ASAKI B8S KAWASAK

60S Ridden & rated! Buyer’s guide 70S

20 YEARS ON

YAMAHA YZF-
How to buy and improve Yamaha’s
peerless sportsbike!

TRA C
S
FIVE DECADES OF MODERN CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS:

DA Y t on e ch
s!
eap,
Sorting old forks. 90s: Honda CBR1000F, Aprilia RS250
resto. 80s: Suzuki GSX-R1100G, Yamaha FZR600.
70s: Yamaha CS3C, Kawasaki Z1300 and Z1325
Special. Also: Allen Millyard column, Q&A: Your
questions answered, your bikes and your memories!
September
2018
Issue 371

Do ng n old bike
o Years of CMM know-how at your fingertips!
 September 2018
Issue 371

Publisher: Dan Savage,

asavage@mortons.co.uk
Contributors: Kev Larkins, Joe Dick,
Kris Jones, Alan Turner
Art editor: Justin Blackamore
Picture Desk: Paul Fincham,
Jonathan Schofield
Production editor: Dan Sharp
Divisional advertising manager:
Zoe Thurling
zthurling@mortons.co.uk
Tel: 01507 529412
Advertising: Robert Bee
rbee@mortons.co.uk
Tel: 01507 529575
Subscription manager: Paul Deacon
Circulation manager: Steven O’Hara
Marketing manager: Charlotte Park
Commercial director: Nigel Hole
Editorial address:
CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS
MAGAZINE, Media Centre,
Morton Way, Horncastle,
Lincolnshire LN9 6JR
Website: www.classicmechanics.com
General enquiries and back issues:
Tel: 01507 529529 24-hour answer
phone help@classicmagazines.co.uk
www.classicmagazines.co.uk
Archivist: Jane Skayman
jskayman@mortons.co.uk
01507 529423
Subscription: Full subscription rates
(but see page 40 for offer): (12 months
12 issues, inc post and packing) – UK
£51.60. Export rates are also available
– see page 40 for more details. UK
subscriptions are zero-rated for the
purposes of Value Added Tax.
Customer services:
Tel: 01507 529529
Lines are open:
Monday-Friday 8.30am-7pm

Doesn’t time fly by?

Saturday 8.30am-12:30pm
Distribution: Marketforce UK Ltd,
5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf,
London E14 5HU. Tel: 0203 787 9001
Subscription agents: CLASSIC
MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS
MAGAZINE, Media Centre, Morton
Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR Looking at the content of this issue I cannot cheap and Ralph Ferrand doing it for the first
Printed: William Gibbons & Sons,
Wolverhampton
believe that the Yamaha YZF-R1 is 20 years old time on his road bike. Pictured above is me on
Published date: CLASSIC this year. my old ZX-7R back in 2001. I used to do lots of
MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS
MAGAZINE is published on the third I still recall my first ride on one: a brand-new track-days back then and the old Kwak was a
Wednesday of every month
Next issue:
red and white 4XV test bike from Yamaha. I cost-effective way of doing it. It looked like a
September 19, 2018 couldn’t get my head around just how fast it British Superbike, but was just dressed in
Advertising deadline:
August 30, 2018 was and how quickly those numbers on the ex-Steve Plater bodywork – it even had a
© Mortons Media Group Ltd. All rights
reserved. No part of this publication
oh-so-cool LCD speedo would rise at the merest side-stand! Recently, this bike (more battered
may be reproduced or transmitted in whiff of your right wrist. Little wonder then that and bruised than ever) has come back into my
any form or by any means, electronic
or mechanical, including photocopying, Yamaha has lots planned for this year to life. What should I do with it, I wonder?
recording, or any information
storage retrieval system without celebrate and the fact the 4XV is ridden and
prior permission in writing from the
publisher. ISSN 0959-0900 dissected over many pages in this month’s
CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS
magazine takes all responsible steps
CMM. Hell, even Niall Mackenzie wants to buy
to ensure advice and technical tips are
written by experienced and competent
one as a project…
people. We also advise readers to seek
further professional advice if they are
We’re also looking at track-days on classics, Editor
unsure at any time. Anything technical with Mark Forsyth saying how to do it on the BSimmonds@Mortons.co.uk
written by the editor is exempt – he’s
rubbish with spanners.
CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS
(USPS:729-550) is published monthly
by Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box www.facebook.com/ClassicMechanics/ www.twitter.com/cmmmag
99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ
UK. USA subscriptions are $60 per
year from Motorsport Publications
LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft
WI 54921. Periodical Postage is paid Steve Cooper Ralph Ferrand Mark Haycock
at Wisconsin Rapids, WI. Postmaster: Older, nicer bikes editor Big Zed lover Q&A king
Send address changes to CLASSIC
MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS, Scoop is the engine room of CMM! He’s Ralph gives us two Zed helpings this month, Mark will be back with his projects next
Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty given us a Z1A guide, sorted his forks on with the Z1300 and the project Z1325. He issue, but for now he’s answering Q&As
Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. 715- the CS3C and reckons he’s nearly there! also pops his track-day cherry! for the benefit of you all.
572-4595 chris@classicbikebooks.com

Allen Millyard Mark EMPLOYEE

Independent publisher since 1885
7KH 3URIHVVLRQDO
3XEOLVKHUV $VVRFLDWLRQ
0HPEHU
Engineer extraordinaire!
As we write this, he’s off to the Salon
Prive but in the meantime, read on
about the amazing RC374 build.
Pip Higham
The man, the legend…
Pip rides the Banbury Run on a 1929
Prester, watched by proud brother Bill.
Rest in peace Bill, from all at CMM.
OF THE
Forsyth MONTH!
Professional
Cumbrian
What can be said about the legend
that is MF that hasn’t already been
said in a court of law? Lord MF is a top-level former
racer (Battle of the Twins champ), ex-Performance
Bikes editor and master of ‘the Cumbrian ring’ where
you ring someone long enough for them to see it’s you
calling, then ring off, allowing them to call you back at
their expense.
Olly Crick
R1 4XV expert
We’re proud to get Olly’s expertise on
making Yamaha’s R1 even better. He’s
owned and modded his for years. Page 56.
Jeff Ware
Two-stroke lover!
Jeff finishes the Aprilia RS250 this month
but the smell of two-stroke oil is soon
replaced with that of nappies. Page 122.

Having trouble finding a copy

of this magazine? Scott Redmond Robert Bee Martin Child
Breaker, breaker… Ad GOD! Cupid Stunt rider
Why not Just
Ask your local Does our Scottie actually have a Big Bad Bob is the main man to book Dare we say that this curious mix of
newsagent to soft spot for Yamaha’s YZF-R1? YOUR advert in CMM. He’s a lovely chap, 2008 GSX-R and 1986 GSX-R1100 is
reserve you a copy
each month? Will he break his, or will he ride it? so ring him and say ‘hi!’ starting to take shape? Page 114.

www.classicmechanics.com / 3
 *
Insurance solutions for
classics and more.
Did you know with FJ+ you can tailor your policy from
a range of cover options, including; breakdown,
agreed value and salvage retention?

Call our friendly UK team for a quote.

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62

64

68
❙ Q&A
Mark Haycock with a page of tips.
❙ KAWASAKI Z1325
Ralph Ferrand gets on a lathe…
❙ YAMAHA C3SC
Contents
72
Scoop reckons it’s on its way!
❙ ALLEN MILLYARD 06 ARCHIVE
Dave Jefferies and the R1 at
the 1999 TT.
40 SUBSCRIBE!
Subscribe and save cash!
This month Allen gets
frame building!
76 ❙ HONDA CBR1000F
CMM reader Dave Brooking is
08 CMM MARKETPLACE
What’s hot to trot with
1990s sportsbikes?
42 CMM EXTRA!
Subscribe and have 10
blessed from above.
million CMM words at your
fingertips!
78 ❙ WORKSHOP: OLD FORKS
10 CMM STUFF

44 YAMAHA YZF-R1
Scoop tackles both his Yammy’s New kit, tools, tyres and stuff.
gammy legs. Mark Forsyth on the
82 ❙ YAMAHA FZR600
Paul Brookes on cutting and 12 CMM TESTED
We try stuff out.
20-year-old sports legend.

94
shutting his racing homage!
❙ KAWASAKI Z1A 14 NEWS
Events, news and what’s
52 BUYING AN R1
Scott Redmond on what to
look out for.
Steve’s guide to buying this
happening.
Kawasaki classic!
110 ❙ KAWASAKI Z1300
Ralph gets further on with the 20 FEEDBACK
WIN Bridgestone tyres for our
56 IMPROVING AN R1
Olly Crick on how to improve
the 4XV.
mighty six. star letter!
114 ❙ SUZUKI GSX-R1100G
Wildy puts pen to paper to sort
his rear-end out! 22 SHOW US YOURS
WIN S-Doc cleaning kit and
60 RETRO REBOOT
Suzuki’s GSX1000 Katana…

129 NEXT MONTH

Tamiya kits!
118 ❙ YAMAHA YZF-R1
What’s happening in the

27
Niall Mackenzie returns and he’s
KAWASAKI B8S October CMM?
looking for an R1 project.
Steve Cooper falls in love
122 ❙ APRILIA RS250
130 PIP HIGHAM
with a little gem!
Jeff Ware gets the two-stroke
Pip has a mountain to climb

32 TRACK DAYING A
finished.
in honour of brother Bill.
CLASSIC!
How to do it on a very tight
Subscribe & have 10 budget!
million CMM words at
your fingertips!
36 TRACK DAYING 2
Ralph Ferrand pops his track
cherry on a road classic!
PAGE 42

www.classicmechanics.com / 5
6 / classic motorcycle mechanics
 Dave
Jefferies
and the R1
WORDS: BERTIE SIMMONDS PHOTOS: MORTONS ARCHIVE
T
his may seem a bold claim,
but it could be argued that
the talents of just one
man and the prowess of a new
sportsbike combined to destroy
the Honda V4’s grip on the big
Isle of Man TT races.
Even in its recalcitrant RC45
form, the Honda V4 was almost
unbeatable around the island, until
Big DJ’s skill was combined with
the tuning talents of Jack Valentine
and Steve Mellor at V&M Racing.
The time was ripe for change.
Firstly, this would be the last TT
of the millennium and secondly,
V&M had previously worked closely
with Honda and split with them
at the end of 1998. With Yamaha UK
also wanting to big-up their new
flagship sportsbike, the scene
was set.
DJ was ready to win – he’d
debuted on the Island in 1996 – so
many thought a win was coming
and come it did. He won the
Formula 1 race at the fastest-ever
average speed: 121.35mph – by 15.8
seconds from Joey Dunlop. The
Production TT turned into a Yamaha
Allan David Jefferies
18 September 1972 –
29 May 2003
R1 battle between Iain Duffus,
DJ and Phillip McCallen – also
R1-mounted. Jefferies would take
the win when Duffus’ race ended
prematurely in retirement.
The Senior TT showed some
positives for the Honda RC45, when
Jim Moodie destroyed the seven-
year-old absolute lap record from
a standing start in 18m 11.4s –
124.45mph on the opening lap.
But the tyre cried enough on lap
two and DJ’s second lap at
123.69mph gave him the lead.
He would win the race, becoming
one of the few riders to win three
TT Races in a week.
Interestingly the V&M Racing R1
was about 170bhp – just 20 up on
stock – and retained many road
parts, including the forks. The bike
itself cost around £20,000 all-in,
compared to the ultra-exotic RC45s
rumoured to be worth £400,000…
The following year Honda would
go to the TT with a FireBlade and a
modified SP-1 twin. Moodie would
slate the Blade while Joey Dunlop
would score his final and perhaps
best TT win on the Honda VTR.
www.classicmechanics.com / 7
cmm
Marketplace
1990s sportsbikes
As the YZF-R1 turns 20, we check out why 1990s sports machines offer plenty of
bang for your buck. Scott Redmond shows you what is available.
A decade ago the thought of
discussing 1990s motorcycles
within CMM wouldn’t have gone
down too well, but these machines offer
some real bang for our buck and now
some are marked as bona fide classics.
Britain was sportsbike mad in the 1990s and they
were the big sellers, which means if you are looking
for one now, there’s no shortage still on the used
market. Some will be official UK bikes and some will
be ‘parallel imports’ from other countries, which at
the time were much cheaper than UK bikes. On the
surface they looked identical, other than a headlight
that dipped the wrong way and a km/h speedo, but
some produced less power than UK-spec bikes. In
the end UK importers had to reduce their asking
prices and parallel dealers almost disappeared, but
fast-forward to 2018 and the parallel issue is back
in play. Buyers at the top end of the 1990s classic
market are mostly focused on pukka UK machines
and these set the benchmark for prices.
The kings of the Nineties Japanese sportsbike
pack are the CBR900RR FireBlade and the Yamaha
R1. To complicate matters prices then get model
sensitive, a 1992 RR-N Blade can command price
tags of over £7000 if bog standard and point
perfect, yet the first thing we did back in the day
was to fit a Micron can, Dynojet kit and tinted
screen, so finding a minter is hard.
Later models (like the RR-W and RR-X model of
1998-99) are superior machines to the 1992
original in every way but not as ‘wanted’ and can be
had for less than £2000.
8 / classic motorcycle mechanics
Strangely, the 1994 second-generation Blade
CBR900RR-S ‘Foxeye’ is highly desirable, but only
if they are finished in beige! Yup, the Urban Tiger
is a cult bike. Good Tigers are rare, minters are
non-existent and prices boil down to what someone
will pay for one.
The prices for 4XV R1s are leaping up, but if you
want a red and white 1998 R1 you will pay a
premium over exactly the same bike that’s finished
in blue. And beware if you want a red/white one. The
lovely metallic white paint used by Yamaha is hard
to copy – that’s why a fair few that I’ve seen of late
are finished in a flat gloss white. So, go and look at
the bike you’re buying – not just at a picture.
When a mate was looking for a 4XV in red/white,
our own Andy Bolas had some wise words,
suggesting he was better off buying a 1999 model in
blue! Why? There are more about and for less
money… Another Yamaha from the Nineties that
falls into this honey trap is the YZF750. An original
model in pink and white is a highly prized find
(around the £3000 mark) yet a later model with its
better suspension and bigger radiator can be
snapped up for around £2000.
The 1990s is the last decade to offer us genuine
bargains on emerging classic bikes. Everything from
disposed kings of speed like the Kawasaki
ZZR1100, Honda Blackbird and Suzuki Hayabusa
were ‘hot’ back in the day, but not-so-popular bikes
now make bargains. Bikes like the mighty ZX-9R.
1994-1997’s B model hasn’t aged too well, a mix of
20 years on and its iffy build quality and not much of a following, yet
still a looker. the 1998 C model is a cracking bike. Prices for
either the B or C are very sensible, with plenty of
choice from around £1500.
It would be rude not to remind you that the
YZF1000 Thunderace uses the best bits from the
FZR1000 EXUP (engine) and a YZF750-ish chassis.
It’s looks have never been its strong point, but
there’s plenty of choice and good honest machines
out there for around £2000. So what about Suzuki?
Let’s look at the GSX-R750WT SRAD: some people
hate the looks, while others love them. Maybe that’s
why prices are still pinned back on the whole.
Fancy a twin? Due to the success of Ducati’s 916,
the Japanese briefly flirted with twin-pot race-reps
towards the end of the decade. The Honda VTR1000
FireStorm was a bit plain and it wasn’t until the
SP-1 was born that anyone took Honda too seriously.
Prices for the 916 clan are only going one way. It’s
not a bike that everyone can afford or live with, but
it's desirable. Prices are dependent on spec/history.
Meanwhile, Suzuki’s TL1000S (and the unique-
looking R) and Storm are residents of the bargain
basement, selling for less than £2000. cmm
 www.classicmechanics.com
ANDY BOLAS’ TOP TIPS!
O ur Andy is a serial
bike-buyer and has an
eye for a good bike
and a great deal. He doesn’t
want to lose money on a bike,
so here are his top tips.
■ Originality: An original bike is always a
good starting point – it doesn’t have to be
in stunning condition, it’s more about it
being complete and unmessed with.
■ Must-haves: The very things we might
have changed in our youth are the parts
that help to make a tidy classic. Items like
original indicators, screen and an uncut
rear mudguard. These parts can be found
for sale but more often than not finding
NOS items can be time consuming – you’d
be amazed how many screens are no longer
available direct from the manufacturer.
■ Mileage: Finding low mileage bikes gets
tougher with every year, but they do
appear. Always check the MoT history to
find out if it’s correct.
■ Paperwork/history: A brimming file of
receipts and paperwork always gets my
Buy Now
Some 1990s machines are still
cheap: but not an Urban Tiger!
www.facebook.com/ClassicMechanics/
attention. If an owner claims to have spent
money on servicing or restoration work
without a receipt it’s hard to believe them.
Old MoTs and even out-of-date tax discs
show that the right kind of person owned it
in the past.
■ Avoid the obvious models: Bikes like the
CBR600F are a great example. For over 10
years Honda improved the original F-H
model into the last steel-framed F-W
model. They all appeal to different people.
Buy the model that you maybe wanted but
never got. If it isn’t the earliest or latest so
what? It’s YOUR money!
■ Alarms: I’m not a fan! Though lots of
Nineties bikes had them fitted to satisfy
insurance companies’ needs. Old alarms
are a pain in the chuff and removing them
isn’t much fun either. Budget to have one
removed before doing any deal.
■ Datatag: Another (not so) great idea! Etch
all panels with a code and ruin your bike!
Some bikes carry more than one unique
code if they’ve been fixed with breaker’s
yard parts from another Datatagged
machine. It looks ugly and adds little.
Buy Now
www.twitter.com/cmmmag
■ UK origin: On the whole a UK bike is
more desirable when you’re talking about
immaculate examples, sadly our climate
means most UK bikes end up looking
pretty average. I was recently offered just
shy of £10,000 for my show-winning UK
Honda VFR400R NC30. Obviously I
declined!
■ Grey imports: Japanese grey imports are
the only way to get your hands on desirable
models that we never got officially and
even now many shops specialise in
shipping bikes from Japan. I always try to
buy anything I’m interested in when it first
arrives. It allows me to see the bike before
workshops get to work.
■ Parts availability: We assume that you
can buy any part new over the counter –
wrong! Recently, I went to buy a stunning
R1. The only flaw was some brake fluid
stain on the screen – otherwise it was a
pristine bike. The dealer agreed to supply a
new genuine Yamaha screen, but within a
few days he called to say he couldn’t find
one anywhere for sale and even Yamaha
had stopped making them! Always check
availability of parts before you buy! cmm
Buy Now
www.classicmechanics.com / 9
cmm
Stuff
The latest riding kit, top tools,
tyres, retro clothing and more!
OXFORD PRODUCTS METZELER ROADTEC Z8
RP-2/RP-3 GLOVES INTERACT TYRES
Available as a full gauntlet-style If you’ve got a 1990s or early 2000s sports-tourer
sport riding glove (RP-2) or shorty then these tyres are for you. No, they’re not the
glove (RP-3) these have a full latest Roadtec 01s from Metz, as these were
leather palm with floating carbon launched back in 2012, but that means they will
knuckle to allow your hand to be cheaper and are still top-notch performers and
articulate freely when riding. Tough they come in a wide range of sizes to suit bikes of
and comfy, these come in three ‘our’ era, from 110 fronts (in 17in and 18in) 120
colourways in sizes small to 3XL. fronts (17s and 18s) and rears from 140 up to 190
The prices are the same for shorty rear section. For prices check your local
or gauntlet-style gloves. £59.99 dealership or tyre merchant.
www.oxfordproducts.com www.metzeler.com

£Various
HJC CS-15 STORMTROOPER HELMET
If you like Star Wars and love a well-priced
feature-packed lid, then the HJC CS-15
helmet is for you. The CS-15 uses
HJC’s Advanced Channelling
System to direct air around the
skull for maximum cooling,
which is backed up by a
machine-washable,
removable comfort liner.
Micro-buckle adjustment one
colour (evil Empire white)
only and sizes XS-2XL.
www.oxfordproducts.com

TCX SP MASTER GORE-TEX

The SP Master GORE-TEX is a sporty, versatile boot
suitable for all-weather riding. They are comfy and for
£149.99 protection, the boots benefit from a Polyurethane
Ankle Retention System, heel guard, ergonomic shin
From plate with iron mesh air intakes and a PU shift pad
ELECTRIC CABLING £5.40 integrated into the upper section of the boots.
per roll
Toe-sliders and foot-beds are also
Connect Workshop Consumables has replaceable. They comes
recently introduced a new range of in black and black/
mini reels of high-quality cable in a yellow fluo in sizes
variety of colours and capacities from 38-49 for £229.99, or
5 amp up to 27 amp. Three varieties of choose the SP Master
speaker cable are also included in the Waterproof, which
mini reel range. These are general ditches the GORE-TEX
purpose low voltage cables in favour of a
manufactured to BS 6862, suitable for different waterproof
use in automotive and marine www.toolconnection.co.uk and liner for just
applications in temperatures up to 70°C. www.connect-consumables.co.uk £189.99.
www.nevis.uk.com £229.99
10 / classic motorcycle mechanics
 www.classicmechanics.com www.facebook.com/ClassicMechanics/ www.twitter.com/cmmmag

£349.95
(trousers)

£399.95
(jacket)

DAINESE RACING
G 3/DELTA 3
The Racing 3 is an iconic jacket with cowhide
leather, replaceable aluminium shoulder plates
and composite protectors. Pockets for the
double chest protector, G1 and G2 back
protectors are included, while two outer pockets
make sure your valuables stay safe while on the
move. Available in five colours (white/black/red,
black/fluo-red, red/black/white, /black/fluo-
yellow and black), and in UK sizes 34-54 (sizes
8-22 for women.) The jacket can be fastened to
any leather trousers in Dainese’s range, including
these Delta 3 pants, available in UK sizes 28-48
(sizes 6-22 for women) and in four different
colours (black/white/red, black/white, black/
fluo-yellow and black/fluo-red).
www.dainese.com

SEALEY 7 DRAWER ROLLCAB WITH 156PC TOOL KIT

Brand new and available in four colours (orange, red, black or blue)
the Sealey 7 Drawer Superline Pro Rollcab with 156-piece tool kit has
a strong, well made rollcab constructed from heavy gauged steel
with heavy-duty 45mm ball bearing drawer slides. The 156pc tool kit
package includes: tool trays with 6pc prybar, hammer and hacksaw
set; 55pc socket set, 3⁄8in and ½in square drive; 13pc Metric
combination spanner; 6pc screwdriver set; 4pc locking pliers and
adjustable wrench set; 60pc security TRX-Star/hex/ribe/spline bit set;
4pc pliers set and 8pc T-handle ball-end hex key set.
www.sealey.co.uk

SEALEY HAND TOOLS

Sealey’s 16-page Hand Tool Promotion has nearly
200 products on offer inside, more than 20 of
which are new. It also contains products with up to
52% discount off the list price and is valid to
September 30, 2018. This promotion features the
growing range of Premier Black Hand Tools, which
Around
sees torque wrenches, socket bit sets and breaker
£660 bars added to this popular series. Other new
products include a range of multi-coloured socket
sets that are colour coded to match the sizes in
the existing spanner sets.
For more go to www.sealey.co.uk
or call 01284 757500.

www.classicmechanics.com / 11
cmm
Tested
Riding kit worn, tools
twirled & tyres turned
TCX S-SPORT BOOTS
My TCX boots have been with me now for nine years. They really are
my ‘sole’ mate, but despite my best attempts to ignore the fact
they’re nearing the end of their natural life, I still pull them on my
trotters on a daily basis. They are so comfortable I’d often slip them
on to nip to the shops even when I wasn’t taking the bike!
They aren’t the lairiest looking boots in the world, and that’s
another reason why we get on so well. They offer me weather
protection in winter months yet cause me no discomfort on those
rare hot and balmy days: they’ve been the perfect all-rounder.
The black leather uppers have lasted well, and despite me never
eather protective
treating them to the array of weather
products out there, they’ve alwa ays looked Around
smart. In the last few weeks tho ough £120-
I’ve become aware of the odd c crack £140
for the latest
in the leather, and I’ve had the oodd
soggy sock as a result when out
riding in the rain. There’s a part
of my brain that wants to blank it
out, but I have to face facts, my and mym CBR1000F clocked up to riding
boots are dying. exotic c bikes like the Honda NR750, or more
The soles are still good despitte recently the Kawasaki supercharged H2 for
the many miles I’ve walked on magazzine articles, it’s always been my TCX
them. The moulded pattern on footwear resting on the pegs and tapping
the oil and petrol resistant sole away on the gear lever.
is now smooth to the touch in I might be able to get the rest of the
places, and it’s only a matter of summer from them, but when autumn
time before another leak zone arrrives I know I’ll have to retire them.
emerges. I must have yanked th he It’s a no brainer on what I’ll get to
zips a zillion times over the last seven years, which is eplace them, and I look forward to
re
often a weak spot on any biking g kit. These zips still writing
w a review in 2023 about how
operate perfectly; likewise the vvelcro still clings bootiful my new boots were.
together. I’ve worn these boots in all weathers and have Scott Redmond
ridden all sorts of bikes in them. From tthee thousands of miles me www.nevis.uk.com
www n

DRAPER CIRCLIP PLIERS
DRAP
I’ve had similar sets of multi-head
circlip pliers, but these Draper
circlip pliers (19735) far surpass
them! Both internal and external
circlips are catered for and the
various pairs of jaws cater for
pretty much every eventuality.
In fact this set often succeeds
where other, single purpose,
circlip pliers seem to fail. They’re
well-made and have seen me
through numerous projects
without fail. Cheap as chips and
ideal for the home garage fettler.
www.drapertools.com
From
£29.99
From
151 FANTASTIC ELASTIC ADHESIVE £1.75
Every workshop needs a tube of this
stuff on hand! Sticks like the
proverbial and works where other
glues fail. From an annoying nick in
a seat cover, loose footrests and
gluing headlamp lenses to their
reflector bowls this stuff is the
business. Best of all it’s a ‘neutral
cure’ product so there’s no
chemicals being liberated as it goes
off so no damage or staining to
surrounding areas. A small blob
has the most amazing adhesive
power so a tube will last for ages.
It even works on glass!
■ Steve Cooper
www.151.co.uk or try eBay/
Amazon

12 / classic motorcycle mechanics

www.classicmechanics.com / 13
cmm
News
Bennetts launch new
classic insurance!
Motorcycle specialist Bennetts. For non-
Bennetts has launched standard modifications
insurance for classic to the bike, there is no
bikes! administration fee to
They can now offer amend the policy to
owners of modern include these changes.
classic and vintage Bennetts insurance
machinery individually for classic motorcycles
tailored, ‘5 Star also includes optional
Defaqto-rated coverage’ agreed value, making
for their pride and joy. sure each unique bike is
The experts at insured to the correct
Bennetts have designed price. Should the worst
the classic motorcycles happen and the bike is
package to make it as written off, the salvage
easy as possible for retention options allow
owners to customise owners to buy back their
and modify their bikes. bike and recover any
The policy includes 16 parts. For those who Bennetts can cover your classic.
common modifications want to show off their
covered as standard prized possession to
(www.bennetts.co.uk/ fellow enthusiasts, the do not need to insure ever-improving your “The fact that we are
customer/help-advice/ policy includes show each one on separate pride and joy and also able to insure both
modifications/standard) and events cover. policies. showing it off to modern and classic
and – for the many Many CMM readers “At Bennetts, we like-minded people who machinery on the same
classic bike owners own modern and classic understand that owning appreciate the work you multi-bike policy means
whose machinery is an bikes, so Bennetts a classic bike is about have put in. That’s why that it’s easier than ever
ongoing project – if any offers insurance for much more than just when it comes to to protect your bikes.”
of those 16 these on one multi-bike riding,” explains insurance for classic
modifications are made policy (up to four bikes), Bennetts’ head of motorcycles, we have ■ www.bennetts.co.uk/
after taking out the so owners who have commercial, Brady created a package that motorbike-insurance/
policy, they do not need more than one type of Hoines. “It’s about takes all those things classic-bikes
to be declared to machine in their garage tinkering, polishing and into account.

Classic Suzukis to hit the track! Pete Boast and

In this issue of CMM we wax
lyrical about the enjoyment to
be found track-daying your
classics – so why not give this
event a go?
The very first classic
Suzuki-themed track-day
takes place at Cadwell Park
on Thursday, September 13,
in partnership with the Suzuki
Vintage Parts Programme. The
day will be open to all Suzuki
machinery manufactured
before 2000, with riders able
to book into one of four
groups; Novice, Two-Strokes,
Up-to 750cc and Over-750cc
– with each group enjoying six
an XR69.
sessions throughout the day.
There will also be a host of
other on-track activity,
including parade laps of
classic race bikes and owners’
clubs. Special guests present
on the day will include
three-time British Superbike
champion John Reynolds,
Steve Parrish, Guy Martin,
Pete Boast, James Whitham
and Phil Read.
Away from the track action
the Cadwell Park paddock will include Team Classic Suzuki’s such as Kevin Schwantz’s and
be turned into a hive of Katana and XR69s as well as Kenny Roberts Jr’s RGV500s.
classic Suzuki activity so pop Suzuki-powered drag bikes,
along even if you’re not going customs and dirt bikes, and ■ For more information go to:
on track. Attractions will displays of iconic race bikes www.classicbiketrackdays.com

14 / classic motorcycle mechanics

www.classicmechanics.com / 17
cmm
News
MAD FOR A MONKEY!
The world is going mad
for Honda’s Monkey
Bike again – and we
love it! This retro-classic
will be available from
£3699 in Honda
Motorcycle dealerships
across the UK or on
PCP for just £65
a month!
The Honda Monkey
bike was an icon of the
1970s, but it first came
on to the scene in
1961. Originally
developed as a 49cc
child’s plaything for
Tama Tech, an
amusement park in
18 / classic motorcycle mechanics
SEE YOU THERE!
September 2018
2 VJMC Bike Day,
Ace Cafe, london.acecafe.com.
Tokyo, it proved so vehicles’ for transport 2 Festival of 1000 Cars inc. the
popular that a road- when parked up. NW Classic Motorcycle Show.
going version was With its cute looks, Cholmondeley Castle: www.
developed, which was tear-drop tank and classicshows.org.
initially exported to chunky tyres, the
America and Europe in Monkey has stayed in 9 Garstang Autojumble.
1963, with a distinctive our hearts since then www.garstangautojumbles.co.uk.
chrome tank, folding and now here’s the new
handlebars and five-inch version! 9 VMCC (Essex section) End of
diameter rigidly The looks draw Summer Run.
mounted wheels. heavily on the original Tesco car park. Tel 01621 893450.
Following introduction, but at its heart is a
the machine was 125cc air-cooled 9 Brighton Burn Up!
developed further over fuel-injected motor, Ace Cafe, london.acecafe.com.
the years so that by the pumping out just under
mid-1970s it saw 10bhp through a 10-16 Benelli Week.
widespread use four-speed ‘box. You’ve Pesaro, Italy. www.benelli.com.
anchored on the rear of got a steel frame,
‘RVs’ or ‘recreational inverted forks, twin 15 Kempton Park Motorcycle
shocks (naturally) and Autojumble.
modern LED lights as www.kemptonparkautojumble.co.uk.
well as a 5.6-litre tank
proudly displaying the 16 Blue-Haze – Fantic & Fizzy
old Honda Wing logo in Frenzy & Two-Strokes.
glorious 3D! Ace Cafe, NW10 7UD
The colours are
lovely too: Banana 19 OCTOBER ISSUE OF CLASSIC
Yellow/Ross White, Pearl MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS
Nebula Red/Ross White,
Pearl Shining Black/ 23 Normous Newark Autojumble.
Ross White. www.newarkautojumble.co.uk.
■ For more head to your 23 Leighton Hall Motorcycle Hill
local Honda dealership. Climb.
www.leightonhallmotorcyclehillclimb.
co.uk.
30 59 Club Day + BSA Bantam
Meet.
Ace Cafe, london.acecafe.com.
30 Sand and Motorcycles.
Banana Leighton Buzzard.
yellow, www.facebook.com/
naturally... SandAndMotorcycles
www.classicmechanics.com / 19
 Post to Mechanics, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ
Z
or email your pictures to editorial@classicmechanics.com

WIN TYRES
S
Every month we’re giving away a pair of Bridgestone tyres to the writer of the best submitted letter we
receive. You can choose between Bridgestone’s BT-016 Pros, BT-023s or BT-45s! No cash alternative,
before you ask! Simply get in touch by sending emails to: letters@classicmechanics.com or post your
letters to the normal address, giving contact details just in case you are that lucky winner.

