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Classic Motorcycle Mechanics September 2024 (Digital)

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39 Articles

Sit on a whopper, while you can!

Oooh er, missus, and titter ye not (and apologies to the late, great Frankie Howerd) but I was thinking this very thing recently. Because, this month I’ve been a lucky boy. I managed to ride a friend’s 2004 Triumph Rocket III, and when I asked Triumph UK for some launch pictures from two decades ago they said: “Why not try the latest one?” Well, what could I say… I’ve been lucky enough to ride a few. The first model we got at Two Wheels Only magazine in 2004 and I loved it, but never really ‘got’ the styling. Later I rode one to the 2005 Bulldog Bash, then rode a 2010 Roadster, and took a 2011 Rocket III Touring to the Kent coast and the wild Hardknott Pass in the…

Sit on a whopper, while you can!

Ferocious Frankie!

Pierfrancesco ‘Frankie’ Chili – fans’ favourite and heart-on-his-sleeve racer, his Latin good looks also ensured he had a big female following. He enjoyed a long career: winning the European 125cc series in 1985, before racing in 250cc and 500cc grand prixs, then moving to World Superbike in 1995. He’d gotten into 500s in 1986 on an RG500 Suzuki before moving on to the Honda RS500 triple in 1987 where he’d finish 2nd in France. A move to the V4 Honda NSR for 1988 would see him snatch the first of three Italian 500cc titles while also racing in grand prixs before his ‘win’ year of 1989. Yes, Frankie won at a treacherously wet Misano circuit that was boycotted by all the works riders apart from Chili. He was an Italian rider,…

Ferocious Frankie!

HJC V10 PAC-MAN HELMET If you had a misspent youth like our editor did, you’ll either have spent time in pool halls or arcades… And if it was the latter – you will have played Pac-Man, the 1980 arcade game featuring a little yellow chap who eats power pills and chases ghosts around a maze. With many super-heroes becoming the basis of crash helmets, it was only a matter of time that Bandai’s finest creation ends up on your bonce. The V10 lid is a retro-looking lid with an advanced fibre-glass composite shell, with the firm’s ACS (Advanced Channelling Ventilation System), a Pinlock Ready HJ-41 visor, removable/washable crown and cheek pads, and its Bluetooth comms ready. It looks good – just try not to say ‘WAKKA WAKKA WAKKA’ when you’re…

HALVARSSONS RACKEN JACKET Halvarssons’ Racken is, quite simply, the best biking jacket I have ever owned – period. It’s waterproof even though it’s leather; has a clever TFL COOL system that reduces heat levels inside during hot weathe; and comes with an integral lining that’s temperature regulating. The build is top class with high-quality stitching, CE certified and class AAA protection. The fit is superb and it just feels right in ways cheaper jackets can’t match. There’re the usual places for chest and back protection but the jacket comes as standard with CE certified protection, Level 2, adjustable at the shoulders and elbows. In a nutshell – quality isn’t expensive, it’s priceless! Steve Cooper www.tranam.co.uk HALVARSSONS FLON GLOVES Pitched as strong summer gloves yet not all mesh and armour, these…

GUERRILLA WARFARE!

Royal Enfield has launched a new family of roadsters – the all-new Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450. The Guerrilla 450 is powered by the new and advanced 452cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled Sherpa engine which debuted in the Himalayan 450 adventure tourer. The four-valve DOHC powerplant delivers just under 40bhp at 8000rpm and30 lb-ft of torque at 5500rpm. Suspension is 43mm Showa forks (unadjustable) at the front and a pre-load adjustable monoshock at the rear. The twin spar tubular steel chassis is the same as that on the Himalayan 450 but with more ‘roadster’-suited rake/trail. The line-up features three variants: Analogue, Dash and Flash, with various equipment levels – and five vibrant colourways. We think it looks great – and it’s priced well, too, starting at just £4850 so about £500 cheaper than…

GUERRILLA WARFARE!

Delightful Donington!

