of youthful ambition. Not all dreams come true of course, and in due course I ended up going for a much…

1978 HONDA CB400 FOUR F2

Rainey days WORDS: BERTIE SIMMONDS PHOTO: MORTONS ARCHIVE For many of us the first time we got a glimpse of Wayne Rainey was as part of the great Rainey and Schwantz double act in the Transatlantic Challenge races of 1987. This shot of the 1983 and 1987 AMA champ is from Brands Hatch, the first event, during their titanic struggles to be top Transatlantic dog. Unsurprisingly, the Brits really didn’t get a look-in and the American team ran away with the title but Kevin Schwantz and Rainey ran away with the accolades. Looking back now, it seems simple to think that they should have talked things through to win the £100,000 purse for the rider who won all the races, but each rider’s need to beat the other proved a…

1978 HONDA CB400 FOUR F2

Quick Spin 1978 HONDA CB400 FOUR F2 Can a missed opportunity make things all the sweeter for our man Mossy second time around? WORDS: CHRIS MOSS PHOTOS: MARK MANNING Ican’t remember exactly when the must-have-one-more-than-anything feeling began. All I know is: I craved a 400/4. I think I’d not long since acquired my SS50, clocked up a few miles, thought I knew everything, and reckoned it was already time to move up the biking ladder. But the whole idea was pure fantasy. I didn’t even have a job to finance such a promotion, nor did I possess sufficient skill or experience to pilot one. Oh, and I hadn’t passed my test! But we all have dreams, and back in the mid-70s the little Honda had captured my heart. Having one…

1978 HONDA CB400 FOUR F2

John Wyatt of Rising Sun Restorations

They’re still fairly easy to get hold of. Values range from around £1500 for a rough one, up to £5000 for a really nice example. On average you’d need to spend between £2750 and £3750. They’re usually either pretty rough or have been restored fairly well. The majority are in near standard trim, with a few fitted with big-bore kits, ace bars, exhausts, shocks and the like. There are more F1s available than F2s. Most who bought 400/4s bought the first ones and didn’t need another. People didn’t like the yellow F2 models, and they’d sit unsold in showrooms for a long while. If you look after them well, they’ll easily do 110,000 miles or more. The secret is maintenance. Change the engine oil without fail every 1500 miles; 10,000rpm kills…

John Wyatt of Rising Sun Restorations

John Wyatt of Rising Sun Restorations They’re still fairly easy to get hold of. Values range from around £1500 for a rough one, up to £5000 for a really nice example. On average you’d need to spend between £2750 and £3750. They’re usually either pretty rough or have been restored fairly well. The majority are in near standard trim, with a few fitted with big-bore kits, ace bars, exhausts, shocks and the like. There are more F1s available than F2s. Most who bought 400/4s bought the first ones and didn’t need another. People didn’t like the yellow F2 models, and they’d sit unsold in showrooms for a long while. If you look after them well, they’ll easily do 110,000 miles or more. The secret is maintenance. Change the engine oil…

GO ‘LIVE’ WITH THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM!

The National Motorcycle Museum host its third annual FREE open day on Saturday, November 5. Yup, everyone can visit the museum collection free of charge. There will also be a host of other free attractions including the NMM’s amazing ‘Stars on Stage’ feature which is presented in association with Central Wheel Components Ltd In addition there will be an indoor autojumble and trade area, plus a ‘Meet the Experts’ section. ‘Stars on Stage’ will feature Carl Fogarty and our own James Whitham hosting a raft of top names including John ‘Moon Eyes’ Cooper, Ian Hutchinson, Chris Vincent, Peter Hickman, John McGuinness and James Ellison. In addition the NMM’s aural treat the ‘live start-up’ section will feature a host of amazing machines to assault your senses. As well as the well-stocked museum shop…

GO ‘LIVE’ WITH THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM!

£3 million raised in charity auction

The Robert White Collection netted £3 million for a cancer charity with 99% of the items sold at Bonhams. The late Robert White bequeathed collection’s proceeds to fund advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment in his home county of Dorset. The collection up for auction included vintage cars, 48 motorcycles (including a number of rare MV Agustas) and other items including rare watches. With the auction originally aiming for £2 million, the amazing total will now be used to build new cancer facilities at Poole and Dorset County hospitals, benefiting patients across the whole of the country. Bonhams co-chairman Malcolm Barber said: “The sale attracted bidders from all across the globe, seeing just shy of 100% sold and £3 million achieved. As auctioneer of the sale, I’m delighted that after 10 hours…

£3 million raised in charity auction

GO ‘LIVE’ WITH THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM!

GO ‘LIVE’ WITH THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM! The National Motorcycle Museum host its third annual FREE open day on Saturday, November 5. Yup, everyone can visit the museum collection free of charge. There will also be a host of other free attractions including the NMM’s amazing ‘Stars on Stage’ feature which is presented in association with Central Wheel Components Ltd In addition there will be an indoor autojumble and trade area, plus a ‘Meet the Experts’ section. ‘Stars on Stage’ will feature Carl Fogarty and our own James Whitham hosting a raft of top names including John ‘Moon Eyes’ Cooper, Ian Hutchinson, Chris Vincent, Peter Hickman, John McGuinness and James Ellison. In addition the NMM’s aural treat the ‘live start-up’ section will feature a host of amazing machines to assault…

GO ‘LIVE’ WITH THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM!

£3 million raised in charity auction

£3 million raised in charity auction The Robert White Collection netted £3 million for a cancer charity with 99% of the items sold at Bonhams. The late Robert White bequeathed collection’s proceeds to fund advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment in his home county of Dorset. The collection up for auction included vintage cars, 48 motorcycles (including a number of rare MV Agustas) and other items including rare watches. With the auction originally aiming for £2 million, the amazing total will now be used to build new cancer facilities at Poole and Dorset County hospitals, benefiting patients across the whole of the country. Bonhams co-chairman Malcolm Barber said: “The sale attracted bidders from all across the globe, seeing just shy of 100% sold and £3 million achieved. As auctioneer of…

£3 million raised in charity auction

RH CLASSICS FLEET INSURANCE

For motorcycle collectors switching your bikes from one insurance provider to another can be a real pain. The prospect of revaluing every single bike in a big collection just to satisfy a new insurer’s needs can be too daunting to even contemplate, let alone carry out. More often than not, the easy choice – to stick with our current provider – is the choice we reluctantly make. Thankfully, RH Specialist Insurance has just taken all the complexity and aggravation out of the switching process. Bike-by-bike revaluation has been consigned to history. Now, the motorcycle enthusiast can get instant cover for his or her entire collection in one quick phone call. For collections, or single motorcycles, valued up to £3000, RH is happy to accept the owner’s own valuation. For collections, or single…

RH CLASSICS FLEET INSURANCE

Thousands support Essex bike run

Around 4000 bikers took part in the 17th annual Essex Air Ambulance Motorcycle Run, raising a total of £42,000 for this most worthy cause. Many took the police-approved 60-mile route to Harwich where all enjoyed a family fun day. Jen Wall, event organiser, said: “We had an incredible turnout on a wonderfully sunny day, with a record number of bikers registering to take part before the event, and hundreds more signing up on the day. A big thank you goes to our sponsor Woodland Group, and the Essex Police Outriders, Harwich Motorcycle Club, Essex GoldWings, Essex Police Motorcycle Unit, Essex Highways and Harwich Rugby Club, as well as Colchester Kawasaki, Jim Aim Motorcycles, Hythe Hill Motorcycles, Polo Position Motorcycles and TK Cope Moto.” Harwich Green was packed with the thousands of visitors…

Thousands support Essex bike run

RH CLASSICS FLEET INSURANCE

RH CLASSICS FLEET INSURANCE For motorcycle collectors switching your bikes from one insurance provider to another can be a real pain. The prospect of revaluing every single bike in a big collection just to satisfy a new insurer’s needs can be too daunting to even contemplate, let alone carry out. More often than not, the easy choice – to stick with our current provider – is the choice we reluctantly make. Thankfully, RH Specialist Insurance has just taken all the complexity and aggravation out of the switching process. Bike-by-bike revaluation has been consigned to history. Now, the motorcycle enthusiast can get instant cover for his or her entire collection in one quick phone call. For collections, or single motorcycles, valued up to £3000, RH is happy to accept the owner’s…