She sells Sanctuary!
And another Pip!
Hi Bertie and all at CMM…
regarding the AC Sanctuary
Kawasaki found in the April
2018 issue… well, I loved the
punchy write-up and the
two-page spread and found
myself reading it time and time
again and studying the pics – a
great addition! Cheers!
Pip Davidson
ze winner
Mega Milly
yard!
I just want to congratulate e all at CMM for a considered using TW WO Suzuki GT750 Kettle
corking issue last time ou ut. I have to say, I motors? Hmmmm m the thought of what a V6
love the bikes that Allen Millyard
M builds, two-stroke Kettle would look, go and sound
so to get a road test on twwo of them and like is almost tooo much to comprehend.
get a spread of pics of hiss bikes as well as Perhaps we shoould ‘crowd-fund’ one?
his regular column, it wass well worth Keep up thee good work!
the £4.30 asking fee alon ne. Doug Brown
I’ve seen his bikes at vaarious
shows and the attention to detail Bertie e says: “You’re most
is amazing. The big thing for me welcom me Doug! Glad you liked
is how he makes the bikes look the iissue – in fact, we hope you
almost – well – ‘factory’ foor want likee this one, as you’re going
of a better word. It’s as if the too win a lovely set of
bikes had rolled off of Bridgestone hoops for your
B
Kawasaki’s production line… bike. As to a V6 Kettle,
I’m now wondering – ass he’s weell, who knows what’s
built a V12 with two Kawa asaki going through Millyard’s mind
Z1300 lumps – whether he’s h ever for the next m machine!”

Retro touring!
Having read the article in the
August issue on ‘Living with
the Kawasaki Z900RS’, I
would like to respond about
the practicality of the fact that
you also ‘don’t want to stick
luggage on it!’
My wife and I have recently
returned from a trip to Bruges
on my Z900RS complete with
Oxford Lifetime panniers and
tank bag. The luggage fitted
brilliantly to the bike and was
well clear of the exhaust pipe.
Kawasaki Z900RS...
My wife said she had plenty of
room to sit and her boots
remained snug on the rear
footpegs. Yes, the seat is small
compared to other bikes, but
she also said that having been
touring with me round Europe
on my Suzuki GSX1400 (I
part-exchanged it for the
Z900RS) the Kawasaki was far
more comfortable and she felt
she could sit all day on the
back. It handles really well
two-up with luggage and is
effortless to ride. Please tell
your readers not to be put off
from touring on this great
machine as it’s a joy to ride
long-distance.
Guy Taylor
Bertie says: “Fair play to
you and the wife, Guy! My
feeling is that it’s just a shame
to mar those beautiful lines
with luggage, but it’s good to
hear that you think it’s a fine
touring machine.”
...it can be done!
Eddy’s back!
I have received the latest CMM
and I have seen my letter that
you printed and your reply. The
thought has occurred to me
that maybe Royal Mail never
delivered the photos I sent – it
was a while ago now!
What you may not know is I
also had a Suzuki Stinger as
well. I didn’t keep it long, as I
am not keen on two-strokes
due to the probability of me
forgetting to put oil in the
tank! You tell me you construct
model kits, well I have had
every motorcycle kit from Hiro.
They are doing a lot of
V-twins for before the Second
World War and they are quite
pricey (£510 including p&p)
but you can get them from
01295 278070. Anyway, keep
up the good work. I do enjoy
Allen Millyard’s projects. He
definitely has the skill and
know-how to construct

20 / classic motorcycle mechanics

 SUBSCRIBE TODAY
Enough to drive a sane man Scoop...
motorcycles like no one else
does.
Eddy Tomblinson
Bertie says: “Eddy! You’ll
see that we had a special on
Allen’s bikes last month. As to
the Stinger… well, I think that
Scoop is still having
nightmares.”
You’ve gone up!
I know this is a little bit ‘after
the fact’ but I wanted to ask a
question. The question is:
“Why have you put the price
up of my favourite magazine?”
This year it’s gone up by 10p
and I wanted to know why.
Please don’t put it down to
Brexit! Ha! I have to say that
my favourite part of the
magazine is the back section
where we see all the project
bikes and the like. Although
all I do is mainly RIDE my
bikes, I do rather like watching
other people tinker with stuff
and I do enjoy Ralph Ferrand’s
turn of phrase. Is it Ralph’s
wages that have forced the
cover price up?
Kev Barnes
Bertie says: “Ahhh Kev.
Yes, the cover price has gone
up and sadly it’s not down to
Ralph’s beer/bar bill coming
through as expenses. I’m not
going to put the cover price
increase down to Brexit, or the
phase of the moon, but it’s
just one of those things sir
that has to happen at some
point. What I would say though
is this: I’m a mad-keen serial
magazine buyer in my other
chosen hobbies (model
making, model flying, retro
computer games, etc.) and I
can honestly say, hand on
heart, that CMM knocks the
mags I buy into a cocked hat
when it comes to value for
money/pagination. Best thing
you can do Kev is subscribe!
See page 40 for details. You’ll
get the mag BEFORE it hits
the shelves and save cash.”
Up the Ace!
I just wanted to say how much
I enjoy CMM and the fact that
it’s not always about the
top-notch classics: I mean,
who could really afford a mint,
original late 1972 Z1 now eh?
Me? I’m happy with my
pretty damn clean Honda
Thunderaces can rock!
SHARE YOUR PROJECT WITH THE WORLD!
Super Scooper!
Another corking issue was
August’s and I loved the test
by Steve Cooper on the
K100 RS. It took me back to
the one I owned in the
1990s.
Like Karl, the owner of
the bike tested, I took mine
all over Europe from
southern Spain, the south
of France, Italy and ‘back
home’ to Germany.
Often I’d take the late wife
on the back and we enjoyed
some cracking trips and met
many new friends – the sort
you only meet when out and
touring on two wheels. In
around 30,000 miles on that
bike I can recall only three
major issues – and all were
punctures when rushing to
catch a boat: more haste,
less speed, as my dear old
mum used to say!
The two-up trips became
Scoop and BM...
CB400 Four, my very straight
Kawasaki GPz900R A1 and a
ropey Thunderace. Yes, a
Chunderace.
Now, being my main bike for
most of the year (I’m a bit old
school and leave the wife to
the car apart from weekends/
SEE PAGE 36-37 FOR DETAILS
less frequent when Wendy,
the wife, became ill, but I
still went out myself on the
bike and found that it did all
I wanted of a bike: it could
hustle (a bit) and do
distance. I found it
supremely comfortable and
the Krauser luggage I would
use meant we could pack for
a good week or so away.
Eventually, in the
mid-2000s, I sold her but
Steve’s article has really
whetted my appetite to get
another – but I think at my
age (70) I should stick to
something a little smaller
and lighter, so the Honda
CB500 twin that I have fits
the bill!
Okay, so it means jaunts
to the continent are a little
harder to make in comfort,
but I can still pop over to
mainland Europe and see all
the old friends Wendy and I
made more than 20-odd
years ago. Bikes help make
memories, don’t they?
Tony Smith
Bertie says: “Tony,
you’re spot on sir. We are a
strange bunch, us bikers,
but we’re also a loyal lot!
Glad it stirred some great
memories for you.”
tip runs) the Ace gets plenty of
miles on the clock – around
39,000 at last check.
It’s a great machine – it
goes well, it stops well, it
handles well and – while it’s
not a looker – I do look after
it and keep on top of it
maintenance-wise, as I am
pretty good like that.
Unlike with my new phone…
I tried to take a pic of the Ace
for you, but it’s got me
stumped! I’ll wait until my
daughter pops round…
Dave Sykes
Bertie says: “Dave, you’re
right to love the Ace – it’s a
great bike and you – like many
readers – have more than one
classic in your stable. As to
the phone trouble, have you
tried turning it off and on
again mate?” cmm
www.classicmechanics.com / 21
 n
e YO U R pr id e an d jo y in our pages, so you ca
We want to se s.
e w hat you rid e an d re store with fellow reader We’ve teamed up with SDoc100
shar @mortons.co.uk or mai
l (www.sdoc100.co.uk) which manufactures some
es sh ots to bs im m on ds of the best bike cleaning kit in the business!
Email your hi-r
ad dres s at the fro nt of the mag. Let us know So, send in your pictures of your bikes and you
could win an SDoc100 cleaning kit worth £50!
in some photos to the and send before and after Remember to send your name and address
w yo u’ ve do ne it
what you’ve done and ho
on each submission so we know
in touch. Bertie. where to post the kit.
shots if you can. Do get

Tom Garland’s 1975 Honda CB175 K-6

This little twin has been the focus of all Components, AM Philpot, FJ Vapour
my attention over the last two winters. blasting, Triple S and Steve at MTS for
A house move in the middle added to a cracking colour match on the Candy
everything living in an assortment of Gold. It sounds ace for such a little bike
boxes until I finally got around to kicking out circa 20bhp and although
piecing it all back together. I’ve probably spent as much as it’s now
I took this little bike as my first go worth the whole process has been worth
at a resto, mainly to try to keep costs it Hope you all agree!
it.
down (ha, ha) and knowing I’d have to
source a lot of new parts, in particular
all the bodged and rusted fastenings as
well as all the usual oil seals, gaskets
and springs.
CMM was a key player in the
successful restoration thanks to all
the small ads and info. The bike was
pretty much a wreck when it turned up
out of the back of a Transit. I did think
maybe this was a wreck too far, but I
like a challenge and slowly but surely
after a gruelling dismantling stage I
found some parts beyond repair and
eaten away by corrosion but (and this
WINNER
is testament to Honda’s engineering
quality) all the engine components were
in tolerances and the gearbox showed
no signs of wear. It had 20K+ miles on
it and had lain unused for probably 30
years in a barn: four previous owners
since 1975 with the DVLA saying it was
last taxed in 1979!
Thanks have to go to all the speciality
guys out there who operate out of the
small workshops up and down the
country. In particular – Central Wheel

22 / classic motorcycle mechanics

 Ryan Ashall’s Yamaha
XS750 Cafe Racer
Hi I’ve just finished restoring a Yamaha XS750 into a cafe
racer and think it’s good enough for a feature in your
magazine. II’ve
ve attached a few pics for you to look .

Neil Bell’s 1982 Suzuki

GSX750 Katana
Here are some pictures of my 1982 Suzuki Katana 750 with
modern tyres, Gsx wheels and brakes. It handles so well!

Lasse Sandström’s 1975 Yamaha XS650B

This is my XS650B from 1975. The list of
what I’ve done is long. I changed to the
correct fuel tank (bought a used one from
UK, imported from the USA). I stripped all
paint and painted everything using a spray
gun (mending the tank – big dent) using
lead filler. I sent the OEM exhaust pipes
for a re-chrome, new saddle cover, front
mudguard, tail lamp (Lucas copy), mufflers
etc. The engine was renovated with lots of
new stuff (new pistons,
valves etc.) but most
importantly the crank
was rebuilt by XS-shop
in Germany.
We fabricated new
front mudguard stays to
mimic an old British A new main master cylinder (with smaller
bike. Many small parts piston) for the disc brakes improved it a
were re-plated (zinc- lot! I also made sure it had new bearings
nickel) using a Caswell and seals in both wheels, new tapered
kit in my workshop. steering head bearings and
Wheels rebuilt by me recommissioned bushings and new seals in
with new aluminium the swingarm. Oh, and a new wiring loom,
rims (18-inch both) and progressive fork springs and bespoke NJB
stainless spokes. Clocks rear shocks. Controls are from a TR1, brake
came from a jumble, pump from an XZ550.
fitted to a home-made Hardest thing to do: fitting the decals on
console with idiot lights. the tank before the lacquer coat!

John Webley’s collection

These are my regular
rides! The CB500 I have
owned since 1977, it is
used regularly to go to
biker nights and various
other venues. It is cleaned
a couple of times a year,
whether it needs it or not!
It has nearly 70K miles on
it so it’s typical Honda
longevity. It has a few
basic mods, including the
extra disc and electronic
ignition, plus Halogen
headlamp. My second is
an early Yamaha RD125,
purchased as a wreck just
over two years ago. It now
runs well and screams as
it should do. I ride it to
the closer bike meets or
just for a little potter
around. The Honda
CB200 is a recent
acquisition so hopefully in
due course it will look
much better, but it is in
need of lots of TLC!

www.classicmechanics.com / 23
 The way
we were…
Send us your nostalgic snaps of
with your steed! Either send to m
you back in the day
e at bsimmonds@
cebook page. C’mon!
mortons.co.uk or via our vibrant Fa
Damon Hall says: “Here
KIT WINNER
are some memories! My first
ride at around 11 years of
age on my uncle’s grass
tracker, through to happy days on my
Fizzy in the summer of 1988, and then
going proper legit on a year-old AR50 in
the autumn of 1988.
“I’ve moved on a bit now and have a
lovely collection of bikes, and love my
Swan Yamaha R1 replica that I recently
went to the Isle of Man TT on. There
have been plenty of thrills and spills
over my 35 years of biking and I now
have some truly awesome mates I’ve
picked up along the way who share the
Garry Williams says: “I’m from Ohio
in the US of A and grew up racing
two-cylinder, two-stroke outboard
powered hydroplanes and have been a
two-stroke nut ever since. I had a torrid
love affair with an RZ350 which I finally
owned in 1985: it could hit 130mph
with me lying in the tank. After several
close calls with the law, I knew it had to
go or I’d be in jail…
“I’ve got lots of ‘almost jailed’ stories
(which we sadly have to cut: Bertie)
including one where the cop sees it’s a
350 and figures that it can’t do more
than 55mph… I have since owned a
www.facebook.com/ClassicMechanics/
24 / classic motorcycle mechanics
We've teamed up with The Hobby Company
(ww .hobbyco.ne ) which
the UK to give our favourite
t TTamiy
t ibbutes a
iya plastic motor cycle kits in
distri
di
ing motor cycles in miniature. So, send in
restoration one of its amaz
could win the chance to indulge in a
your pictures of your bikes and you
ture motor cycle restor ation of your own. Remember to send your name
minia where to post the kit.
and address on each submission so we know
Derek Allen says: “The
importance of proper rider
training cannot be
underestimated. This is me trying
to get to grips with my first
‘proper’ bike, a CB 400 F1.
“It was a fantastic machine
with a Bill Roberts race faring
and Two-Four seat. Once I’d
learned which way to sit on it, we
had three great years together
until a builder’s van with no
mirrors took it out. Sigh.”
same passion. Biking is a way of life
non-bikers cannot understand and I Roger Lovell supplied some
wouldn’t change it for anything!” Italian exotica. Roger spills the
beans on this snap from the
Lovell archives. “It’s 1985, I was
off to a track-day at Mallory Park
on my MV350S.
“The day didn’t go too well, I
was banned because the bike was
too noisy. I wish I still had the
MV, but I miss my old Morini
more, that’s the bike I bought
after selling this one. It was by far
a better bike.”
1995 GPZ 1100 and a 1990 Honda
Hurricane 1000 and both felt like slow
pigs compared to the RZ. Absolutely
love your mag and all the two-stroke
stories. No one over here cares about
them any more.
“Oh, I own a boat repair business
named Two-Stroke Only. My hobby is
modding 200bhp, 5500rpm Evinrude
Outboards into 400bhp 8000rpm
lake rockets!”
www.twitter.com/cmmmag
26 / classic motorcycle mechanics
 CLASSIC RIDE

Little
Scoop samples a cute little Kawasaki B8S
and comes away most impressed.
WORDS: STEVE COOPER PHOTOS: GARY D CHAPMAN

www.classicmechanics.com / 27
 CLASSIC RIDE
I f you are of a certain age and still riding, chances
are you first saddled up out of necessity.
From the mid-1960s through to the end of the
80s, socio-economic circumstances meant cars were
financially beyond the reach of most of the working
youth so it was either shanks’s pony, a push bike or
a commuter motorcycle. It’s my contention that if
the kids of the period had been able to access
machines such as this month’s subject matter,
Kawasaki would have had a much larger fan base
and significantly earlier than it did.
In camera we have an exquisite example of what
the Japanese factories were offering en masse to the
average commuter of SE Asia and sporadically to the
USA. It’s simply light years ahead of anything being
offered in Europe at the time with the possible
exception of more expensive machines from Italy
and Germany. Possibly a supreme irony of post-
Second World War reparation was the fact that the
Allies ’profited’ from bikes derived from DKW’s
pre-war RT125 while the defeated countries sought
to design new motorcycles from scratch. These latter
machines tended to be up to date and modern. Our
Kawasaki B8S Super 150 came with full-on 12V
28 / classic motorcycle mechanics
ABOVE: Why didn’t
the British bike
firms make
something similar?
electrics, indicators, effective full width water-
resistant drum brakes and even an electric start:
compare this specification to ‘home grown’
machines of the time.
The humble little Kawasaki was conceived,
designed and built to offer near flawless commuter
transport and to run faithfully for years. In contrast
the combined, moribund, offerings of BSA, AMC,
Norman, Velocette et al were made as cheaply as
possible with little real thought to customer
satisfaction let alone enjoyment!
Walk up to the B8S and it almost appears to be a
“The very nature three quarter scale model it looks that small. Much
of this is due to the 16in wheels that were doubtless
of the division’s chosen to ensure even the shortest rider could sit
previous with both feet flat on the ground. The pressed steel
purpose, aircraft frame is of similarly modest dimensions, no doubt to
assist the smaller rider. That T-bone frame was a
production, cost effective method of creating a decent, rigid,
meant that chassis and was a format that almost every Japanese
everything had to manufacturer followed; in fact Yamaha would still be
using a similar layout well into the early 1980s. The
be subtly over Kawasaki’s piston-ported motor sits in the frame
engineered.” grasped by plates at the rear of gearbox with a
 ABOVE: Just so easy
to use... AND enjoy!

RIGHT: Built up to a
standard and not
down to a price.

SPECIFICATION

ENGINE TYPE
148cc air-cooled, two-
stroke, single, piston-ported
BORE AND STROKE
58 x 56mm
CLAIMED HORSEPOWER
bolted-in front down tube running from behind the 12.5bhp @ 6500rpm
headstock to another set of engine plates that fit to MAXIMUM TORQUE
10lb-ft @ 4500rpm
the lower front of the crankcases. Suspension is
TRANSMISSION TYPE
taken care of front and rear via enclosed and 4-speed, rotary shift,
shrouded units. The rear swingarm is once again a chain final drive
pressed steel item just like so many of its peers. COMPRESSION RATIO
Perhaps the only surprise on a self-professed 6.0:1
commuter machine is the fact that the drive chain CARBURETION
Mikuni VM20SH
isn’t enclosed but doubtless Kawasaki probably
TYRES
offered one as an option. Otherwise, fully specified 3.00 x 16 (F&R)
the bike offers genuine pillion accommodation FUEL CAPACITY
with a decent dual seat, a rack and, of course, a 2.2 gallons (10 litres)
heel-and-toe rocking gear pedal. Originally this form FUEL:OIL RATIO
20:1
of gear selection was said to be an Italian affectation
BRAKES
that saved style-conscious Latins from damage SLS drum (F) SLS drum (R)
their suede loafers. In the world of 1960s Asian OVERALL LENGTH
commuters the pedal had a more profound purpose; 1900mm (74.8in)
it accommodated the basic footwear, flip-flops or OVERALL WIDTH
even bare feet, common among period riders! 680mm (26.8in)
Up at the front end both the bars and the clock OVERALL HEIGHT
980mm (26.8in)
are simple, uncluttered and purposeful. On the left
WHEELBASE
there’s a horn and the indicator switch which 1255mm (49.4in)
mercifully operates on a horizontal plane unlike DRY WEIGHT
some of the period Yamahas I’ve owned. On the 116kg (256lb)
opposite side there’s a hi-lo beam switch and the
starter button for the electric foot. The clock sits in
a casquette style headlight unit and offers three
idiot lights; charge, neutral and turn. Very much of
the period, the ignition switch sits on the side of the
headlamp. Unique to similar period Kawasakis the
indicators illuminate both fore and aft thereby
offering motorists little excuse for not seeing them.
And check out that rear light. Isn’t that the funkiest
period unit you’ve ever seen? And even better, when
you apply the rear brake that outer chrome ring
comes up as a red halo; form and function in one
elegant package.
So much for detail, what about the riding
experience? Fuel tap and choke are exactly where
you’d expect them and for a laugh I’m trying the
electric start facility. Of course it’s Japanese and a
Kawasaki so it will work perfectly. The engine fires
up instantly and almost immediately I can knock off
the choke. The exhaust note is deep and not at all
muted; blipping the throttle the silencer delivers a
deep sonorous tone that only amplifies when the
engine is worked harder. Neutral sits at the top
of the box with four ratios accessed by tapping

www.classicmechanics.com / 29
 CLASSIC RIDE

downwards with the front half of the pedal. Working

down the gears requires the rider to concentrate and
perform an unusual action, pushing down with the
heel. Initially it’s an odd and slightly ungainly
manoeuvre yet you quickly adapt. Well, until you
inadvertently tap through neutral and find yourself
in first gear with a frantically screaming motor.
Yes, for reasons we Europeans could never fathom
the bike is equipped with a rotary gearbox allowing
you to go from fourth, through neutral and back into
first again. It’s an error you only tend to make the
once as the result of such a crass error certainly
focuses the mind!
The bike seems to possess a disproportionate
amount of torque and pulls with a lusty enthusiasm
BSA Bantam owners could only dream about. Ease
of use and flexibility is what the motor is all about.
The owner’s tale: First gear takes us to 12mph, second to 20, third to
30 or just over and top (fourth) gets the B8S into its
Grahame Peters comfort zone of 40 and above. The bike will happily
exceed 50 and would probably breast 60mph but it’s
I brought the B8 ES means expensive happiest cruising between 45-50 and, after all, it
150 off eBay in April shipping plus the was designed as a commuter not a sports bike. And
2009 for £386 and put added costs of import for a commuter it has a stunning pair of brakes.
it on the road in the duty, VAT and Both are ’only’ single leading shoe units but they
June of the same year. handling fees which offer fantastic feel and retardation.
After riding it for a bit, makes even cheap You can just see numerous B8s being hustled
I restored it to its parts pricey. around the urban streets of 1960s Japan or being
current condition in I have learnt that worked hard along the various dirt roads of SE Asia.
2014. I rechromed all you buy the parts Handling-wise the bike does everything you might
the various parts and when you see them
re-trimmed/re-spoked not when you need
the wheels. I have them off eBay. The
re-covered the seat rarer the part the less just so much fun and
and also got the shock likely it is you’ll see so easy to ride. As far
absorbers overhauled. another one of them as I’ve been able to
These parts are very anytime soon! It’s one ascertain it’s one of
scarce for these bikes of my favourite bikes just three examples
and mainly sourced for riding around known to exist in
from the USA which country lanes as it’s this country!”

30 / classic motorcycle mechanics

ask of it and then some. The box-section steel frame
may not be as light as a set of tubes but it’s strong
and pretty resistant to flexing. The guys back at the
factory knew exactly what sort of life the B8S and its
kin would be living; hard work with several members
of one family aboard or possibly loaded to the
gunnels and beyond with produce destined for the
local market. The suspension is basic yet still fulfils
its purpose more than half a century later.
The porting of the cast iron barrel delivers instant
drive in pretty much any gear unless you try pulling
away in top. With no rev counter it’s not possible to
give engine speed figures but gut feeling suggests
the 150cc motor gets into its stride by 2000rpm
and providing the revs don’t drop below that it’ll
do whatever you ask of it within the constraints
of its design brief.
And it’s that one word – design – that is key to the
bike’s undoubted success. This is not a motorcycle
designed by a group of hog-tied motorcycle
engineers working to a bean counter’s restrictions.
What we have here is a machine drafted by a team
of ex-aircraft engineers. Study those ultra-rare and
expensive tank badges and read what they say; this
is a machine researched, designed, prototyped and
built by an entire workforce trained and educated to
produce aeroplanes. The very nature of the division’s
previous purpose, aircraft production, meant that
everything had to be subtly over engineered quite
simply because as an aeroplane manufacturer you
can’t afford to have your products falling out of the
skies! Everything on a plane must fulfil its function
whilst retaining a safety factor. of old Japanese iron is rapidly becoming a smallish ABOVE: Scoop must
That same ethos was carried into all of the lake; secondly the demographic is aging. For some, be impressed... he’s
company’s early two-wheeled products and it shows big bikes will simply be too weighty to manhandle actually smiling!
in bikes such as the B8S here. They had to live up and/ride or possibly even kick start. Suddenly an
to their primary purpose as reliable and consistent older Japanese classic with an electric foot becomes
commuters and then some; there was no room for hugely attractive. With the likes of Honda’s iconic
foibles perpetuated via poor design or starting/ CB92 Benly heading north of £10k for a prime
running issues instigated by penny pinching. example cute little commuters such as the Kawasaki
For far too long the Japanese classic scene has B8S allow an ageing rider to still ’keep their hand in’
pretty much studiously avoided commuter machinery without breaking the bank. As the saying goes – it
other than Honda’s ever-present step-throughs. The ain’t what you ride, it’s how you ride it. And you
likes of Yamaha’s YB series, Suzuki’s utilitarian A don’t have to be an old codger just to enjoy the B8S;
range and even Kawasaki’s sublime GA models have it’s packed with character, pretty as a picture and as
had little coverage yet things may be about to reliable as anything several decades younger. How
change. Firstly the once apparently limitless ocean many more reasons do you need to buy one? cmm

History of small Kawasaki singles

It’s really not until you pick
up one of those rare
Kawasaki Motorcycle
Recognition Manuals that you
truly appreciate just how
many sub 200cc models the
company offered.
The J series based around
an 85cc disc-valve single
came in 12 facsimiles over
just four model years. The
subsequent G series (90cc –
100cc) offered some 34
variations over seven years
but then the bikes renamed
as KEs, KHs, KDs and KCs
almost treble the model
count. The B series to which
our test bike belongs ran
from 1963 through to the late
1970s in numerous guises
and spawned a bigger
brother via the F-series
175cc versions that would
ultimately evolve into the
famous trail bike family
which in turn would then
become the KE series. The
key to such success and
model proliferation was in
the attention to detail of the
original design, the robust
nature of the bike’s
construction and, crucially,
an almost pathologically
rigorous quality control
department. Kawasaki’s
senior management were
smart, recognising that
every bike mattered
regardless of engine size.
A humble 50cc commuter
carried the same level of
importance to its end user
(aka the customer) as did the
hairy chested A7 Avenger to
the guy who was going to
race it; both had to run
faultlessly. Still made as a
mass produced item, the
Kawasaki singles were made
up to a standard not down
to a price.
That doyen of the British
motorcycled industry Edward
Turner reckoned Blighty’s
bike manufacturers had
nothing to fear from the
Japanese. After all they could
only turn out small capacity
machine and what value did
they have? History shows the
answer to be… ’more than
you can possibly imagine!’

www.classicmechanics.com / 31
 CLASSICS ON TRACK

b
O
PHOT

u
ES
X JAM

l
E , A L E
RCHIV
ONS A

C
T
, MOR
FO RSYTH
ARK

t
OS: M

h
RK
S: MA
WORD

a time in
re comes hat itch.
s fas t, the l scratch t
d ing bike d ay s wil
ay bi kes…
ou like ri nly track t tr ack d
If y he re o e gre a
fe w m ak
your li d old bikes
An

32 / classic motorcycle mechanics

 That’ll be £920 all in...
apart from the dog.