CMM recently headed to the Classic Racing Motorcycle Club’s big event and had a seriously good time. Not only was the two-day event part of the excellent CRMC race series with a bumper race card full of some super-saucy bikes, but also there was a big event on the unused Melbourne Loop. This was festooned with club stands and the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club’s display area organised in part by CMM contributor Andy Bolas. The whole weekend was a brilliant event so why not take in the final couple of rounds? The final CRMC events of the year are: August 24-26 at Oulton Park and September 28-29 at Anglesey. The hardworking VJMC events team will also be at those events. For more go to: www.crmc.co.uk and check out other VJMC…

Delightful Donington!

PRE-ORDER YOUR CMM!

Want the next issue of CMM? Of course you do! Then it’s simple. Subscribing is best but, failing that, why not pre-order? Simply scan the fuzzy circular thing with your smartphone (c’mon, we’ve all got one) and off you pop! Alternatively, if you like what you see coming up in the next issue (see page 105 for more) then go to: www.classicmagazines.co.uk/issue/preorder where you can pre-order all of Mortons’ wonderful magazines. Even ones about trains, cars or towpaths… scan me with your camera phone!…

PRE-ORDER YOUR CMM!

Earlier this year the workshop and garage were plagued with incontinence issues and, no, it wasn’t me with the leakage issues. A combination of modern fuel and old parts conspired to moisten bikes, engines and owner… it was the beginning of ‘Wet Week’! First off the Suzuki TS400’s fuel tap developed an annoying weep and no amount of fettling helped. The wave washer received a gentle tweak to beef up resistance at the lever but to no avail. Assuming the rubber inside had shrunk due to the chemicals in modern fuel a new one was ordered up and fitted. This achieved two things: nothing and bugger all. In fact the wretched tap actually leaked worse. Serious levels of fettling couldn’t stop the flood so we weren’t going for a ride…

Cool crank raises funds

A crankshaft from a Triumph Moto2 engine sold for £3000 at the 2024 Day of Champions Auction at the Silverstone British MotoGP event. The crank itself came from the race-winning engine ridden by Joe Roberts from OnlyFans American Racing Team at the Mugello round. So you can bet it got a pounding! Sold at auction, all proceeds were donated to Wheels for Life – the official charity partner of MotoGP. Wheels for Life aims to ensure healthcare reaches those who need it most in remote parts of Africa through the support of the motorcycling community. The Day of Champions Auction is an annual event as part of the British Grand Prix where racing stars come together to bid on unique memorabilia to support Wheels for Life. Joe Roberts, American Racing…

Cool crank raises funds

Final Fowlers night!

Bikers! Be mindful that the final Bristol Bike Night of the season is on Friday, September 6. Hosted by Fowlers Motorcycles, this free, monthly event is the perfect way to kick off your weekend surrounded by fellow riders. In addition to the regular attractions, one lucky rider will take home the coveted ‘Bike of the Season’ title, picked from this year’s previous Bike of the Night winners. Other attractions include good biker grub; sounds from DJ Chunky; local bike groups on hand, such as Blood Bikes, Bristol Advanced Motorcyclists, and DocBike; and a free-to-enter raffle. The event runs from 5.30pm to 8.30pm and is at Fowlers Motorcycles, 2-12 Bath Road, Bristol BS4 3DR. www.fowlers.co.uk…

Final Fowlers night!

2025 TT DATES CONFIRMED!

With the 2024 event still fresh in the memory, the countdown begins for TT 2025. Once more the event will commence on Bank Holiday Monday, May 26, and will conclude with the Senior TT race taking place on Saturday, June 7. The race schedule will follow a similar format to this year with second races planned for the Superstock and Supertwin classes. The complete 10-race programme will be delivered across three sets of back-to-back race days split by two rest days to align with travel and accommodation capacities, providing visiting fans with greater opportunities to attend. PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME ■ Monday, May 26 (UK Bank Holiday) Morning Free Practice & Afternoon Qualifying ■ Tuesday, May 27 Evening Qualifying ■ Wednesday, May 28 Evening Qualifying ■ Thursday, May 29 Evening Qualifying ■…