RH CLASSICS FLEET INSURANCE

Many classic enthusiasts own more than one motorcycle. Some would say it’s an affliction while others argue it’s their own version of nirvana. Some of us have real problems with storage while others have no issues with keeping the best of a burgeoning collection in the conservatory, dining room, living room or even bedroom. Understanding significant others is a mandatory requirement for this scenario; well this or living on your own. Another solution is the obvious if expensive option of building an additional storage area which is grand if you have both the space and the finances to do so. It’s when that new bike storage area becomes full that things get a little messy. When you move beyond Monty Python’s Eric (Two Sheds) Jackson scenario it might just be time…

Thousands support Essex bike run

Thousands support Essex bike run Around 4000 bikers took part in the 17th annual Essex Air Ambulance Motorcycle Run, raising a total of £42,000 for this most worthy cause. Many took the police-approved 60-mile route to Harwich where all enjoyed a family fun day. Jen Wall, event organiser, said: “We had an incredible turnout on a wonderfully sunny day, with a record number of bikers registering to take part before the event, and hundreds more signing up on the day. A big thank you goes to our sponsor Woodland Group, and the Essex Police Outriders, Harwich Motorcycle Club, Essex GoldWings, Essex Police Motorcycle Unit, Essex Highways and Harwich Rugby Club, as well as Colchester Kawasaki, Jim Aim Motorcycles, Hythe Hill Motorcycles, Polo Position Motorcycles and TK Cope Moto.” Harwich Green…

Thousands support Essex bike run

VINTAGE SUZUKI AT THE SUPER SAUSAGE!

Barry Sheene’s world championship-winning Suzukis were the scene-stealers at this year’s Classic Suzuki Sunday event, which took place at the Super Sausage café The event, in its third year in 2016, saw the crowds flock to the popular Potterspury caf on the A5 in a bid to see the iconic racing machines – that won the 1976 and 1977 world championships with Sheene on board. That wasn’t all, as these amazing racers were displayed alongside Michael Dunlop’s Vintage Parts-supported XR69, which set a new lap record and new race record on the way to victory at this year’s Classic TT on the Isle of Man. Also on display was the TL1000S built from brand new components, highlighting the availability of genuine Suzuki parts for older machines, as well as the GSX-R750F that…

VINTAGE SUZUKI AT THE SUPER SAUSAGE!

SCOOPERMAN! The sunny side of the classic world, with the VJMC’s Steve Cooper Many classic enthusiasts own more than one motorcycle. Some would say it’s an affliction while others argue it’s their own version of nirvana. Some of us have real problems with storage while others have no issues with keeping the best of a burgeoning collection in the conservatory, dining room, living room or even bedroom. Understanding significant others is a mandatory requirement for this scenario; well this or living on your own. Another solution is the obvious if expensive option of building an additional storage area which is grand if you have both the space and the finances to do so. It’s when that new bike storage area becomes full that things get a little messy. When you…

International Dirt Bike Show!

It’s International Dirt Bike Show time again, when the top off-road brands bring their newest ranges under one roof at Warwickshire’s Stoneleigh Park. This year the IDBS is in partnership with MOTUL and Europe’s biggest and best indoor off-road event takes place over four days, Thursday toSunday, October 27-30. Yes, we know it is actually in October, but it’s right at the end – so don’t write in and moan, please! And the show isn’t about just modern stuff, either. As well as the big brands such as Honda, Husqvarna, KTM, Suzuki and Yamaha you also have Beta, Bultaco, Gas Gas, JotaGas, Mecatecno, Rieju, Sherco and Vertigo all attending. Better still you’ll be able to see some classic ol’ dirt thumpers and strokers such as Honda’s CR500, a rare 1970s SWM and…

International Dirt Bike Show!

VINTAGE SUZUKI AT THE SUPER SAUSAGE!

VINTAGE SUZUKI AT THE SUPER SAUSAGE! PHOTOS: KEV LARKINS Barry Sheene’s world championship-winning Suzukis were the scene-stealers at this year’s Classic Suzuki Sunday event, which took place at the Super Sausage café. The event, in its third year in 2016, saw the crowds flock to the popular Potterspury caf on the A5 in a bid to see the iconic racing machines – that won the 1976 and 1977 world championships with Sheene on board. That wasn’t all, as these amazing racers were displayed alongside Michael Dunlop’s Vintage Parts-supported XR69, which set a new lap record and new race record on the way to victory at this year’s Classic TT on the Isle of Man. Also on display was the TL1000S built from brand new components, highlighting the availability of genuine…

VINTAGE SUZUKI AT THE SUPER SAUSAGE!

I’ve been a subscriber for a good few years now. So let’s talk about Ralph’s DT: I myself have had numerous 125 and 175 MX DTs. I’ve not had the 1978-1979 round-tube swinger models, it’s the 1980-81-82 ones I’ve had. Anyways, about his curiosity about his DT and his swingarm extension: well it’s not for stopping wheelies. It’s sothat you can fit tyres that you see on his DT in the pictures. The extension obviously lets you pull the wheel back as if you do not the side chunks wear down but more importantly I’ve seen them even wear through the swingarm! Tell him to check his. I myself used to cut bits off the offending chunks but it knackered the tyre and to save all the hassle, fit trial tyres from…

WIN a Scottoiler bike care pack Every month we’re giving away a Scottoiler Bike Care Pack to the writer of the best submitted letter we receive. The pack contains two litres of Scottoiler FS365; giving you the ultimate in summer and winter corrosion protection. 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. When is a classic ‘vintage’ Could Steve Cooper explain why the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club has two different definitions of when a motorcycle is vintage? I was in contact with an individual in Ireland; he tells me it is 15 years, my magazine from the VJMC of North America states it’s 20 years. Any insight into this matter would be greatly…

I’ve been here before!

I was on the front page of your excellent magazine back in August 1987. You did a feature on my restored BSA C11. The article started with: “Pete Henshaw, a 30-year-old fireman from Leicestershire.” I am now 57 and retired from the Fire Service. And put a wanted ad in the Matchless/AJS owners’ club for an-ex Fire Service AFS bike. I am pleased to say I have linked my interest of classic bikes and fire engines, like your magazine I am still going strong and thought I would send you a couple of pics. As you can see, the Matchless is all original: it just wanted a good T-cut and a bit of fettling. These machines were stored with the Green Goddess engines in the Cold War in case of nuclear attack, to…

I’ve been here before!

International Dirt Bike Show!

November International Dirt Bike Show! It’s International Dirt Bike Show time again, when the top off-road brands bring their newest ranges under one roof at Warwickshire’s Stoneleigh Park. This year the IDBS is in partnership with MOTUL and Europe’s biggest and best indoor off-road event takes place over four days, Thursday toSunday, October 27-30. Yes, we know it is actually in October, but it’s right at the end – so don’t write in and moan, please! And the show isn’t about just modern stuff, either. As well as the big brands such as Honda, Husqvarna, KTM, Suzuki and Yamaha you also have Beta, Bultaco, Gas Gas, JotaGas, Mecatecno, Rieju, Sherco and Vertigo all attending. Better still you’ll be able to see some classic ol’ dirt thumpers and strokers such as…

International Dirt Bike Show!

Jason Madelin’s 1985 Honda XL600R Just a quickie to show my 1985 XL600R after a Sunday morning ride out, covering the green lanes of Devon and sometimes beyond. The old girl rides great over the rough and mud though she’s not as light and easy to start sometimes as her younger relatives. She still manages to make me smile though and yes I sometimes swear and cuss but that’s what it’s all about. She pulls like a dream and someday I would like to give her an overhaul but I don’t want her off the road so for now she is being used as she was made to be. I have loads of Lanes around Devon I use but one of my favourites The Ox Drove, near Salisbury, Ihave not ridden for…

The way we were…

Glynn Hartshorne says: “This is from 1982 showing my wife on my Terry Beckett tuned RD350LC. I still have the wife but sadly no longer the bike! It carried the genuine Pro-Am fairings and I believe Beckett pipes. I cannot understand why the gold wheels though! At that time it was the bee’s knees! Jonathan Welly purchased two RD350LCs in 1984, this one he’s doing the burnout on was the second one – the first one got stolen after two weeks of ownership! YoshiShabira sent us this cracking shot of his 1978 Honda CB125 with what appears to be a suspected sticking clutch! The ladies in Kev Roadley’ life also share his love for motorcycles. Adorning his Kawasaki Z1000MK2 are his mother and girlfriend. His girlfriend went on to become hiswife and here…