L et’s face it, speeding – proper speeding – has

become about as socially acceptable as drink
driving. Get caught and you’re not going to just
get a ticking off and you’re not going to hear the
phrase, ‘oo d’you think you are, Barry Sheene?’
Adam, well and truly hooked, ended up buying a
2004 CBR600RR for £1700 that came with wets on
wheels, a V5, a few sprockets and some paddock
stands. Bargain.
So I didn’t have to sacrifice my mint, original
any more. SP-1 Honda, I went crazy and bought an old steel
Nope, get caught speeding properly and you’re framed CBR600F2 for the princely sum of £500 – a
going to prison. And on modern sportsbikes, you quarter of the value of my helmet, leathers, boots
don’t have to be trying particularly hard before you and gloves. This less than cosmetically perfect
get your collar felt. Short shift through the gears of munter had previously been owned by a scaffolder
a Kawasaki ZZ-R1400 – and even on part throttle so every nut and bolt was tightened to 150Nm.
you’re deep into three figure speeds quicker than Nothing fell off it. Not even me.
you can deliver your mitigating circumstances. Another mate – who also happens to be a British
There’s a bunch of us who have had enough of Superbike crew chief – went mad and spent a whole
this risk. Well, a bunch of us with little or no £1000 on a really, really sorted, ex-race CBR600
willpower who find it impossible to ride at legal Steelie. Mick, having heard our tales of track action
speeds on the roads who have all taken the track day also wanted to join our track day party but – quite
plunge and bought (old) bikes just for this purpose. rightly – didn’t want to risk his very tidy Aprilia
People treat track days very differently. We’re just Tuono. Refreshed by a few glasses of Budgens’ finest
in it for a good time with minimal fuss, bother and Rose, he hit the Bay in earnest. And this is what he
spannering on the day. We just want to put fuel in turned up. For £800 (including delivery from
and ride. We don’t want to be fannying around with Darlington) his (1997, we think) Kawasaki ZX-6R
tyre warmers, paddock stands, generators, GoPros, was something of a bargain: wets on wheels with
transponders and laptops. We want to be drinking discs – even a paddock stand.
tea, taking the piss out of each other and having a Not satisfied by beating us all to pole position for
laugh. But doing it all as cheaply as possible has the hallowed tight-arse title, he then scored a very
turned out to be more competitive and nearly as rubbish diesel Peugeot van for £120 that cost him
much fun as being out on track.
A mate and myself started the ball rolling three or
four years ago on our road bikes. He (Adam) had
never done a track day before so we both booked in
to a Donington Park event (£100 each). Adam owns
a fairly new ZX-10 Kawasaki and is a rapid road
rider. Seven 20-minute sessions was enough for the
bug to bite.
Honestly, if you’ve never done it before it’s hard to
explain. But imagine the best road you know and
imagine it as one-way, with marshals sweeping any
little bit of debris off the racing line. Imagine no
side roads, no spilled diesel, no speed cameras and
no unmarked cop cars. The screaming high rev drop
down Hollywood through Craner Curves on hot,
sticky tyres is a feeling that’s as close to euphoria
as I presume is possible.

www.classicmechanics.com / 33
 CLASSICS ON TRACK

£30 to get through its MOT. Bosh: a full track

day package for under a grand, but an £800 track
day bike can’t be any good can it? That’s C90
money, after all.
To be honest, we were all pretty gutted at just
how good Mick’s new bike was. My ’orrible ’onda
wouldn’t even get a sniff of it along Cadwell Park’s
long bottom straight. After my bike rodded itself in
the first afternoon session (that’s a tale for another
day), I flipped through Cadwell’s woodland section
in my flops to watch everyone else through this
notoriously tricky section.
Mick’s ZX-6R sounded disgustingly crisp with a
real high-compression crack to the exhaust note
under load and sharp, finely metered fuelling on
pick up. There’s no doubt about it, he’d won.
Pleasingly (for us) not everything was perfect.
His exhaust bracket snapped (quickly fixed with
a battery drill and a new M6 Allen bolt) and the
seat unit only appeared to be held on by cosmic
guidance, boasting several inches of movement in
three different astral planes. True to tight-arse form,
this was fixed by a piece of roofing batten and two
self-tappers. Cost: zero.
The late, great John Robinson, the author of some
of the best technical writing motorcycle journalism
I’m ever likely to see, once said to me: “All you
need is 100bhp to enjoy yourself.” His rhetorical
argument was that if you were getting overtaken
you weren’t riding well enough. Buying a track day snotter?
And here, late 90s/early Noughties 600 supersport
bikes come into their own. Light and nimble with Fancy joining our cheapskate work) and weekends are normally
rims the right sizes to run modern rubber and brakes track day scene? There’s a good around £140-£150 per day.
powerful enough to easily lock a front if you’re being FaceBook group, Trackday Addicts, Late 1990s/early 2000 600s are
ham-fisted, they offer the tight-fisted track-dayer with lots of bikes and parts our choice: like a TZ250, there’s a
unrivalled value for money. appearing for sale. Other than lovely balance between power
For the sort of money some track day riders would that, popular online auction sites and grip where you find yourself
normally spend on a shock or a pair of wheels, we’ve and actual events themselves spending a lot of time on full
all got bikes capable of lapping Brands Indy in 50 are also good places to source throttle at peak revs and peak
dead. Well, the bikes are capable of that… sorted bikes. lean: very satisfying when it
I got a chance to ride Mick’s ZX-6R at Don’t be afraid of Cat C or D (occasionally) comes together.
Rockingham: it’s massive compared to modern 600s write-offs – judge for yourself Steel-framed Honda CBR600s
with a huge amount of distance between the seat whether the resto’ work has been are cheap to buy, nice to work on
and wide-spaced handlebars, and the seat and carried out properly. In fact, the and cheap to fix. Budget £500 to
footrests, making it perfect for the larger framed, vendor’s garage/house/front £1500 – the later F3s had ram-air,
bigger-boned chap that he is. The engine is pretty garden will probably tell you more a wider rear wheel, better front
astonishing with really strong mid-range pull and a about their personal standards brakes and slightly more power.
wide, and readily accessible powerband. Fuelling is than looking at the bike itself. Again the Steelie has its own
near-perfect, as too is the gearbox. And more importantly don’t be Facebook group which is stuffed
Not quite so perfect was the front end on Mick’s afraid of doing a track day. So with advice, good humoured
steed. With minimal initial bite, the front brake lever many people are – needlessly. piss-taking, bikes and parts.
needed all four digits (and possibly help from the There are usually three groups: Yamaha’s R6 is also still a sweet
left hand, too) to haul the bike up into turns. This Fast, Intermediate, Novice and if bike to ride and if you opt for
issue was also hampered by the road-drill effect you’re super-scared, my advice pre-injection models will cost you
caused, not by warped front discs, but by massively would be to enter the novice less than a grand. S-RAD Suzuki
worn out front fork bushes. A man in Louth, group and go out at the back. 600s also tick the sub-£1000 box
Lincolnshire is currently fixing this issue for a Instructors are normally on-hand but, there again, so too does the
mere £130 all in. to give advice if you’re feeling 750 version which is probably a
The chain run needs a bit of attention too, as it’s absolutely lost at sea but, if you better option. You could also go
acting as a greasy buzz saw on the near side of the consider yourself a swift and safe the twin option. There’s plenty of
rear tyre. But frankly, as a proud and self-proclaimed road rider I’m confident that ex-MiniTwins Suzuki SV650s...
Cumbrian tight-arse, I have to concede Mick’s feeling will evaporate after the Whatever you buy, if it comes
victory. His ZX-6R might be over two decades old first 20 minute session. with a V5 you can get a daytime
but it’s still fast enough to claim the position of third Evening track days are nice MOT on it with little more than a
or fourth quickest bike in the ‘Fast Group’ at that and chilled and generally cost number plate, a horn and the sort
Rockingham bash. around £45. A full mid-week day of prep you’d demand of anything
And for £800, I reckon that warrants some kind somewhere like Cadwell Park will that’s going to keep you safe on
of special award. In fact, I have just such a prize rush you around £90 (plus a day off track. Come join Tight Club!
in mind: Mick, it’s your round. cmm

34 / classic motorcycle mechanics

 From road to track: a guide!
There’s no scrutineering at track days
so it’s up to you to make sure
everything’s safe and secure on your
bike. Here are some to-dos…
1/ THROTTLE
You want a throttle that snaps shut like
Bertie’s wallet and it needs to do this on
full left and right lock. Any cables that foul
or snag need either re-routing or a cable tie
or two to keep them in place. A squirt of
silicon spray (on the outside) helps a cable
glide nicely.
2/ LEVERS
Brake and clutch levers need to be in line
with your arms so your fingers create a
straight line from your forearm when you
rest your pinkies on top of the levers. This
is the best way to avoid arm-pump.
3/ BRAKES
It pays to change your fluid regularly –
perhaps once a season as it’s hygroscopic:
it absorbs water over time. Check the
forums for what pads work best and do
invest in braided lines, but don’t go for the
ones that loop over the mudguard: lose
that, you lose your brakes.
4/ WHEELS
Wheel alignment is always a good thing. If
you’re on the tight spectrum like us the
next time you adjust your chain you could
use two strip light bulbs (gun-shot straight)
and hold them against either side of the
rear tyre and measure the distance
between them and the front tyre on
both sides. Chain adjuster marks are
not to be trusted.
5/ ENGINE
Change your oil as often as you can
afford it. Some say that 100 track miles
is the equivalent to 1000 road miles.
Keep air-filters/boxes clear – especially
post gravel-trap visit!
7
10
5
8
4 3
6/ TYRES/PRESSURES
Stick to road legal tread depths. For £50
I bought a bead breaker, balancer, rim
protectors and levers and now do all my
own tyre changing (local shop wanted £25
per wheel) you do get quick at it with
practice. Pressures: ask whoever you buy
them off. Every manufacturer is different.
Measure and adjust the pressures from
cold at the start of the day.
7/ SUSPENSION
Needs to be in good order, be it stock or
uprated: if you don’t understand it enlist
the help of experts. If you do, keep notes
and only make one change at a time.
8/ REAR-SETS/COMFORT
You want a bike that’s comfortable: don’t
worry about hi-rise foot-rests just yet. Tank
grips make a huge difference in braking
zones as it allows you to take some
pressure off your old, emaciated arms.
9/ RACE BODYWORK
Cheap and better than crashing in (often
rare/pricey) 1990s fairings.
1
2
9
7
6
4
10/ EXHAUST
While everyone loves the sound of the
current MotoGP bikes and the 1960s
Honda sixes, this may not win you friends
at certain race tracks. Many have quite
stringent decibel/noise levels and your
bike must hit these. On this SV we’ve got
a standard can, but many aftermarket
cans come with removable baffles for
more/less noise.
Also...
TOOLS
Buy a torque wrench to avoid those ‘did I
tighten them enough?’ moments.
LOCKWIRE/LOCTITE
You can go mental and lock wire everything
but, to be honest, you’re just making stuff
difficult for yourself. Same with thread glue.
If it rarely gets taken off the bike for routine
maintenance, apply a dab of Loctite to the
threads. If it’s on and off, just torque it to
factory settings. There’s no need to
lockwire sump-plugs unless you’re going
racing: just refer to that workshop manual
and use your torque-wrench. DO lockwire
both handlebar grips: avoids that horrible
‘two throttles’ feeling.
www.classicmechanics.com / 35
 CLASSICS ON TRACK
Virgin
on the
ridiculous you can
e ou t la y
ho w fo r very littl ea n w h ile our
en m
You’ve se icated track bike: a roa d bike.
buy a d ed cherry o n
p op pe d his
o wh a t g ives?
Ralph S
WORDS: RALPH FERRAND PHOTOS: JIM GAISFORD, RALPH FERRAND.
Y ou may recall last year I sorted and fettled
an original Yamaha YZF-R6. I fitted braided
lines, refitted and sorted the calipers and
synchronised the carbs on my little classic crutch
rocket: now it was time to see how all this worked.
My first impression of the R6 was that she was
deeply uncomfortable. I am not bendy any more and
my gut and the petrol tank were vying for space; with
my blubber losing the battle. My neck started to
ache after a few miles as did many of my joints
unused to the crouched seating position. On an open
road with bends I could see around, I was beginning
to ‘get’ the little Yam; she handled like a dream until
we hit congested roads. This bike soon proved to me
that she was not suitable for clogged-up modern
public roads: what this bike needs is a race track.
I live 25 miles away from the famous Castle
Combe Racing Circuit that has a couple of bike
track days a month. The circuit has stringent noise
regulations and is only allowed a dozen bikes at a
time on the circuit for track days, which is fine by
me. I’m told that at Silverstone they have as many
as 50 bikes on the track at once, which I have to say
is a pretty scary thought. The circuit is 1.85 miles
long, is bumpy and is known as one of the fastest
tracks in the UK. I coughed up £130 for my place,
plus a £2.49 booking fee, which I confess I resented
though I suppose ’tis small beer.
After an early start I got to the track and got a
form to take to the noise check area. Seventy-two
bikes queued up to have their noise measured at
three quarters of the red line from half a metre
behind the exhaust; that’s 12,000 revs on the R6!
Some stock bikes won’t pass the noise checks!
36 / classic motorcycle mechanics
We were then each
allocated one of six groups of
12 to join, given a sticker for
the bike showing the group and
ushered off to a briefing, one of
two. I chose the group for complete
newbies even though I had been on the
track a few years ago. There were bibs
available for those who wanted to let others
know they were new to the circuit, but I decided
not to. The briefing was informative, explaining
circuit etiquette, rules, hazards and the like. The
meaning of the various flags was explained. A yellow
flag indicates danger at that point of the track, often
on corners, and indicates that you should reduce
speed, not overtake and proceed with caution.
If you don’t see another past the flagged section,
then you can return to as fast as you dare. A red
flag is the one nobody wants to see as it usually
means someone has exceeded their skill level and
launched their bike in such a way as it will affect
other riders. Once the red flag is seen, then it is
game over for that session and you must slow down
and cautiously make your way back to the pits.
Anyone contravening this important safety flag
may well be sent home. On a track day a black flag
is usually accompanied by a pointing at a specific
rider by a marshal. It can mean one of two things;
either you have something wrong with your bike
or race control or an instructor feels you are not
behaving safely. Either way you have to return to the
pits immediately. A red and yellow striped flag used
to be known as an oil flag in racing years ago,
but now is known as a lack of adhesion flag.
 1
2
3

12

11
Cast le Does my bum look
big on this bike?

10 om
C iles be 4

9 1.85 m
6 5
8
1/ Folly
2/ Avon Rise 3/ Quarry
4/ The Esses 5/ Old Paddock
6/ Hammerdown 7/ Tower
7 8/ Bobbies 9/ Westway
10/ Bybrook chicane
11/ Exit 12/ Camp

www.classicmechanics.com / 37
 CLASSICS ON TRACK
ABOVE: Queuing up to It can be shown at a point in the track to indicate oil
have our exhausts or fluids, or it may be that rain has started at this
listened to. part of the track and you would be well advised to
slow down to ensure they don’t have to use the
yellow or red flags as well! At the end of the
start-finish a chequered flag will be waved
indicating that your session is over and you
need to leave the track when you reach the exit.
Questions were invited, before we newbies were
taken on three very slow sighting laps where we
could see how the coloured cones laid out for us
worked in practice. The orange ones are suggested
braking points, though most agreed these were the
least useful because braking points are dependent
BELOW: My bike’s on many factors. The red cones indicated where one
younger sibling having should turn into a corner and the light blue ones
his volume checked. denoted the all-important apex of the bend. The last
38 / classic motorcycle mechanics
tip was to point the bike mirrors down to stop the
temptation to look in them – At speed you really
don’t have time to look behind you and you really
don’t need to know what’s there!
One thing about track days in the summer: we
were warned in the briefing to constantly drink water
throughout the day. The temperature reached 34°C:
too hot for those of us with Scottish ancestry!
On my first proper session I gradually built up the
speed and the little Yamaha thrived on the abuse for
a while, but once I was confident enough to start
opening the taps really wide for lengthy stretches
she started coughing and gasping for more
unleaded. Clearly there was a fuelling problem.
Luckily for me I had made friends with a racer
parked next to me in the paddock who was also
riding a pre-injection R6. When I relayed my tale of
woe he said, “I’ll bet the fuel filter’s blocked” and
dived into the back of his van, reappearing shortly
afterwards with a brand-new filter and a big smile.
I had hardly brought any tools so he lent me a
5mm ball-ended Allen key to get my tank and front
seat off. Next session out and all was fine until I had
completed a couple of laps and was really flying
when she not only coughed, but died altogether just
before Tower bend. When ODing on adrenalin you
tend to think quickly and I soon realised that it must
be fuel starvation to all the carbs so there weren’t
many things that could cause it. I stuffed the key
into the petrol filler and opened it – there was an
almighty gasp like a drowning man, which told me
all I needed to know!
Back at the paddock I borrowed my new friend’s
5mm hex key and whipped the tank off again and
dragged out the breather pipes, blew down them and
then re-routed them under the seat, where I could
see they would definitely not get squashed again.
After that there were no more problems and despite
annoying the rev limiter several times during the day,
she never missed a beat.
For an 18-year-old bike with fairly basic
suspension, compared with the modern tackle,
carrying a big fatty, her handling was astonishingly
good and quite forgiving of my errors. A warning
though – even for me things became competitive.
At one point a chap on a very modern Triumph
Daytona 675 had the audacity to overtake me on the
straight just before Bobbies Chicane, which triggered
the bad bit of my brain that instantly went into mega
race mode. He actually tied himself in knots and
had to go straight on through the tyres at Bobbies,
but still came out in front of me. I then left the
braking very late going into Bybrook Chicane so
I got through before him and then absolutely
nailed it though Camp and onto the start-finish
straight, taking the bike to the far left of the track
so that I could keep the taps open through Folly
and left the braking quite late for Quarry. At the end
of the grid we got the chequered flag, but it barely
registered, “I must, must not be re-overtaken”… “I
know it’s not a race!” … “But it is on a race track!”
I even had a bit of rear end sliding at Tower where
the Tarmac was so hot and my road tyres were really
at their limit.
Time to head back to the pits. I then rapidly
removed my lid and leathers and headed for the
restaurant to buy yet more chilled water to put back
ABOVE LEFT: With the some of the litres sweated out on the track. It was
stock can ruining the then that my erstwhile competitor came and said
looks of my little hello. It seems my adversary was extremely
Yammy we got the impressed by my riding and admitted he did
green light to hoon! everything in his power to catch me, but was unable
to. I cannot deny that I really enjoyed the scrap,
ABOVE: Our instructor but then decided to ask the very competent lady
showing us the instructor, Shelley, if I could have a one-to-one with
do’s and don’ts her on the track.
of a track day. On my next session she followed me for a while
and then overtook me to give me the opportunity to
learn from her lines. She certainly didn’t hang
about! After the chequered flag we left the circuit
and she gave me a debrief. She confirmed my
suspicion that I had been braking too aggressively
and late going into corners still braking, which is
fine when you’re a racer with years of track history,
but not so good in my case. I thought I was being
complimented when she said that I was ‘getting a
good angle of lean’. She then went on to tell me that
I would do better to move my body off the side of
the bike to be able to go around the bends quicker
BELOW: Our Ralph with more rubber on the deck.
got smoother as the On my next outing I slowly built up my speed
day progressed. while practicing the skill of hanging my corpulent
backside off the seat as I did in my youth, when I
was more supple. It paid dividends and I was soon
flying around the circuit faster than ever. Sadly none
of the photos were taken after this point of
improvement. Although the sessions are only 10
minutes, by the time you’ve done 10 minutes of
trying as hard as you can, fuelled by huge doses
of adrenalin, the exit is most welcome.
I was totally exhausted by the end of the last
session and by the time I had popped the little blue
pocket rocket back in the van, I was starting to
suffer very badly from the heat. I had to drink two
litres of cold water before I felt well enough to drive
the van home.
In conclusion, I would say that if you’re
middle aged with a prosperity bulge, I would not
recommend an R6, or any other sports bike for
that matter, for the public roads, but as a track day
bike it was so much fun and while it’s not the
quickest bike in the paddock, it was plenty fast
enough to have some serious fun on. If you’ve
never done a track day, you really don’t know
what you’re missing and I have already booked
the R6 in for another! cmm
www.classicmechanics.com / 39
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42 / classic motorcycle mechanics

www.classicmechanics.com / 43
YAMAHA

44 / classic motorcycle mechanics


Mark and editor Bert both tried
the 2018 R1 too... and each
preferred the 20-year-old one.
Maark Forsyth samples the
me 1998 Yamaha YZF-R1
sublim
and asks the question: when
did sportsbike design start
going backwards?
WORDS: MARK FORSYTH
PHOTO
OS: GARY D CHAPMAN, MORTONS ARCHIVE
R acing, so they say, improves the breed and
back in 1998 this cliché was certainly true.
So was ‘race it Sunday sell it on Monday’.
Exactly 20 years ago, Yamaha’s mighty R1
screwed up the rule book, burned all the evidence
and wrote a totally new edition.
Compared to the long, heavy and unwieldy
Thunderace that preceded it, the 1998 R1 was
inexplicably light, lithe and incredibly powerful. The
R1 pretty much dominated production-based pure
road and circuit racing for the next couple of years,
proving its adaptability as not only a potent track
tool but also as a bike equally adept at tackling the
uneven surfaces of real roads.
Time has been kind to this original R1 4XV:
kind in terms of its looks, certainly. If it wasn’t for
the very ‘1990s’ font of the YZF graphic on the
fairing side panels and obviously the date related
registration plate, it’d be hard for the untrained eye
to spot that it’s as old as it is. And that Yamaha
Motor France trademark blue paint, I think, sets off
the shiny alloy parts with better contrast than the
alternative red-white, slightly shell-suity option. Eye
of the beholder, I suppose, as I hear Niall Mackenzie
actually wants a red and white one (see page 118.)
Time has also been kind in the way this 20-year-
old superbike rides and feels on the road. As the
last of the carburetor generation, the 4XV’s bank of
four CV carbs give an uncannily direct connection
between the rider’s right wrist and the 180 section
Pirelli rear tyre. Strange though that Yamaha didn’t
take a leaf out of Kawasaki’s book and treat it to a
pressurised air-box?
But, the R1 just feels alive. Snappy. Eager. The
throttle response, even from lowly revs, is urging,
accurate and consistent, the total opposite of any
fuel-injected bike. I have to admit, the experience
was a bit of an eye opener. Having ridden almost
www.classicmechanics.com / 45
 SPECIFICATION

1998
YAMAHA

ENGINE
998cc, water-cooled, 20
valve DOHC four-cylinder
four-stroke
BORE X STROKE
74 x 58mm
COMPRESSION
11.8:1
FUELLING
40mm downdraft Mikuni
carburettors
TRANSMISSION
Six-speed, wet multiplate
clutch
FRAME
Deltabox II aluminium
twin spar nothing but fuel-injected bikes for the past 18 result in what was at the time a class-leading lack of
WEIGHT years, I really had forgotten just how good a unsprung weight. The engine weighs just 65kg.
176kg well-carburated bike can actually feel. Emission On the road this lack of cake manifests itself in
WHEELBASE regulations might be improving air quality but the ability to run seemingly very light springing
1395mm they’re not benefiting our riding experience. and damping front and rear. Even when you’re,
TYRES
Another knock-out first-impression sensation is ahem, pressing on a bit, the R1 seems to float over
120/70-17, 190/50-17
FUEL CAPACITY
the weight, or lack of it. As soon as you cant the bumps as the fast-acting suspension soaks up the
18 litres bike upright off its side-stand, you find yourself imperfections without feeding them back to the rider
POWER raising an eyebrow in surprise. It is ridiculously light. through the bars, pegs or seat. With around five
150bhp @ 10,000rpm Lighter than most current 600s. For the previous inches of suspension travel front and rear, there’s
TOP SPEED week I’d been tooling around on a 2018 R1 and quite a pronounced weight shift, too. Under hard
175mph
the difference in weight is marked between the two. throttle loadings the rear squats markedly and the
The price of technical advancement, noise, safety same is true when using the front brakes as the
and emissions regulations has added a whopping makers intended. This pitch is beneficial, weighting
25kg to Yamaha’s flagship superbike. That equates the rear tyre when it needs all the help it can get
to half a (soon to be retiring) Dani Pedrosa. and – up front – steepening rake and trail on your
That’s not the kind of progress I want. approach to a corner.
The more you study the old ’98 R1 it becomes This, a really roomy riding position and a flat,
clear that Yamaha were hell bent on saving grammes spongy seat pad make this old R1 a really easy and
wherever they could. Hollow wheel and swingarm very comfortable way to ride quickly with minimal
spindles (and even hollow caliper bolts) and every physical effort. The engine plays a similar tune,
fastener wasted away to the bare minimum, displays seemingly perfectly matched for the chassis’
BELOW: Mark’s still this hunger to shed flab: even though the wheels are characteristics. The 20-valve motor has a massive
got it, so’s the bike... cast, not forged, their hollowed out spokes and hubs amount of low and particularly EXUP-liberated
mid-range torque, allowing the rider to pretty much
leave it in a high gear and just use the sweet throttle
response to roll on and off the power.
It’s hardly slow, either. With 150bhp and 80lb-ft
of torque driving 175kg there’s more than enough
acceleration on tap to make warp speed child’s play.
The final kick in the power range is above 9000rpm
– an area you hardly ever have to visit on the road
but that last 1500rpm is perfect, I guess, if you’re
attending a track day and need to stretch a gear
out between corners. Peak power is made at
10,000rpm, peak torque at 8500 and the rev
limiter made use of at 11,750rpm.
But screaming revs is not the best way to ride the
’98 R1 on the road. Just by using your ears and
intuition means you never have to peek at the
analogue rev counter. Clutchlessly short shifting up
through the ’box and riding the torque curve means
you can spend your time looking far ahead.
The riding position is nowhere near as extreme as
modern superbikes with a much more ‘sit in’ rather
than ‘sit on’ ergonomic. The 18-litre fuel tank is
wide and high at the back, the seat pad broad and

46 / classic motorcycle mechanics


the low-wide bars quite a stretch away ahead. The
pegs seem low by today’s standards too so the whole
bike really doesn’t feel cramped at all. This is
a sports bike you could happily go touring on.
There’s just about room for a wallet and a packet
of fags under the pillion seat.
Efficient layout is key to the R1’s original design.
In their efforts to create as short an engine as
possible, Yamaha’s engineers cleverly stacked the
gearbox shafts on top of each other to allow the
optimum location of the engine in the chassis. Mass
centralisation in action there... The short, compact
engine also allowed the designers to achieve their
goal of creating a 600mm distance between
swingarm and rear wheel spindle – possibly one
of the longest swingarms on the market at the
time, coming off what Yamaha learned from
their two-stroke YZR500 GP bike.
The brakes are about as good as things got in the
YAMAHA
90s with Yamaha’s fabled one piece, four-piston “It’s hardly slow:
blue spot calipers biting onto a pair of floating
298mm discs. The feel at the lever, even by today’s
that final kick
standards, is a beautiful balance between sensitive in the power
first-touch application and progressive power as heat range is above
and pressure builds. I am usually a two-fingered
braker and this ’98 R1 easily allowed me that luxury.
9000rpm – an
Once there’s some heat in the tyres, there’s enough area you’re
power to easily lift the rear wheel with two-fingers. hardly likely to
In terms of handling, the geometry is sharp
steering and pretty frisky. This ’98 R1 is at its best
visit out on the
in rapid direction changes and pinpoint apex- road. Handling
clipping. The sub 1400mm wheelbase, 24º head is still sharp
angle and 91mm trail dimensions tell the story.
Most owners fitted an aftermarket steering damper
and frisky!”
for good reason because the R1 could get a bit
head-shaky on bumpier surfaces when it was
treated to plenty of throttle and the front end’s
un-weighted. But modern rubber (this bike was
www.classicmechanics.com / 47
 TIMELINE
We’ve decided to trace the earlier family
members of the R1’s bloodline and the R1
models up to and including the VJMC’s
15-year rule, so you know what’s covered by
the term ‘classic’. Their rules, not ours…

1987
Yamaha FZR1000 Genesis
The daddy of the R1 from a decade before and
suitably called ‘Genesis’. This was a revelation.
The frame was a beefy Deltabox ally item, with a
wide (for the time) 160-rear section tyre. The
989cc motor was angled 45º forward so the
carbs could breathe better and the end result
was around 110-120bhp. Interestingly it had
five-valves per cylinder (Yamaha’s F1 cars did
the same). It handled better than any GSX-R1100
ever could…

1989
Yamaha FZR1000 EXUP
The next generation saw the introduction of the
EXUP (EXhaust Ultimate Powervalve) which
boosted the mid-range torque by 30-40%. The
Deltabox frame was more contoured, the
headlights faired-in and the engine hung at a 35º
angle for a shorter wheelbase. 17in wheels,
170-rear section tyre and a higher-compression,
1002cc motor.

1991
Yamaha FZR1000 EXU
UP RU
Further refinement of the EXUP brought in
upside-down front forks and a tra apezoidal
headlight cluster (with a projectorr beam in
some markets.) By now the bike was the
best-handling litre-class sportsbike…
but the Honda CBR900RR FireBlade
was just a year away…

48 / classic motorcycle mechanics


1994
Yam
maha FZR1000
EXUP
New clothes for an old favourite
saw the YZF750/FZR600RR
‘foxeyee’ headlights placed on
the EXUUP and that was pretty
m ch it. The last 3LG7s were
sold in 1996, by which time it
had been replaced by…
YAMAHA
fitted with Pirelli’s Diablo Rosso 111 street rubber)
does a much better job of calming this slappy
tendency down due, I guess, to a more pliant,
deformable sidewall construction than rubber-wear
from two decades ago. I remember R1s feeling
decidedly flightier than this one but it’s entirely
possible, with my advancing years, I’m a good deal
slower at 53 than I was at 33. Steering is balanced,
accurate and pleasingly intuitive – it certainly
doesn’t feel like it is two decades old.
A series of quick switchback bends really
highlights the old R1’s agility. The lack of weight
really works in your favour as you throw it from one
bank angle to the opposite. I’ve ridden scooters
heavier than this and when you’re muscling it
around that’s a real tangible benefit. Compared
to its direct opposition of the day the R1 is a
miniscule toy: an anorexic waif.
The rider’s eye view is a reminder of times gone
by. The instruments are basic but only the rev
counter is analogue – speed, mileage info and temp
readings are bang-up-to-date digital. This particular
bike was fitted with a red-LED Datatool digital gear
indicator: a period mod if ever there was one.
But what’s that on the left-hand handlebar, next to
the Bowden cable-pulling clutch lever? Yes, it’s a
manual choke. Remember them? It took me a while
to reacquaint myself. From cold start-up you need to
be quick to react with this choke lever to prevent the
revs from racing: never ideal on cold oil. I guess
CMM readers are still au fait with choke operation?
The R-1’s clutch and gearbox were never the
bike’s strong point even when new and this two-
decade old example is no exception. Gear selection
and engagement is near perfect with no noises or
imprecision but the clutch actuation takes a bit of
getting used to with a grabby, juddery bite point
when engaged gently at low revs. New basket and
plates needed, I think.
For a 20k plus mileage and with 20 years under
its belt, one obvious (and expected) fault is not a
bad health check report, though. R-1 clutches were
always a consumable item like pads, tyres and
chains and the passage of time has changed
nothing. Back in the day, it never ceased to amaze
me why Yamaha didn’t pull a Suzuki GSX-R
transmission to pieces and just copy it lock stock
and barrel. In the 1990s GSX-R clutches and
ggearboxes
arbox s were
ere the abs lute ben
absolute hmar of precision.
benchmark ecisio
After a day of thrashing around some of the best
roads in Northamptonshire, I came away distinctly
impressed with this old R1. When it arrived in the
1996
Yamaha FZR10
000
Thunderace
A stopgap in the taking on of
Honda’s FireBlade, the Thunnderace,
despite using a YZF-750 ame and
housing an updated 1002c cc EXUP
motor, wasn’t really playing the
same game as the Blade th hanks to
198kg vs the Blade’s 182 kilos…
www.classicmechanics.com / 49
 1998
Yamaha YZF-R1 4XV
4
The first and many considder the
best. Developed around the same
time as the Thunderace, Kunihiko
Miwa produced a masterrpiece
which not only had Lupine beauty,
but was a no-holds barrred
race-replica. 998cc, 150bhpp, 176kg
ended the Honda FireBlade e’s reign
as king of the sportsbik
kes.