2025 TT DATES CONFIRMED!

IN ASSOCIATION WITH OLD BIKE MART: WWW.OLDBIKEMART.CO.UK AUGUST 21 SEPTEMBER CLASSIC MOTORCYCLES MECHANICS OUT 25 Sunbeam Motorcycle Club’s Bolney Summer Run (pre-1940) The Motorcycle Workshop, London Road, Bolney, West Sussex RH17 5PY. Web: sunbeam-mcc.co.uk What3words: parties.gourmet. alleyway 25 Shalbourne Classic Car and Bike Show Shalbourne Sports Field, Rivar Road, Shalbourne, Wiltshire SN8 3PZ. 10am-4pm. Tel: 07768 532070. Email: shalbournepavilion@gmail.com 25 Harley-Davidson Day The Ace Cafe, Ace Corner, North Circular Road, Stonebridge Park, London NW10 7UD. Tel: 0208 961 1000. Web: London.acecafe.com What3words: fuels. losses.lions 25 Red Row Vintage Club’s Annual Rally Revival at Druridge Bay Country Park, Red Row, Morpeth, Northumberland NE61 5BX. Free entry. 10am-4pm. Web: redrowvintagerally.co.uk What3words: struggle.rotations.famed 25 Classic Car and Bike Show at Thorney Hill Community Centre, Burley Road, Thorney Hill, Dorset BH23 8DQ. Tel: 07761…

We love to hear from you, so why not let us know what you like, or dislike, in YOUR magazine. Simply get in touch by sending emails to: letters@classicmechanics.com or direct to the editor at BSimmonds@Mortons.co.uk or post your letters to the normal address. The best will win one of our lovely T-shirts! Hip-op hip-hop! I want to issue a warning to all bikers of a certain age whose vocabulary contains the word ‘arthritis’! After 30-plus years of no-claim biking (who claims for the odd spill: clutch/brake levers, etc.?) I’d accumulated the maximum amount of ‘No Claims Bonus’. This, coupled with being older than I wish to admit (I grew up with Zebedee/Magic Roundabout) my insurance premium for my Yamaha XJR1300C and two classics (Honda CB400/4 and CB900FA) was less…

We want to see YOUR pride and joy in our pages, so you can share what you ride and what you restore/build with fellow readers. Email your hi-res shots to BSimmonds@Mortons.co.uk or mail in some photos at the address at the front of the mag. Let us know what you’ve done, how you’ve done it and send before and after shots if you can. Do get in touch – because the best of the month gets a free T-shirt! David Houghton’s 1986 Yamaha FZ750 WINNER This Yamaha FZ750 has had a total strip and also the engine has been repainted. Then we fitted Thunderace front and rear suspension along with MT-07 front brakes and left it with the original paint/bodywork complete with 38 years’ worth of patina, scratches and marks… Philip Tyson’s…

The way we were…

Send us your nostalgic snaps of you back in the day with your steed! Either send to me at bsimmonds@mortons.co.uk or via our vibrant Facebook page. C’mon, we’ll send you a T-shirt if you are our first pick! Ian Simpson says: “I thought you’d like to see some of my old road bikes and pics of me when I was wee when my Dad Bill got me into bikes. He was a great engineer and a champion in his own right. The first picture is me outside my Dad’s workshop in Dalbeattie on Alastair Laurie’s Triton. He was my Dad’s business partner and was always great to me as a kid. The next is my beloved Yamaha FS1-E. I bought it when I was 14 and spent two years tricking it…

The way we were…

First ofthe many!

The Yamaha RD250LC has to be one of the most iconic motorcycles of the 1980s. A liquid-cooled two-stroke twin developed with the TZ250 at its base, producing the equivalent of 140bhp per litre of displacement and a top speed of over 100 mph, it stunned the market at its 1979 Tokyo Motor Show debut. It fast became the ‘must-have’ bike for the cool street racer. Such was its sheer power and handling, it soon appeared in production racing, even spawning its own model-specific race series, as well as 350cc and 500cc siblings. In its two years of production, the RD250 LC was one of Yamaha’s most successful models, such that high numbers were produced in response to the market demand. Whilst definitive total numbers produced globally are hard to establish,…

First ofthe many!