The way we were…

FEEDBACK Post to Mechanics, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ or email your pictures to editorial@classicmechanics.com WIN a Scottoiler bike care pack Every month we’re giving away a Scottoiler Bike Care Pack to the writer of the best submitted letter we receive. The pack contains two litres of Scottoiler FS365; giving you the ultimate in summer and winter corrosion protection. 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. When is a classic ‘vintage’? Could Steve Cooper explain why the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club has two different definitions of when a motorcycle is vintage? I was in contact with an individual in Ireland; he tells me it is 15 years,…

What could be better than getting away from it all on two wheels, with your lad, retracing the halcyon days you had yourself as a kid? Life goes in circles, so many say, so when CMM reader Dave Brooking wanted to get away from it all and have some quality time away with his 13-year-old son Niall, it was a no-brainer that the pair would go away on two wheels and revisit some of Dave’s old haunts on the Emerald Isle. The eagle-eyed among you will recognise Dave as the owner of the somewhat stalled Project GSX1100 EFE and Kawasaki ZX-10. The ZX-10 was the choice of Dave’s son Niall, and his lucky sod of a dad managed to get this very clean late 80s rocketship for just £831.25 off of eBay…

Prize winner DT dilemma solved! I’ve been a subscriber for a good few years now. So let’s talk about Ralph’s DT: I myself have had numerous 125 and 175 MX DTs. I’ve not had the 1978-1979 round-tube swinger models, it’s the 1980-81-82 ones I’ve had. Anyways, about his curiosity about his DT and his swingarm extension: well it’s not for stopping wheelies. It’s sothat you can fit tyres that you see on his DT in the pictures. The extension obviously lets you pull the wheel back as if you do not the side chunks wear down but more importantly I’ve seen them even wear through the swingarm! Tell him to check his. I myself used to cut bits off the offending chunks but it knackered the tyre and to save…

I’ve been here before!

I’ve been here before! I was on the front page of your excellent magazine back in August 1987. You did a feature on my restored BSA C11. The article started with: “Pete Henshaw, a 30-year-old fireman from Leicestershire.” I am now 57 and retired from the Fire Service. And put a wanted ad in the Matchless/AJS owners’ club for an-ex Fire Service AFS bike. I am pleased to say I have linked my interest of classic bikes and fire engines, like your magazine I am still going strong and thought I would send you a couple of pics. As you can see, the Matchless is all original: it just wanted a good T-cut and a bit of fettling. These machines were stored with the Green Goddess engines in the Cold…

I’ve been here before!

Brighton SPEED TRIALS

Madeira Drive is a seafront road that lays claim to being Britain’s oldest dedicated racetrack. It came about in 1905, through the vision of local Sir Harry Preston, but things did not go quite to plan and it was the 1920s before the Speed Trials featured regularly on the race calendar. Organised by the Brighton & Hove Motor Club, tradition has it that motorcycles compete in the Speed Trials ‘by invitation’. For many years such arrangement has been made with the Vintage Motor Cycle Club (VMCC). This does not restrict the entry though, far from it. Every year, Sprint Section entry secretary Juan Manzano has the task of disappointing riders as he tries to find a variety of around 50 motorcycles representing old, new, bog-stock and highly modified from a large…

Brighton SPEED TRIALS

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. Jason Madelin’s 1985 Honda XL600R Just a quickie to show my 1985 XL600R after a Sunday morning ride out, covering the green lanes of Devon and sometimes beyond. The old girl rides great over the rough and mud though she’s not as light and easy to start sometimes as her younger relatives. She still manages to make me smile…

Classic Bike Trackdays Endurance Legends

The Classic Bike Trackdays Endurance Legends event at Donington Park promises to be the best of its kind in 2017! We can finally confirm that you need to keep May 6-7 free in your 2017 diary for the classic race event of the year! Donington Park is the location for the CBT Endurance Legends, with action taking place between 9am-8pm on both days. It has already been billed as the ‘Phillip Island Classic’ of the northern hemisphere, and as such, it promises a Four-Hour Classic race with teams rumoured to be coming from every corner of the globe. The weekend covers practice and qualifying with the big four-hour race ending in plenty of time on Sunday. There will be celebrity riders and support races including the Lansdowne Classic Series and ICGP (International Classic…

Classic Bike Trackdays Endurance Legends

The way we were…

The way we were… Send us your nostalgic snaps of you back in the day with your steed page ! Either . C’mon send ! to me at bsimmonds@mortons .co.uk or via our vibrant Facebook Glynn Hartshorne says: “This is from 1982 showing my wife on my Terry Beckett tuned RD350LC. I still have the wife but sadly no longer the bike! It carried the genuine Pro-Am fairings and I believe Beckett pipes. I cannot understand why the gold wheels though! At that time it was the bee’s knees! Jonathan Welly purchased two RD350LCs in 1984, this one he’s doing the burnout on was the second one – the first one got stolen after two weeks of ownership! YoshiShabira sent us this cracking shot of his 1978…

The way we were…

It could be argued that the Suzuki GSX-R750F was the most focused motorcycle yet developed and the marketing brochure confirmed this. The cover showed the new GSX-R750F on Paul Ricard’s hallowed circuit with Suzuki’s GS1000R XR41 endurance racer sat just behind. The marketing blurb said: “Born on the circuit and returned to the circuit,” adding, “This is a sportsbike derived from our works race bikes.” And they weren’t wrong, as the 1985 GSX-R750F was indeed developed from the works endurance racers which had been successful in the early 1980s. Etsuo Yokouchi was put in charge of development of the GSX-R, a road machine which was to ape the previous XR69 and XR41 race machines, but with the 750cc capacity that was to be dictated by 1984’s 750cc endurance racing capacity cap. Yokouchi-san…

READER’S RIDE Eire Force One What bike do you need for a 1200 mile father-son bonding week in the Emerald Isle? A 27-year-old £800 Kawasaki of course! WORDS: DAVE AND NIALL BROOKING PHOTOS: DAVE AND NIALL AND KEV LARKINS What could be better than getting away from it all on two wheels, with your lad, retracing the halcyon days you had yourself as a kid? Life goes in circles, so many say, so when CMM reader Dave Brooking wanted to get away from it all and have some quality time away with his 13-year-old son Niall, it was a no-brainer that the pair would go away on two wheels and revisit some of Dave’s old haunts on the Emerald Isle. The eagle-eyed among you will recognise Dave as the owner…

SUZUKI GSX-R OIL-COOLED TIMELINE

1985 GSX-R750F, the original Slabbie is born: 100bhp @10,500rpm, 176 kilos, race-replica bodywork, endurance-style twin-headlamps, double cradle ally frame, 18in tyres: a modern classic. 1986 GSX-R750G features a longer (20-25mm) swingarm (now 1455mm wheelbase) 65/50W bulbs up from 45W, slotted end-can heat-shield, two fasteners on the top fairing not three, some air ducts remodelled/ altered too. The USA got the GSX-R750R which hadsingle-seat, radial tyres, uprated NEAS front suspension, amber headlamps, full-floating discs, steering damper, lighter sprocket cover, and cable clutch. It cost $2000 more than the standard model, and weighed 2.7 kilos less, but never imported into the UK. 1987 The GSX-R750H model takes many of the improvements on the USA-only 750R of 1986 (forks, damper, brakes) and adds thicker front wheels spindle, wider tyres/rims, new mudguard, ‘humped’ design onthe fuel tank. 1988 The new GSX-R750J…

SUZUKI GSX-R OIL-COOLED TIMELINE

Whitham’s Wisdom

I rode one and bought one in 1987. By that time the G and H models were identical but with just a few changes to them better: thicker spindles and a little bit beefed up on the longer swingarm. I loved it, but you didn’t want to be crashing one. People now forget that they were (and still are) very light and they were built down to a weight, so that meant thin wheel spindles, pivots etc. so it didn’t crash well. If you had a big off on one then all you got back was a bag of scrap. It had a welded rear subframe too. I spent a lot of time down the local ally welder’s place straightening mine up after every other crash. The engine was properly bullet-proof:…