2000
Yamaha YZF-R1 5JJ
summer of ’98 I remember the first time I rode one The
h R1 was still
ill on top but
b Yamaha h changed
h d 150
it absolutely blew my socks off. To make a FireBlade details. Carbs were tweaked and the gearbox
feel fat and slow was quite an achievement... improved. Calipers were changed: titanium-look
But you know what, as a road bike, even today, can replaced the carbon-look one. Suspension
the R1 still serves up just the same delicious mix improved and chassis made more rigid still and
of accessible power and torque, exotic lightweight, now ffront-end
t d bi d H
biased. Heell plates
l t d ill d
drilled.
comfort and synaptic connectivity that’s a hard
combination to better. It might not have blown my
socks off this time round but it was fantastic fun.
There will always be people who want the latest
tech. Me? I feel humbled by today’s crop of modern
superbikes but I just don’t have the skills to even
get near the true capabilities of a Panigale or an
S1000RR and that frustrates rather than impresses
me. Riding this R1 has made me wonder when in
our recent biking history we started to go backwards.
What more do you want than a supremely light, fast
bike that’s comfortable and easy to ride quickly with
great suspension and brakes?
Racing in 2018 has improved the breed for racing
but not for the road, I would argue. This theory is
backed up by today’s adage of ‘race it on a Sunday, 2002
buy an Adventure bike/Triumph Bonneville on a BELOW: Buy one Yamaha YZF-R1 5PW
Monday’ So does this 1998 R1 signify the beginning now: prices are Perhaps the best looking bike from Japan? The
of the end or the end of the beginning? cmm going north... R1 was now fuel-injected and the 5PW had a
new, updated frame. Power was now just up on
the original to around 152bhp @ 10,500rpm.

2004
Yamaha YZF-R1 5VY
A ground-up redesign that aimed at the more
mature rider. 160bhp motor had under-seat
pipes and a bigger bore/shorter stroke. Still a
five-valve head, the original ‘claim’ was 172bhp
for 172 kilos to give a 1:1 power-to-weight ratio.
Chunky braced swingarm and radial brakes
completes the look.

50 / classic motorcycle mechanics

www.classicmechanics.com / 51
 BUYING ADVICE

BELOW: An original
4XV in red/white:
you’ll pay a premium
for one...

Buying a
YAMAHA R1 WORDS: SCOTTIE REDMOND PHOTOS: SCOTT REDMOND/MORTON’S ARCHIVE

If you’re after a 4XV or a 5JJ what do you need to look for?

And what do they cost? Scott Redmond has some info…

52 / classic motorcycle mechanics

 1999 bike with aftermarket can.
H ow on earth can the Yamaha R1 be 20 years
old? Doesn’t time fly! In the 1990s I loved
the race reputation, but often found my
everyday needs required a less radical riding position
and maybe not quite so much bhp. Then, when
fuel-injection replaced carbs, I kinda lost interest in
new bikes for a while – so that means that the first
R1 (yup, with carbs) was the last big sports bike that
got my attention. I fancied owning one, but the price
tag was nudging £9000 back then, so I stuck to the
older and more interesting stuff – but now…
Prices for the 4XV R1 have been climbing steadily
recently – they’ve rarely ever ended up below £2000
other than if they have been crashed or required lots
of work. The demise of the two-stroke led to prices
perking up for everything from an AR50 to an
BELOW: The 2000 5JJ RG500 and one day that same historical sense will
model had 150 apply to bikes with carbs. What finer carb fed bike is
changes and a there than the last Japanese litre sports bike from
titanium can. the last century that arrived wearing a bank of
Mikuni’s finest? The R1 is coming of age, which
means their worth will increase.
Sure, dealers litter eBay with classified adverts for
early R1 models (plus most other models) with
asking prices of £4000 to £5000 and higher, but do
they ever sell? The odd PPI payout might help one or
two on their way to new owners, but other than that
the same bikes appear if you search eBay on a
regular basis. Bikes that appear for auction often
vanish before the auction end, with deals done
outside of the auction site, which makes perfect
sense – when you’re buying any used bike you really
should get off your arse and go and see the bike and
the seller before agreeing to abide by the eBay
rulebook. All of this nonsense leads me to tell you
about this R1 that I purchased. A friend of mine got
in touch to tell me he was selling his 1999 R1 and a
few texts later I had put my name on it.
He bought the bike back in 2007 and had owned
it ever since. The previous owner was his wife! The
‘keep it in the family’ R1 was now surplus to
requirements, as he’d bought a 2005 ZX-10R and
spends his spare time and cash on his Ducati race
bike. The cash would help to keep his racer on the
track and the extra space was earmarked for more
crash-damaged Ducati panels! His words, not mine.
All I had to go on was a few phone pictures and a
distant memory of seeing the bike back in 2009. It
was more than enough for me. A few days later I
was standing in his kitchen nattering about bikes
and counting out £2750 in used notes.
At this point I hadn’t even seen the bike. After
emptying his shed of anything that was a R1 spare I
finally clapped eyes on the Yammy. I was well
chuffed. It was a smile out loud moment. The only
non-standard parts were an old Micron alloy slip-on
can and thankfully the spares package contained not
one, but two standard Yamaha silencers!
I knew what I’d be doing once I got back home.
The screen fitted isn’t standard and worse still the
original one wasn’t among the stash of parts (and
www.classicmechanics.com / 53
 BUYING ADVICE

original screens are wanted… just ask Mark Forsyth,

the owner of our road test 4XV.) Beyond those pair of
aftermarket add-ons the R1 was pretty stock, except
for some braided brake lines. Condition-wise it’s way
above average for a 19-year-old bike that’s covered
27,000 miles. The mileage is genuine, it’s backed
up by wads of service history, old MoT certificates
and various other bits of paper that have been
lovingly kept inside the Motorcycle City wallet. It’s
touches like this that will help if I opt to sell this
UK-spec bike on in the future. The only downer is a
ding to the top of the petrol tank, which happened
at 0mph inside a shed – a nasty moment that
involved an overloaded shelf that was above the
R1, bugger! A large sticker would hide it, or a
second-hand tank could be sourced…
With the standard can fitted I even recouped £75
for the Micron can. In a strange twist of fate our very
own lover of all things standard Andy Bolas spotted
my advert online and requested my PayPal details!
Cheers Andy. I’ve also sold off the bulk of the
spares, mostly on eBay to hungry R1 owners, who
snapped up over £500 worth of parts within a few
weeks of me listing them – that should take the
sting out of buying a replacement fuel tank!
The bike now stands me in just over £2000. Do I
stick a few more miles on it and leave it in my
garage, or chance my arm and try to sell it on for a
profit? I’m pretty torn – my heart says keep, my head
shouts sell. I’m going to use it – that’s the thing with
emerging classics – they’ve done their depreciating,
which means they make great sense. cmm
R1 Top Tips
The R1 was a big seller in its day and this means that there are plenty
of them to choose from. Some bikes will have led a pampered life,
while others might have been track bikes, involved in accidents or
rebuilt with the best bits from several bikes! It’s always a case of
‘buyer beware’ when shopping for a used motorcycle – here are a few
things you should check before handing over your cash.
BODYWORK
The R1 had big power and light
weight and helping to save a few
pounds here and there was the
use of pretty flimsy plastics. The
fairing panels are prone to losing
the odd locating lug, so too is the
seat unit. If the bike is fitted with
an aftermarket under tray,
enquire to see if the original rear
mudguard assembly is available.
It makes the bike look better and
adds value.
Tanks are getting harder to find isn’t that great when compared
in excellent condition, not just to genuine panels, but you get
externally, but internally too. what you pay for right? The red
Rusty insides are common on any saddles on the 1998 model will
tanks that have been stored fade over time, but recovering is
poorly. There are plenty of inexpensive and fairly easy if you
aftermarket fairing options, have the correct parts and are
ranging from your flat white track patient. Oh, and the microfibre
day full fairing through to Chinese sponges that V2 do to clean
fairing kits that even come in a visors? They clean dirty red seats,
range of colour options. Quality as well…

ENGINE
The 4XV R1 engine is still a
jewel, but there are a few
things to check. The R1 had a
recall to change the clutch
basket and I would have
thought that all bikes would
have been upgraded by now.
If there’s a chattering feel
from the clutch in slow
traffic then you might have
one that slipped through the
net – check with Yamaha UK.
The R1 sold like hot cakes,
officially imported bikes
lined up against parallel
imports on the showroom
floor in the late Nineties and
not all of these non-UK bikes
had a full stable of horses.
French bikes only had
100bhp. They were choked
from the full quota by crude
restrictors in the carbs.
Some R1s drink oil, while
others don’t. It’s just the
luck of the draw – don’t be
too alarmed if a seller offers
up this information. The
second generation of the R1
is known by its 5JJ prefix.
The bike had 150 changes
from the 4XV. Most of these
are confined to the top half
of the engine. Everything
from oil ways to camshafts
were changed. Downstairs
the biggest difference was a
lower geared first gear.
Talking about the gearbox,
this really isn’t the R1’s
strongest point, they’re
pretty clunky. Dyno shows if it’s full power.

EXHAUSTS AND EXUP Original 4XV cans

Full aftermarket systems
allow you to ditch the EXUP
and this will result in a loss
of power in the lower rev
range in return for a bulge
higher up the rev counter.
With the R1 now entering
classic territory, for some
only a full standard system
will do. The EXUP valve only
seizes if you fail to maintain
it – keep it serviced and clean
and you’ll be okay. The
genuine headers are fairly
robust, but even better
decent used sets can be are desirable.
snapped up for less than
£100. Standard cans are
getting tougher to find in
excellent condition, even CONTACTS
cans that were removed in ■ Yamaha UK (new
perfect condition will pick up parts still stocked)
storage damage if they aren’t www.yamaha-
wrapped up well. The 5JJ motor.eu/uk
came with a titanium silencer 01932 358000
and these are even easier to
pick up. Quality aftermarket ■ R1 owners forum
silencers add power and International
kerbside kudos, cheapo ones website
do the complete opposite. www.r1-forum.com

54 / classic motorcycle mechanics

www.classicmechanics.com / 55

BES T OF BREED?
le r O lly C rick te lls us of his 4XV
achine fett
Bike journo and top m p rove d Ya m ah a’s original YZF-R1.
s im
love affair and how he’
WORDS AND PHOTOS
: OLLY CRICK
O riginally this was a project bike for another
magazine back in 2005. On loan from a
dealer while I sorted everything out, I fell in
love with it and bought it. The £3500 I paid at the
time taught me that I should have negotiated the
Looks standard-ish,
doesn’t it?
asking price before the alterations and upgrades
were carried out.
I still have it and four years after the first upgrade I
put it through another, more extreme transformation.
This one included a major engine overhaul with a
new, lighter crankshaft giving 2mm further throw
each way – 4mm on the piston stroke, also being
re-bored, the result is 1155cc. Allied to a set of
Keihin FCR flat-slide carbs, the engine produced just
over 200bhp at the time. It’s still ferocious today!
Over the years I’ve loved it every time I’ve ridden
or even just looked at it, but I’ve hated it at times
too. I hated it four years ago when it high-sided me
on a roundabout – that was a low point. I broke most
of my left ribs, left clavicle and left shoulder blade.
The 4XV didn’t come off too badly and it was only
my wife who stopped me from selling it. Since then
MODDED CLASSICS
I’ve repaired it and the love-affair has re-ignited
(with the bike!). I’ve had this bike in pieces more
times than I care to remember, not through
breakdowns, rather modifications or just with
general tinkering.
The current fairing is Chinese and its a little more
orange than red because good original fairings,
particularly in these colours, are as rare as hen’s
teeth. It fitted better than I thought it would, but
obviously not as well as the original equipment.
When my boat comes in I’ll get some OEM plastics.
You may have noticed the little vents in the top-rear
of each side of the belly-pan – those vents weren’t
actually introduced by Yamaha until the following
5JJ model.
The one thing I dislike about this R1 model is its
welded rear (seat) sub-frame. Why Yamaha couldn’t
have designed a bolted-on version is a mystery to
me. Lots of otherwise good frames must have been
scrapped over the years due to this.
4XVs don’t suffer with many issues other than you
would have for any motorcycle. Most problems the
www.classicmechanics.com / 57
 MODDED CLASSICS

4XV did have were dealt with by Yamaha years ago.

Such was the initial demand, the first few bikes in
the country were unofficial imports from Europe and
were restricted to 100bhp. Then there were the
official recalls for the clutch basket and the engine
coolant clamp, and later the brake pads (the lining
material coming away from the backing plate) and
the sidestand switch screws vibrating loose. Unless
your bike was mothballed, all these issues will have
been sorted out long ago. EXUP valves can seize –
usually the mechanical flap just below the header
pipes and on R1s I’ve owned I’ve simply taken them
apart, unseized them, lubed them up and put them
back together.
When 4XVs reached their third birthday and it
came to their first MoT, more than a few failed on
the rear wheel bearing – they required re-greasing
and MoT stations soon became used to the fact that
nothing was seriously amiss. There was much forum
discussion about 4XVs dropping out of first or 13
second gear, or the change between first and second
being awkward due to the bikes being wheelied 9
ham-fistedly. While I don’t doubt that some bikes
may have suffered, over the years I’ve owned five
4XVs and this hasn’t been an issue on any of them, 3
so have I just been lucky? 8
My bike is heavily modified, and with that comes
the need for more maintenance, more things to keep 12
an eye on and check-over, a price I was more keen to
pay 10 years ago than now, but my bones have
healed, the R1’s repaired and the love affair’s back
on. Once again it’d take a lot for me to sell it. cmm

1 ENGINE
Modified 1155cc, 200bhp with Piper high-lift
camshafts, Sigma slipper-clutch and Nova
racing gearbox.

2KEIHIN FCR FLAT-SLIDE

CARBS
With smooth bores, they ensure maximum
air-flow and the flat-slides give great
throttle response and flow control.

3ARATA EXHAUST
SYSTEM
I ditched the EXUP valve in favour of a more
free-flowing exhaust. The EXUP control
unit remains in place, otherwise the tacho
shows error codes.

4ISR SIX-PISTON CALIPERS

AND BREMBO 320MM DISCS
The original motor A useful upgrade to the 4XVs original
is standard-ish.
four-piston, 298mm set-up: fantastic initial
bite is achieved from the six-pad design,

58 / classic motorcycle mechanics

 5
10
14
1
allowing six leading edges in each caliper
to bite into the disc. The caliper mounting
brackets had to be specially made at
enormous cost.
5ISR 17.5MM RADIAL
MASTER CYLINDER
Adjustable for both span and pump-ratio
(soft/firm feel). The 17.5mm bore size copes
with the larger fluid requirement of the
six-piston calipers.
6 ÖHLINS FORKS
Purchased second-hand along with the
Spondon swingarm and Dymag wheels
because it was a deal I couldn’t refuse at
the time. Before the Öhlins I had the stock
forks overhauled by K-Tech and they were
great too.
7 DYMAG WHEELS
Originally powder-coated V&M yellow, they
were reworked black by Dymag.
11
4
8 SPONDON SWINGARM
Purchased along with the Ohlins forks and
Dymag wheels. It’s widened, braced, huge
and features a quick-release rear wheel
system. Completely unnecessary, but I like
how it makes the rear of the bike look.
9K-TECH REAR SHOCK
OVERHAUL
This unit was overhauled by K-Tech 13
years ago and is still doing the job.
SPRINT STEERING
10
DAMPER
11 HARRIS GP CLIP-ON BARS
Lower than standard bars, they make the
bike feel more purposeful, but they make
your wrists ache sooner.
12 HARRIS REARSETS
QB Carbon ram airbox (minus the lid).
Made from carbon, it uses a foam
minimalist filter. The lid was removed as
it wouldn’t allow the engine to suck in
enough air, only revving to 9000rpm with
it in place.
13 REAR HUGGER
The standard item wouldn’t fit the Spondon
widened swingarm. To keep the bike’s
original good looks, I bought a second-hand
hugger, slit it down the middle, widened it
with fibreglass and had a local paint shop
spray it up for me.
ORIGINAL ENGINE
14
AND CARBS
Stored under a poly sheet in the garage.
The original (mildly tuned to 155BHP)
engine that came with the bike with carbs
jetted to suit. Saved for if/when the 1155cc
version finally says enough is enough.
It has a starter motor fitted to enable me
to spin it over on a battery every once
in a while.
www.classicmechanics.com / 59
RETRO

Suzuki GSX-R
1000 Katana
This could be a reality tomorrow, would you want it?
WORDS AND IMAGES: KAR LEE

S uzuki’s love affair with the Katana and its distinctive styling runs deep,
and far beyond the stop-start nature of its 21-year lifespan. Launched
to mixed reaction in 1980, the Target-designed prototype from the year
before had been tempered slightly but the GSX1100 Katana was unmistakably
different to anything that had gone before. While it spawned four-cylinder clones
in different capacities including the 1000 and 750, the Katana DNA was also
extended in diluted form to a shaft-drive 650, 550, 400 along with a parallel
twin 250 and single-cylinder 125.
It’s impossible to underestimate how much influence the Katana has had
on the Suzuki range. Incredibly, the last 1100 Katana (Japanese home market
only) rolled off the production line in 2001. Even today, the Katana lines can
still be seen in places on the flagship 175bhp GSX-R1000. Which got us
thinking: forget traces of Katana styling here and there, how about replicating
it directly but using a GSX-R rolling chassis? It’s so mind-bogglingly obvious
we’ve rebooted it in exactly that fashion.
We think Suzuki has missed a trick here – do you agree?

60 / classic motorcycle mechanics

 L
IGINA
Suzuki claims 199bhp for the 2018 GSX-R and while a more honest OR
figure of 175bhp is what you actually get at the back wheel it is still THE
ENGINE

delivered in a heady fashion. However, we’d happily lose a bit more of

the pub-bragging final figure from the VVT engine for more real-world
torque and midrange grunt. Remember, we want usable, flexible power
not outright top-end! Either way, it dwarfs the performance from the
original bike’s true 97bhp.

The GSX-R chassis could barely be more different from the original
Katana – unsurprising given the technology advances in almost four
CHASSIS

decades. Everything is lighter and stronger from the alloy twin spar
frame to the fully-adjustable single rear shock which is just as well
as it’s coping with almost double the power. We’ve made slight
modifications to cater for the Katana bodywork, but otherwise we’ve
been as faithful as we can be to the original ‘look’.

Unlike some concepts – more recently the GSX-S1000-based version What do you think?
BODYWORK

shown at last year’s Tokyo show – we reckon the styling should remain Reckon a stripped-down
more faithful to the original to make it as pure as can be. There are GSX-R-based Kat would
minor revisions to the screen, headlight, front mudguard and tail unit work? Let us know!
but we’ve kept ours 95% as it was in 1981 for that perfect retro fusion
of old and new. If Kawasaki can make a viable Z900 for the 21st
century, surely it’s time for Suzuki to do the same with the big Kat.

www.classicmechanics.com / 61

65305,
Honda MTX200
Q: I am the owner of a
Honda MTX200 RII,
which is a Japanese import
but essentially the same as the 125 model.
When I bought the bike, despite buying
from a dealer who said he had serviced it,
the brake fluid in the master cylinder was
like jelly, so I bought a rebuild kit for the
master cylinder and the front caliper. The
bike has a twin piston front caliper of a
sliding design with two pistons on one
side. The pistons are made of plastic.
The caliper had a little corrosion in the
seal grooves, which I cleaned out and
replaced the seals, painting on a little
corrosion block grease in the grooves as
per the advice from Ralph Ferrand in the
magazine. After rebuilding the brakes and
bleeding them, I now find they bind slightly
to the extent that if I ride up the road and
don’t use the front brake at all, after around
half a mile the disc is too hot to touch.
Following this I rebuilt the caliper again,
double checking everything and using new
seals of OE quality from David Silver spares.
I cleaned out the grooves again but without
any corrosion block grease. It’s exactly the
same and I can’t see why its binding.
The pistons are quite tight to get back
in their bores, but the small amount of
Send your queries to: bsimmonds@mortons.co.uk or write to Problem Solver, CMM, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ
62 / classic motorcycle mechanics
Our very own wizzened sages,
Messrs Marrk Haycock and
Steve
e Cooper are here to
answer all of your woes,
corrosion in the seal groove on one piston
has never been an issue on other bikes I
have worked on.
A new caliper body is unavailable new
(even if I could afford it) and a second-hand
one is likely to be the same as mine. Would
you suggest buying new pistons? Or is there
someone who can refurb my caliper?
James Robbins
A: I think the issue you are facing is
probably not being caused by the
pistons but instead to do with the sliding
mechanism. I say mechanism, but all it
consists of is a couple of pins screwed into
the mounting bracket, one of which slides
directly within the caliper body with the
other sliding within a bush that, in turn,
fits in a hole in the caliper. You need to
dismantle this to check for corrosion and
if you find any, simply replace all the
parts, except the caliper body, as they are
quite cheap. Use your anti-corrosion
grease (though I must say I always get
good service from ordinary silicone grease)
to ensure that the mechanism does not
stick again.
There is one other possibility and that is
that something might have gone wrong
with the master cylinder, to the extent that
it is holding pressure within the hydraulic
system even though the lever has been
released. You did not mention the master
cylinder other than to say it contained jelly
rather than fluid, so I assume you have
overhauled it? If not, a genuine Honda
overhaul kit (part number 45530-kj1-
702i) is available, though rather expensive
at around £60.
HAYNES 7905;
2004 Triumph
Bonneville/Thruxton
Q: I have a 2004 Thruxton/Triumph
Bonneville and I have a problem of
engine oil in the air-box. The oil level is
okay, not over-filled, the baffle plate in
air-box removed and a K&N air filter fitted.
The ignition is at stage one, tuned by
Triumph Twin Power. The bike goes well,
no blue smoke and doesn’t burn oil. I have
had the clutch cover off (I fitted a Barnet
clutch plate and springs). I read on a
forum about a seal in the clutch cover,
possibly being troublesome, also on
another forum because of the mods done
and you should reroute the breather away
from the air-box and fit a separate filter.
The bike has about 14,000 miles on it
and is usually ridden sprightly. I would be
grateful for any advice/opinions or if you
have heard of this happening elsewhere.
Ian Grieves
A: That model in its early form did
suffer from problems with the
breather, which was caused by an issue
with a seal and oil slinger, though this
should have been fixed on yours by now.
Hinckley Triumph later increased the
diameter of breather pipes to reduce
problems in this area.
It would be a good idea to carry out a
compression test to ensure that the
blow-by is not excessive, as this is the
main source of the gas that needs to be
removed via the breather. One cause of
excess oil in the breather is over-filling
with oil and the level should be no more
than halfway up the sight glass with the
bike on level ground. You can also fit a
filter at the air-box end of the pipe to trap
the oil.
The engine layout (360º twin) will
always cause substantial regular
intermittent crankcase pressurisation and
this, combined with inadequate crankcase
breathers, was probably at least one of the
sources of inevitable oil leaks on old
British bikes. cmm

65305,
1 2
11
Project Kawasaki Z1325 part 11
Lathe-ing around
Our Ralph gets on the lathe – and gives us some basics along the way.
T his month before
describing what I did on
the lathe, I feel it would
be sensible not to assume that
all the readers of CMM have
lathes and know how to use them.
I thought that it might be worthwhile
providing a brief description of the
anatomy of a metal turning lathe and some
basics in use, which may inspire you to
have a go at light engineering: if you
haven’t already, of course.
A lathe is a truly wonderful machine,
which, with a bit of imagination, can be
64 / classic motorcycle mechanics
4
10
10
used to make all manner of parts for
projects. I had initially learned to use a
lathe at school and then was taught how to
use one with more finesse when I served
my apprenticeship at British Aerospace
in the early 80s. Some years ago I bought
the machine I have now, a low mileage
Harrison M300, which came from a
school. Never before have machine tools
for the home been so readily available,
even for the shallowest of pockets. Not
only are there lots of machines on the
used market, but there are lots of cheap
Far East machines available at knock down
HAYNES 7905;
6
12
13
14
WORDS AND PHOTOS: RALPH FERRAND
prices. If you can only run to a cheap
Chinese machine you just have to accept
the limitations and take lighter cuts and
more of them. You’ll still get there
eventually. I did some cracking work on my
old Chinese lathe, but I had to be patient.
I have photographed my lathe and
labelled up the main parts so that you will
have an idea about what I am alluding to.
With most cutting tools the work piece
stays still and the cutting tool moves to
remove material e.g. when drilling the part
is fixed and the drill’s cutting edges rotate.
When turning (machining using a lathe)
 HAYNES 7905;
65305,
8
7
16
The Main Parts of
15
the Centre Lathe
1/ Chuck key
2/ Headstock
3/ Motor controls
4/ Three jaw chuck
5/ Tool post
6/ Top side
7/ Tailstock centre
8/ Tailstock chuck
the workpiece is moved and the tool stays
still. The most common and basic method
of holding a work piece is to grip it in a
three-jaw self-centring chuck. This is
similar, but on a grander scale, to the
three-jaw chuck on your electric drill. This
is by no means the only way of holding a
workpiece on a lathe and while quick and
convenient for round things a three-jaw
chuck does have its limitations. For high
precision work the accuracy is not one
hundred percent and if you are holding
anything that isn’t round or hexagonal
it really will not work.
Most lathes will come with a four-jaw
chuck where the jaws all work
independently of one another. This not
only allows you to hold square, oval and
rectangular section items, but it also
facilitates holding circular workpieces
off-centre which is often useful for making
eccentrics. Setting up work in a four-jaw
chuck can take quite a bit of time but
is easier with experience. If you have
Three-Jaw self-centring lathe chuck.
A piece of wood held in a four jaw
chuck with the jaws reversed.
9/ Tailstock
10/ Bed ways
11/ Lead screw and feed gearbox
12/ Cross slide
13/ Apron
14/ Manual feed wheel
15/ Feed shaft
16/ Lead screw
something very irregular to machine it can
be bolted to a face plate; this is a flat
plate with slots milled in it so that you
can bolt irregular items to it. In the photo
I have just quickly clamped a piece of
wood to it to show how it works.
In reality something as regular as a cube
would be held in a four-jaw chuck as
shown in the accompanying photo. Getting
a workpiece in exactly the correct position
on a face plate takes quite a bit of skill;
you have to tighten the clamps just the
right amount so that you can move the
workpiece by tapping it with a soft
hammer, but not too loose.
The last common method of holding
work pieces is ‘between centres’. You
centre drill both ends of a work piece
and fit a ‘live’ centre into the headstock
spindle, a driving plate and then a centre
in the morse taper of the tailstock. You fit
the centre drilled hole of one end of the
workpiece on the live centre and support
the other end with the centre in the
Removing the lathe chuck, carefully.
A live centre-mounted on the headstock
spindle with a driving plate.
A piece of wood clamped to the face
plate by way of demonstration.
tailstock. A ‘driving dog’ is attached to the
live end so that the driving plate makes
the workpiece turn.
This method is usually employed when
a very accurate long piece is to be turned,
where the accuracy of the three-jaw chuck
might not be exacting enough. If I am
making one-off wheel spindles I will
usually turn them between centres to
ensure that they are perfectly parallel.
Different lathes have varying methods
of locking workpiece-holding devices such
as chucks to the headstock spindle. Mine
uses three cam locks to hold the chuck
tight against the spindle’s taper. One must
be very careful changing chucks on any
but the smallest machines as they tend to
be heavy, particularly four-jaw chucks. You
should always protect the precision bed
ways with a piece of gash timber. Fingers
make a very soft landing for a heavy
chuck, but the owner of the fingers usually
finds wood a preferable damper. If you are
to turn a long piece of metal, the end will
www.classicmechanics.com / 65
 SUBSCRIBE TODAY
65305,
Facing off a piece of bar.
Revolving centre pushed into the hole to support the bar.
need to be supported by a ‘running’ centre
in the tailstock. Firstly, you grip the bar
with only a short length sticking out of the
three-jaw chuck and face it off with a knife
tool, as I have shown in the photograph,
assuming you are starting with a sawn-off
piece of bar. You will notice that the tool
in the photograph differs from the basic
tool I have drawn in the diagram. Early
tools were just like the ones in the
diagram, but these days many of us use
what are now referred to as indexable
tools, previously known as throwaway tips.
The body of the tool is made from steel,
Basic lathe tools
Centre drill
Thread cutting tool Parting tool for
parting off
66 / classic motorcycle mechanics
SEE PAGES 40-41
FOR DETAILS
sing the centre drill.
ar supported with tailstock centre, for turning.
but the removable tip is manufactured
from tungsten carbide with is extremely
hard. They have the advantage that they
are easy to use and formed very accurately,
but once they lose their edge or chip they
are binned.
The one in the photo has two cutting
faces so once one side is buggered then
you turn it around for another bite of the
hardened cherry. The first tungsten carbide
tipped tools had relatively large tips silver
soldered or brazed in place. These could
be re-sharpened many time on a bench
grinder, but were difficult to sharpen and
Round nose tool
for finishing
Boring bar
for boring
Knife tool for facing off
and turning down
HAYNES 7905;
Drilled hole ready for the centre.
never as accurate as the modern tip.
One then fits a drill type chuck into the
tailstock and tightens a centre drill into it.
I prefer to use keyless chucks as they
are quicker to use and generally grip better
than the traditional Jacobs chucks The
spindle is run up to a suitable speed
and the centre drills is wound into the
workpiece using the hand wheel on the
back of the tailstock. The chuck is
released and the amount of material to be
machined is pulled out and the chuck
re-tightened. Only the amount needed to
be machined plus a bit for clearance is
taken out because the longer the length
the more opportunity there is for it to flex
when cutting. The chuck is removed from
the tail stock and replaced with a revolving
centre. The tail stock is locked in place
and then the hand wheel will drive the
centre into the centre-drilled hole and that
is also locked off. At this point the lathe
saddle is moved back and forth to ensure
that there is clearance for it to do so
without obstruction. Sometimes the
tailstock will need to be moved back
further and its spindle extended out with
the hand wheel go get enough clearance
to allow the tool to cut all the required
area of the workpiece.
Better lathes tend to have an automatic
feed system to make machining less
arduous. You can set the feed speed to
suit the job you are doing. If you are
removing a lot of material, you will use a
faster speed and a deeper cut. This will
HAYNES 7905;
65305,
Drilling a twist drill: boring bar should thus fit hole.
Machining the outside diameter.
not give a great finish, so, as you get
closer to the finished size, the feed rate
is reduced as is the depth of cut.
My lathe would originally have been
fitted with a suds pump. Suds is an
engineering term for a soluble cutting oil
that also doubles as a coolant. For me this
wasn’t practical given that space is at a
premium in my workshop and the machine
would have needed its original splash
guard, massively increasing the machine’s
footprint. When I am machining I use
Rocol RTD cutting fluid or paste on the
cutting tools which doubles their life and
improves the finish massively.
To machine the spacing collars for the
headlight ears of the bike, a big lump of
aluminium would be mostly converted to
swarf. The job started with my facing off
the end of the bar using a knife tool with
the cross slide. I centre-drilled the end
face. It is important to centre-drill before
drilling because a twist drill will wander
and not produce the hole bang in the
Measuring the bore gauge with
a micrometer screw gauge.
rills larger than 13mm tend to have Morse tapers.
Bore set-to with a modded knife tool.
middle, where it needs to be. I then used
a succession of pilot drills gradually
opening out the hole in the middle. Drills
larger than 13mm tend to have Morse
tapers, rather than the straight shank of
smaller drills designed to be gripped by a
drill chuck. Larger drills take more torque
so need a better grip. There is a tang at
the end of the taper that prevents slippage
even if the taper loses grip. The smaller
drills have a smaller taper that requires
the use of Morse taper sleeves to bring
them up to the size of the taper in the
tailstock. Mine has a No.3 Morse taper;
the drill in the first photograph has a No.1
taper and so needs two sleeves. The
biggest one is No.3 and so fits straight
into the tail stock spindle. Once I had
used the biggest drill I own, I turned down
the outside diameter to the final size i.e.
the diameter of the lower part of the lower
section of the leg. The hand wheels have
scales, usually in either metric or imperial.
Normally if you wind on a cut of 0.1mm
Machined spacer ready to be fitted in
the clamp and have a slot milled into it.
Measuring the bore with a bore gauge.
on the cross slide, the tool will move in by
0.1mm and 0.2mm will be removed from
the diameter. I am lucky because my lathe
has both imperial and metric scales and
the cross slide scales are set at the total
removed from the diameter; most lathes
don’t have this feature. Keep checking the
measurements, particularly as you get
closer to the final size. As the hole was
bigger than the hole in my chuck I used
a small knife tool that was originally for
my little lathe. I have ground down the
underside so that it can be used to open
up large holes. To measure the bore I used
‘T’ type bore gauges. You insert the gauge
into the bore and lock it when the handle
is parallel with the bore and remove it and
measure the anvils with a micrometer
screw gauge. When cutting any material
always remember the mantra “Measure
Twice, Cut Once”.
Next month it’s front fork time! cmm
■ www.bikerstoolbox.co.uk
Both machined sleeves fitted in place
in the clamps.
www.classicmechanics.com / 67