Beef encounter!

When you’ve been around the block a bit in the biking world, there are not many machines out there that can intimidate, but there are still a few. Some motorcycles may be so expensive you just worry even throwing a leg over them for fear of scratching a grand’s worth of damage with a mistimed swing of an errant leg… Some may express mechanical malevolence as a result of their performance or wayward reputations. I’m thinking of, perhaps, the Laverda Jota; maybe the early Suzuki GSX-R1100s; the first Honda FireBlade; Suzuki’s TL1000S; something that demands respect from the bike’s performance or horror stories of a bike ‘gone bad’. You know the ones. Some may be just so HEEUGE, that just climbing aboard feels like scaling the Eiger and that –…

Beef encounter!

The thoroughly modern ROCKET 3

Triumph UK kindly offered me a few days on the latest (well, 2023) Rocket 3, which was nice. Previously the most modern versions I’d ridden had been a Roadster in 2010 and a Touring in 2012. Since the 2019 relaunch the Rocket 3 range has been the R model – the sportiest of the three, then the GT (tourer) and limited-edition TFC (Triumph Factory Custom). In 2024 you’ve now got the Rocket 3 Storm. The first thing you’ll notice are the utterly drop-dead gorgeous looks. At last the bike has a look all of its own. The bulbous tank has gone and the bike has a lower, leaner look completely, but still with that bug-headlight stare. Once more the engine is the beloved centre-piece – now boasting 2458cc (150 cubic…

The thoroughly modern ROCKET 3

Twin shock tactics!

There cannot be many classic motorcycle fans who haven’t encountered one of Yamaha’s seminal DT175s or its precursor the CT1/2/3 form range. Whether you rode one or knew someone who owned one, most are more than aware of the bike. Back in the day the 175 single was everywhere; they were ubiquitous, yet fast-forward a decade or so and many had been ridden into the ground… sometimes literally. The twin shock trail iron was pensioned off in favour of the DT175MX with its hugely competent mono-shock rear-end and anyone in the market for a lighter-weight trail bike almost immediately bought into the new technology. The MX was hugely proficient at what it did and, arguably, highlighted the older bike’s shortcomings leaving the twin shock looking decidedly unloved. Those that weren’t…

Twin shock tactics!

The owner’s view by Dave Payne

When I was 17 I rushed out and bought an almost new XT500. I had it for five days before it was stolen from Luton College! I still needed to get to work, so until the insurance paid out I bought a little DT175 as a runaround. It was great. I kept it after I was paid out and used it every weekend off-road. It became more and more disreputable but just kept going. My Dad would never ride my bikes as they were Japanese and consequently rubbish (not quite his words). Then one night I came home and he told me he had ridden “that little bike”. He was amazed: “Faster than my Ariel,”… his bike of choice since he was 16! After that he rode every bike I…

The owner’s view by Dave Payne

Yamaha 175 trail bike genealogy

The 175 CT-1 first appeared in 1969 and was a simple reworking of the existing AT-1 125 of the same year and built with the minimum of 175 specific components. A 10mm overbore delivered 3.5 more horses at 15bhp. Sold into the 1971 model year, the bike received a few revisions and cosmetic upgrades before morphing into the 1972 CT-2. The 1973 CT3 boasted Yamaha’s new reed valve induction system which massively enhanced the induction cycle and aided torque delivery. Part way through the 1973 season all the trail bikes were redesignated as DTs with the CT-3 becoming the DT175. This was the start of the models being imported into the UK by Mitsui Machinery along with the AT-3 that became the DT125. Around this time the front wheel changed…