Whitham’s Wisdom

Brighton SPEED TRIALS

Brighton SPEED TRIALS Imagine being able to go hell for leather down a stretch of Tarmac on the gorgeous south coast. Well, you still can! WORDS AND PHOTOS: ALAN TURNER Madeira Drive is a seafront road that lays claim to being Britain’s oldest dedicated racetrack. It came about in 1905, through the vision of local Sir Harry Preston, but things did not go quite to plan and it was the 1920s before the Speed Trials featured regularly on the race calendar. Organised by the Brighton & Hove Motor Club, tradition has it that motorcycles compete in the Speed Trials ‘by invitation’. For many years such arrangement has been made with the Vintage Motor Cycle Club (VMCC). This does not restrict the entry though, far from it. Every year,…

Brighton

SPEED TRIALS

Classic Bike Trackdays Endurance Legends

Classic Bike Trackdays Endurance Legends We’ve got more info on 2017’s classic race event of the year! WORDS: BERTIE SIMMONDS PHOTOS: CLASSIC BIKE TRACKDAYS The Classic Bike Trackdays Endurance Legends event at Donington Park promises to be the best of its kind in 2017! We can finally confirm that you need to keep May 6-7 free in your 2017 diary for the classic race event of the year! Donington Park is the location for the CBT Endurance Legends, with action taking place between 9am-8pm on both days. It has already been billed as the ‘Phillip Island Classic’ of the northern hemisphere, and as such, it promises a Four-Hour Classic race with teams rumoured to be coming from every corner of the globe. The weekend covers practice and qualifying with the…

Classic Bike Trackdays Endurance Legends

Let’s start with a few period jokes shall we? A man goes into a bike shop and asks, “What have you got in stock for an MZ 250?” The answer comes back: “A gallon of petrol and a box of matches.” What’s worse than finding an MZ in your garage? Finding two MZs in there. And finally – how do you double the value of an MZ? Fill it up with premix. Yes, East European motorcycles of the period came with a reputation for being worse than not owning a bike at all, but in among the dross there was always MZ. Laugh if you will, but the fact remains that the Zschopau brand had and still retains a huge following around the world: even in the ultra-conservative, Commie-hating USA! Almost…

Foibles and upgrades

MZs are unusual and arguably quirky by anyone’s standards. It has to be remembered that their prime reason for existence was as utilitarian transport so many fripperies bestowed on even older Japanese bikes were often missing or low-rent versions thereof. In 250 form, all but the early Trophies and Trophy Sport run an engine that hangs from its cylinder head via a rubber coupling which isolates most of the vibrations along with the gearbox mounts. The engines jump around at tickover but that’s the worst they get. One of the main differences between MZs and pretty much everything else is the engine speed clutch that sits on the left end of the crank. It’s adjusted from a plate on the outer casing that also carries the tacho drive on many models.…

MZ 250cc model history

“The way an MZ 250 makes its power is a revelation if your benchmark is Japanese strokers in general and twins in particular. There’s an almost relentless delivery that’s more akin to an electric motor!” In very general terms there are only a handful of UK 250 MZs if we overlook basic and deluxe sub-models. First off from the earliest days of importation is the Trophy, aka the ES 250/2. With a headlamp built in line with and fixed to the tank, leading link front forks and 16in wheels its looks are, shall we say, unique. Quirky beyond belief and more than a little agricultural, the few that remain command surprising money. Oh and they handle much better that you might expect. Next up is the Trophy Sport with telescopic forks and…

MZ 250cc model history

THE ULTIMATE R Riding £30,000-worth of Suzuki Slabbie concentrates the mind beautifully: Bertie Simmonds and James Whitham on the agony and the ecstasy of the GSX-R750F. WORDS: BERTIE SIMMONDS, JAMES WHITHAM PHOTOS: GARY ‘D’ CHAPMAN, BERTIE SIMMONDS, MORTONS ARCHIVE, SUZUKI GB It could be argued that the Suzuki GSX-R750F was the most focused motorcycle yet developed and the marketing brochure confirmed this. The cover showed the new GSX-R750F on Paul Ricard’s hallowed circuit with Suzuki’s GS1000R XR41 endurance racer sat just behind. The marketing blurb said: “Born on the circuit and returned to the circuit,” adding, “This is a sportsbike derived from our works race bikes.” And they weren’t wrong, as the 1985 GSX-R750F was indeed developed from the works endurance racers which had been successful in the early 1980s.…

SUZUKI GSX-R OIL-COOLED TIMELINE

SUZUKI GSX-R OIL-COOLED TIMELINE 1985 GSX-R750F, the original Slabbie is born: 100bhp @10,500rpm, 176 kilos, race-replica bodywork, endurance-style twin-headlamps, double cradle ally frame, 18in tyres: a modern classic. 1986 GSX-R750G features a longer (20-25mm) swingarm (now 1455mm wheelbase) 65/50W bulbs up from 45W, slotted end-can heat-shield, two fasteners on the top fairing not three, some air ducts remodelled/ altered too. The USA got the GSX-R750R which hadsingle-seat, radial tyres, uprated NEAS front suspension, amber headlamps, full-floating discs, steering damper, lighter sprocket cover, and cable clutch. It cost $2000 more than the standard model, and weighed 2.7 kilos less, but never imported into the UK. 1987 The GSX-R750H model takes many of the improvements on the USA-only 750R of 1986 (forks, damper, brakes) and adds thicker front wheels spindle, wider tyres/rims,…

SUZUKI GSX-R OIL-COOLED TIMELINE

The best of 1979

It would take something pretty dramatic in the motorcycle world to distract us from the economic and political miseries that we were suffering at the beginning of 1979. We were coming out of the so-called Winter of Discontent: inflation was rampant, public sector workers and miners were about to go on strike and Prime Minister James Callaghan was clinging on to power by his fingernails. He didn’t last long though and after he lost a vote of confidence Maggie Thatcher stepped in to lead the Tories to victory. Meanwhile the Yorkshire Ripper continued his murderous spree, Lord Mountbatten and politician Airey Neave would be bombed by Irish terrorists and in Iran the Shah was ousted by Ayatollah Khomeini. Get the picture? Lightening the mood, the charts were being topped by YMCA from Village…

The best of 1979

Whitham’s Wisdom

Whitham’s Wisdom I rode one and bought one in 1987. By that time the G and H models were identical but with just a few changes to them better: thicker spindles and a little bit beefed up on the longer swingarm. I loved it, but you didn’t want to be crashing one. People now forget that they were (and still are) very light and they were built down to a weight, so that meant thin wheel spindles, pivots etc. so it didn’t crash well. If you had a big off on one then all you got back was a bag of scrap. It had a welded rear subframe too. I spent a lot of time down the local ally welder’s place straightening mine up after every other crash. The engine…

Whitham’s Wisdom

Best bikes of 1979 detailed

BMW R100RT Engine: 980cc OHV flat-twin, five-speed, shaft drive. Peak power: 70bhp at 7250rpm. Wheelbase: 1473mm. Weight: 235kg dry. Maximum speed: 115mph (est). St ¼ mile: 13.5s. Fuel consumption: 49mpg. Suzuki GS850G Engine: 843cc DOHC inline four, five-speed, shaft drive. Peak power: 77bhp at 8500rpm. Wheelbase: 1499mm. Weight: 253kg dry. Maximum speed: 127mph (est). St ¼ mile: 12.9s (est). Fuel consumption: 42mpg. Suzuki GS1000S Engine: 997cc DOHC inline four, five-speed, chain drive. Peak power: 90bhp at 8500rpm. Wheelbase: 1499mm. Weight: 237kg dry. Maximum speed: 127mph (est). St ¼ mile: 13.0s (est). Fuel consumption: 42mpg. Kawasaki Z1000 MkII Engine: 1015cc DOHC inline four, five-speed, chain drive. Peak power: 93bhp at 8000rpm. Wheelbase: 1518mm. Weight: 246kg dry. Maximum speed: 130mph. St ¼ mile: 12.46s. Fuel consumption: 45.3mpg Kawasaki Z1300 Engine: 1286cc DOHC inline liquid-cooled six, five-speed, shaft drive. Peak power: 120bhp at 8000rpm. Wheelbase: 1580mm. Weight: 297kg dry. Maximum speed: 127mph (est). St ¼ mile: 13.0s (est). Fuel consumption: 42mpg. Honda CB900FZ Engine: 902cc DOHC inline four, five-speed, chain drive. Peak power: 95bhp at…