65305,
Project Yamaha CS3C part 5
Fettle and finish
It is reassembly time and things are going suspiciously rather well!
I ’ve now reached the stage
in any rebuild where,
hopefully at least, the
positives have begun to
outweigh the negatives.
The bike is slowly being
reassembled or at least I’m building
sub-assemblies ready to reinstall. Everyone
has their own sequence of rebuilding but
mine generally commences as follows.
Install the centrestand with its associated
fittings i.e. the spring, the C-shaped centre
stand link, and, if applicable, the rear
brake arm.
Over the years I’ve been frittering away
my life on old bikes it’s become obvious
that if the stand and its gubbins don’t go
on first they’ll be a pig to do later. It’s
almost as if the bike is built around it, not
unlike a French car of the 1970s where
the entire vehicle is constructed around
the cigarette lighter… if you’ve been there
you’ll know exactly what I mean!
The original centrestand pin wasn’t in
the best of health when I first looked at it
68 / classic motorcycle mechanics
One stand pin!
and the percussive persuasion needed to
evict it didn’t help. My NOS and recycled
spares yielded several likely pins but they
were all too thin; the CS3C’s pin is unique
to the pre-1972 bikes and, of course, is no
longer available. The groove that locates
the retaining E-clip didn’t look healthy so
it should have been either a replacement,
or re-manufacture job but my mate Bob
came up with an effective and ingenious
repair which I think does the job fine. The
remains of the retaining shoulder were
HAYNES 7905;
WORDS AND PHOTOS: STEVE COOPER
machined off, a 6mm hole drilled and
tapped then a stainless steel penny
washer machined to suit as a retainer;
I seriously doubt it’ll stand out once the
bike is back together.
Next up was the suspension, both ends
having been cosmetically refreshed and/or
rebuilt. The fork legs unfortunately yet
predictably bore Stilson scars (other pipe
wrenches are also available) so they went
off to A M Philpots for fresh hard chrome.
The rear shocks were variously rusty and
covered in rattle can silver so they were
stripped, re-chromed and rebuilt. The most
labour intensive part was fettling the grey
inner shrouds that supposedly protect the
damper rod and seal when the bike is
ridden off-road… yeah, right!
Hideously scarred and spectacularly
stained with rust from the springs, a
whole afternoon was squandered on two
plastic tubes. Sand paper, wet ‘n’ dry,
kitchen cleaner and plastic headlight
polish finally got them back to being
reasonably tidy.
HAYNES 7905;
65305, SUBSCRIBE TODAY
Time to check the clocks!
New wheel bearings.
The bottom yoke received a full
complement of consumables, bearing
races, balls, top nut and cover courtesy of
Yambits, ready to receive the fork legs.
Swingarm back in place with new bushes
the shocks were similarly rehomed, finally
giving the bike some semblance of order.
Of course there had to be a curveball or
it wouldn’t be one of my projects. The
rubber fork gaiters are supported and
centralised at the top by a device called
spring retainer, upper or some such
moniker. When the bike arrived from
Canada the entire front-end was already
off but I recall a pair of wickedly lethal
steel pressings sitting in the gaiters. Of
course these had vaporised into thin air
come rebuild time which caused some
consternation. However, despite the parts
book diagram indicating something
vaguely similar and sharp the images of
said items on eBay were totally different
and clearly moulded plastic discs. On the
basis that the latter looked correct, Bob
and his lathe were once again press-
ganged to knock up something similar.
Still naively telling myself that this is
not a full restoration, the brake hubs
received some attention courtesy of my
dwindling stock of old-style (read: actually
works) paint stripper. The original lacquer
on the brake plates was stripped off and
the bare alloy buffed up to an acceptable
level but not overly blinged; note to
self, don’t wear decent clothes next
time you get the polishing stuff out.
SEE PAGES 40-41
FOR DETAILS
Stripping the hub: literally!
Kit needed to polish the hubs.
Despite checking them before and
pronouncing them okay, I found the wheel
bearings were now notchy so some new
bearings were installed. I chose to use the
double shielded type as they are literally
only pennies more than the single shielded
versions but infinitely better protected. And
of course while I was dealing with brake
plates and wheels it would have been
foolish in the extreme not to have fitted
new brake shoes.
I know I bang on about this far too often Brake shoes in.
but you really shouldn’t be assuming a set
of linings are okay after almost 50 years.
There’s a well-documented issue whereby,
over time, the adhesives used to bond the
friction material to the alloy casting begins
to fail. At best your brake will suddenly
come on as the liner fractures and breaks
up. At worst you may find yourself dumped
on your ear as one or both wheels locks
up. For that reason if no other the OEM
shoes were dumped in favour of EBC’s
finest which fitted like dream. Repairing and masking the clocks.
www.classicmechanics.com / 69
 HAYNES 7905;
65305,

What you need to polish plastic. he Yamaha’s yoke/stem.

Moving away from the chassis I’d notice
the tacho or speedo had some gravel rash
to its case. Fearing the worst in terms of
internal damage, I connected it to my
cordless drill and via a square drive
adapter span the gauge up using the
anti-clockwise setting. Amazingly, the
needle rotated as it should and didn’t
flutter. The cracked mounting pin’s base
was sorted with some Supa-Fix and the
scars filled in with some plastic metal.
Thankfully the CS3C runs painted clock
cases so there was no need to get these
replated. Some judicious masking and a
few crafty coats of crackle black had both
gauges back almost like new… result and
no stupidly expensive outlay either!
Fitting the rebuilt forks should be a
straightforward task but with external
springs you have to push or pull the
whole assembled leg up through the lower
yoke to fit the newly painted headlamp
Moving ahead, all of my chrome plating
is back and although it’s never cheap it’s
great to be able to tick another key task off
the list. Knowing how rare guards are for
the street scrambler I’ll be applying some
serious protection to their undersides by
way of an insurance policy. The front blade
bolts to its tubular cradle via four U-clips
that carry no Yamaha part number utilising
no fewer that 14 bolts, 14 spring washers
and 14 nuts… now what could possibly
go wrong? cmm

Refurbish don’t brackets. With the forks nipped up at the

lower yoke, and various collars, damper Thanks this month to:
just replace rubbers, painted parts, top yoke, fork nuts
and washers loosely in place everything is
■ Yambits: I’d not be finding this easy
without their vast range of parts.
then lined up. Gently slackening the lower ■ Frost Restoration: Their VHT crackle
My original plan had been to carry yoke pinch bolts sees the fork springs pull black is the business.
out a general mechanical and the whole assembly into place ready to be ■ EBC: Brake shoes that make the
cosmetic refresh of the CS3C but tweaked and tightened later. And I didn’t NOS stuff look like hardboard.
as you’ll have notice that’s not even manage to mark the paint! ■ A M Philpots: As always: top quality job.
happened. Paint, chrome and
zincing have all been redone simply
because what was there was
bordering on dog rough. It would
be tempting to go the whole hog
and carry out a full resto with new
or re-plated spokes and rims but
what in all honesty does it add
other than cost? This is not going
to be a show bike as I only ever
want a tidy rider. If, at some point
in the future, I feel the need to go
further I can. I’ve not had items
such as the gear or kick start
levers re-chromed because, with a
bit of TLC, they’ll come up fine.
Only the truly appalling has been
refinished; on this particular bike
I’m refusing to spend money
unnecessarily. I reckon this job is
best described not as a restoration
but a renovation. Why slavishly
bolt on NOS when a good fettle
will do the job just as well?
Shock rebuild time.

70 / classic motorcycle mechanics

www.classicmechanics.com / 71
cmm
Allen Mil l ly
Award-winning motorcyccle engin
The frame game...
By the time you read this, the beauty pictured above will be at Salon Prive;
but how was the frame made? Allen tells all...
I had recently finished making the
six-cylinder engine and wheels for
my RC374 and I was really looking
forward to getting on with the frame.
Before I could start making it, I needed
to finish modifying the forks, machine up
a headstock and make a swingarm. The
lower fork modifications were completed
when I trial fitted the hub which involved
welding on new brake anchor points,
removing the lower mudguard mounting
lugs and reducing the length of the fork
seal holders, so I just needed to shorten
72 / classic motorcycle mechanics
the fork tubes to make them the right
length. To do this I cut 40mm off the top
of each fork leg, but in doing so, also
removed the internal threaded portion that
is used to secure the forks to the top yoke.
I was able to re-use the two bits of fork
tube with the internal thread by machining
down the outer diameter until they were a
push fit back into the top of the fork tubes
then I welded them in place.
The bottom yoke was cleaned up to
remove unwanted casting ridges, lugs and
the steering lock. I then cut off the raised
handlebar mounting lugs from the
aluminium top yoke and welded up the two
holes that were left behind. Finally I
dressed the surface with my Dremel and
rotary burrs to produce an ‘as-cast’ looking
finish. The next job was to make the
headstock for the frame so I ordered a
piece of thick wall steel tube and machined
it on my lathe to Honda CB77 internal
dimensions and overall length but to look
similar to the RC174 on the outside.
Once the headstock machining was
complete the CB77 bearings were pressed
Cutting down the fork tubes.
Swingarm with new torque
arm anchor welded in place.
into the headstock and then assembled in
the yokes. The forks were then placed into
the yokes followed by the front wheel, to
complete the front-end sub-assembly.
The next job was to make a swingarm.
My initial thoughts were to make one from
scratch, but looking at the CB77 swingarm
I could see that is was similar in many
ways and could easily be modified. The
main difference was that the pivot points
were designed to fit on the outside of the
CB77 spine frame so I cut the swingarm
in half, reshaped the halves, then cut a
utting/reshaping a CB77 swingarm.
portion out of the cross brace to reduce
the width at the pivot end. The two halves
were welded back together with a new
one-piece bearing pivot tube and the
plates were then welded on the top and
bottom for added strength. The shock
mounting points will need to be modified
as well but I can do that later while
making the frame so that I can position
the shocks at the correct angle. I trial
fitted the rear wheel in the swingarm,
reduced the length of the wheel’s spindle
and machined new spacers to centralise
wingarm parts.
Cardboard template and pressed-up
side-plates.
the wheel, I then positioned the brake
plate, attached the torque arm and welded
a new anchor point onto the underside of
the swinging arm. With this complete I
now had the front and rear sub-assemblies
ready to make the main frame.
The frame for my RC374 would be
an open type frame with the engine
suspended underneath as a stressed
member, but due to the design of the FZR
engine it was not possible to stress the
cylinder head as part of the frame like on
the original RC174. I would have to
www.classicmechanics.com / 73
cmm Allen
n Mill
Award-winning motorcycle engineer!

Lower frame assembly. Frame jig.

Rear sub-assembly. Front and rear sub-assemblies mounted on frame jig.

extend the frame discreetly down the front
of the engine to meet the crankcases
where there were two lugs strong enough
to take the load. With this in mind I
decided to make the frame from T45
chrome manganese steel because of its
high tensile strength. This material was
used to construct the airframe for Spitfires
due to its excellent strength to weight
ratio, and importantly for me it can be
TIG welded without any need for further
heat treatment.
I worked out how much tube I would
need and placed an order with Tube
Bender Ltd in Rugby. While I was waiting
for the tube to arrive I started to link up
my sub-assemblies ready to make the
frame. I used a spare set of standard
FZR250 crankcases as a jig: I set about
making the lower frame assembly that
would join the rear of the engine to the
swingarm. I worked out the dimension
from the gearbox sprocket centre line to
the swingarm pivot using the side view
photo in my reference book, then cut out
cardboard templates that would link them
together maintaining this dimension.
These templates were then trimmed and
shaped to look as close to original Honda
as possible while still mounting to my
“To make the frame, I made a jig to hold the sub-assemblies
in alignment, perfectly fitting the 55.5in wheelbase.”
six-cylinder engine. When I was happy
with the shape I cut out four identical
pieces from 2mm thick steel sheet using
my angle grinder fitted with 1mm cut off
discs. After deburring with a file I set up
the four pieces on my milling machine to
drill three holes for the cross tubes and
mounting bolt internal support tubes.
I then machined internal support tubes
and cross tubes on my lathe, making them
stepped at each end to ensure correct
linear alignment, and also a tight fit in the
side plate holes.
The parts were then pressed together
and bolted to the engine and swinging
arm, checking that the centre line of the
engine matched the centre line of the
swingarm while I tack welded all the
joints. The lower frame assembly was
then removed to finish the welds.
I fitted a spare output shaft and front
sprocket into the crankcases so that I
could trial fit the chain later on, then I
bolted the lower frame assembly to the
rear of the crankcases followed by the
swingarm and rear wheel. The alignment
was checked with a straight edge and
spirit level to ensure that the wheel was in
the middle of the engine and vertical in
relation to the base of the crankcases. I
was also pleased to see the wheel span
freely and the front and rear sprockets
aligned perfectly. I put on the chain and
set the tension, then checked to see that
the chain cleared the lower frame cross
tubes at the upper and lower limit of the
rear suspension travel.
The next job to do was to make a frame
jig to locate and hold the front and rear
sub-assemblies in alignment while I made
the main frame. I bought some box-section
steel long enough for both wheels to sit on
and be held at a 55.5in wheelbase, and
the forks at the required angle. Several
locating points were then welded onto
the main spar of the jig to locate the
crankcases bolting points and headstock.
The front and rear sub-assemblies were
then bolted on to the frame jig and final
alignment was checked using a piece of
string and a spirit level to ensure both
wheels were aligned and vertical. cmm

74 / classic motorcycle mechanics

www.classicmechanics.com / 75
 HAYNES 7905; 65305,

I t’s not the most normal ‘extra’ given

away free with a bike, but Dave
Brooking took it anyways.
Y’see, he bought this rather tidy 1997
Honda CBR1000F from a man of the
cloth, and – rather than nab any spares
or end cans or the like, Dave received
something a little bit more spiritual,
rather than ‘actual’. But let’s start at the
very beginning…
Dave has been in CMM a few times.
He’s a former racer (tricked-up Yamaha
TRX850 in Sound of Thunder in the
1990s) he’s (still) got a GSX1100 EFE
in bits that he (still) doesn’t quite know
what to do with. He also bought a lovely,
cheap-as-chips Kawasaki ZX-10 a few
years back and – in the pages of the
magazine – took it on an Irish tour with
his son Niall on the back. Dave’s got
some Irish roots, you see?

WORDS AND PHOTOS: DAVE BROOKING.

He’s still got the 10, but wants
something newer for another trip he’s got
lined up later this year: to the Manx Grand
Prix. He says: “Initially I was looking for
another ZX-10 for some reason and I’d
seen one on eBay, but it looked a little
ropey and a mate put me off it. Then I saw
this – and yes I hasten to add there were a ‘Bless you my son!’ Bike and rider
couple of pints of Guinness involved. With blessed and rosary beads given!
the prospect of a big road trip to the Isle
of Man looming, I wanted something big
and comfy and this 1997 CBR1000F
R-plater fitted the bill. It had not much
more than 13,000 on the clock and this
Project Honda CBR1000F part 1
Saints be praised!
all checked out on the MoT database
and the mileage was confirmed.”

A 21-year-old range-topping sports-tourer for little

more than a bag of sand? Heavens above!

The sale was being handled by a friend
of the owner… sometimes this should
rightly set off alarm bells, but not this
time: a higher force was at work.
“It seemed as if the seller wasn’t that
au-fait with eBay,” explained Dave. “And
while the person selling the bike for the
owner had a few offers, none had been
accepted yet. Thankfully I was put in
touch with the owner – one ‘Father’ Valmor
– a Brazilian missionary living and working
in the Bedford area! I tried to go and see
the bike first, but the Father and I couldn’t
get a mutually acceptable date, so instead
Beads and heated grips! I sent a friend with £100 deposit to go
and look at it for me. He’s someone who
buys and sells bikes so I would trust his
judgement.”
The bike was good, so pretty soon Dave
took the trip down in his van to pick it up
and meet Father Valmor himself. He says:
“Father Valmor was very forthcoming about
the bike and he admitted that in the last
few years it’s only done around 600 miles.
I think he may have been a little wary of it.
The bike itself was pretty ‘clean’ but also
it was suffering from a lack of TLC. There’s
little things like some rust on the cross-
hatching on the rear brake pedal– it’s in
need of a good, deep clean.”

76 / classic motorcycle mechanics

HAYNES 7905;
65305, Simple solutions: Be polite and honest when buying or selling.
Cockpit is well appointed.
Brakes felt okay...
With a private road nearby, Dave had a
quick spin to find: “…it feels super-
smooth: what a great motor! I was really
surprised how smooth it was, no carb
issues at all, considering it’s been stood
for a while. Handling-wise it rolls into the
bends lovely and you seem to lose the
weight of the bike somewhere along the
line. It all feels pretty neutral to me and
you can feel the difference in development
over my normal ride, the ZX-10. I guess
that’s almost a decade of development for
you. One thing I was worried about was
the much-maligned (at the time) Dual
Combined Braking System or CBS. With
the front lever it operates the front brakes
and also operates a piston on the rear
while the rear lever operates the rear and a
bit on the front. Or something like that…
either way, I was worried about what I
may experience as it was my first time
on a CBS bike but I didn’t feel anything
untoward really, which was a surprise.”
Dave was very pleased. Especially with
the price: £1100 plus a £50 ‘donation’ to
St Martin’s church funds… £1150 all in
for a super-fast, comfy sports tourer with
1990s Honda colour schemes weren’t the best!
Does look a little scabby!
Some surface rust evident.
so few miles on the clocks? That’s classic Original end-cans: rare!
biking at its best.
“It didn’t come with any spares,”
explains Dave. “But the father did give
me a helmet sized 4XL – I didn’t know
they went that big? Best of all, when he
gave me the keys he then gave me and
the bike a blessing, also giving me some
rosary beads to keep with the bike. He
also said that Saint Martin would protect
Niall and I during our trip! That’s worth
£50 in itself…” Sounds to us like this
bike just HAS to be called Martin, as Chain and sprockets may get changed.
a result…
If there’s one thing that rankles it’s the
fact that – for such low miles – it’s had
no fewer than six owners. Which seems a
little strange: but for Dave this bike will
be a keeper. “It needs some work doing
to it: tyres are mismatched, chain and
sprockets, brake pads and lines need
doing,” says Dave, “but the main thing
is it needs a good clean and a service
and some luggage for the trip.”
You’ll hear about the Ireland/Isle of Man/
Manx GP trip on this £1100 sports-tourer
in a later issue of CMM… cmm Twenty-one years old for £1100!
www.classicmechanics.com / 77
 HAYNES 7905;
65305,

Fork
fings
Scoop looks at old style forks and
shows us how to refurbish them.

B efore Ceriani came up

with the idea of placing
springs inside fork
tubes the shock absorbing
element of the front
their older machines and move on to what
we’d see as more conventional forks.
Up on the ‘Workbench of Opportunity’
this month; are the forks from our Yamaha
CS3C street scrambler. All signs to date
the fork oil was last changed – probably
never. Not wanting to entrust my latter
years to someone else’s potential bodges
I’m stripping the forks down to their basic
elements and rebuilding them. The MO
suspension sat outside of the stanchions. indicate the 200cc twin led a short but may be a little more convoluted than many
Due to the questionable aesthetics of hard life and I’ve little doubt as to when might be used to with more modern
coiled steel and its propensity for rusting,
the fork leg and spring were generally
covered by some form of shroud, steel
tubing or concertinaed rubber boot being
the normal options. Post Second World
War telescopic motorcycle forks began
to feature genuine hydraulic damping
which necessitated some form of seal.
Almost without exception this seal was
contained in a standalone, screw on,
device that was known by the highly
novel term ‘seal holder’.
No one today makes bike suspension
with seal holder forks and for good reason
– see our boxout on p81. However, in
our classic world seal holder forks turn
up with annoying regularity and especially
so if your chosen steeds are pre 1975. 1
All the Japanese players ran this set up
at one time or another and it took the 1/ The gaiters simply pull off the lower leg along with the spring to reveal the lower and
manufacturers quite some time to obsolete upper portions of the fork leg. The oily rust tells us action is definitely needed.

78 / classic motorcycle mechanics

HAYNES 7905; 65305, Simple solutions: Wear the appropriate safety gear for every job!

2 3

2/ Closer examination of the thinner tube (the fork stanchion) shows evidence of stone/grit/
sand damage by way of the long scar running up the chrome plating. Above this there are
signs of some stunt monkey damage with a pipe wrench. The black plastic moulding is the
lower spring seating bush. 3/ It might look mad but it works! Tapping the seal holder hard
with a plastic mallet loosens up the threads inside. If there’s rust etc. heat and/or easing
fluid may be needed before attempting the next stage.

machines but the principles are still the 4 5

same: check for wear/damage, replace worn
parts, fit new seals and keep everything
clean. With a hammer and some duct tape
to hand, no seriously, we’re stripping down
a pair of forks that haven’t been apart since
the latter portions of 1969!
4/ It’s not as barbarous as it looks, honestly! Four or five turns of good quality duct tape
will protect the chrome perfectly well. A decent, bench mounted, vice makes what’s coming
next so much easier. 5/ Inserting a suitable lever into the wheel spindle mount the lower
fork leg can be unscrewed from the seal holder. Manuals may suggest using a chain
wrench on the seal holder but I’ve found it’s not that effective: this way you can add
some serious leverage if necessary.

6 7

6/ Once free, the lower fork leg is turned off the seal holder; it’s a long, fine, thread so will take some time to undo. Make notes and/or take
pictures of how each component fits ready for the rebuild. 7/ This is the upper fork bush and officially a service item. It will need checking
for wear and damage. Fortunately it’s something a decent machinist can knock up if you need a replacement and no one can supply one.

www.classicmechanics.com / 79
 HAYNES 7905; 65305,

8 9

8/ And here’s one fork leg broken down to its individual components. Now is the time to clean, inspect and farm out repair work as
necessary. 9/ No doubt about it; the fork legs will have to be professionally hard chromed. Damage such as this will leak immediately
if reused ‘as-is’ and will inevitably slice up new fork seals. No one ever said working on old bikes was cheap!

10 11 12

10/ Before sending off the stanchions remove any seals such as these at the top. But don’t remove the snap ring at the lower end of the
leg (see Pic 8 again) as your hard chrome plater will work around it. 11/ The lower legs feel like rasps so they’re going to be rechromed.
The drain screws and their washers should be removed and replaced as they’re usually damaged anyway. 12/ Inside the seal holder
there’s a hydraulic seal and this O-ring. The former seals the stanchion to the seal holder and the latter seals the holder to the lower leg.
Remove the O-ring with care.

13/ Knock the seal out with a suitably

sized drift, taking care not to damage
the threads. Here one seal is already
out and the other is just emerging
13 from the bottom of the holder.

80 / classic motorcycle mechanics

HAYNES 7905; 65305,

14 15

14/ Everything has been refurbished ready for reassembly. Always stress to your chrome plater that both the threads of the seal holders and
the lower legs must not be chromed and you’ll never get the two screwed together again! 15/ Use some rubber grease (or seal grease if
provided) and fit the seals. A seal driver is the preferred tool but a suitably sized socket will also do the job. Ensure you start the seals off
square in their holders. Don’t forget to refit the O-rings.

16 17 18

16/ Fit the upper bush to the stanchion then apply one turn only of
quality insulating tape to the top of the stanchion. This will protect
the new seal. Use rubber or seal grease then gently but firmly pull
the seal holder down on the rechromed leg. 17/ I’ve had mixed
results with the O-ring seals in the past so now I also add some
non-setting pipe jointing compound to seal the threads. It also
prevents rust. 18/ Fit new drain screws and washers before the legs
are refitted to the bike. It’s infinitely easier to do on the bench now
and you’re guaranteed you won’t be creating a puddle of fork oil
later. No of course I’ve never overlooked a drain screw… as if!

Basic telescopic
fork seal evolution
The earliest telescopic forks had minimal damping and
the crudest of the breed relied on grease impregnated
felt rings to keep the elements out. Post-war, reliable
fork damping was introduced by only worked in
compression not on rebound. The use of screw-on fork
seal holders was essentially little more than a
development of a gland nut half-inched from Victorian
steam technology. When someone smart looked at fork
leg designs (supposedly Ceriani but doubtless others
were on to it as well) it was obvious the concept could be
upgraded. Fitting the fork seal into the top of the lower
leg not only reduced production line build times it also
axed several expensive machining costs and neatly
removed seal holders from the parts lists. The integral
fork seal has been an intrinsic part of motorcycle
technology since the early 1970s and even with the
advent of USD (upside-down) or inverted forks the basics 19
haven’t changed. And unless there’s a sudden switch to
alternative front suspension systems they’re likely to be 19/ The seal holders are retightened as per the duct tape/vice/
with us for the foreseeable future. tommy bar method and refitted with the various spring seats
and springs. Reinstall it on the bike and the job’s done. cmm

www.classicmechanics.com / 81

65305,
Yamaha FZR600 Racer part 2
Cut and shut
It’s carb fiddling and plastic cutting for our mate
Brooksie with his FZR600 ‘homage’ racer!
H ello again! First off, I hope you
liked my first article a few issues
ago, where this aging racer has
decided to relive times way-back-when!
To recap, I won the 1989 British
Supersport Championship on a Yamaha
FZR600 and want to build a – well –
’homage’ I suppose is the best thing to
call it. It’s going to be fairly faithful to the
original but have some upgraded/better
parts. So, what’s occurring this month?
Well, the tiny lithium-ion battery worked
a treat once it was charged. I figured I’d
give the old girl a go, so I changed the
plugs for some new ones and tried starting
the engine. I made sure the carbs were full
and blow me if the little old thing started
second touch of the button! Blimey, I
didn’t expect that at all but was made up.
Okay, so it ran a bit lumpy but it was still
with the standard carb settings, so that
can be sorted.
82 / classic motorcycle mechanics
HAYNES 7905;
Brookie on his FZR in
his championship year.
WORDS AND PHOTOS: PAUL BROOKES
To that end a Dynojet kit was ordered for
the carbs and when it arrived I set about
fitting that. Well, what a trip down memory
lane that was: it’d been about 28 years
since I last fitted one of these and going
the right way about it had long since been
erased from my tiny brain. So after a chat
with Ashley Law again to ensure I didn’t
screw it up (ahem), the job was done. Brooksie found...
While the carbs were off, I got around to
fitting the heat-shield cloth. This had been
purchased at ’Normous Newark auto
jumble (brilliant place to go if you’re after
owt like old parts) at a bargain £7 and
had been sat around for a while. I made
a template out of an old tea-towel I had
lying around. I made this a real good fit as
– when fitted – it keeps the hot air from
the engine diluting the colder air from the
’Hoover-pipes’ that I’m gonna fit through
the plastic ’dummy’ fuel tank. These give
more of a ram-air affect, as the original ...some things had been forgotten!
HAYNES 7905;
65305, SUBSCRIBE TODAY SEE PAGES 40-41
FOR DETAILS

Attacking the wiring loom. Removing what’s not essential... ...saw this lot chopped off!

ones that go through the frame are tiny

and don’t really do a lot. Back when I was
racing, these made a big difference to
power, as when a motor gets too hot it
loses power. Feeding good cold air to the
carbs helps no end. Other teams and
riders soon copied these – just think back
to Team Grant (Mick) who ran James
Whitham on a Suzuki GSX-R750. If I
recall, his 1991 machine had two huge
’hoover’ scoops/pipes going from the top
of the screen! Me? I had already used
these on a FZ750 that I had raced
in superbikes two years before my
supersport title win. It works!
As for the new bike, I thought I would
thin out the wiring harness. It was just a
case of taking the road stuff off, which
meant the lights, indicators, flasher relay,
clocks, horn and radiator fan were
removed. When sorted, the amount of wire
and other bits that you have spare is
surprisingly lots. All saves weight!
I got all the bodywork back from the
paint shop, but then found a single race
seat on eBay for £70. This was going to
save weight and be in one piece rather
than the five pieces I had with all the
original bits. This was in Germany and was
with me within a week so I then forwarded
it to the paint shop for painting. I realised
that this was going to have to require me
making or altering the sub-frame to make
it fit. Thankfully I had some alloy strips
lying around and a new rivet-nut gun that I
had bought a while back as I knew I would Bodywork looked lovely.
use it one day! Now was its time. We can
never have enough tools, can we?
Fitting the fairing turned out to be a The top nose fairing was gonna need drill a pair of 2in holes in the dummy
bit of a pain: not that it was wrong in any a bit of a Brookie fettling of course. The tank. This is where my OCD was going to
way. It was the fault of the exhaust. The Hoover-pipes that I had purchased, again kick in. Anyway I measured it out, taped
headers were a lot wider at the bottom from eBay, were just a bit too big in it up and re-measured a few more times
where it met up with the collector-box. diameter. Looking at the pics I think it’s and set about with the Milwaukee and
So the fairing lowers needed a fettle with the holes in the fairing that are not round. a 2in hole cutter. When it was done it
an angle grinder and heat shield cloth So marked out with a sharpie and out looked mega: factory, even. I’m well
applying on the inside and the job was with the round file: bingo! Next up was chuffed with it and looks a lot neater than
a good ’un! the bit I had been dreading. I needed to the race bike was.

www.classicmechanics.com / 83
 HAYNES 7905; 65305,

Bodywork snags pipes! Heat protection needed.