Yamaha 175 trail bike genealogy

RETRO REBOOT Kawasaki KR1000 H2

The year is 1981 and Kawasaki are using the Z1000J as the powerplant for their endurance racing entry. Rolling on 18-inch wheels and using a double-sided swingarm with a rear shock on just one side of the swingarm, the French Performance Racing team took the win, not only for 1981, but also right through to 1983 – a remarkable achievement that saw the KR1000 dominate the championship. During those three years Kawasaki broke new ground on their race-bike, developing it each year with tech that would eventually end up on showroom floors such as anti-dive forks, an aluminium subframe, Uni-Trak suspension, and the use of magnesium in the chassis. With Yamaha’s XSR900 GP getting favourable attention since its announcement last year (and feedback from CMM readers on the idea for…

RETRO REBOOT Kawasaki KR1000 H2

Hammers frequently are seen as the preserve of the blacksmith, but used correctly they are a most valuable and essential tool for the engineer and mechanic. As with all tools, misuse will cause serious problems and finesse is very much the watchword with hammers. There are a huge variety on the market, but I will only examine those in this article that will be used for regular motorcycle maintenance and repair. As with all tools it’s worth spending a few quid extra to get a decent quality tool and then cherish it. I still have hammers I bought when I started my apprenticeship at British Aerospace (now BAE Systems) in 1980. I would suggest that a quality, well used tool bought from a retiring engineer would be a far better…

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1974 SUZUKI TC185 Q: Please could you tell me what the ignition timing should be on my 1974 Suzuki TC185, in mm BTDC. Roy Hook A: I did think that this would be A:a pretty simple one to answer but I do see why you asked the question now! I don’t have the manual for this model and information seems to be pretty thin on the ground but your answer is: 3.07mm BTDC which equates to 24 degrees BTDC. PAINT PROBLEM Q: Have you ever done an article on paint codes for old motorcycles like my Honda CD175? Oh, and please could you do an article on retrofit USB ports. Also sat-nav updates might be helpful. I have owned my Honda CD175 from new for 50 years since 1972. I’ve…

EYUP! It’s an EXUP!

It’s Sunday afternoon, I’ve got my feet up on the sofa doing not much at all. WhatsApp pings to tell me Scott Redmond, once of this parish and bike-breaking ultra-preneur, has sent me a message. It’s a list of prices for FZR1000 EXUP race parts. Nothing unusual so far except it’s all from a bike I’d previously earmarked as one of his favourites and nowhere near death row. He’d always affectionately called it the ‘EYUP’, because it had recently been owned in Yorkshire and the EXUP logo had cleverly been defaced to corrupt it into Yorkshire’s favourite catchphrase. Now, as amusing as that may be, I don’t want this bike, or any of the parts, but… the problem with being me is the level of impulsivity I suffer from when…

EYUP! It’s an EXUP!

FA-nally finished!

Carrying on from last time, I had repaired the dent in the tank and was doing the paint preparation work. On the side-panels, there was a colour difference where the old decals had been and I used these dimensions to get my new decals in the correct positions Photo 1 (plenty of measurements taken and masking tape was used as a guide to make sure everything was straight and true when I was applying them). But first, I had to make the missing mounting tags on the tail-piece. I used black plastic that I have had for ages, which is a similar composition to the original, and some plastic repair adhesive, but I also use a soldering iron to do a plastic weld joint with a suitable plastic rod Photo…

FA-nally finished!

A guide to guides

Last time I made a new hydraulic clutch cylinder for my custom 1976 Z900 A4 – what now? Well, this month I have already dragged the lump out of the frame, which I won’t go into as I have more than covered that in the recent restoration of the standard Z900. The head has been removed from the motor and I have been checking that everything is within specification, given I not only want to have a sweet-running bike, but also am looking for a huge amount more power out than Kawasaki had intended initially. The original valve guides on all the Z1/900 engines were made from bronze which has its merits, but longevity isn’t one of them and as has been the case with pretty much every 900 engine…