Best bikes of 1979 detailed

RETRO REBOOT Kawasaki KR500

Yamaha had the RD series with the popular 350 and 500YPVS, Suzuki thrilled us with their RG250 and 500 Gammas, and Honda were late to the party with the NS400R; late, but at least they arrived – Kawasaki’s water-cooled strokers were the KR1-S 250 and before that the tandem twin KR250. Based loosely on the late 70s GP racebikes piloted to success by Kork Ballington, the tandem twin configuration reduced engine width which was useful in the bigger 1980 KR500 racer. Featuring a square-four motor much like Suzuki’s RG500, the Kawasaki also boasted a monocoque chassis. Unfortunately, it failed to replicate the championship success of the 250 and 1982 saw Kawasaki leave the championship altogether. Now if they’d stayed in, we could’ve seen a road-going KR500, which would’ve been something. Somewhere…

RETRO REBOOT Kawasaki KR500

CLASSIC RIDE MZ MISCELLANY Are MZs really pants? Scoop’s a convert and he’s working hard to convince us with these two modest beauties. WORDS: STEVE COOPER PHOTOS: JOE DICK Let’s start with a few period jokes shall we? A man goes into a bike shop and asks, “What have you got in stock for an MZ 250?” The answer comes back: “A gallon of petrol and a box of matches.” What’s worse than finding an MZ in your garage? Finding two MZs in there. And finally – how do you double the value of an MZ? Fill it up with premix. Yes, East European motorcycles of the period came with a reputation for being worse than not owning a bike at all, but in among the dross there was always…

Foibles and upgrades

Foibles and upgrades MZs are unusual and arguably quirky by anyone’s standards. It has to be remembered that their prime reason for existence was as utilitarian transport so many fripperies bestowed on even older Japanese bikes were often missing or low-rent versions thereof. In 250 form, all but the early Trophies and Trophy Sport run an engine that hangs from its cylinder head via a rubber coupling which isolates most of the vibrations along with the gearbox mounts. The engines jump around at tickover but that’s the worst they get. One of the main differences between MZs and pretty much everything else is the engine speed clutch that sits on the left end of the crank. It’s adjusted from a plate on the outer casing that also carries the tacho…

Saucy cams! Suzuki Performance Spares has recently been appointed the main motorcycle distributor for Web Camshafts from California in the good ol’ USA. Nick Pepper from SPS says: “Check out their website on www.webcamshafts.com. I have personally used their cams in the GS1000/GSX1100/GSX-R1100s and Z900/1000s. I have built and raced bikes over the last 30 years using their camshafts with great results in terms of power and reliability. “We have sold the cams (sourced through another USA distributor) during this time. A chance conversation with the owners over a custom cam-spec we needed for a customer resulted in us being able to establish a formal distribution tie up this summer!” The cam you see here is a road and track type profile for the CB750 SOHC from 1969 to 1978, the kind you would…

MZ 250cc model history

MZ 250cc model history “The way an MZ 250 makes its power is a revelation if your benchmark is Japanese strokers in general and twins in particular. There’s an almost relentless delivery that’s more akin to an electric motor!” In very general terms there are only a handful of UK 250 MZs if we overlook basic and deluxe sub-models. First off from the earliest days of importation is the Trophy, aka the ES 250/2. With a headlamp built in line with and fixed to the tank, leading link front forks and 16in wheels its looks are, shall we say, unique. Quirky beyond belief and more than a little agricultural, the few that remain command surprising money. Oh and they handle much better that you might expect. Next up is the…

MZ 250cc model history

Deep penetration!

In the February 2016 issue there is an article from the maestro Stan Stephens about loosening off a seized-on barrel. Stan explains that he is using WD-40 as a penetrating oil; although I tend to use WD-40 a lot, I never use it as a penetrating oil. In my opinion the oil is not thin enough do to a proper job. I always use a typical penetrating oil with MOS2. I’ve made many things come loose with penetrating oil that stayed put with WD-40, including seized-on barrels. Give it a plentiful dose, let it work a couple of minutes and most of the time I don’t need force, heat or heavy machinery to get things going. Give it a try! And keep up the good work Stan et al!…

Deep penetration!

The best of 1979

MIRA FILES The best of 1979 Bikes got even bigger in 1979, a year when almost everything was going through changes. But what were the best new models? asks John Nutting. WORDS: JOHN NUTTING PHOTOS: JOHN NUTTING AND MORTONS ARCHIVE It would take something pretty dramatic in the motorcycle world to distract us from the economic and political miseries that we were suffering at the beginning of 1979. We were coming out of the so-called Winter of Discontent: inflation was rampant, public sector workers and miners were about to go on strike and Prime Minister James Callaghan was clinging on to power by his fingernails. He didn’t last long though and after he lost a vote of confidence Maggie Thatcher stepped in to lead the Tories to victory. Meanwhile the…

The best of 1979

1984 Kawasaki Z1100R Q: My problem is that after around eight to 12 miles the engine starts to go off one cylinder at a time until the engine finally stops as though I had run out of fuel. I then wait about 15 minutes and I can then start the engine and it does the same. I have changed the plugs, plug leads, plug caps and coils, stripped and cleaned the carbs and carb filters, set float heights, removed the petrol tap, cleaned the filter and changed the fuel pipe. I have checked fuel flow from the tank through the three-way tap and in the gravity feed position the flow is good. I have tried running with the petrol tank cap cracked open in case the small air vent may have been partially…

Best bikes of 1979 detailed

Best bikes of 1979 detailed BMW R100RT Engine: 980cc OHV flat-twin, five-speed, shaft drive. Peak power: 70bhp at 7250rpm. Wheelbase: 1473mm. Weight: 235kg dry. Maximum speed: 115mph (est). St ¼ mile: 13.5s. Fuel consumption: 49mpg. Suzuki GS850G Engine: 843cc DOHC inline four, five-speed, shaft drive. Peak power: 77bhp at 8500rpm. Wheelbase: 1499mm. Weight: 253kg dry. Maximum speed: 127mph (est). St ¼ mile: 12.9s (est). Fuel consumption: 42mpg. Suzuki GS1000S Engine: 997cc DOHC inline four, five-speed, chain drive. Peak power: 90bhp at 8500rpm. Wheelbase: 1499mm. Weight: 237kg dry. Maximum speed: 127mph (est). St ¼ mile: 13.0s (est). Fuel consumption: 42mpg. Kawasaki Z1000 MkII Engine: 1015cc DOHC inline four, five-speed, chain drive. Peak power: 93bhp at 8000rpm. Wheelbase: 1518mm. Weight: 246kg dry. Maximum speed: 130mph. St ¼ mile: 12.46s. Fuel consumption: 45.3mpg…

Best bikes of 1979 detailed

Five Minute Fixes: Points screws

Older bikes that still run points ignition systems can sometimes bea royal pain. The slotted crosshead screws that locate points and/or back plates are often badly damaged and resist all attempts to loosen them. Agood quality impact driver used WITHOUT a hammer normally sorts the problem. Lean on the impact driver hard with the head perpendicular to the back plate and turn; amazingly this will almost always work. Either replace the damaged screws with similar or, better still, invest in some decent quality socket headed screws to make the job easier next time. Always ensure the replacement screws of either type are the correct/same length or trim to suit as you really don’t want their ends hitting the rotor behind the back plate!…

Five Minute Fixes: Points screws

RETRO REBOOT Kawasaki KR500

RETRO REBOOT Kawasaki KR500 They missed the big race-rep stroker phase, but if Kawasaki ever built one, it might just look like this. WORDS AND IMAGES: KAR LEE Yamaha had the RD series with the popular 350 and 500YPVS, Suzuki thrilled us with their RG250 and 500 Gammas, and Honda were late to the party with the NS400R; late, but at least they arrived – Kawasaki’s water-cooled strokers were the KR1-S 250 and before that the tandem twin KR250. Based loosely on the late 70s GP racebikes piloted to success by Kork Ballington, the tandem twin configuration reduced engine width which was useful in the bigger 1980 KR500 racer. Featuring a square-four motor much like Suzuki’s RG500, the Kawasaki also boasted a monocoque chassis. Unfortunately, it failed to replicate the…

RETRO REBOOT Kawasaki KR500

Project Yamaha RD350 part 6 It’s alive!

Following on from last time the dial gauge and timing light were pressed into service and a pleasant hour (not) was spent tweaking the RD’s points and back plates until we had a firing point of 1.85mm BTDC. And before every air-cooled Yamaha owner writes in, fighting off fits of apoplexy there’s a good reason why I’ve strayed from the supposedly sacrosanct figure of 2.0mm. With the advent of ethanol based fuel, two-strokes have been doing strange things and detonation has been taking out pistons, cylinder heads and, on occasions, even entire motors. My contacts in the industry are now strongly recommending that timing is retarded just a touch. Seemingly it’s even more crucial with some of the earlier Japanese classics such as my RD350. Apparently the early 1970s cylinder head…

Project Yamaha RD350 part 6 It’s alive!