Time to make the holes in the tank.

Maybe a larger hole? It’s a tad too snug!

Bertie put me on to Steve Smith at Avon

Tyres. These were the tyres of choice back
in the late 80s/90s and I won loads of
club races and won the British
championship with these sticky little
beauties. So with AM22/AM23 fitted I
have no worries at all now about any knee
down action that’s coming my way. The
bike was strapped in the van and taken to Holes done!
Swinton Performance Centre for a run on
the dyno. This went well: no oil or water
leaks, just needs fine tuning on a race
track now. I’ve got a couple of things
to do before all that though.
The thing I am really going to struggle
to find now are the Astralite wheels. The More needs to come off!
bike was run under Team Astralite
Yamaha, but these have long since
disappeared from the little unit on is willing to sell them then get in touch
Penistone Road, Sheffield. The same unit brookie89@hotmail.co.uk.
is Crown Paints now and I still visit once a So next month the old girl will be having
week as I’m still a painter and decorator, her throttle cables stretched around the
how weird is that? So if someone has an best race track in the world: yup, that’s
old pair from for an FZR lying around and right: Cadwell Park! cmm This used to work in the 80s/90s!

84 / classic motorcycle mechanics

86 / classic motorcycle mechanics
 servicesguide
To advertise in classifiedmechanics
contact Rob
Call: 01507 529575
Email: rbee@mortons.co.uk

BLAST CLEANING

BRAKES/CLUTCHES

CHROMING

CHROMING

88 / classic motorcycle mechanics

 servicesguide
CHROMING CLOTHING

COMPRESSORS

CARBURETTORS

DEALER DIRECTORY

www.classicmechanics.com / 89
servicesguide
DEALER DIRECTORY ENAMELLING/POWDER COATING

DYNO SERVICES

ELECTRICAL

ENGINEERING

LUBRICANTS & FUEL TREATMENTS KEY CUTTING

90 / classic motorcycle mechanics

 servicesguide
PETROL TANKS PARTS AND SPARES

PAINT

PARTS AND SPARES

RESTORATION

RADIATOR

www.classicmechanics.com / 91
servicesguide
RESTORATION TOOLS

SEATS TWO STROKE TUNING VAPOUR BLASTING

SHOCK ABSORBERS SPEEDOMETERS

VAPOUR BLASTING

SHOTBLASTING

TRANSPORT

92 / classic motorcycle mechanics

 servicesguide
TRAILERS

WEB DIRECTORY

‘Normous
Newark Autojumble

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
Also: Oct 21, Nov 18, Dec 9
BIGGEST AND BEST ONE DAY AUTOJUMBLE IN UK
Newark Showground, Newark-on-Trent, Notts NG24 2NY

• Indoor & outdoor plots • Free parking • Classic vehicle display •

Early Bird Admission from 8am, £10 • General Admission from 10am, £7
Classic drivers save £2

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Trade plots from £18
FREE Saturday night camping for traders
For more information: Visit www.newarkautojumble.co.uk
Call 01507 529593 Email info@newarkautojumble.co.uk

www.classicmechanics.com / 93
 N
PMA
ER’S

GAR C OOPER
CHA
E
Y ‘D ’
GUID
E
PHO S: STEV
EXHAUSTS
BUY

TOS: Some pattern systems run the

more restrictive Z900 baffles but
D
WOR

details on how to convert to Z1 PANELS & SEAT

spec are in the public domain.
Pattern parts are available
but for many only OEM will
do… you will pay for these!
CHASSIS
Renew headstock bearings;
taper roller sets are popular.
Swingarm bearings are also
worth changing.

CAM-CHAIN
If you have the engine in
pieces or out of the frame
treat it to a new cam-chain
tensioner and rollers.
ENGINE
If the engine is an unknown
quantity figure on a tear
down to replace gaskets
and seals just to be safe.

It may not be the Cinderella of the family but Z1As aren’t exactly common.
Would you like to go to the ball?
94 / classic motorcycle mechanics
 ELECTRICS
Expect bikes that have
sat in hot American
A ssuming you are actually into classic
motorcycles then we’ll hijack a period
catch phrase from a certain DJ, “and
baby if this don’t turn you on then you ain’t got
nooooo switches!”
States to have brittle
Okay so Emperor Roscoe was probably talking
wiring.
CARBS about the then-new reggae sound that was emerging
Factor in a complete into mainstream culture but he could just as well
carb rebuild for any have been advertising Kawasaki’s Z1A. If this bike
machine that’s sat for didn’t quicken your pulse you weren’t a biker.
decades with old fuel The Z1A was launched as the successor to the
in the bowls. ground-breaking Z1 and supposedly manufactured
as the 1974 model even if the bikes were rolling off
the production lines towards the end of the previous
summer. The most obvious change was the finish of
the engine which was now plain alloy casting as
opposed to the satin black finish of the original Z1.
More a result of expediency than one of style
Kawasaki dropped the painted block/head/cases look
due to a myriad of warranty claims where the satin
black coating peeled away from the alloy. That said
the company wasn’t about to throw perfectly good
Z1 blocks away and some of the earliest Z1As
sported black motors as Kawasaki used up old stock
and presumably picked up the warranty claims
again. The next most obvious change was the paint
scheme which saw the Z1A arrive in either: Candy
Tone Green / Yellow or Candy Tone Brown / Orange.
Just which is the better remains, to this day, a
subject of heated debate in Z circles but if you look
just a little deeper it is apparent Kawasaki was keen
not to deviate too far too soon from the iconic

BRAKES
Change brake lines,
seals, pads and shoes as
a matter of course. Many
prefer silicone brake fluid
for machines that are built
as show bikes.

www.classicmechanics.com / 95
 What to buy and how much to pay
Any form of Kawasaki 900 four is prime anorak territory. Whether period accurate parts are
important to you or not is actually totally irrelevant; it’s the next potential owner who may be
thus fixated. Therefore we’d strongly recommend expert input into anything Z1/Z1A/Z1B that
purports to be 100% authentic.
For those who were unaware it’s not only the engine and chassis that carry identification
numbers. Deceptively, items such the swingarm, rear brake torsion bar, switch-gear and wheel rims
all carry date codes. For many with just a desire to own any Z1 this may not be of any significance
whatsoever but for the truly dedicated (obsessed?) these details may very well be a deal breaker
and for this, if for no other reason, we’d staunchly urge getting a high-end Zed authenticated to
justify the asking price. Most classic fans probably know that USA market bikes ran short stubby
rear mudguards while UK models had a longer more obvious chromed blade but what about foot-
rests? American machines ran front pegs that folded while our own market stayed with solid, fixed,
pegs. Why? American legislators perceived folding pegs to be less likely to send a dropped bike
spinning across a carriageway. Here in Blighty there was no such requirement so Kawasaki went for
IT’S MY BIKE: the cheapest option, which is yet another reason as to why you really don’t want to buy a mix-n-
match Z1A. Prices are best described as
Dave Orritt full-bodied!
A few years ago a You may see dealers asking for £26,000 to
guy came up to me £30,000 but this is almost certainly cloud
on the Kawasaki cuckoo land. Project bikes that are there or
stand at Stafford thereabouts we’re talking north of £5000. A
asking if I was machine with patina and essentially untouched
interested in a Z1A. figure on £12,000 and for 100 point perfect
His pictures showed you’re into £20,000 to £22,000 territory.
an American style
chopper with
overlength forks
and a peanut tank original cosmetics. The Z1A retains those key
so not exactly your elements of red on brown or yellow on green that so
standard Z1A. successfully delineated the Z1 from any of its peers.
However, it was a Other cosmetic changes included the nomenclature
genuine UK bike to the left hand side cover of the engine and subtle
and had matching changes to the dash.
numbers, V5C etc. Elsewhere Kawasaki and its suppliers were getting
so I gave him £1300 to grips with both the success of the Super Four and
for it. I registered the feedback received from dealers. Even though Majestic, masterful mill...
the bike in my the original prototypes and preproduction machines
name, declared it had received seriously punishing beastings both in
SORN then promptly Japan and America, subtle issues were apparent on a century on, to nit-pick and identify apparent
forgot about it. the original Z1s. The four VM28SC Mikunis used on intra-model differences and discrepancies yet back
Come February 2017 the Zed had borrowed heavily from various Keihin in the early 1970s Kawasaki’s motorcycle engineers
I carried out a nut carbs as used on numerous iterations of Honda’s were essentially in uncharted territory having
and bolt restoration fours. For example strengthening ribs would be previously only worked on two-strokes.
to produce what latterly added to the carb bodies above the inlets, So why would you want a Z1A now? Well looks
you see here. choke mechanisms would be refined, ditto and styling have to be a huge motivator as does
I had to track carburettor synchronising systems mechanisms. The the bike’s reputation; they are seriously reliable
down a full body kit chain lubrication system was slightly tweaked to machines and capable of withstanding severe abuse
as all the panels improve operation and the drive chain adjusters and/or being extensively tuned. They are also
were missing. The upgraded from 8mm to 10mm. The Z1A and the surprisingly rare machines for a series production
fitted 4-2 exhaust subsequent Z1B remained very much ‘work in motorcycle; experts suggest the subsequent Z1B
went in the bin as progress’ throughout their lives as Kawasaki sought easily outstripped the Z1A in terms of numbers by at
did the chopper fork to improve, hone and revise their first big four-stroke least a factor of two. Moreover, the Z1A marks the
legs. Oh, and I had designed totally in house. It’s easy now, almost half end of an era, as from here on in the big Zeds were
to find two guards being tamed and gradually stripped of their wilder
as well which meant excesses. By the time the Z900 and then the Z1000
hunting down one arrived although they were still forces to be reckoned
of the rare European with folk were already lamenting the passing of the
long length rears. hairy chested originals.
In the very best Many who love the period will have already
restoration tradition invested heavily in the initial Z1 leaving others to
the bike was pay top dollar on the far more easily obtainable Z1B.
finished the day If you really fancy a Z1 but find the ’72-’73
before the October examples out of reach then perhaps a Z1A might
2017 Stafford show. very well be the bike of choice. It obviously won’t
I’m really pleased be cheap but then class never is. And just because
with how it turned most seem to favour the brown/orange version we’d
out as UK Z1As are be opting for the green/yellow option. But regardless
pretty rare now. of colour we all know that the good times still roll…
Those classic clocks. and yes, the Z1A does still flick the switches. cmm

96 / classic motorcycle mechanics


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APRILIA RS50 full restoration,
nos bodywork, 12,500 miles,
fantastic condition, £1995 Tel.
07776 172708. Stirling
BSA ARIEL 3 1972, good
condition for year, MoT 4th
April 2019, £600 ono Tel. Mike
01179 694024. Bristol
HARLEY-DAVIDSON 883
Sportster, 2006, one owner,
only 5700 miles, 12 months
MoT, £4750 ono Tel. 07944
634188. Essex
HONDA CB350/4 really nice
unmessed with example, MoT
April 2019, approx 18,000
miles, spare set of DSS
exhausts, new original
handbook, £3500 ono Tel.
01469 518557. Lincs
HONDA CB750FB 1981, very
good condition, completely
standard bike except for fly
screen, showing 28,000mls
miles, £2950 irm Tel. 07890
570990. West Midlands
HONDA CM400C 1981, W reg,
13,582 miles, fully restored,
powder coated frame & other
bits, all new chrome, tyres,
battery everything, £3950 Tel.
07956 555626. Hants
100 / classic motorcycle mechanics
APRILIA RSV Mille, V reg,
29,080 kilometres, needs a
service and battery been stood
for a couple of years, nice bike,
£3500 ono Tel. 07818 518582
after 6pm. Notts
BSA GOLDSTAR ZB, 350cc,
1949, bike starts & runs well, a
beautifully restored machine,
loads of money spent on
restoration, £6500 ono Tel.
07817 256283.
HONDA C90 Cafe Racer, 1968,
built & imported from Vietnam,
comes with all paperwork ready
to register, free from road tax &
MoT, lovely condition, £1950
Tel. 07803 988875. Staffs
HONDA CB400F1 1976, has
been fully restored to a high
standard, new suspension all
around, rebuilt/new front & rear
wheels & tyres, rebuilt engine &
clutch, £4700 Tel. 07834
912891. Kent
HONDA CB750KZ 1981, bike
is Euro spec, was purchased in
the UK, mileage 17,500, V5
present, MoT, bought bike in
August 2017 Tel. 07735
592497. Lincs
HONDA CUB 90 tidy
commuter, on Sorn, £700 Tel.
01484 318160. West Yorkshire
BMW K75S 1986, 56,000 miles,
bought as a non runner, failed
clutch plate replaced, starts
and runs as it should, new
battery, MoT July 2019, £1750
ono Tel. 01779 471367.
Aberdeenshire
DUCATI Mike Hailwood paint,
powder coated frame, Alfs
Motorcycles top end rebuild,
MoT April 2019, 27,000 miles
Tel. 07835 807285. West
Sussex
CLASSIC BIKE
INSURANCE
0800 458 2530
Carole Nash Insurance Consultants
Ltd is authorised and regulated by the
Financial Conduct Authority.
HONDA CB500RS vgc, Honda
XL500 engine with powder coated
CB250RS cycle parts, professional
build (Red Rose Retrobikes), NOS
parts, stainless steel etc, Sorn,
buyer collect, £2900 ono Tel.
07392 487353 after 6pm. Lancs
HONDA CB900F fully restored,
V reg, 12 months MoT, V5 in my
name, complete engine rebuild
by the UK expert includes Vince
& Hyde tensioner, everything
new, £4250 Tel. Mike 07767
062543. Hants
HONDA CX500 Tracker, 1981,
professional engine rebuild,
receipts for over £1100 in
genuine Honda parts plus
bespoke custom parts, £2450
ono Tel. 07932 073571. South
Yorkshire
BMW R100RT 1991, 43,000
miles, high & standard screens,
Krausers, vgc, two owners,
MoT, original tool kit & hand
books, £4000 ono Tel. 07761
951298. Lymington
FANTIC CABELLERO TX94,
Sports moped, 1972, all
original, all 100% complete,
everything works as it should,
only four owners, imported in
2009, V5, £2500 Tel. 07990
720765. Gwent
HONDA CB-1 400cc,
36,000km, good condition,
rides well, new tyres, battery,
fuel pump, £900 Tel. 01228
530329. Cumbria
HONDA CB750 K2 1972, new
seat, new handlebars, new
clutch, new paint, new battery,
honest example of this model,
£5850 ono Tel. 07968 089939.
North Yorkshire
HONDA CB900F W reg, 38,000
miles approx, needs a battery,
carbs need looking at nice bike
needs a service, no MoT on
Sorn, £3000 ono Tel. 07818
518582 after 6pm. Notts
HONDA CX500 restored,
stripped down & rebuilt with
new powder coating, chrome,
paint, tyres, seat wheel
bearings, cables plus lots more,
MoT, £1750 Tel. Mike 07511
688088. Birmingham
BSA A7 not your usual A7, bike
in Nottinghamshire, £5000 Tel.
07818 518582 leave message I
will get back to you.
HARLEY XLH883 1998, 883cc,
blue, 7000 miles, one owner,
very nice, £4500 ono Tel.
075463 943640.
HONDA CB125 Superdream,
1982, MoT Jan 19, two new
Pirellis, starts on the button &
runs well, less than 6000
recorded miles from new, use
as is or restoration, £1250 Tel.
07525 911600. Somerset
HONDA CB750F 1978 Cafe
Racer, alloy tank, electronic
ignition, powder coated frame,
plus many new parts, vgc,
£5000 Tel. 07811 170592.
South Devon
HONDA CBR954 Fireblade
model 2003, 44,000 miles,
excellent condition, £2600 Tel.
07939 873116. West Yorkshire
HONDA DEAUVILLE
NT100A-7, 17,000 miles, MoT
Oct 18, ABS heated grips,
screen, back box, two keys,
£3250 ono Tel. 01704 534510.
Lancs

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HONDA GBTT500 Super
single, only 13,000 miles, MPH
clocks, 1992, electric start, auto
decompression, very rare
beautiful classic bike, £5500
Tel. 07870 145033. Lancs
HONDA VFR400R NC30, 1994,
excellent original condition,
21,000 miles, new tyres,
datatool, alarm, currently Sorn,
£6000 Tel. 07801 932127.
Bucks
KAWASAKI AR50 C10,
stunning, 1995, lovely little bike,
covered just 5867 miles, MoT,
Haynes workshop manual &
owners handbook, £2850 Tel.
Jon 07768 365974. Oxfordshire
KAWASAKI KH250BS 1981,
full working order, matching
numbers, 16,500 miles, good
condition, all standard,
electronic ignition, Sorn, £3500
Tel. 07773 633560. North Yorks
KAWASAKI ZXR750H2 1990,
superb condition, Endurance
colours from new, dynojet carb
kit, Maxton shock, Brembo
floating discs HP1 clear, MoT,
Tel. 07739 710275. Cambs
SUZUKI B120 1976, MoT June
2019, owned 38 years, good
tyres, rack manual, £1150 ono
Tel. 07596 108060. Essex
HONDA GL1200 Aspencade
Goldwing, 1984, new Gel
battery, new starter, alternator
conversion, tyres good, 75,000
miles, £1600 Tel. 01989
762429. Ross-on-Wye
HONDA VFR400Z 1989, rare Z
model, unfaired street bike, twin
headlamp, good original
condition, low mileage, exhaust
solid, £1250 Tel. Paul 07847
454234. Hull
KAWASAKI F11 Samurai,
1973, UK registered, US import
with a UK age related plate,
daylight MoT, £2550 ono Tel.
01952 461143. Shropshire
KAWASAKI KH400 A4 A4,
1977, UK bike, excellent
condition in Royal Candy
Purple, 24,000 genuine miles,
£7950 ono Tel. 07889 815460.
Devon
MONTESA COTA 247 1973,
one previous owner, V5C in my
name, new cables, kickstart,
fork seals, fresh oil, good
working order, £1500 Tel.
01767 650049. Cambs/Beds
SUZUKI BANDIT 400 V-tec,
1992, Japanese import, new
MoT, recently serviced, new
Michelin front tyre, battery,
brake lines, disc & back brake
pads, £1300 ono Tel. 01424
812057.
HONDA H100S-J 1989, good
reliable runner, topbox, good
tyres + spare front wheel, £650
Tel. 07720 718585. Surrey
HONDA VFR750FV 1997,
34,000 miles, only three
owners, lots of history, recent
new tyres, higher screen,
uprated regulator, not used in
winter, vgc, £2200 ono Tel.
07968 389913. East Yorks
CLASSIC BIKE
INSURANCE
0800 458 2530
Carole Nash Insurance Consultants
Ltd is authorised and regulated by the
Financial Conduct Authority.
KAWASAKI W650 vgc, only
5400 miles, MoT April 2019,
new battery, T reg 2001, one of
the best for year in UK, £3000
Tel. 07960 504451. Essex
NORTON DOMINATOR 1956,
not pristine but not oily rag
condition, bike is in
Nottinghamshire, £5000 Tel.
07818 518582 leave message I
will get back to you. Notts
SUZUKI BANDIT 600 1998,
MoT 11 months, excellent
runner & totally reliable, good
tyres, chain & sprockets etc,
£1395 ono Tel. 07759 412908.
Wiltshire
readersbikes&bits
HONDA NIGHTHAWK 650cc,
1985, MoT, steering head
stripped cleaned, new fork
seals, back tyre, HT leads
plugs, brake seals, £1600 Tel.
07434 483039. Warks
HONDA VFR800FI W, 1998,
28,074 miles, R reg, good
original condition, plus heated
grips, Spyball alarm &
Scottoiler, on Sorn, £1500 ono
Tel. 07968 752507. West
Yorkshire
KAWASAKI GPZ750R 1987,
full MoT, 30,000 miles, brand
new paintwork by Motorcycle
FX,fully serviced, a lot of bike
for not a lot of money Tel.
07903 500999. Lancashire
KAWASAKI ZX-9R 1999,
21,905 miles, vgc, MoT March
2019, full Maxton suspension,
all original parts with it, new
tyres, £2650 Tel. 01780 450242.
SUZUKI needs back tyre for
MoT, new main wiring loom
itted & side panels, flashers
only work properly when lights
on, £800 Tel. 07957 223180.
Lincs
SUZUKI GP100 manufactured
1984 & reg’d in the UK 1984,
starts easily & runs great but
needs a little tune-up, rims &
tyres, forks, shockers very
good, £750 ono Tel. 07470
932279.
www.classicmechanics.com / 101
HONDA VF500F2 1985,
restored & rebuild with many
new parts including brakes,
tyres, fuel pump, air filter,
£1800 ono Tel. Ade 07954
586501.
IZH PLANETA Sport 350,
32BHP, 9840km, recent tyres,
tubes, battery, crank seals,
MoT June 2019, interesting rare
classic, £1000 ono Tel. 01159
556145. Notts
KAWASAKI GPZ1100E2 1996,
includes Givi panniers & top
box, Bagster harness & tank
bag plus loads of spares, full
history, 12 months MoT, £1350
ono Tel. Phil 07967 734679.
Middlesex
KAWASAKI ZXR750 H2, 1990,
complete restoration, vgc, all
documentation & receipts
available, MoT until May 2019,
£4750 Tel. 07813 342329. Kent
SUZUKI 250GS 1981, 17,700
miles, MoT, ready to go, £725
Tel. 01698 305761. North
Lanarkshire
SUZUKI GS500EW 1998, MoT
November, vgc, buyer collects,
sensible offers, £1800 ono Tel.
07909 080174. Bucks
readersbikes&bits
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SUZUKI GSX600F 1990, vgc,
32,000 miles, new brake
calipers & disc pads, new
battery, new tyres & steering
head bearings last year, £1250
Tel. 01286 881644. Gwynedd
SUZUKI SV650S 2002, one
owner, 90,000 miles, MoT,
good condition, sweet runner,
well serviced, too big for me,
£1250 Tel. 07900 923601. Herts
TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD
900 1996, good condition,
23,500 miles, MoT October
2018, £3800 Tel. 07518 925786
evenings. Northumberland
YAMAHA FS1E DX original &
unrestored 1977 Fizzy, owned
for many years bought it from
its irst owner, 11,000 miles,
£4750 ono Tel. 07404 486092.
YAMAHA RD350LC superb
bike in unique & sought after RZ
Japanese red, UK reg bike with
matching 4LO numbers, Micron
fork brace, numerous NOS
parts fitted, £8200 ono Tel.
07889 815460. Devon
YAMAHA XJ600 custom
cruiser, 12 months MoT, new
battery, runs well, £895 Tel.
07922 584298. Somerset
102 / classic motorcycle mechanics
SUZUKI GT200 1982, lovely
condition, lots of new chrome,
new tyres, new seat, just been
rebuilt, lovely sounding engine,
really nice classic bike, £3500
Tel. 07583 069656.
SUZUKI VS750 Intruder,
31,666km, good condition,
1997 hard to ind, all original
except for air adjust rear
shocks, £1750 Tel. 07939
054392. Suffolk
TRIUMPH TRIDENT 900 1994,
31,265 miles, new battery,
tyres, brake pads, rear
suspension unit, Cobra seat,
MoT May 2019, rides, looks &
sounds great, £2750 Tel. 07754
460874. Surrey
YAMAHA FZ750 1FN, 1985
Race earlystocks spec, ready to
race, full Black Widow system,
on Sorn, open to offers Tel.
07752 659105; 01394 387319
evenings.
YAMAHA RD400 classic 1977,
professionally restored 4 years
ago with no expense spared
(receipts to prove), all original
parts, full engine rebuild with
only 4230 miles, £7000 Tel.
07592 908218. Wolverhampton
YAMAHA XJ600 Pre Diversion,
J reg, 29,000 miles, MoT April
2019, Guy Martin signature
(genuine) on tank, runs well,
£700 ono Tel. 07715 426072.
East Yorks
SUZUKI GT500 1978, fully
documented restoration, lovely
condition, £5000 Tel. 07505
881489. Buckinghamshire
TRIUMPH SPRINT RS, 2002,
2nd owner since 2008, MoT till
October, 9000 miles, £1600 Tel.
John 02086 512102. Croydon
CLASSIC BIKE
INSURANCE
0800 458 2530
Carole Nash Insurance Consultants
Ltd is authorised and regulated by the
Financial Conduct Authority.
YAMAHA R5 (Y) 350cc, 2
stroke, clean unrestored, 1971
historic vehicle with 8700 miles
only, electronic ignition & reg/
rect fitted, £3500 firm Tel.
07891 389663. Preston
YAMAHA RS200 1981, 12V
electrics, electric & manual
kickstart, vgc, one years MoT,
new battery & front tyre, runs &
rides well, £1850 Tel. 01227
740909. Kent
YAMAHA XS650SE Heritage
Special, 1983, good original
condition though exhausts
need chrome but are solid, new
MoT, excellent runner, £1750
Tel. 01280 706351. Northants
SUZUKI GT550 1976, tax &
MoT exempt, please ring for
details Tel. 01933 311605.
Northants
TRIUMPH T140 Jubilee
Bonneville, 1978, S reg,
extensive work done on the
bike, ready to ride or
investment, £7100 Tel. 01706
852775. Lancs
YAMAHA 250 Exciter, 1980,
rare bike, removable back, box
rear seat with bike, excellent
condition, 5170 miles from new,
£1495 Tel. 01623 743353;
07974 314275.
YAMAHA RD/RZ350 vgc,
never been restored, Goodridge
brakelines, new tyres, chain &
sprockets, runs well, MoT,
£3200 Tel. 07870 777523.
Manchester
YAMAHA SJS6 Diversion,
panniers, carrier, very clean,
2011, 8400 miles, swap for
good CB600F Hornet with low
miles, £4000 ono Tel. 01709
579556. South Yorks
YAMAHA XT600E 2003, jacked
up suspension, bar risers,
Scottoiler, 28,000 miles,
registered as category ‘C’ but
presently runs & rides without
fault, £1195 Tel. 01784 461961.
Surrey
SUZUKI GT750M 1974, great
condition, great fun, MoT
exempt, a great investment at
£7250 Tel. 07788 960426. Kent
TRIUMPH THRUXTON 2008,
7810 miles, MoT Oct, runs &
rides great, alloy is cosmetically
challenged, loads of extras sold
separately if wanted Tel. 07752
502447. Lincs
YAMAHA FJ1100 1985, MoT,
engine bars, Hagon shock,
recent tyres, two year old
Delkevic stainless system, very
good runner, ready to ride,
£1200 ono Tel. 01208 368193
after 4pm. Cornwall
YAMAHA RD250A 1973, pre
disc brake 90% original, 17,456
miles, still on original foot peg
rubbers, starts irst time, rides
lovely, £3995 Tel. 07792
492986. West Yorkshire
YAMAHA TR1 XV1000, 1983,
12,000 miles, matching numbers,
later model, refurbished
resprayed rechroming, many
new parts, rare bike, superb
condition, £3250 ono Tel. 01246
200842; 07935 175649. Derbys
YAMAHA YZF750R 1994,
original ‘Pinky’, stunning
showroom condition, full power
4HD model, 29,000 miles, MoT,
HPI clear, £3250 Tel. 07739
710275. Cambs