A guide to guides

Kev Raymond keeps his eye on the choppy waters of the classic world to see if any projects, donors and bargains are out there worthy of being dragged out of the surf for some mouth-to-mouth… 1986 Kawasaki GPz 550 Asking: £650 On the face of it, this 1980s GPz (small zed as it’s air-cooled…) looks like it might be a bargain. On second look it does, too. Someone’s obviously spent some time and care cleaning everything up and making it look tidy, and although the non-standard paint won’t be to everyone’s taste, I think it looks pretty good. I’d be inclined to revisit the green wheel centres though – maybe a dark graphite colour with a couple of rattle cans? The Marketplace seller says he bought it in this condition…

This month’s offering might very well look a little odd and quirky to fans of modern Japanese classics with its shrouded forks, chrome tank panels and rubber knee pads. If your reference points are the likes of Suzuki’s X7, Yamaha’s 350LC or Honda’s NSR400, the Honda CB72/77 duo could be perceived as just plain weird. And yet this is actually one of the most influential motorcycles to have ever left Japan. Earlier Honda twins had been engineered to be unerringly reliable but their styling polarised opinion. Leading-link front forks, voluminous mudguards, bulbous side-panels and rectangular profile shock absorbers all harked back to European designs of the 1950s. February 1960 saw Honda showcase the CB72 as a totally fresh design aimed at taking the firm into the big time. The 180-degree…

THE AUCTIONEER’S PRE-SALE REPORT

This CB77 has been lovingly restored and is in absolute pristine condition: the engine has been completely rebuilt by professional engineers Partsmade. The hard-faced camshafts were supplied by Megacycle Cams of San Rafael, California. These cams improved the mid-range power with good low-end response and were sent to California for the work to be carried out at significant expense. All the alloy components have been professionally polished. Instrumentation was restored by a Japanese instrument specialist and recalibrated leaving the mileage in place from the initial purchase. The Honda Owners Club has provided a certificate of authentication. The headers have been remade out of polished stainless steel to match the original profiles. The single repro seat shell was purchased from abroad to mimic the works Honda CYB options offered at the…

OVER 250 ISSUES ARE AVAILABLE TO ORDER TODAY AT CLASSIC MAGAZINES.CO.UK JANUARY 2024 ■ Colourful CBR600 resto ■ Full-on Italian thunder ■ Project Kawasaki turbo time FEBRUARY 2024 ■ The black art of clutches ■ Honda’s mighty VFl000R ■ 1980s RD replicas MARCH 2024 ■ Stunning Yam Fazer ■ Rocket Ill turns 20 ■ Red hot magna APRIL 2024 ■ Bag a two-grand Tiger ■ Delight is a Darmah ■ Jump pack test MAY 2024 ■ Millennium Blade ■ Special Kturbo appeal ■ Kettle buyer’s guide JUNE 2024 ■ All hail YZF Thundercat ■ Scramble for Ducati’s 350 SCR ■ Buyer’s Guide RGV 250 JULY 2024 ■ Immaculate Kwak KR-1 ■ Race replica XSR900 GP ■ Tool of the month? Pure vice AUGUST 2024 ■ Honda’s game-changer ■ GSXl 100…

We got to the stage of putting on the cylinder barrel last time, but first let me show you a couple of photos which might clarify some points. Photo 1 shows the cylinder base gasket and you can see that there is a special square-section O-ring fitted in the large hole. This is to seal the return passage for oil from the cylinder head back to the sump. Curiously though, on the left in this view the pressure oil feed to the head does not have an O-ring but relies on the gasket itself, although it does not seem to leak. You need the endless cam-chain to be wrapped round the crankshaft sprocket (Photo 2) and the idler sprocket in the tunnel needs to be in place (Photo 3). Moving…

Cringe and brackets!