Running and riding

My take on older strokers is that if the crank seals are on their last legs they’ll soon let me know; if they work okay then it’s a bonus. Likewise the same with the mains, big ends etc. not every used or old bearing is a reason for total engine rebuild. If the bike makes it to and from the local MOT station I’ll have greater confidence in it and run it on longer trips looking out for any tell-tale signs or issues. If it performs and runs as I hope then it may get used consistently across 2016 before being worked on again seriously at the back of the year. There’s a whole host of plans in hand for the ignition, compression ratios and intake system but these are going…

Honda CBR600F-X 1999-2000

ASK ANDY CMM contributor Andy Bolas has owned hundreds of bikes new and old and he knows what to source, buy and collect for the future. Listen to him! In 1999 Honda took the plunge and released its all new middleweight supersports bike, giving the venerable CBR600F a huge revamp in the process. The old steel-framed CBR was falling behind its competitors in the sales stakes after most of the 1990s on top of its game. This time, Honda started with a clean slate and eliminated all of the old bike’s weaknesses: out went the steel frame and in came a lovely alloy frame and swingarm (which bolts straight to the back of the motor), four piston Nissin calipers up front replaced the ageing twin piston sliding calipers of the Steelie, proper sized…

Honda CBR600F-X 1999-2000

The Shed... New tools for sale, old tools and kit rated. You’re in The Shed. Saucy cams! Suzuki Performance Spares has recently been appointed the main motorcycle distributor for Web Camshafts from California in the good ol’ USA. Nick Pepper from SPS says: “Check out their website on www.webcamshafts.com. I have personally used their cams in the GS1000/GSX1100/GSX-R1100s and Z900/1000s. I have built and raced bikes over the last 30 years using their camshafts with great results in terms of power and reliability. “We have sold the cams (sourced through another USA distributor) during this time. A chance conversation with the owners over a custom cam-spec we needed for a customer resulted in us being able to establish a formal distribution tie up this summer!” The cam you see here…

Project Suzuki TL1000S part 2 Tyred & shocked!

At last I have finally found the time between helping sort bikes for the VJMC stands at various events to give my lovely big twin a little tender loving care! The bike was booked in for an MoT which it passed with no advisories although the rear rotary suspension unit was creaking like mad and when I got back the fork seals had started to weep slightly! And all this just after an MoT. I thought it may be just because of the bike standing for so long, as I’ve experienced this before so I did a few more miles to see if they would settle. Unfortunately they just carried on weeping so I ordered a set of oil seals and dust seals and these can be changed when the forks…

Project Suzuki TL1000S part 2 Tyred & shocked!

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. 1984 Kawasaki Z1100R Q: My problem is that after around eight to 12 miles the engine starts to go off one cylinder at a time until the engine finally stops as though I had run out of fuel. I then wait about 15 minutes and I can then start the engine and it does the same. I have changed the plugs, plug leads, plug caps and coils, stripped and cleaned the carbs and carb filters, set float heights, removed the petrol tap,…

Damper dilemmas

Our own Mr Bolas isn’t the first to swap the TL1000S’ errant rotary damper for a more ‘normal’ unit. Back in the late 1990s, the TL’s rotary damper was blamed for the bike’s handling woes. Suzuki went for the rotary shock design because a V-twin makes exhaust routing of the rear cylinder difficult. The rotary damper was similar to that used on F1 cars then and now and it split the springing and damping functions of a traditional shock, enabling the TL to have a short wheelbase and dissipate heat better. In practice, the Kayabamade shock struggled to deal with high internal working pressures and the unit itself was described as ‘non-serviceable’, perhaps this is why Andy’s is creaking! The exhaust being close to the shock (not so on the TL1000R) also…

Damper dilemmas

Deep penetration!

YOUR TIPS Deep penetration! In the February 2016 issue there is an article from the maestro Stan Stephens about loosening off a seized-on barrel. Stan explains that he is using WD-40 as a penetrating oil; although I tend to use WD-40 a lot, I never use it as a penetrating oil. In my opinion the oil is not thin enough do to a proper job. I always use a typical penetrating oil with MOS2. I’ve made many things come loose with penetrating oil that stayed put with WD-40, including seized-on barrels. Give it a plentiful dose, let it work a couple of minutes and most of the time I don’t need force, heat or heavy machinery to get things going. Give it a try! And keep up the good work…

Deep penetration!

Derestricting air-boxes

Newton’s Third Law says that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The statement means that in every movement, there’s a pair of forces acting on the two interacting objects. When a piston descends on its induction stroke it creates a vacuum which then pulls in air to occupy the volume displaced. Simplistically a 250cc piston going down drags in an equivalent volume of air and fuel but of course as we know air is hugely compressible. Get more air in along with the requisite fuel and you get a bigger bang; ultimately this is the basis of forced induction i.e. turbos or super chargers. Every motorcycle induction system is a compromise between available space, engine needs and noise emissions. Modern bikes breathe so much better simply because…

Derestricting air-boxes

Five Minute Fixes: Points screws

Five Minute Fixes: Points screws Older bikes that still run points ignition systems can sometimes bea royal pain. The slotted crosshead screws that locate points and/or back plates are often badly damaged and resist all attempts to loosen them. Agood quality impact driver used WITHOUT a hammer normally sorts the problem. Lean on the impact driver hard with the head perpendicular to the back plate and turn; amazingly this will almost always work. Either replace the damaged screws with similar or, better still, invest in some decent quality socket headed screws to make the job easier next time. Always ensure the replacement screws of either type are the correct/same length or trim to suit as you really don’t want their ends hitting the rotor behind the back plate!…

Five Minute Fixes: Points screws

Holy perforations!

Knowing where to drill the holes in an air-box is vitally important. They need to be around the periphery of the filter body and not in the initial induction areas at the front end of the air-box or there’ll be carburation issues. Before setting to with the drills it is worth taking some time out to study how and where the air-box draws in its air. How many holes is enough? A good question and there’s no simple answer but in reality the engine will only inhale a finite amount of air for a given state of tune so arguably you cannot drill too many. However, the filter still needs to be adequately supported so you’ll need to check what you’re actually removing and the structure of the air-box itself obviously…

Trumpets and un-filter tips!

Losing the air filter entirely is the most obvious way to maximise air flow but it comes at a cost; bore wear. If the engine inhales particles they will find their way into the engine and gradually grind away at it. The old customising trick of fitting inlet trumpets or bell mouths to open carbs isn’t a guaranteed route to enhanced performance. Studies have shown that the pressure waves moving around an open carb are hugely influenced by the shape and length of the air trumpet. There simply isn’t a one size fits all solution. Forums and owners clubs are valuable resources when it comes to pod or cone filters. Unquestionably someone else will have been there before so learn from their mistakes, rather than making your own. Many years ago…

Project Yamaha RD350 part 6 It’s alive!

Project Yamaha RD350 part 6 It’s alive! Scoop’s early RD350 is making smoke and screaming like a banshee… but why? WORDS AND PHOTOS: STEVE COOPER Following on from last time the dial gauge and timing light were pressed into service and a pleasant hour (not) was spent tweaking the RD’s points and back plates until we had a firing point of 1.85mm BTDC. And before every air-cooled Yamaha owner writes in, fighting off fits of apoplexy there’s a good reason why I’ve strayed from the supposedly sacrosanct figure of 2.0mm. With the advent of ethanol based fuel, two-strokes have been doing strange things and detonation has been taking out pistons, cylinder heads and, on occasions, even entire motors. My contacts in the industry are now strongly…

Project Yamaha RD350 part 6

It’s alive!

Project Ducati 996 part 3 Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin’!

Plans only exist to show how wrong you were in the first place. When long-time mate and CMM’ 888 restorer Mark Forsyth dropped in for a cup of tea and we went to look at the 996, he asked why on earth was I planning to strip it completely. “Just the job for a rolling restoration,” he said. “Take the engine out and you’ll have a whole load of work you don’t need to do.” I could see his logic and it was all the more appealing because I’ve got two bikes after the Ducati that need a huge amount of time and money spending on them – a complete but uber-tatty 1985 Yamaha FZ750 and a Triumph 1050 special. The engine on the 996 runs perfectly and I reckon elbow grease will…

Project Ducati 996 part 3 Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin’!