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For Sale
APRILIA RS125 1996,
Chesterield model full power,
runs well, 8500 miles, £950
ono. Tel. Richard 01243
948518. Bognor.
BULTACO PERSANG 1976,
excellent condition, new alloy
tank, new tyres, spokes, chain
sprockets, new suspension
units, new mudguards brakes,
relined, original exhaust, if seen
will buy, £2500. Tel. 07932
527300.
DUCATI 996 original lovely
condition, rideable investment,
on Sorn, £8000 ono. Tel.
07845 798073. North Wiltshire.
GARAGE CLEAR OUT
XJ650 engine 1981, XJR
forks complete, GL1000
complete set of forks, pair of
wheels, one engine and one
engine stripped for spares,
rad, swinging arm, too many
GL1000 parts to list, please
phone for your requirements,
also pair of XJ750 power
valve style wheels, 1983. Tel.
Martin 02392 433919 or 07955
423436. Portsmouth.
HAYABUSA 1300R
unrestricted, 99 model, 14,000
miles, two owners, £3250 ono.
Tel. 07976 752528. W Mids.
HONDA 250N Superdream,
W reg, black, lovely condition
chrome is great, only three
owners, original plate, manual,
two keys, currently Sorn, must
be seen, £1600. Tel. 07913
249232. Derbyshire.
HONDA 400/4 1976, full
rebuild frame resprayed also
tank and sidepanels, engine
rebuilt with new cam chain,
handlebars rechromed, new
battery and exhaust, £3500.
Tel. 07583 427819. Derbyshire.
HONDA 400/4 408cc, 1976,
tax, MoT exempt, Motad
exhaust, seat recovered, new
battery, chain sprockets, tidy
Sorn, carbs require work,
green paintwork, repainted
frame, s/arm, health forces
sale, V5C, £1200 ovno. Tel.
07824 647202. Dudley, West
Midlands.
HONDA CB200 restored,
excellent original tank & panels,
red powder black frame,
Honda pipes, originals, a great
bike, sensible interest, £1850
ono. Tel. 01287 640472. North
Yorkshire.
HONDA CB200 1978, S reg,
low mileage (less than 15000
miles), currently a non runner
and no MoT, bodywork etc in
very good condition, reason for
sale too expensive to take the
full bike test above 125cc so
don’t want to get the bike in a
running state now, £850 repair
or good spares, photos can
be provided on request. Tel.
07523 703424. Cumbria.
HONDA CB750F2 original
bike exhausts, original looks
great, runs beautiful, 21,000
miles, history marks to show
age, white and blue, new tyres,
too big for me now, £3250.
Tel. 01287 640472. North
Yorkshire.
HONDA CD200 one year
MoT, not original, very good
condition, reliable £550. Tel.
01202 773726. Dorset.
HONDA CBF600N excellent
condition, MoT, metallic red,
engine bars, rear rack 08, 8800
miles, only rode few times, to
heavy now, need smaller bike,
RV200. Tel. 07847 701980.
West Yorkshire.
HONDA CBR400RR 1991,
well maintained machine,
original fairings, Art exhaust,
£2500. Tel. 01433 620855.
North Derbyshire.
HONDA CBR1100XX
Blackbird, silver, 2001, 21,000
miles, recent forks refresh,
new rear shock and discs/
pads, Werx pipes and also
standards, service history, lots
of receipts and mechanically
sounds, fairing scratched and
small piece missing around
mirror, damaged in the garage,
Kappa top box and panniers,
great opportunity to own this
classic, reflecting the fairing
condition, on Sorn, £2550. Tel.
07823 526354. Cambridge.
HONDA CBR600F4I HRC
colours, excellent bike, runs
well, few extras, 19,000 miles,
£1800. Tel. 07873 354824.
Northern Ireland.
HONDA CBR600FL 1990,
44,000 miles, good tyres,
soft panniers, cover, carbs
overhauled, one off auto chain
oiler, no problems, just rather
tatty, owned for the past 18
years, just don’t use enough,
full MoT, £900 ono. Tel. Nick
07890 981670. Worcs.
HONDA DEAUVILLE 2005,
21k miles, one previous owner,
excellent condition, some
extras, £2000. Tel. 01924
823333. Wakeield.
HONDA DEAUVILLE NT700
ABS, black, 13,400 miles, just
had MoT, c/w Honda top box,
well cared for by mature owner,
oil & ilter changed regularly,
new Bridgestone rear tyre
and rear brake pad, £3000.
Tel. 07716 497963. West
Dunbartonshire.
HONDA H100 S-J 1989,
38,000 miles, good reliable
runner, good tyres, top box,
£650. Tel. 07720 718585.
South London.
HONDA PC50 red,
petrol, PC5OY-1000530
PC50E-A00544 23/10/79
complete bike, spares or repair,
not seized, some good plastic.
Tel. 07776 173161. Lincs.
HONDA PCX’S 125 Super
bike, with extras, 64 reg, low
mileage, this Honda is in mint
condition, save £400 on dealer
price, mature 70 year old rider,
£1500. Tel. 07852 650477.
Yorks.
HONDA VF400 1983 on Sorn,
no MoT, new battery and rear
tyre, needs little tlc, uninished
project, converted to a single
seat naked, starts and runs,
£700 ono. Tel. 07812 457484.
Cornwall.
HONDA VFR750FT 46,106
miles, panniers, Baglux cover
and bag, Maxton forks,
stainless exhaust system,
new chain and sprockets,
£2000. Tel. Jim 01617 614556.
Lancashire.
KAWASAKI 500 H1B 1972,
fully restored, ring for details,
£7000. Tel. 07842 345734.
Lincs.
KAWASAKI KH250B1 1976 for
restoration it’s had frame yokes
swinging arm powder coated
this is a mega early registered
bike frame number in irst two
dozen to roll off production
line KH250B0000XX, engine
stripped, crank looks good
pistons bores all good, heads
and barrels just been vapour
blasted includes gasket set to
build up brand new side panels
and mint inside tank all panels
just been primed waiting for
top coat applying was originally
red, needs wheels sorting
exhausts sorting, front pipes
are good and would clean
up parts missing are front
mudguard airbox headlight
ears everything else there
make an excellent project,
all bolts re-zinked and new
fork seals and fresh fork oil
would deal with a X7 or SS50
5 speed in similar condition or
sell £2000. Tel. 07765 345008.
South Yorkshire.
HONDA VFR800 F1 2000,
only 737 miles from new, mint
condition, blue, on Sorn, £4000
ono. Tel. 01609 776996 for
more details. North Yorkshire.
KAWASAKI ZRX1200S 56
reg, 15,500 miles, vgc, rides
as it should, new rear tyre,
top quality top box & panniers
(detachable), £2500. Tel. 07985
717456. Wigan.
KAWASAKI Z1000 A2H, 2004,
MoT May 2019, red, only 5500
miles, needs nothing, std
exhaust, not been messed
with just needs to be used,
some paint flaking off engine
and small amount of lacquer off
wheels, £3850 ono. Tel. 07847
225624. Derbyshire.
KAWASAKI ZZR1400 up to
2018, two sets clutch and
brake levers, short, dark
green, long, light green, fully
adjustable CNC, top quality,
£45 per set; can post at cost.
Tel. 07903 380308. N London.
KAWASAKI ZZR600 21,000
miles, 1995, serviced not mint,
but good clean bike, £850 ono.
Tel. 07522 732797. Bucks.
SPARE PARTS for Honda
Superdream 250 and Suzuki
GS500, rebuilt engine for
Suzuki GS500, must collect,
£450. Tel. 01299 210758.
Worcs.
SUZUKI GSF600 Bandit, new
oil cooler radiator, £60. Tel.
07963 787894. Armagh.
SUZUKI GT185 lots of work
done, many new parts, frame
powder coated, some parts
rechromed, some spare parts,
£1200 ono. Tel. 01282 838231.
Lancs.
SUZUKI GT380J 1972, this is
the irst model with front drum
brake, very good condition,
starts & rides well, £3450
ono. Tel. Paul 07857 270673.
Northern Ireland.
SUZUKI RF900R very good
condition, 22,000 miles, MoT,
good tyres, brakes C&S etc,
dark green lovely runner, 1997,
not used enough, £1375. Tel.
07968 257232. Warks.
SUZUKI VAN VAN 125 2012,
white, 5500 miles only, heated
grips, chain oiler, Learner-legal,
immaculate, £1550 ono. Tel.
01543 682946. Staffs.
readersbikes&bits
SUZUKI XF650 Freewind,
650cc single, 53,000 miles,
reliable, tidy condition, recent
front disc pads, MoT August,
good tyres, C&S GPR silencer,
£800. Tel. 07958 795335.
Teesside.
TRIUMPH SPRINT RS 2002,
9000 miles, 2nd owner, MoT
till October, £1600. Tel. John
02086 512102. Croydon.
TRIUMPH TIGER 100 1967,
new battery, Pazon ignition,
Siamese exhausts + plus
originals, TLSFB with new rim
+ original wheel, oil ilter, very
tidy, good runner, historic tax
class, MoT August, £4250. Tel.
01474 746854; 07789 260740.
Kent.
YAMAHA RD400 1977, only
8500 miles, matching engine
and frame number bike, in
very good condition, starts and
rides like new, £4950 ono. Tel.
Paul 07857 270673. Northern
Ireland.
YAMAHA RS200 200cc, 1981,
one year’s MoT, very good
condition inside and out, very
original, eligible for classic
insurance, £1850 bargain. Tel.
01227 740909; 01227 40909.
Kent.
YAMAHA FZR EX-UP 1000
1989, red/white, 27k miles,
vgc, standard can, seat cowl,
runs well, on Sorn, £2100 ono.
Tel. 01945 581440 anytime.
Cambs.
YAMAHA TZR125 1994,
white/blue, MoT, lots new
parts, good condition for year,
25,300 miles, excellent tyres,
£1075 ono. Tel. 07761 734520.
Notts.
YAMAHA XJR1300 2005,
excellent condition, MoT
April 2019, 24k miles, £3500,
no offers. Blue also Yamaha
FJ1200, 1991, 3XW, with
Watsonian sidecar, 60,000
miles, MoT, £4250. £3500
no offers. Tel. 01202 518284.
Bournemouth.
YAMAHA XS250 red, 1980,
MoT April 2019, new cam
chain, new carburettor inlet
rubbers, points, condensers
Iridium plugs, air ilters, fuse
box, seat recovered, £1095
ono. Tel. 07490 114629. West
Sussex.
Parts For Sale
AMAL 376/216
CARBURETTOR 15/16” size
£30 inc postage. Tel. 01522
794711. Lincs.
FRONT PANELS from a
Yamaha 600, partly scratched
but serviceable which I want to
give away. Tel. Robert 01708
556465. Essex.
HARLEY DAVIDSON 1973,
FLH Electraglide, matching
numbers, totally original, recent
restoration and serviced,
starts and runs like a champ,
panniers and top box included.
Any questions, get in touch,
£12,950. Tel. 0742 7008163.
London.
HONDA C90 ENGINE with
gearbox, 1977, turns over,
shed ind, good compression,
£80. Honda C90, two mirrors
+ legshields, (useable), £20.
Honda C90 headlight, £5. Tel.
01622 676324. Kent.
www.classicmechanics.com / 103
HONDA CB200 1974, engine
rebuilt, lovely condition, was
low miles, originally American
spare to me, untested but
correctly built and excellent,
surplus to restorations now as
not doing anymore, £400 ono.
Tel. 01287 640472.
HONDA CB250RS engine
x 1, 1980, £100. Honda
CB250RS engine x 1, 1980,
£75 (complete but head off),
Keihin carburettor x 1, £10.
Mikuni carburettor for GP100
x 1, £20. VTS 3.00x20”
Universal tyre (new) and inner
tube x 1, £40. Tel. 01543
275022. Staffs.
HONDA CBR400RR 1988, on
Sorn, was rideable two years
ago, spares or repair, £600 ono
or exchange for running 125cc.
Tel. 01903 533443. Sussex.
KAWASAKI KR1 crankcases,
£95. Crank both good condition,
Oil pump case, £20. Oil pump,
£20, other parts available. Tel.
01442 397790. Herts.
HONDA CD175 1973,
dismantled blue, whole bike,
some new parts, £700 ovno.
Honda 400 NC31 Super 4,
forks & wheels, £100. Tel.
07775 994087. Berks.
HONDA CD175 1973, blue,
some new parts, 17,000 miles,
engine whole. Tel. 07775
994087. Berks.
HONDA CX160 ENGINE
5.5HP good condition, £80.
Honda GX100 engine, good
condition, £45. 3HP 240V,
electric motor ideal for lathe
or compressor. Tel. 01209
831969 after 6pm. Cornwall.
HONDA DEAUVILLE SEAT
650, very good condition,
£60; Honda CB250F, not
Superdream seat, 1980, good
condition, £70. Tel. 01299
210758. Worcs.
HONDA HORNET 600
exhaust 2003 removed
from bike at 900 miles
when complete Scorpion
system was itted to include
downpipes and silencer,
very nice condition, £120.
Tel. 01723 515546. North
Yorkshire.
HONDA MBX125 83/84
model, parts MTX 125,
83/84/85/86 parts, NSR125
JO20 89/90 model parts,
Honda CB550 rear drum
wheel, complete, £150 plus
postage; CB650Z 81 model
parts, Honda VTR1000
Scorpion, stainless cans and
link pipes, £175; small grab
handle, £35. Tel. John 07858
134475. Durham.
HONDA VT500 Eurosport
type parts for sale, including:
complete engine, carbs, frame
with logbook, wheels/tyres,
part engine, other bits, £150.
Tel. 07790 324952.
KAWASAKI PARTS:- Top
box, green inserts and back
rest, takes flu face and
waterproofs with mounting
plate off Versy, will it others,
new condition, £50. Tel. 07903
380308. North London.
KAWASAKI Z200 front
mudguard, seat, carb and
clutch basket also GPZ305
clutch basket with KZ305
clutch engine cover. Tel. 07425
716876. West Yorkshire.
 readersbikes&bits
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MOTO GUZZI Nuovo parts:
frame (Deluged) sprayed, forks,
wheels (spoked) with new Avon
tyres, offers for the lot (was to be
built as Bobby or Cafe Racer).
Tel. 01978 842668. Clwyd.
SCREEN FOR AVON
Streamliner, £100. BTH type
DC2-AC9 mag casing, no
armature, £40. Triumph T140
headlamp brackets good
chrome, £30 pair. BSA A&B
model rear m/guard bracket,
£30 pair, £650. Left side
panel, £20. Yamaha chrome
headlamp complete, £25. Tel.
01655 331721. Ayrshire.
SUZUKI GS650 forks, £100;
nice condition, petrol tank,
£15 plus p&p; need repair/
paint Kawasaki GPZ600R
petrol tank, £75 ono; needs
painting, radiator, £35;
Yamaha TDR250 side stand,
£25; kick-start, £35; idiot
lights, high, neutral, indicators,
£25; CB1500 Hornet ABS. Tel.
07858 134475. Durham.
SUZUKI GS850N genuine
Suzuki part (new) r/hand
exhaust pipe and silencer for
1980 shaft drive, still in original
wrapping. Tel. 01295 770464.
Warwickshire.
SUZUKI GSF1250 ABS pump
from year 2008, from my own
bike as I did not want ABS any
more, £60. Tel. 07969 457727.
Manchester.
SUZUKI GSXR250/400 1990,
import, black petrol tank,
alloy swing arm/chain guard,
£35; GS550E gold rear wheel,
£30; GS1100E forks/yokes,
BTM dial adjuster type, £100;
GS850 front wheel, tyre, discs,
£75; GS500E mid 90s model,
silver engine parts. Tel. 07858
134475. Durham.
SUZUKI GSXR600 2003, K3
original silencer + set of rear
indicators £60. Tel. 07977
227321. Portsmouth.
YAMAHA F800GT 2013,
Ztechnick ‘V-Strom’, tall
touring screen, Z2478, as new,
£75; Motorad tank, rucksack,
used 3 times, exc cond, £70;
Motorad battery charger, used
twice, bus plug type, £55. Tel.
01483 284652. Surrey.
YAMAHA MT09 850cc, Rentec
grab rail, as new condition,
instructions and all fittings,
£40 or £55 with postage, a
must if you carry a pillion. Tel.
01706 215436. Rossendale,
Lancashire.
YAMAHA RD250/400 E/F
exhaust, one pair, £200. Down
pipes, one pair, stainless, £80.
Wheels one pair have been
refurbed, new bearings, £240.
Front mudguard, £20. Tel.
01925 730068. Cheshire.
YAMAHA RD250/400EF gear
box to it RD250 or 400 E/F
£150. Tel. 01925 730068.
Cheshire.
YAMAHA VIRAGO Mustang
aftermarket seat not perfect
but very useable, offers. Also
two PRS Virago rear shocks,
two rear wheels, one wire,
one mag with tyre & diff, also
swinging arm. Tel. 01993
830079. Oxfordshire.
YAMAHA XJR1300 2009,
muffer genuine Yamaha, new
in box, £125. Tel. Alan 01494
449701. Bucks.
104 / classic motorcycle mechanics
SUZUKI SV650 SX/Y 99-01
curvy, std silencer, vgc & cut
down/cut off silencer, £35;
starter solonoid & positive
battery lead, £10. Tel. 07780
945601. Hants.
YAMAHA VIRAGO 750
PARTS: two rear wheels one
spoked other mag complete
with tyres and diffs, two pairs
Virago 750 rear shacks, offers
on any or all. Tel. 01993
830079. Oxfordshire.
YAMAHA YZF750
Thunderace and maybe other
models, Aerospace/Aircraft
grade chain adjuster blocks,
both are the same length and
have more adjuster lines,
£70 inc recorded delivery.
Tel. Graham 07488 352630.
London.
Wanted
ANY MAKE OR SIZE classic
motorcycle wanted in any
condition from a basket case
to one in nice condition, cash
waiting. Tel. 07811 189755.
Staffs.
BSA BANTAM engine wanted
or incomplete bike for spares,
anything considered. Tel.
07986 080118. West Midlands.
BSA ENTHUSIAST looking
for C15, 250cc engine and
body parts, road/trials anything
serviceable, would also buy
complete unwanted BSA
single. Tel. 01935 472584.
Somerset.
CHOPPER wanted in any
condition with British or
Japanese engine, will consider
just chassis. Tel. 07984
950257. Derbyshire.
HONDA C90 wanted wiring
diagram for 1996, electric start
model, coloured preferred,
any assistance welcome. Tel.
Johnathan 07710 872166.
Oxfordshire.
HONDA CB250 1973, looking
for my 1973 gold Honda reg
ECG 54K, last seen Eastleigh
Hants, or any CB250/350K.
Tel. 02380 694806. Hants.
HONDA CB250RSD-Z
1981-84, wanted nos parts
for engine, also Rickman
RS accessories. Tel. 07717
075814. West Yorkshire.
HONDA CB77 or CB72, 1960s
model for restoring, any basket
case condition. Tel. 01978
842668. Clwyd.
HONDA H100S 1990, rear
carrier, with all fittings. Tel.
07847 830078. Kent.
HONDA H100SJ
HANDBOOK wanted in clean
condition, also rear carrier
with all ittings. Tel. 07847
830078. Kent.
HONDA SS50 1974, petrol
tank and rubber for right hand
paddle arm. Honda CD175A
pair of 1967-69 Sloper
silencers. Tel. 01633 838757.
Wales.
HONDA WANTED old pre
1970s model, CB72 or CB77
for restoring, any basket
case, stood for years, rusty
condition. Tel. 01978 842668
leave message if no answer.
Clwyd.
KAWASAKI ER5 03, Haynes
manual wanted. Tel. 07753
247689. Whickham.
KAWASAKI GPZ1100 B1
or B2 Giuliari sports seat,
Micron alloy fork brace and a
short racing style plastic front
mudguard. Tel. 07896 871451.
Cleveland.
KAWASAKI KLR600 parts
required. Tel. 01978 821519.
Wrexham.
KAWASAKI KMX200 ENGINE
wanted or just a complete
bottom end with no damage to
crankcases. Tel. Steve 01562
861980. Worcs.
LEWIS LEATHERS/D LEWIS
/Aviakit leather jacket wanted,
any size, any colour, check
the back of your wardrobe?
£100 plus post, maybe more.
Tel. 01223 350289 or 07788
636027. Cambs.
ROYAL ENFIELD 500T
or 350T road trials version
wanted, mark condition not
important. Tel. 07752 502447.
Lincolnshire.
SUZUKI DR/SP500 PARTS
wanted anything considered,
including complete/incomplete
non runner/runner. Tel. 01305
826670. Dorset.
SUZUKI DR400S twin shock
parts wanted, anything
considered including complete/
non complete, non runner/
runner. Tel. 01305 826670.
Dorset.
SUZUKI TC185 parts wanted
complete/incomplete bike
considered non runner/or
runner. Tel. 01305 826670.
Dorset.
SUZUKI TS250 1969/70,
Savage parts wanted,
anything considered including
complete/incomplete, non
runner/runner. Tel. 01305
826670. Dorset.
SUZUKI X7 1979, downpipes
wanted, nice condition, pair
please. Tel. Johnathan 07710
872166. Oxfordshire.
TRIUMPH/BSA CHOPPER
Bobber wanted running but
in need of tidy up £2-£3000
cash waiting why? Tel. 07766
798358. Huddersield.
TRAIL BIKE WANTED for
green laning, anything pre
1990, British or Japanese,
any condition, eg Honda XL,
Yamaha DT/SR, Suzuki TS/SP
or similar. Tel. 07984 950257.
Derbyshire.
WANTED A CDI unrestricted
for a Suzuki PR650SE 2004
model, from 1998 to present
day, CDI will it my bike as
long as it is 644cc engine,
willing to pay £200 cash, will
travel anywhere in UK. Tel.
01619 500953. Manchester.
WANTED BLUE TANK for
ER500 Kawasaki, 2006 reg.
Tel. 01474 359968; 07986
465088.
WANTED NSU QUICKLY
and Cyclemasters or just
parts. Tel. 07790 168224.
Warwickshire.
WANTED TO SWAP I have
a RD350 YPVS, excellent
condition, just serviced, 12
months MoT, brand new GP
race pipes, tyres, got original
pipes to go with it, brakes
etc, ready for the road, swap
for TY50, FS1E DX yellow
or AP50 got to be excellent
condition, why? Tel. 07810
030309. Lancs.
WANTED UK RG500 to
restore back to its former
glory, crash damaged, barn
or garage find, anything
considered, cash waiting
for the right bike. Tel. 07944
404152. Worcestershire.
YAMAHA AS3 125 twin
wanted, 1972, preferably
red, very good or restored
condition. Tel. David 01953
483161. Norfolk.
YAMAHA RD250E wanted,
rear mudguard, rear light, seat
tail piece, Allspeed exhausts,
seat lock etc. Tel. 07946
331428. West Yorkshire.
YAMAHA RD250E WANTED
seat, rear light and bracket
plus mudguard tail piece etc,
plus Allspeed exhausts, will
travel. Tel. 07946 331428.
West Yorks.
YAMAHA RS125 engine
casing, undamaged or
complete engine, also wanted
twin leading shoe, front brake
for small bike. Tel. 01692
405774. Norfolk.
YAMAHA SR125 1992, right
hand side panel that its over
battery housing, held in place
by single screw. Tel. 01612
811917. Manchester.
YAMAHA YZF750R/SP
cylinder head or whole engine,
also anything considered.
Honda CBR600F 2000
on, silver nose cone. Tel.
Graham 07488 352630. West
London.
Miscellaneous
60 MIXED SPROCKETS MM/
AF 1/2 & 3/8 drive various
makes, good condition, £60.
Moore & Wright 0-1 micrometer
old model in spectacle
case new never used, £30.
Mitutoyo 0-25 micrometer,
nice condition, £25. Tel. 02086
414238. Surrey.
ARMSTRONG BOMBARDIER
1987, Rotax 500cc, non-
runner, purpose built single
bike trailer, Indies Mini wheels,
Krauser luggage racks, K1
type, Arrowbags soft sports
bike, soft luggage, Norvil
production racer, fairings rear
sets etc. Tel. 01740 630033 for
details. Stockton-on-Tees.
BOOKS/MANUALS Honda
CBR600RR (Haynes); Suzuki
GS650 British bikes of Thirties
(Bacon); Honda Goldwing (I
Fallon); Norton Motorcycles
(Bacon); Harley-Davidson
(Large). Tel. 01772 783774.
Lancs.
BOOTS Forma Adventure Low
Style, size 44, UK 9, new, light
brown, never worn, a bargain
at £50 can post. Tel. 07919
158173. Hants. geoffrey.
downing@ntlworld.com
DAINESE LEATHER JACKET
ladies, Euro size 44, black and
cream with gold piping, vgc,
will zip to leather trousers,
£220 ovno. Tel. 07967 022526.
Huddersield.
EXCHANGE 1998 Honda
CBR600 in Rothmans Livery,
runs and nearly ready for
MoT, rideable for any Honda
CB400/500/550 four project
available, have new silencer
ready to it, plus other bits. Tel.
Peter 07786 284863. Newbury.
HONDA CB750/4 KZ 1979,
serviced, genuine 7k miles,
new: tyres, battery, hoses,
MoT 2/19, BMW K1200RS,
2001, serviced, 38k miles, h/
panniers, tool kit, vgc, £5650,
£1950 resp. New: Buffalo l/r/
suit, 5ft 10”, 44” chest, £165;
used: Alpinestar l/boots, 10/44,
£50; Used: fabric, lined jacket,
44” chest, £25. Tel. 07759
607498. Berks.
HONDA LEATHER
PANNIERS 50cm long, 30cm
high, 16cm deep, buckle
closures from Honda Shadow
VT750 C5, can be adapted,
vgc, £40. Tel. 01244 810166.
Flints.
HONDA THE WINNING
YEARS by Peter Kneale/
Bill Snelling/Joey Dunlop,
£15; 50 Years Honda World
Championship Racing TT
Racers, new, £23; I.O.M. TT
History, 1907-80 by Matthew
Freudenberg, £10. Tel. 01484
663007. W Yorks.
HONDA VT500E factory
works manual, genuine, 1983,
vgc, £30; Haynes manuals;
Passola, CB Rizer, ST1100,
Pan European, MZ 150/250,
CB750/900 (45), ladies leather
jeans, size 30W, 32” leg, good
condition, Sportex Frontier,
£20. Tel. 07891 076778. Hants.
HYDRAULIC BIKE LIFT near
new condition, wheel clamp
ramp, pull out wheel removal
section L1800 x W600 lift 800
easily moved, £220. Tel. 01908
583115; 07892 939675. Milton
Keynes.
LADIES HEIN GERICKE
motorcycle leathers matching
jacket and trousers, black size
12 as new, £90 the pair. Tel.
01778 343035. Peterborough.
LUGGAGE KAPPA Q/D
panniers, topbox, carrier
system, excellent condition,
large capacity black, also large
topbox, new condition, black,
£40. Tel. 07502 468319. West
Yorks.
MENS RIDEA-TEC motorcycle
jacket, 54” chest, worn only
once, purchased from Bikers
Paradise, has shoulder and
elbow protection, cost £369
accept £250 plus postage. Tel.
01924 262384. West Yorkshire.
OXFORD SPORTS
PANNIERS red, 50cm long,
20cm high, 20-35cm deep,
expandable handles, velcro
fastening, expansion straps,
external pockets, vgc, £40. Tel.
01244 810166. Flints.
POLISTIL BIKE MODELS
small scale approx 3” long.
Honda 750-4, Kawasaki HZ-
750, Norton Commando, Moto
Guzzi, MV Agusta, Harley
Chopper, very good condition,
£15 each. Tel. 07504 327299.
SELECTION OF LEATHER
motorbike jackets, leather, £40
each; selection of motorbike
helmets, £10 upward. Tel. Kev
07710 949799. Wirral.
WEISE DYNASTAR textile
jacket, size XL in good
condition used for a few
years it’s only being sold as
I’ve bought a new one, never
been in a spill, £50 can post
if needed. Tel. 07969 457727.
Manchester
www.classicmechanics.com / 105
www.classicmechanics.com / 109

65305,
Slick six
Time to get all six of those mighty pistons
back in their respective homes, eh Ralph?
Project Kawasaki Z1300 part 6
T ime to get six big
pistons in their rightful
home: and let’s face it,
fours can be awkward enough!
More of that later: first up
I removed the oil restrictor jet from just
behind No. 4 crankcase mouth to ensure
that it was clear and without debris. It’s a
curious little chap, but I washed it with
brake cleaner and blew it through with my
airline (while wearing safety glasses/mask
of course). My tip if you’re new to tools:
Google the safe use of such items before
you become a further burden to the NHS.
Next job was to clean up the pistons
which had the usual cloak of carbon over
the crown. The easiest way to remove this
crud is with a rotary multi tool such as a
Oil restrictor jet removed for cleaning.
110 / classic motorcycle mechanics
Dremel with a little wire wheel. The only
down side I have found with this method
is that the wheels seem to moult and you
find yourself being stabbed by the
disembodied wires that have become
embedded in your clothing. Once the
crowns were freed from their carbon
prison, I gave all six pistons a swim in the
ultrasonic cleaning tank, which removed
the remaining filth. I then broke out the
genuine Kawasaki piston rings. Firstly, I
fitted the oil control spreader ring that
keeps the two oil control slider rings in
Cleaning a piston crown
while simultaneously creating
automatic acupuncture clothing.
HAYNES 7905;
Six go swimming.
WORDS AND PHOTOS: RALPH FERRAND
position which I fitted next. Lastly I fitted
the compression rings being mindful to
ensure they were the right way up.
Now it was time to fit the part that
caused all the trouble in the first place,
the water pump drive plastic bevel gear.
After lubricating the bearing surfaces, I
installed the gear into the block. These
gears have been unavailable from
Kawasaki Heavy Industries for many years,
which is very annoying considering what
a short life they seem to have. Any NOS
(New Old Stock) gears were snapped up
HAYNES 7905;
65305, SUBSCRIBE TODAY
Only £57.52 per piston…
Fitting the compression rings with
piston ring expander pliers.
The villain of the peace – the sole
reason for this whole rebuild!
many moons ago and there are no pattern
ones available in the UK. I thoroughly
investigated getting some made, but
discovered that those with the ability
to cut bevel gears are very thin on the
ground and those that are kitted up,
charge like a wounded rhino for the
benefit of their skills. From my own
researching, there is only one place in
the world that can help out with this part
and that is www.z1300.de.
They are available as an exchange item
where you send them what’s left of your
bevel gear and they bond a new plastic
bevel gear to the hardened steel part. As
we are still in the EU I had to pay the full
€189 and probably a bit of carriage.
Cheap these parts are not, but the quality
is first rate and the despatch is brisk,
though they will not send out your new
one until they have received the duff one.
I fitted a new oil seal into the block for the
…and look what you get!
The plastic driving bevel gear in position and the water pump shaft with gear
attached and nut started.
water pump shaft and carefully fitted the
shaft from the front and replaced the drive
pin. I then installed the steel bevel gear,
engaging it with both the plastic gear and
the drive pin on the shaft. There are
suitable flats on the shaft to attach an
opened spanner to prevent the shaft
turning while you reattach the securing
nut and tighten it up. I torqued it up to
the prescribed setting of 14.5lb-ft. I slid
the drive shaft in from the left-hand side,
engaging the male shaft spline in the
corresponding female in the gear. I then
fitted the securing bolt through the round
window on the right hand side of the
block. The remainder of the coolant pump
drive system is fitted once the block is
fitted back on the crankcases. All these
bolts were given a dab of thread lock and
seal to prevent them from abandoning
their posts without leave and causing
horrific engine damage.
SEE PAGES 40-41
FOR DETAILS
The first oil control ring.
I was now at the stage I had really not
been looking forward to – installing six
pistons in their barrels; to this end I
thought I would minimise the potential
for misery by getting myself kitted out
properly before starting. I can tell you
from years of experience that there is only
one safe way to fit rings and that is the
right way, using proper ring clamps;
they’re not even especially expensive!
There was no way my normal home
brewed tools for holding pistons at TDC
(Top Dead Centre) were going to work on a
six, so I breathed in hard and sourced the
proper Kawasaki factory special tools
which were difficult to trace and at a not
inconsiderable cost, particularly with
several lots of international carriage
involved. Believe you me though, when
I came to doing the job I was hugely
relieved that I had been able to
overcome my natural miserliness!
www.classicmechanics.com / 111
 HAYNES 7905;
65305,

Gently doing up the nut with a cranked Pushing in the drive shaft through the Doing up the bolt securing the drive
ring spanner before torqueing up. replacement plastic bevel gear. shaft to the gear.

