Home//Classic Motorcycle Mechanics/July 2024/In This Issue
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Some manufacturers ‘get it’…I guess the classic side of motorcycling can be looked at by some in the motorcycle industry as a bit of a backwater, but maybe not for long. The reason is thanks to the many retro machines that are being built that reflect the bikes we used to ride. More and more are jumping from drawing boards to showroom floors and we love it. Clearly our main thing is the original classics, but with manufacturers aiming to sell these modern replica/retro bikes to people who remember them the first time around (that means you, the CMM reader) we often ask if we can have a go on them, to let you know what they’re like. Suzuki have been spot on: we had a Suzuki Katana for the best part of…3 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024cmm TestedABBA SKY LIFT Most of us in the motorcycle world are familiar with the award-winning Abba Superbike Stand, that red steel frame that gets your wheels off the deck by plugging into the swingarm pivot points. The Sky Lift takes this (literally) to a whole new level. If you’ve ever worked on your own bike, you’ll know that taking your wheels off, particularly the front wheel, has never been the easiest of operations. Yes, a centre-stand, or rear paddock stand, makes life easier and the job quite do-able. I’ve never really been a fan of front paddock stands, they always look a bit dodgy to me. The bike never seemed that stable when on both and always felt it was a mistimed nudge away from becoming part of the garage…4 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024PRE-ORDER YOUR CMM!Want the next issue of CMM? Of course you do! Then it’s simple. Subscribing is best but, failing that, why not pre-order? Simply scan the fuzzy circular thing with your smartphone (c’mon, we’ve all got one) and off you pop! Alternatively, if you like what you see coming up in the next issue (see page 105 for more) then go to: www.classicmagazines.co.uk/issue/preorder where you can pre-order all of Mortons’ wonderful magazines. Even ones about trains, cars or towpaths… scan me with your camera phone!…1 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Build it, don’t buy it!We were sent this superb picture just before deadline – and it’s the perfect accompaniment to the launch of the Yamaha XSR900 GP (see page 38). We’ve not got much apart from what we can see – it’s a Yamaha XJ600 Diversion on steroids! We think the frame is standard, but at the rear it looks like a Thunderace swingarm, maybe the same model’s forks, but weirdly Divvy (twin disc as the later model had) brakes! We reckon it’s the 600 motor in there but it does seem to have a cool pipe. Bodywork is right outta the 1980s/1990s in Marlboro red/white. If anyone has any more info on this lovely bike, we’d love to hear more. And don’t forget to tell us about YOUR specials that you’re working on.…1 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Show us yoursWe want to see YOUR pride and joy in our pages, so you can share what you ride and what your estore/build with fellow readers. Email your hi-res shots to bsimmonds@mortons.co.uk or mail in some photos at the address at the front of the mag. Let us know what you’ve done, how you’ve done it and send before and after shots if you can. Do get in touch–because the best of the month gets a free T-shirt! Ian Holme’s Benelli TNT 1130 Café Racer Owned for eight years by me, this CR is one of only nine in the UK according to ‘How Many Left’. It shares a garage with two 900s and one 1130 Tornado so you could say I am something of a fan. The CR has proved…3 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Fast among equalsBy early 1983 the 250 learner market was no more than a memory and the then current 250cc machines were not worth much at all. While many mourned their passing, you could see where the Government was coming from as 17-year-olds were throwing their almost 100mph-capable two-stroke RDs, KHs and X7s up the road and often injuring themselves in the process… This ban on 250cc learner bikes coincided with Suzuki launching the RG250 Gamma Mk.1, which was the first production bike to utilise an alloy frame, and also looked like a proper racer for the road thanks to its half-fairing. This bike was a real yardstick for the class and it could be argued that this was where the 250cc tech race began. As the years rolled by each manufacturer…10 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Marlboro Man!It’s been my pleasure to have a close association with the big Japanese factories and manufacturers over my long and blessed racing and road testing career. Suzuki gave me my first break in grand prixs back in 1986; Honda gave me my first factory contract in 1987; and when I started road testing with Two Wheels Only magazine in 2001, I was lucky enough to go on some amazing Kawasaki lunches, sorry, launches… And then there’s Yamaha. Their seminal RD350LC truly got my career going on the race track in the early 1980s (I will always own one) and there’s the little matter of the three back-to-back British Superbike titles for the Cadbury’s Boost Yamaha team on the mighty YZF750 in 1996, 97 and 98. And, of course, there were…14 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Vice squad!One of the most important pieces of kit in a motorcycle workshop is a good-quality bench vice attached to a good bench. A bench is easily made using some ‘four by two’ builders’ carcassing timber for the frame, all glued and screwed and topped off with the cheapest 38mm worktop sold in the builders’ merchants for rental properties. I will cut costs on the worktop, but not the vice… A six-inch vice is the best investment so don’t penny-pinch and go too cheap. For my workshops there is only one make – Record, now Irwin Record. They have numerous qualities of vice, but assuming that (like me) you’re not loaded, you will be looking for a well-used variety. My latest purchase was an Irwin Record No.25 six-inch vice that weighs…3 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Almost there!Well we’re there or thereabouts and out on the winding roads of rural Bedfordshire. The Apache has seriously impressed me with its grunt, flexibility and general behaviour. That said, I’ve not rattled it across open fields or laboured it down muddy green lanes. The reason for swerving both is (A) I am pants on anything except Tarmac, (B) I’ve invested far too much time, money and effort to risk wrapping the bike around a tree and (C) if I fall off these days it bloody well hurts. The seat is super-comfy; the wide bars make perfect sense; and it puts a huge grin on my chops each time I ride it. The only slight fly in the ointment was getting used to a 19-inch front wheel allied to the bike’s…5 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Looming hell!Last month I started telling the readers of CMM the sad story of the abuse of Donna’s 1988 two-wheeled micro missile so I’m back on with it. Oh my word… Having established that the carbs had survived being stored for six years in the antithesis of museum conditions, it was time to dig out the crimpers, strippers and cutters and raid Biker’s Toolbox’s stock of ‘thin wall wire’ and terminals, etc. I dug out an eight-foot long offcut of 12mm plywood that was left over from my workshop build, which I thought would be a perfect layout board for building a new wiring loom on. As I wasn’t expecting to fit any tyres before the wiring was finished, I used the tyre machine’s wheel clamp to grip one end, making…7 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024I LOVE THEM!I love these bikes and have owned two; first up was a 2005 ZRX1200R in green (above). My bike was a former press bike for Kawasaki which journalist Warren Pole had blown up thanks to too many wheelies (low oil level plus wheelies = big-end bearing failure). He also blew up my Aprilia RSV-R Mille… The engine was rebuilt by Kawasaki and never gave me any issues after. Wozza also high-sided the bike at 12mph putting a dent in the tank, which I sorted before it was repainted in the ‘proper’ Eddie Lawson green. I plonked on a proper Kerker full system and Ohlins shocks. It was down-geared for more oomph (one down on the front, one up on the back); had Hagon progressive fork springs fitted; and the eccentric…1 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Moto mayhemWherever possible, I refer to the manufacturer’s workshop manual for the recommended steps involved in reassembling an engine, but this time I find the Haynes book far more helpful. It is arranged as a complete assembling process, whereas the Honda book is a collection of separate operations. The parts diagrams are similar to those produced by Honda and are very useful. The only fly in the ointment is that my book is not actually for an ST70 but for a general range including C50, C70 and C90, though the first two are very similar to the ST. The 90 engine differs in quite a few places. Last time we looked at the new cylinder head and valves I bought and after fitting them I was pleased to see that the…5 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Next monthWITH MORE THAN 30 PAGES OF PRACTICAL ADVICE! HONDA CB900F: John Nutting delves deep into Honda heritage and rides a legend TRIUMPH ROCKET III: What’s the original like 20 years on? And we try the latest version… SUZUKI GSX1100: Buyer’s Guide SHOW US YER SHED: WIN a £50 Venhill voucher if you show us YOURS! PROJECT BIKES: We will be showcasing some of the following (space allowing): Pip Higham’s Triumph Spotty Bike; Bertie Simmonds finally starts his Kawasaki ZRX1100R; Mark Hayco*ck’s Honda ST70; Steve Cooper’s Yamaha YL1 or new Ducati/Suzuki special; Jeff Ware’s Bridgestone BS90; David Punshon’s Honda CB750 DOHC; Malc Shaw with his Suzuki GT500 Café Racer; Kev Raymond’s back with a Honda SS50 and Taylor Mackenzie’s Yamaha TY80 should really be featured; and let’s not forget Dave Marsden…1 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Pat Hennen TrailblazerPat Hennen, who passed away in April, was the first American to win a Grand Prix, so he was a trailblazer for the American invasion that followed in his wake. No less than 15 championships eventually came the way of riders like Kenny Roberts, Freddie Spencer, Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey, and Kevin Schwantz. These names went on to dominate 500cc Grands Prix throughout the 1980s and into the early1990s, while Kenny Roberts Junior became world champion in 2000 and the late Nicky Hayden became America’s last premier class world champion in 2006. And the first win came from Hennen in Finland in 1976. A win that was so unexpected it caught the race organisers off guard. “When I won the race, the FIM didn’t have the American anthem to play…2 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Head to SUZUKI LIVE!This year marks the 25th anniversary of both the legendary Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa and the V-twin SV650. Both launched in 1999 to do very different jobs, their birthdays will be celebrated at Suzuki Live, which takes place at Cadwell Park on June 22-23. Suzuki is inviting owners to bring their bikes along to the event, with dedicated parking and display areas in the paddock reserved for ‘Busas and SVs. The show-and-shine style display areas will be sponsored by Dunlop, with a free pair of tyres up for grabs for the owners of the best examples on display. Also on show will be a number of Team Classic Suzuki race bikes, plus stands from the likes of the Air-Cooled Suzuki Club, the Kettle Club, and the Suzuki Owners Club. Talk shows…1 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024SCOOPERMAN!It’d be a poorly kept secret that our economy is comprehensively banjaxed. We're at the highest level of taxation for decades: prices have gone up, shrink-flation is a fact of life, and everything is more expensive than it once was… and that includes our hobby of classic motorcycles. Manufacturing costs globally have increased, partly due to energy issues and partly from businesses trying to claw back something from the horror that was Covid. Oh, and shipping costs have spiralled as well… None of this is good news, but spare a thought for the small businesses out there that supply us lot. Corporates, PLCs and global firms can often weather these monetary muddles so much better than the Fred-in-the-shed organisations many of us depend on. One go-to specialist has had such…2 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024SEE YOU THERE!June 23Romney Marsh classic June 23 sees Elk Promotions’ Romney Marsh Classic Bike Show and Bike Jumble make a welcome return at the usual Marsh Road, Hamstreet venue. True to tradition, there will be an impressive collection of privately-owned classic, vintage, and veteran bikes on display, alongside club stands and a band. A ride-in show is also part of the fun and a free ‘BikeMart’ display-to-sell area. The Romney Marsh Classic Bike Show and Bike Jumble takes place at Marsh Road, Hamstreet, Kent TN26 2JD. For ticket prices go to: www.elk-promotions.co.uk July 5 Fowlers Bristol Bike Night July 5 sees the next Bristol Bike Night of the year at Fowlers Motorcycles. Held on the first Friday of the month from May to September between 5:30pm and 8:30pm, you can expect…2 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024The way we were…Vic Shield says: “Back in the 1980s none of us had a pot to piss in. I was an apprentice coachbuilder and my mates were slaves on YTS (Youth Training Scheme). My Dad’s shed was a meeting point, clubhouse, garage and workshop. Many hours were spent rebuilding two-strokes and chilling late into the night with the sounds of Madness and Ska to keep us awake. I had a few bikes and the old 350 Jawa and chair was one of my daily runners, used as a transporter for fishing gear, bike parts and beer. Only the wealthy had a car! We would meet up at the weekend and every ride was an adventure. When one of us broke down it could usually be repaired road-side as the Jawa outfit was…1 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Workshop view: Simon Pinfield“I used to work at PW Ranger in Stafford back in the late 1980s and early 90s in both sales and the workshop. So not only was I selling the KRs, I was also fixing them and at the weekends I used to race a KR-1. The KR-1 wasn’t without its issues: base gaskets, ringlocating pegs and generators spring to mind, but if you got a good one they were pretty robust. My race bike was run-in on the road, then had minimal maintenance over its first season and remained in standard tune for the season, too. Out of thecrate, the KR was both faster and better handling than my TZR250 2MA which was a Terry Becket-tuned missile and the standard KR made it feel pedestrian. Overnight almost, the grid…1 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Doppelganger delights…Of course, there are other ways to get your retro-kicks with a modern Yamaha as a base. Back in the February issue, John Nutting rode the Velocity-Moto XSR700 twin-cylinder RD350LC-a-like and the XSR900 three-cylinder RD500LC-a-like. Costs on top of the base bikes would be a couple of grand for the bodywork – unpainted – and then you can really go to town with selecting updatedsuspension and exhausts. VM’s founder Hag Hughes is a specials-building legend from the early days of Fast Bikes magazine (CMM’s sister title) and when I rocked up at the Velocity-Moto stand at the NEC show, I have to say they looked the part! Little wonder Yamaha are doing it themselves. Velocity-Moto are at: Velocity-Moto.com And what of Yamaha’s XSR900 GP? Well, I do think that other…1 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND WINCHOOSE WHICH CMM SUBSCRIPTION SUITS YOU BEST 1: 12-MONTH SUBSCRIPTION BEST VALUE 12 print issues for £47 Direct Debit 12 print issues for £52 credit/debit card SAVE £15.40 2: SIX-MONTH SUBSCRIPTION 6 print issues for £25 Direct Debit 6 print issues for £27 credit/debit card SAVE £6.20 WHAT OUR READERS SAY ABOUT CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS CMM is the ‘go-to’ magazine for sensible restoration advice. BRIAN HERRON The magazine covers a shrinking, niche area of interest perfectly. ALAN BROWN A valuable asset to the classic rider, restorer and enthusiast. SIMON ROSE WHY YOU SHOULD READ CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS EVERY MONTH >> IF YOU WANT THE BEST IN MODERN CLASSIC MOTORCYCLING, THIS