Running and riding

Running and riding My take on older strokers is that if the crank seals are on their last legs they’ll soon let me know; if they work okay then it’s a bonus. Likewise the same with the mains, big ends etc. not every used or old bearing is a reason for total engine rebuild. If the bike makes it to and from the local MOT station I’ll have greater confidence in it and run it on longer trips looking out for any tell-tale signs or issues. If it performs and runs as I hope then it may get used consistently across 2016 before being worked on again seriously at the back of the year. There’s a whole host of plans in hand for the ignition, compression ratios and intake system…

Project Suzuki GSF1200 Bandit part 6 Bandit breathing

Things have been rather manic of late in the Bolas household which has meant the old 1200 Bandit has been pressed into service for all sorts of jobs. What jobs? Well, everything from bike displays at shows to the odd jaunt on track days, touring Europe loaded up with luggage and even a few blasts down the quarter mile strip at Santa Pod during the Race, Rock ‘N’ Ride event, which was agreat weekend! Anyway, back to the bike. As mentioned before the next step with the old Bandit was to fit a Dynojet kit to complement the full exhaust system. Having never really had a great deal to do with four-strokes other than regular servicing this bike is a bit of a learning curve for me but also shows what you…

Project Suzuki GSF1200 Bandit part 6 Bandit breathing

Honda CBR600F-X 1999-2000

COMING CLASSIC Honda CBR600F-X 1999-2000 ASK ANDY CMM contributor Andy Bolas has owned hundreds of bikes new and old and he knows what to source, buy and collect for the future. Listen to him! In 1999 Honda took the plunge and released its all new middleweight supersports bike, giving the venerable CBR600F a huge revamp in the process. The old steel-framed CBR was falling behind its competitors in the sales stakes after most of the 1990s on top of its game. This time, Honda started with a clean slate and eliminated all of the old bike’s weaknesses: out went the steel frame and in came a lovely alloy frame and swingarm (which bolts straight to the back of the motor), four piston Nissin calipers up front replaced the ageing twin…

Honda CBR600F-X 1999-2000

Making connections part 2 Getting plugged

As a motorcycle restorer, I see some heinous electrical sights during my working week; twisted together wires, covered with insulation tape is a favourite DIYer money and time-saving solution. As with so many similar bodges the old cliché ‘penny wise, pound foolish’ springs to mind; there is a reason why Mr Kawasaki and the more modern Mr Triumph don’t save money on connectors by twisting wires together when building bikes – they would have to replace many burned out wiring harnesses during the first year and their products would gain an undesirable reputation for unreliability. It was badly designed and manufactured electrics that contributed to the untimely demise of the old British bike industry. Do you remember that comic truism about British bikes? ‘Lighting by Lucas, the Prince of Darkness!’ Whenever I…

Making connections part 2 Getting plugged

Project Suzuki TL1000S part 2 Tyred & shocked!

Project Suzuki TL1000S part 2 Tyred & shocked! CMM’s Andy Bolas has finally got time to give his big TL-S lots of TLC! WORDS AND PHOTOS: ANDY BOLAS At last I have finally found the time between helping sort bikes for the VJMC stands at various events to give my lovely big twin a little tender loving care! The bike was booked in for an MoT which it passed with no advisories although the rear rotary suspension unit was creaking like mad and when I got back the fork seals had started to weep slightly! And all this just after an MoT. I thought it may be just because of the bike standing for so long, as I’ve experienced this before so I did a few…

Project Suzuki TL1000S part 2

Tyred & shocked!

Biting the bullets

Non-insulated 3.9mm bullet connectors are a great way of connecting wires on bikes and have been used successfully by the Japanese bike manufacturers for years. I have always considered ‘non-insulated’ to be a strange term, considering they are actually properly insulated. They are easy to use and the insulators give proper protection to the join.…

Biting the bullets

Digging out the spades

Spade, blade or lucar connectors are often found on bikes of all ages and countries of origin. While male spades are available, they are very rarely used on bikes and these terminals do not make very good inline connections i.e. to join two pieces of wire. Most commonly, the male will be a fixed connector e.g.on an ignition coil, where the female plugs onto it. See above. Again these are very easily crimped using the same method as with the bullet connectors. See photos below. Spade connectors are also used for connecting to blade fuse holders and often to relays, if you don’t have room for a relay socket.…

Digging out the spades

Damper dilemmas

Damper dilemmas Our own Mr Bolas isn’t the first to swap the TL1000S’ errant rotary damper for a more ‘normal’ unit. Back in the late 1990s, the TL’s rotary damper was blamed for the bike’s handling woes. Suzuki went for the rotary shock design because a V-twin makes exhaust routing of the rear cylinder difficult. The rotary damper was similar to that used on F1 cars then and now and it split the springing and damping functions of a traditional shock, enabling the TL to have a short wheelbase and dissipate heat better. In practice, the Kayabamade shock struggled to deal with high internal working pressures and the unit itself was described as ‘non-serviceable’, perhaps this is why Andy’s is creaking! The exhaust being close to the shock (not so…

Damper dilemmas

Of plastics and powerplant!

I am continuing to put every non-working, non-drinking waking hour into the diminutive trailie bike. Why, I’m not really sure, as I have never owned a trail bike in my life, so can’t be reliving my misspent youth and believe me, my youth was seriously misspent. I had big four-stroke road monsters, which I rode as though competing in the TT; fearless in the safe knowledge that I was immortal, as all young bikers are. For a short while I had a Bultaco Sherpa trials bike, but Icould never get the hang of it on the dirt; it just spat me off backwards, regardless of gear selected and was a sod to restart, given the insane left-hand kick start; are Spaniards all left footed? I sold it off to buy an…

Of plastics and powerplant!

Derestricting air-boxes

Derestricting air-boxes Engines need to breathe; here’s how to improve their respiration rate, according to Steve Cooper. WORDS AND PHOTOS STEVE COOPER Newton’s Third Law says that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The statement means that in every movement, there’s a pair of forces acting on the two interacting objects. When a piston descends on its induction stroke it creates a vacuum which then pulls in air to occupy the volume displaced. Simplistically a 250cc piston going down drags in an equivalent volume of air and fuel but of course as we know air is hugely compressible. Get more air in along with the requisite fuel and you get a bigger bang; ultimately this is the basis of forced induction i.e. turbos or super chargers.…

Derestricting air-boxes

Holy perforations!

Holy perforations! Knowing where to drill the holes in an air-box is vitally important. They need to be around the periphery of the filter body and not in the initial induction areas at the front end of the air-box or there’ll be carburation issues. Before setting to with the drills it is worth taking some time out to study how and where the air-box draws in its air. How many holes is enough? A good question and there’s no simple answer but in reality the engine will only inhale a finite amount of air for a given state of tune so arguably you cannot drill too many. However, the filter still needs to be adequately supported so you’ll need to check what you’re actually removing and the structure of the…

Honda X-11 1999-2002

BERTIE’S BLATHER The fat fool may not know about diets, but he is a serialbike-buyerwhohas just picked up a VFR for next to nowt! I’m ready to be shot down in flames for this one, but I’m putting the Honda X-11 up for coming classic-dom down to one reason only. They’re pretty rare. There, I’ve said it. So, let’s look at the beast. Firstly, it’s big. It’s basically a Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird with an updated ‘centre pivot’ frame, minus the fairing and a few horses. It’s still got the linked brakes but a lot less practicality. It’s also bloody ugly. In a time of the Bandit 1200, ZRX1100 and Yamaha XJR the X-11 simply looked naff: a single headlight, red-backed clocks (with only one trip meter: that was it) a bulging midriff where…

Honda X-11 1999-2002

Trumpets and un-filter tips!

Trumpets and un-filter tips! Losing the air filter entirely is the most obvious way to maximise air flow but it comes at a cost; bore wear. If the engine inhales particles they will find their way into the engine and gradually grind away at it. The old customising trick of fitting inlet trumpets or bell mouths to open carbs isn’t a guaranteed route to enhanced performance. Studies have shown that the pressure waves moving around an open carb are hugely influenced by the shape and length of the air trumpet. There simply isn’t a one size fits all solution. Forums and owners clubs are valuable resources when it comes to pod or cone filters. Unquestionably someone else will have been there before so learn from their mistakes, rather than making…

Scaling the K2!