I fitted the special tools as specified in

the manual with Nos 3 and 4 at TDC. I
fitted ring clamps to 3 and 4 as they
would be first to dive into their requisite
tunnels of love. I buttered up the mating
surface at the bottom of the block with
Wellseal and also the bottom of the base
gasket as I didn’t want to risk any leaks. I
attached cords to both the cam-chain and
the water pump drive chain. It’s a right old
faff trying to keep the cam-chain in the
correct position as it has a tendency to get
itself in the wrong place. If you do one of
these, you’ll know what I mean. I stuck the
base gasket to the underside of the block
out of the way and employed the services
of SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed) to
help me get the block in position and drop
it down on the waiting and eager pistons.
The first two slid into their bores with
relative ease and I removed their ring
clamps and attached them to 2 and 5. I
only have two sets of ring clamps in my Tightening up the bolt with a torque wrench. Note: I did not actually rest the
workshop because until you work on a six, spanner on the machined face while tightening as this could cause damage, but
that’s as many as you need! Luckily I have I needed a free hand for the camera.
a tool business so was able to rob another
two sets from stock! I added clamps to 1
and 6 and we were ready to roll. We gently
eased the block down over the four
remaining pistons simultaneously keeping
it level at all times, little by little tapping
each end of the block with ultralight blows
with our hands as the liners slid the ring
clamps down as the rings entered the
bores. Using the factory tools, the job was
actually far easier than I expected and
before long we were dismantling the
clamps and pushing the cylinders down
into the crankcase mouths.

All the pistons lined up facing

A genuine set of Kawasaki special tools north ready to dive into the block.
to fit the pistons in the bores.

112 / classic motorcycle mechanics

HAYNES 7905;
65305,
Painting the block mating surface with Wellseal. Applying Wellseall to the bottom side of the base gasket.
Pistons 3 and 4 are in and the ring Attaching a ring clamp to piston
clamps removed. number 2. Steady as she goes...
Applying Wellseal with a I engaged the water pump drive sprocket
cheapo ‘artists’ paint brush. with its chain and slipped the sprocket
over the end of the shaft, securing it with
a bolt. I made sure that the cam-chain was
again in the correct alignment. I coated
the top of the cylinder block and the
bottom of the head with Wellseal, fitted
the head gasket and then dropped the
head on after checking all the dowels were
in their correct places.
Head gasket in place, cam chain idler sprocket in place and wrangling the cam-chain
into the correct position before dropping the head on.
All the pistons are now safely in their
bores. At long last!
I fitted new copper washers where
required and stock steel washers where
applicable, followed by the main cylinder
head nuts and the remaining M6 bolts. All
fasteners were torqued down in stages, in
the prescribed sequence shown in the
diagram in the factory workshop manual. I
tend to do more small increases in torque
than specified in the factory manual to
ensure that such a long casting is never
stressed; it might not be essential, but
given the rarity and expense of major parts
on classic bikes I’d rather be over cautious
than sorry. Even when I reach the final
torque I still keep torqueing them as the
head gasket does tend to compress and
a few laps with the torque wrench is
essential until the final torque is achieved.
Next month I’ll start playing with cams
and tensioners. cmm
■ www.bikerstoolbox.co.uk
The cylinder head back on its throne
awaiting the torqueing down sequence.
www.classicmechanics.com / 113
 HAYNES 7905;
65305,

WORDS & PHOTOS: MARTIN CHILD

Gaffer tape and zip-ties help
visualise the overall direction.

Project Suzuki GSX-R1100G part 3

Armed & dangerous!

With the GSX-R1100 freshly reduced to its sum of parts, it’s now time to get
technical and see just what’s needed to bring the old girl bang up to date.
Pen, paper and a cup of tea to the ready…

W ith the buying and

stripping of the
GSX-R11
completed, it’s now the
moment of truth to see
whether (or not) my dream of getting her
rebuilt with modern suspension, wheels
and brakes, is just that, or can I drag her
into the murky world of reality and create
something that’s as much show as go?
Before I started to strip the bike, I
placed the 1100 and the rolling chassis of
the GSX-R1000 side by side and got the
trusty tape measure out – those figures
don’t lie. I’m hoping the fact that they’re
both from the Big S will work in my favour
here and that I’m not creating some
evil-handling Frankenstein’s monster that
tries to kill me unless there’s a full moon
and I’ve dropped three vials of virgin’s
blood in the tank.
So let’s start with the easy stuff first. Two hours after this photo was taken I could see the floor...
Wheelbases (as the bikes were bought)

114 / classic motorcycle mechanics

HAYNES 7905;
65305,
Gixer Thou front-end in, rear still at the head-scratching stage.
Tie-downs to a ceiling mount help to measure the rear shock leverage ratio.
vary by 40mm, the newer bike being the
shorter. I say ‘as bought’ because the Thou
K8’s rear wheel axle is tight against the
new chain end of adjustment and the 11’s
isn’t. Other factors in this wheelbase
discrepancy are the Thou’s 10mm shorter
swingarm and forks that are (in the
Queen’s English) 50mm less long. So
hopefully no dramas there. And the good
news continues with the triple clamps
looking pretty equal in length at 200mm
between faces. It’s about now I’m feeling
pretty confident that the front-end swap
isn’t gonna throw-up too many dramas.
The rear, on the other ‘you-look-like-
you’re-gonna-be-a-right-bitch’ hand,
appears mucho harder. The difference in
overall length isn’t concerning me, but the
‘nose’ of the arm where it fits does, along
with the longer shock.
So now I’m into the strip-down of the
Thou and something is becoming very
apparent. Namely, this is the state to buy
parts in. It’s a complete rolling chassis, so
I remove the entire front-end from the
frame and see what I’ve got. As I’m
looking at the bare bones of the Thou, it’s
at this point that I’m glad I didn’t try to
buy these components individually. The
simple front-end consists of so many parts
– fork legs, tyre, wheel, discs, disc bolts,
axle, axle nut, spacers, calipers, caliper
bolts, brake pads, brake hoses, mudguard,
bottom clamp, top clamp, clip-ons,
switchgear, master cylinders for brake and
clutch, levers, ignition, ignition cover.
Phew. Try buying that lot piecemeal and
you’ll spend plenty more bucks getting
nowhere slowly.
With the venier out, it’s clear that the
two bikes share the same bottom
headstock bearing. So that means I can
just slip the new front-end into the
slabsided Gixer’s frame: lovely! But the top
bearing isn’t going to be that easy. The
later bike’s steering head tube is of a
much larger diameter than that of the
tapered original. It’s clear that there’s not
going to be room for a taper bearing there,
so I manage to hunt down a thrust bearing
(like a sandwich of a roller race between
top and bottom plates). With a little bit of
The pen is mightier than the spanner.
This mimics that of the donor bike’s.
The battery needs shifting.
Slab shock was too long for new ’arm.
clever spacing, the top yoke goes on and
looks like it was meant to be there. Well,
until I try to turn the bars, that is. The
steering lock is, well, locked. The bottom
clamp’s lock-stops have to be lobed-off
and the ignition barrel is ground down to
allow free movement around the
headstock. But, all in all, it’s turned out
well and as I’ve fitted the complete front
end from the Thou, I’ve not even had to
bleed the brakes. Result!
What could possibly go wrong with trying
to fit a massively-braced swingarm,
six-inch wheel and 190-section tyre into
the space previously occupied by a skinny
arm, 18in flexi-wheel and 4.5in rim? Okay,
then throw in the chain-run dilemma,
bodywork that covers the area of
movement of the new arm, and the
www.classicmechanics.com / 115

65305,
The massively-braced swingarm kind
of looks MotoGP-inspired, the block
of wood holding it up less so...
banana-like suspension link of the original
bike, and I can’t see a single problem.
That’s probably because I see plenty.
Luckily, the swingarm pivot of the new
arm is shorter and fits within the frame
rails of the 1986 bike. What’s not so hot is
the fact that it’s supposed to be slightly
further to the right by a couple of mil. So
that needs spacing at the final assembly.
Also, the swingarm pivot spindle itself is
much thicker than the 1100’s, so I’ll have
to use the older bike’s smaller spindle and
space it out.
This is where my local bearing shop
comes in handy. I head down, get on the
right side of the lady behind the counter
(she loves Staffies and my little fella,
From below.
116 / classic motorcycle mechanics
Oscar, is pretty-much cute-squared). The
brochures start to pile-up on the desk and,
after about 10 books have been discarded
and Oscar’s done 15 flying laps of the
office, talk turns to getting the bushes
machined. But we’ve nearly found the
answer in the brochures and I’ve got the
scent of success in my nostrils. “What
about top-hat bushes, have you got any
of those?” I ask. A dust-laden tome
gets dragged-out from the depths of a
little-used cupboard and a dragging finger
suddenly stops and taps against a list of
specs. Right inner diameter, right outer
diameter, right length. Right you are then,
you little beauties!
The next day, armed with my freshly
delivered bushes, I assembly the arm into
the frame. It’s a tight fit, but a fit
nevertheless. 1100 spindle, 1100
bearing, shop bush, 1000 bearing, 1000
arm. So that’s twice the bearing surface of
any other Gixer on the planet – at least it
won’t seize!
With the arm in, it’s now time to get the
shock sorted. Between the two GSX-Rs,
Bandit, a random shock I had in the shed
and various suspension linkages and dog
bones, I have a puzzle that takes a fair bit
of head-scratching to unravel. With just
the linkages and no shock in place, I move
the rear of the bike through its suspension
travel and record the movement at the rear
of the bike against the movement when
the shock will sit. I perform this exercise
with various link and bones combos and
the measured values give me the leverage
ratio of the rear suspension. Ideally, these
figures are plotted on a graph that starts
high and curves down. In basic terms, that
HAYNES 7905;
Bandit 12 shock/linkage was tried.
The final set-up.
means the shock starts soft and then firms
as the back of the bike compresses. It’s
important to work this out, as many of the
combinations actually fit and can be
bolted up, fooling you into thinking that it
will do. On the most unsuitable of the
set-up combinations I tried, there would
have been much initial resistance before
the shock falling through its stroke to
bottom out like a drunk on a stag-do. And
that’s not conclusive to smooth riding or
monster wheelies…
In the end, I use the 1000’s linkage and
shock and made my own adjustable dog
bones. This gives me the added advantage
of being able to set my own ride height.
Only the final road testing will let me know
about the spring rates etc, but I’m happy
with how the ends have bolted up with no
frame mods or outside help – it’s still on
track to be shed-built by me! As with the
front-end, the rear brake hasn’t been
disconnected so I’ve now got a rolling
chassis with brakes, suspension and
steering. That’s makes it much easier to
move about. However, the next step is to
strip it down again as the frame’s turning
black as I drag the feel of the bike towards
the 21st century.
So three weeks into the build and I’ve
already conquered what I’d imagined to be
the hardest part – the swingarm
conversion. I now have a unique-looking
chassis in front of me – the trademark
up-and-over frame of the early slabside
Suzuki coupled with beefy inverted forks,
monster radial brakes and a hugely braced
swingarm. It’s looking ‘cool as’ and I am
confident moving forward. I will tackle the
motor next! cmm
www.classicmechanics.com / 117
 HAYNES 7905;
65305,

Project Yamaha
YZF-R1 part 1
WORDS AND PHOTOS: NIALL MACKENZIE/
KNOCKHILL RACE CIRCUIT

Now we

He loves his Yams, does three-times British Superbike

champ Niall Mackenzie. Now he’s after an R1 to restore.

I guess collecting iconic

Yamahas is like any other
addiction: you’re hooked
and before you know it, it is
very difficult to stop.
an invitation to the upcoming Spanish
press launch.
The itinerary said we would be flying
to Alicante for a presentation before a
road ride on the new bikes across Spain
I already have an FS1-E Fizzy, a Pro-Am to a circuit I’d never heard of called
replica RD250LC, a road-going mint Cartagena. Now, an all inclusive, all
RD350LC and (ahem) a YZF-R7 but I still expenses paid Iberian mini-break was a
have voices telling me I need to balance nice championship bonus but I have to
things up with another four-stroke. admit it was the bike turned out to be the
And it is Yamaha’s fault (addictions
are always some else’s fault) as in 2018
they are telling us to celebrate 20 years
of the ground breaking 1998 YZF-R1.
My youngest son Tarran has also just
ridden his McAMS Yamaha Superbike
at the Brands Hatch BSB event in the
gorgeous ’anniversary’ white and red
livery so I’m even more motivated to
have one of the originals.
Mid-way through 1997 I was 35 years
old, riding in an absolute purple patch of
my career and comfortably en route to
landing my second British Superbike
Championship title. During that same
summer the Yamaha UK press boss, Jeff
Turner, showed me some top secret images
of a new red and white 1000cc sports
bike. I was told this compact machine
brimming with new technology was about
to overturn the past six years of FireBlade
domination. It certainly looked the
business but I soon became even more This was a very cold day, hence the jacket.
excited when Yamaha Motor UK sent me

118 / classic motorcycle mechanics

HAYNES 7905;
65305,
The utterly beautiful original 4XV in all her red and white glory.
highlight of the trip. Incidentally, my
second ever press launch was exactly one
year later when I was sent to Australia
to ride the brand new R6. This was an
altogether more lavish affair where I was
put in charge of late night entertainment
for the journalists in Melbourne. Now that
is an interesting tale but I’ll have to save
it for another day!
So it was fine dining with not too much
wining and a presentation before we were
allocated our bikes the following morning,
ahead of a few hours of road riding around
the Costa Blanca. Nearly everyone agreed
the white and red version looked the
fastest while the deep blue looked the
classiest. At the first coffee stop and
without exception, the journos chatted
about how they were blown away with
every aspect of this machine. At the time
the British press were renowned for being
the most rowdy on bike launches so it was
no surprise many spent the majority of the
trip on the rear wheel. Even the less
skilled were getting some air, which was
a compliment to the bike. All riders feel
good doing wheelies so if that makes a
journalist smile then he’ll write good
things, job done.
After initially setting off though, I do
remember there were a few machines with
gearshift problems, however, Yamaha staff
were instantly on hand to assist and
no further niggles were reported. My first
riding impressions were the nice fit for my
size and shape, and the clean sharp feel
of the motor but what made me grin the
most was I was finally on a road bike that
delivered a properly planted front-end feel.
On arrival at the Cartagena Circuit
(which appeared and still does, to have
been built in the middle of a municipal
tip) I was quite underwhelmed with what
looked like a very tight and twisty affair,
totally unsuitable for the world’s latest
superbike. Little did I know it had been
carefully selected for that very reason.
While the press hacks lunched on tapas
and tortilla followed by cafe con leche I
was handed a trusty ol’ parallel twin TRX
850 to do some exploratory laps on what
www.classicmechanics.com / 119
 Simple solutions: Research your model history before buying a project! HAYNES 7905;
65305,

Robert the Bruce and Niall!

felt like a double length Three Sisters

circuit up there in Wigan. Considering I
once enjoyed owning a TRX that I spent
a fair few track days on, I can’t say that I
particularly felt the same love for the
trellis framed bike round Cartagena, which
was a little strange…
After lunch the track sessions on new
R1 were a completely different story as
this great bike opened our eyes even
further, revealing it could be as nimble
as the best 600 machine on the market
while utilising 140bhp along the way. I
remember some of the press were critical
of whatever model Pirelli tyres were fitted,
but I think that was more down to a lack
of riding ability than a lack of grip. In
fact without naming names, I know that
was the case.
So 20 years have passed and these
great memories are still fresh in my
noggin. Now that span of time is also
widely regarded as the point when material Future British Supersport 600 champ Tarran Mackenzie looks the same size today
items in our life can go from being old on his 2018 McAMS machine...
fashioned and uninteresting to cool and
collectable. That was certainly the case and fellow CMM restorer James Whitham Just the way I like my project Yamahas,
with my C70, Fizzy, LCs and RD 400 so was greeted with a frown. His opinion save for the Pro-Am 250 of course.
I obviously need one of these fine was that moving away from simple, steel What does worry me slightly (I am
machines in my life. framed two-strokes, to aluminium-framed Scottish, after all) is that – according to
Justification in place (well almost, ’diesels’ will surely involve a lot more work buying gurus Scott Redmond and Andy
haven’t told the wife yet) that clears the and expense. Bolas – you pay a premium for the model
way nicely for me to finding my Classic I guess researching carefully and AND colour I’m looking for. And with
Motorcycle Mechanics project number six. choosing something that’s had some horror stories of dodgy white paint jobs I
My criteria is simple and as the eternal decent TLC will be key: being pre-fuel will make sure I check that the paint is
optimist I hope very achievable. injection things are slightly more basic ’proper’ pearly Yamaha white rather than
She has to be a red/white 1998 model plus I’m friends with some good engine some bodged ’matt emulsion’. Well, unless
4XV. I don’t mind rough paintwork or the builders up at Raceways Yamaha in the price is right, of course!
wrong colour wheels but she must be Fleetwood so they’ll keep me on the As always I’m starting with the ‘Bay’,
straight, be legal and have a sound engine. straight and narrow. but – recalling how we got a great
I’m told by R1 specialists that three grand Bertie has been telling me a bit about RD350LC from a reader for my first
should still buy me something reasonable, what is in this issue about the R1’s 20th project – if you have or know anyone with
however, decent examples are declining by anniversary – including how to improve a half-decent original R1, you can get to
the month and prices are inevitably rising. one, but – for me – I want a bike that me via Bertie at the magazine. Fingers
Mentioning my latest plan to best mate (at the end) will be bog-stock standard. crossed and talk to you next month! cmm

120 / classic motorcycle mechanics

www.classicmechanics.com / 121

65305,
Project Aprilia RS250 part 2
Harada and faster!
Last issue we got the rolling chassis and the engine fitted and plumbed up.
Now it’s time to get the RS on the road…
S o now my RS was
looking good and I
felt great about the
effort I was putting in to the
project to make it up to my
high standards mechanically.
It’s hard to fill you in on exactly how a
restoration goes – as you know, it’d take
every page of every issue to give a
day-by-day, beer-by-beer, nut-and-bolt
commentary but in short, with this bike,
not a fastener went on that wasn’t cleaned
and torqued to spec, lubed or Loctited
where required, and nothing was rushed.
Every fastener was shagged and 90%
were replaced with either OEM ones I
122 / classic motorcycle mechanics
luckily had on hand, or good quality
stainless or alloy ones.
It was during this final assembly that I
wire-wheeled and then resprayed all black
chassis parts, like the sidestand and
bracket, fairing brackets, reservoir
brackets, pillion peg and exhaust hangers,
basically everything black was re-painted.
Painted silver parts were also resprayed
and bare alloy was polished up, which was
a slow and tedious process. I could not get
all the corrosion marks off the frame as I
did not want to cut through the clearcoat
on the frame rails.
Black plastic parts were cleaned up and
treated with a rejuvenation gel, which was
HAYNES 7905;
WORDS: JEFF WARE PHOTOS: DAVE HERDMAN (ACTION), JEFF WARE
fantastic, and a new battery went in, along
with a new air filter and fuel filter. The
fuel tap was rebuilt and, as I was on a
budget, I really skimped here and rattle
can-sprayed the tank, then fitted some
random Aprilia decals I had at hand. It
looks okay to me and still a little ‘Tetsuya
Harada’-esque!
The fuel cap was cleaned, stripped and
resprayed and a new OEM chainguard was
fitted along with chain and sprockets.
I bought an RS250 fairing fastener kit
online and, after spending a full day
polishing and cutting back the fairing
panels and top fairing, I was satisfied I
didn’t need to get the panels repainted
HAYNES 7905;
65305,
The forks were rebuilt, along with the
steering head bearings.
New battery and wiring tidied up.
The original fairings polished up okay, so they didn’t need painting.
and could keep it as original as possible,
these were then wrapped up and set aside.
Next a new set of OEM grips went on,
along with levers, gear lever rubber and
rear brake rubber, indicator lenses and
then came the hard one – I needed a
right-hand switch-block and could not find
one anywhere… In the end I bought a
damaged one for 100 bucks and had to
make one good one out of two damaged
ones. I then found and fitted some OEM
bar-end weights and made a good,
like-new kick-starter from three that I had.
It was around this time that I stopped
for a few weeks. I had been in the shed for
two or three hours every night after the
The swingarm bearings and seals were serviced and the marks polished out.
New air filter and rebuilt carbs.
kids went to sleep, so I gave myself a
break to make sure I didn’t rush the job
towards the end, as I tend to do.
I sat down with a few beers and a
notepad and torch and had a really good
look over the bike, listing what was left to
do and any parts that I needed.
First on the list was a couple of
master-cylinder kits, which I had forgotten
to order. I also needed new brake pads and
caliper pin retaining clips. Aside from that,
it was just a few OEM fairing clips and
rubbers, plus some missing rubber
washers to go with the fastener kit, a new
screen and a top fairing bracket.
The new parts were ordered and,
A final check-over before covering up.
thankfully, I found a used top fairing
bracket. These are so rare as most
production racing rules the world over
require them to be retained, so they are all
trashed. The one I bought was resprayed
and fitted and looked good. So I thought…
I rebuilt the front and rear brakes, fitted
them up and then it was time to fire the
bike up for the first time. With fluids in
and bled where required, the RS fired after
just three kicks. It was a proud moment
and at no time did I doubt the engine – I
have built so many VJ22 motors and did
this one with extra love…
After the usual leak checks, it was time
to dress the bike. It was at this point I
www.classicmechanics.com / 123
 HAYNES 7905;
65305,

The low mileage is original.

It came up mint and cost me hardly anything to restore. Stoked! The tank paint was rattle-canned.

realised the top fairing bracket was bent, I got home in the dark and sat in the when the kids move out in (hopefully)
as the rear two belly-pan bolts did not line shed with a few cold beers and just 20-years or so!
up. Well, let’s just say I swore a bit and 12 admired my bike. I felt true love… but not Damn kids and their need for food and
beers later it all looked awesome! long afterwards baby four popped out, so education. Jeez…
The very next day I registered the bike the RS250 went as quickly as it arrived. Anyway, I still smile about the RS250
and on the following Sunday, I took it for God knows how much one will cost me Harada rep. I can still smell the TTS! cmm
its maiden run. The first stop was to the
in-laws’ house where Heather and I
re-enacted the same pic we had done in
1999. That’s a cool one to have, even if
we have aged so much! We then went for a
spin. The RS is not quite as comfy on the
pillion perch as Heather remembered it to
be when she was 20-years-young!
I spent the rest of the day having an
absolutely awesome time. I headed up to
my local twisties and rode all the routes I
did back in the day when I was almost 20
years younger. I was so slow to react to the
snappy and agile RS at first, but by the
end of the day I was in full swing and I
realised pretty quickly that these days I’ll
end up in the lock-up if I keep riding this
bike on a regular basis…

One of the best days of riding I’ve had – so satisfying after

Two pics
pics, 20 years apart! all the hard work.

124 / classic motorcycle mechanics

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Yamaha FZS1000 Fazer
BERTIE’S BLATHER
Our Bertie this month
waves a flag for the
slightly saner version
of the R1…
P
arts bin specials often make great bikes and
Yamaha has made some pearlers.
My favourite is the Fazer 600 – the
Thundercat motor and associated odds and sods
make for such a good all-round usable machine. It
made sense then that Yamaha finally built a
‘grown-up’ version for the 2001 model year.
Like its little brother, the FZS1000 used
well-proven parts. In this case the motor was from
the YZF-R1, but mildly-modded. It produced the
same torque as the R1, but at 1000rpm lower in
the rev-range. Different carbs and ignition and a
heavier crank basically gave the motor more low to
mid-range stomp, but power was still around 140
claimed bhp at 10,000rpm, even if you’d probably
be best served hanging about at 7-8000rpm where
the meat of that mid-range (78ft-lb) sat. And yes,
there was still the EXUP valve fitted to beef-up the
mid-range still further.
Chassis-wise it was new. The alloy frame rails aped
little brother and the right-hand rail unbolts to aid with
servicing/engine removal. Forks were conventional
right-way-up items and Blue-spot brakes – also from
the R1 – gave the bike plenty of retardation.
Riding the Fazer thou’ is a real pleasure and
– unsurprisingly – the star of the show is that motor.
If there’s any criticism to be levelled at the big Fazer
COMING CLASSIC
it’s that the suspension was on the soft-side.
Normally, this wouldn’t be such a criticism, but at
SPECIFICATION
launch it was and here’s why.
For some reason Yamaha aimed the bigger Fazer
YAMAHA
as an alternative sports machine to the R1 and
priced it accordingly at £8039 on launch. In
comparison the Honda X-11 (weird naked with
YEARS AVAILABLE
2000-2005
Blackbird motor) was just £6950… Yamaha took a MAJOR CHANGES
while to see sense, but the price did go down to Colours only
PRICE NEW
£7234 towards the end of 2001 and it dropped
£8039 (Dec 2000)
back to £6789 in 2002.
VALUES NOW
Aesthetically, the big Fazer was better looking £1500-£3000
than its smaller sibling and pointed the way to a VERDICT
re-styled FZS600 Fazer, with a lupine lilt to the Attractive and adaptable!
headlights. The half-fairing did an admirable job of
keeping the elements off you and the bike itself was
plenty comfortable enough, even if going two-up
anywhere really punishes that soft suspension.
Overall then, there was a lot to love and the bike
itself was adaptable. I’ve had friends who’ve used
them solely for commuting, while one sorted the
suspension out and took his trackdaying. You’ll also
spot lots of them with a full complement of luggage…
Today there are quite a few Fazer 1000s to choose
from, as the bike had a good five or so-year lifespan
until replaced by the FZ1 in 2006. Prices start from
as low as £1500, but (as normal) it is a case of buyer
beware: many of the cheaper bikes will have had a
harder life and despite being an eight grand bike
from new, the actual finish wasn’t the best, with paint
on the engine and wheels being particularly
troublesome and flaking off. Other issues are few and
far between – but yes the EXUP valve often sticks… FOR: Practical and
So, the Fazer 1000 is a good bike, but every time purposeful.
I’ve ridden one I’ve always thought there’s an even
better bike in there waiting to get out. Try one, buy AGAINST: Soft
one and make it your own… cmm suspension.
www.classicmechanics.com / 127
128 / classic motorcycle mechanics
 Next month
HONDA CB750 AT 50: John Nutting looks back at the amazing launch of a Honda classic!
YAMAHA RD350LC: Steve Cooper with our buyer’s guide!
WORLD SUPERBIKE SPECIAL!
● WORLD SUPERBIKES AT 30: Bertie Simmonds looks at the
10 best bikes, racers and races from the early days of WSB!
● DUCATI 888 RACER: Mark Forsyth’s beautiful Bologna bullet!
● RUMI HONDA RC30: Fred Merkel’s WSB title-winner revealed!
WORKSHOP: Sorting drum brakes and changing brake lines.
PROJECT BIKES: We welcome back young Craig Prior with his Honda VFR400R NC30,
Jeff Ware gets on with his Suzuki RG500, while Martin ‘Wild’ Child moves on his
Suzuki GSX-R1100G project! Ralph sorts his Kawasaki Z1300 cam timing.
Mark Haycock also returns with his Honda CB750 K2 and
Andy Catton has his Kawasaki GPX600.
AND MUCH MORE! DON’T
N T MISS IT!*
s u e o n s a l e :
October is 9
M B E R 1
SEPTE
*The editor reserves the right
to completely mess up the
above list in a bid to give you
the best mix of 1960s, 1970s,
1980s and 1990s machines
and fettling tips!

WIN!
Bridges
to n e t y r
cleaning es,
goodies
& Tamiy
a kits!

SUBSCRIBE NOW ALL OF THE ABOVE DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR

SEE PAGES 40-41 FOR DETAILS

www.classicmechanics.com / 129
cmm
mm
Pip Higham
Tuner, engineer, rider

Ride a cock horse or

maybe a 1929 Prester?
P illerton Priors, Shutford, Wroxton, ring
any bells? Probably not unless you’ve
either watched, or possibly taken part in
The Banbury Run.
The Banbury is basically 500 or so blokes, and a
slender smattering of ladies hooning around middle
England on bikes that are a minimum of 88 years
old. Yup, you read that right, bikes so old that a few
have even had a telegram from the Queen. A lot of
the scoots sport features unfamiliar to some of you
younger chaps out there; they have retardation
devices (can’t call them ‘brakes’) and hand operated
levers for controlling stuff such as ignition advance,
fuel mixture strength and gear selection. Some have
exposed valve gear, push-rods, rockers etc. They
occasionally rely on chemical sorcery to energise
front and rear lights. They have many cranks,
brackets and linkages to fiddle with (usually
while in motion.)
My connection with The Banbury stems from the
fact that I was asked to ride the little bike that
brother Bill had spent many moons refurbishing.
Bill didn’t feel up to the ride himself and I gladly
accepted on condition that he came to watch. On
the day we had a full team turnout and as my start
time approached I felt a wee bit concerned that I
might cock up the start and then fall off at the first
corner. Why so? Well, until this point I’d never
ridden the bike and the combination of five levers
to pull, push and generally modulate was testing
both of my brain cells.
Added to this was the 60-mile route through
unfamiliar territory. Guidance for said route was
via a pair of blue printed A4 sheets. I noticed that
many of the entrants sported natty roller gadgets,
handlebar mounted, on which to display the route.
Not being in possession of such kit I opted for the
clenched teeth method: catching the occasional
glimpse of the next waypoint whenever a few
moments of calm occurred.
In conversation with a couple of bods clad in
tweed greatcoats, one name cropped up several
times: Sunrising Hill. How tough could one little
incline be? With a flick of a flag I was away, the
little Prester burbling along happily in first gear,
I promptly set off in the wrong direction. A swift
U-turn got us back on track. All went well until an
unexpected incline, a sharp turn, several sheep and
a moment’s indecision over which lever to pull,
caught me out. I stalled the little stroker and had to
do a swift about face in order to get burbling again.
A mile or so further along, a substantial incline
came into view as I rounded the bend, ah now, this
is Sunrising. With the throttle wire tighter than
Jimmy Helms’ larynx on Gonna Make You An Offer.
I launched around the initial curve showering sparks
off the carelessly trailing right-hand pedal and there
was Bill, grinning from ear to ear. Part ‘A’ mission
accomplished. As the poor little bike shed its energy
I dabbed for a low gear: but Sunrising is long and
steep. Three quarters of the way up my inexperience
caught me out and we ground to a halt.
As I considered my options Bill’s lad Simon and
grand-lad Will came to the rescue. A quick shove,
some furious pedalling and a judicious dose of
clutch slippage got the plot under way again, and,
as if propelled by collective attitude zoomed up
to the crest, to be met by a great roar from the
assembled masses of incredulous civilians.
Sunrising: 0, Prester [98cc]: 1.
The whole theoretical route is about 60 miles,
I reckon that with a couple of miscues, I completed
ABOVE: About to crest about 75 miles and the little red bike didn’t miss a
that darn hill... beat. The reception as I turned into the collection
area at Gaydon was absolutely terrific: I think I
BELOW: A tricky caught a bit of dust in my eye when I clocked the
moment on Sunrising entire team waiting for me. All credit to Bill for
with Simon and putting together the smallest bike to complete
Will hot-footing it the 2018 run and also to Helen for her patience
to the rescue. with the many hours Bill spent toiling in his shed
in the garden.
BELOW RIGHT: Team And sadly, Bill passed away on the morning of
pic with regulation the second of July, but he saw his little bike take
dogs in attendance. on Sunrising, and win. cmm

130 / classic motorcycle mechanics