The story so far: I buy an old Triumph in bits. I commit myself to recreating ‘The Spotted Bike’ from about 50 years ago, what could possibly go wrong? After waging war with parts that didn’t fit, stuff that didn’t exist any longer and occasionally, with parts that did turn up but were woefully wrong, just plain wrong, I beat a rock-strewn, shark-infested path towards a finish line; it may not be the intended finish line, but it will be a finish line… I think. In this month’s exciting episode we lift up the handlebars (18-inch risers are so ‘last month’ don’t ya think?); create something to sit on that doesn’t look like it came straight out of a catalogue; do things with wire, volts, a switch or two (maybe…

Cringe and brackets!

SHOW US YER SHED!

IN CONJUNCTION WITH We want to see YOUR shed, your workshop, your garage space, your man/person cave – call it what you will! We want to know what you love and loathe about the space you have to fettle and – each month – we have a £50 Venhill voucher for you to spend on Venhill’s British-made control cables and hoses if you’re selected! Contact us at: bsimmonds@mortons.co.uk. Don’t forget the pictures! Sheds are all things to all men/women really, aren’t they? I did not think for one minute that mine would qualify for the magazine as it is a bit different from the norm, but I thought most of us have other interests as well as motorcycles so here we go! My list of interests is quite extensive so…

SHOW US YER SHED!

Deliciously dull!

I suppose first I should set the scene… Growing up (if I ever did) I spent years on two-strokes and then my old Yamaha XS850 covered the most miles I had ever done on a bike: 60k in nine months being a long-distance despatch courier. But no touring… In fact, the first time I did a proper tour on a motorbike was on my Triumph 1200 Trophy streetfighter. I rode all over France with my wife as pillion, no rain or wind protection on this, but I was actually touring. In fact, I used this bike for a few long-distance road trips including riding it 1100 miles to Stavanger in Norway where I worked for four years. In 2023 (after being told to stay put for two years during Covid)…

Deliciously dull!

In this we rust!

Having got rid of the stinky old fuel from the tank I needed to clean the tank out and try to restore the tap. This is the old type with a fuel filter bowl integrated into it, and it all comes apart for servicing and cleaning, so that shouldn’t be a problem: except it is. It comes apart okay, but the internals are, well… Let’s just say I haven’t seen anything this badly clogged since the Amsterdam riots of the 1980s. The filter tube just broke off in my hand; the main inlet tube followed suit; and after I finally managed to get the stub of that removed with an EZ-Out extractor (incidentally, the first time in decades of trying that I’ve managed to remove anything with one of those)…

In this we rust!

WITH MORE THAN 30 PAGES OF PRACTICAL ADVICE! SUZUKI RGV250 VJ21: Road test by Andy Bolas SUPER STAFFORD: Why you should attend the BEST bike show of the year! YAMAHA GTS1000A: Buyer’s Guide GOING OUT IN STYLE: Motorcycle Funerals SHOW US YER SHED: WIN a £50 Venhill voucher if you show us YOURS! PROJECT BIKES: We will be showcasing some of the following (space allowing): Pip Higham’s Triumph Spotty Bike; Bertie Simmonds’ Kawasaki ZRX1100R-TC; Mark Haycock’s Honda ST70; Steve Cooper’s Yamaha YL1 or new Ducati/Suzuki special; Jeff Ware’s Bridgestone BS90; Malc Shaw with his Suzuki GT500 Café Racer. Kev Raymond’s back with a Honda SS50 and Taylor Mackenzie’s Yamaha TY80 should really be featured, and let’s not forget Dave Marsden from Z-Power and his ‘Goose’ Mad Max replica which is…

…I cursed under my breath as what had, seconds previously, been a healthy ‘dub dub dub’ sound, was now a flat, empty, lifeless drone indicating that the satanic forces of evil had conspired to rob my ancient steed of any perceptible motive force… The pesky engine had stopped, ceased to function. It was, in Python speak, a late engine, its vital signs non-existent. Now I’m no stranger to breaking engines but this was inconvenient in every respect. It was a pleasant evening, I’d just stuck a gallon of Avgas in the tank and I was short of time (typical) to get to a meeting of our local bike bunch a dozen or so miles across the undulating lanes that criss-cross the countryside between our kennel and the coast. I had…

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