Ihaven’t finished that TX500 yet, but it is getting there – honest – so now is the time to think about what is next and I have gone and done it! I do like Hondas and of course one of my favourites is the CB750 SOHC, so why not? One reason why not is that they are becoming rather collectable, particularly early ones, with some for sale for completely crazy prices like £50,000 (admittedly for an early sand-cast but really they are not that rare as the change to die-casting took place at engine number 7415). I am not in that league I am afraid, but it is possible to get an okay 1970 model for a relatively reasonable price. That would be nice but it would need to be perfect when…

Scaling the K2!

SUSPENSION Rear shocks will doubtless be tired and aftermarket is the normal choice. AIR INTAKE If the bike’s going to be used regularly a set of readily removable filters might be a good investment for both carbs and bore longevity. IGNITION Some come with points, others with electronic ignition but against expectations neither is known to be a cause for problems. ENGINE Little generally goes wrong in normal use other than bore wear from unfiltered carbs. CLOCKS Replacements hard to find and vibration can seriously affect operation. BRAKES Careful setting up and fettling is worth the effort. The original MV Agusta motorcycles were always high-end machines regardless of engine capacity. The upper crust nobility that ran the parent company were titled, Count Giovanni Agusta formed the original aeronautical business back in 1923 and just four years later it passed on his death…

Project Ducati 996 part 3 Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin’!

Project Ducati 996 part 3 Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin’! Jim’s keeping his wagon rolling alright! This month he’s alarmed by wiring and making his own moveable stand for the 996. WORDS AND PHOTOS: JIM LINDSAY Plans only exist to show how wrong you were in the first place. When long-time mate and CMM’s 888 restorer Mark Forsyth dropped in for a cup of tea and we went to look at the 996, he asked why on earth was I planning to strip it completely. “Just the job for a rolling restoration,” he said. “Take the engine out and you’ll have a whole load of work you don’t need to do.” I could see his logic and it was all the more appealing because I’ve got two bikes after the…

Project Ducati 996 part 3

Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin’!

What to buy and how much to pay

It’s Italian, it’s from the 1970s and it’s rare so what do you reckon is coming next? Yes of course: buy the best and most complete you can find. Unlike the later 350 Ipotesi the earlier 350 wasn’t a significant seller in the UK so you will be looking to Italy for pretty much anything that’s missing or at least trawling Italian eBay. Project examples are, ideally, best avoided as it could be a very protracted process getting one back up and running. Barn finds aren’t so much of an issue and aside from the usual carburettor, tyres and cable scenarios most examples are readily retrievable. Pricewise the bikes are possibly cheaper than you might expect and the usual cachet of classic MVs has yet to have a substantial impact. Figure…

Project Suzuki GSF1200 Bandit part 6 Bandit breathing

Project Suzuki GSF1200 Bandit part 6 Bandit breathing Andy B is on it with his ‘Maid of all work’ Bandit as he tries a Stage 1 and 3 tune-up for the Suzuki: but does he make it breathe more easily? Things have been rather manic of late in the Bolas household which has meant the old 1200 Bandit has been pressed into service for all sorts of jobs. What jobs? Well, everything from bike displays at shows to the odd jaunt on track days, touring Europe loaded up with luggage and even a few blasts down the quarter mile strip at Santa Pod during the Race, Rock ‘N’ Ride event, which was agreat weekend! Anyway, back to the bike. As mentioned before the next step with the old…

Project Suzuki GSF1200 Bandit part 6

Bandit breathing

The final furlong!

The little Honda is at that perplexing stage in a restoration where most of the good stuff, new stuff, restored stuff et al has been painstakingly fitted and no matter what you do next there’s little visible progress. Welcome to the pedantic world of fault finding and problem chasing where, on occasion, you’re almost disappearing through an ever more dizzying vortex of confusion. Many a resto never runs simply because the final stages are too much for would-be fettlers. A lack of sparks on one pot, a carburettor that won’t fuel correctly, poltergeist electrics and a score of other problems can poleaxe the best finished bike out there. And the reason is as simple as it is annoying. Most of us can bolt a tank in place, fit brake plates to…

The final furlong!

Making connections part 2 Getting plugged

Making connections part 2 Getting plugged He’s back on the sparky warpath is our Ralph, yet again he’s making good connections. As a motorcycle restorer, I see some heinous electrical sights during my working week; twisted together wires, covered with insulation tape is a favourite DIYer money and time-saving solution. As with so many similar bodges the old cliché ‘penny wise, pound foolish’ springs to mind; there is a reason why Mr Kawasaki and the more modern Mr Triumph don’t save money on connectors by twisting wires together when building bikes – they would have to replace many burned out wiring harnesses during the first year and their products would gain an undesirable reputation for unreliability. It was badly designed and manufactured electrics that contributed to…

Making connections part 2

Getting plugged

Biting the bullets

Biting the bullets Non-insulated 3.9mm bullet connectors are a great way of connecting wires on bikes and have been used successfully by the Japanese bike manufacturers for years. I have always considered ‘non-insulated’ to be a strange term, considering they are actually properly insulated. They are easy to use and the insulators give proper protection to the join.…

Biting the bullets

What happens now with the SS125?

So Project Honda SS125 is completed and bar an unexpected MOT failure or an advisory it should be in the bag. So that’s it right? Well to be perfectly blunt, no way Jose! Just because it starts, runs and stops doesn’t mean the bike is totally sorted. This is something that really perplexes some people new to the arcane world of motorcycle restoration. Knowing you have all the correct parts even if they’re NOS does not confer an automatic right to a sweet running bike. When Honda rolled our SS125 off the production line five decades ago it was one of thousands built in series by a dedicated workforce who’d had every potential problem ironed out for them by the design, assembly and quality control teams. Build manuals and diagrams littered the…

What happens now with the SS125?

Digging out the spades

Digging out the spades Spade, blade or lucar connectors are often found on bikes of all ages and countries of origin. While male spades are available, they are very rarely used on bikes and these terminals do not make very good inline connections i.e. to join two pieces of wire. Most commonly, the male will be a fixed connector e.g.on an ignition coil, where the female plugs onto it. See above. Again these are very easily crimped using the same method as with the bullet connectors. See photos below. Spade connectors are also used for connecting to blade fuse holders and often to relays, if you don’t have room for a relay socket.…

Digging out the spades

Make or Break REVISITED!

It’s funny how things change over the course of just five years. When I started the regular ‘Make or Break’ column, showcasing what I’d bought, why and what I was planning to do with it, it reflected the then-current state of the market. And how it’s changed. Or not. It’s interesting now to look back on what I bought, for how much and what these bikes would go for now. Pull up a jerry can, let’s adjust those rose-tinted goggles and chew the motorcycle buying fat. Suzuki GSX-R750J Slingshot When I bought this bike in 2011 it cost me £800. The seller was a stranger to me and our paths crossed on eBay. The bike had remained unsold for a few weeks until I threw my hat in the ring and purchased it. I…

Make or Break REVISITED!

Of plastics and powerplant!

Yamaha DT175 MX part 2 Of plastics and powerplant! Ralph is sorting the bodywork and motor on his little trailie. What does he find? WORDS AND PHOTOS: RALPH FERRAND I am continuing to put every non-working, non-drinking waking hour into the diminutive trailie bike. Why, I’m not really sure, as I have never owned a trail bike in my life, so can’t be reliving my misspent youth and believe me, my youth was seriously misspent. I had big four-stroke road monsters, which I rode as though competing in the TT; fearless in the safe knowledge that I was immortal, as all young bikers are. For a short while I had a Bultaco Sherpa trials bike, but Icould never get the hang of it on the dirt; it just spat me…

Of plastics and powerplant!

HONDA VF500FII: Lovely V4 middleweight MIRA-filed! YAMAHA YZF-R6: The sharpest sports 600 of the 1990s ridden. MOTO MORINI 3.5 SPORT: Scoop rides this lovely Italian. KAWASAKI ZX-12R: Speed merchant Quick Spinned! WORKSHOP: Wiring part three, and updating your ignition and generator! PROJECT BIKES: Yamaha DT175, Suzuki DR600, Ducati 996, Honda CB750K2, Kawasaki ZRX1100! AND MUCH MORE! DON’T MISS IT!* December issue on sale: NOVEMBER 16 SUBSCRIBE NOW ALL OF THE ABOVE DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR SEE PAGES 36-37FOR DETAILS…

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