IS IT! >> EACH MONTH YOU’LL GET THE VERY BEST IN PRACTICAL WORKSHOP TIPS AND ADVICE >> READ ABOUT THE…3 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Neutral selection!I am still having issues finding neutral when the bike is stationary. Sometimes the green light of reassurance illuminates as it should with just the slightest input from one’s foot. On other occasions you can find yourself flicking between first and second like a loon. During such sessions the idiot light flashes but this idiot simply cannot get it to stay on and, crucially, get the bike out of gear. The detent plunger springbecame an obvious suspect and as these are still a Suzuki stock item I ordered one. The old coils had obviously led a hard life and were subtly shorter in length than their replacement. Given that springs lose their tempering or springiness over time, it’s reasonable to assume that the new one will be better than the…1 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Bay-watch**and FB Marketplace, and Gumtree, and anywhere else we spot something we like… 1996 Kawasaki ZX-7R Asking: £795 1990s superbikes are making good money now in tidy, original condition, but tatty or modified ones can still be picked up for much cheapness – in this case from Chris Tombleson of Grumpy 1260, all-round good egg and a friend of the mag. This ZX-7R has suffered the common streetfighter treatment but it should be pretty easy to put it back to more or less standard – clocks, headlights, front sub-frame,bars and front plastics needed here, as well as a replacement for that nasty, stubby exhaust can. Because the 7R was produced for so long (from 1996 to 2003) and with so few changes, it’s not too hard to track down standard…6 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024What to buy and how much to payLooking around at what’s on offer, it’s the S version that comes out cheapest with prices starting as low as £4000, which has to be a steal given what’s on offer. It’s the R model as per our bike in camera that ups the ante. £6000 seems to be the starting figure with prices topping out at around £9000. That said, if you’re after an R make sure it fits with what you actually want. A fair number of them are upgraded and modified by owners; their personal tweaks and add-ons may not necessarily align with your preferences. Many such modified examples feature unpleasantly loud end cans. Any ZXR1200 that’s purporting to be a ‘café racer conversion’ is likely to have been down the road and then, er… resurrected –…1 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024SHOW US YER SHED!This is my 'shed' (known as 'The Garage' by me and the family). Outwardly, it is a simple single garage integral to the family bungalow in Fleetwood, Lancashire. Inside, however, it is not only a home to my four bikes – a 1999 Honda 'Jordan' Hornet 600, a 2003 Centenary Edition 883 Harley Sportster, a 2007 Kawasaki ZRX1200R Eddie Lawson replica (now sold in favour of a Triumph Bonneville Street Twin), and a Suzuki GSX1100 EFE (which is still being rebuilt) – but also it’s a haven of motor racing and other memorabilia. As well as the normal range of tools associated with motorcycle maintenance, the garage has: ■ An old air compressor which my Grandad bought secondhand from somebody down the street in the 1950s (it uses two 1930s…3 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Blast it!Right then, where were we? Oh yes. The last time the KDX graced these pages (back in the December 2023 issue) I'd just stripped the whole thing down to a bare frame and a load of sub-assemblies, more to get it on a shelf and out of the way than in the hope of actually getting anything much done to it. I fully expected it to be summertime before I found time to blast and paint the frame, which was the first thing on my list. But late January we had a spell of reasonable weather over here in France and I had some other stuff that needed blasting, so I dragged the frame out into the light and got on with it. I needed reasonable weather because although I…8 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Garry Taylor – an amazing blokeIn the bad old days I spent considerable lumps of time trying to convince the suits at Suzuki GB that it might be beneficial to their operation if I received a bit of assistance, either parts or money would be nice. This would then justify me spending even more cash (that I definitely didn’t have) on a couple of hungry drag bikes. The response was generally along the lines of: ‘Drag Racing? Huh?’ In the interim I was passed over to a company called Brandmark who were handling Suzuki’s PR account. In a chance conversation with a Mr. Taylor at BM he mentioned that it might be a good idea if I pitched up at Suzuki’s trade bash at the Royal Garden Hotel in that London with my bikes and…4 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024cmm StuffHJC RPHA 12 CARBON This is the carbon version of HJC’s new RPHA 12 premium sport helmet and it’s packed full of impressive features. Its lightweight construction ensures comfort on your journeys. The brand-new sleek aerodynamic design not only improves performance but also enhances stability at high speeds. The carbon-fibre outer shell provides a more lightweight and comfortable shell with enhanced shock-resistant performance. It has a Pinlock-ready HJ-42 anti-scratch visor, a four intake, three exhaust venting system, emergency release cheek pads, a wider ‘eye port’, and an advanced anti-bacteria fabric lining which is washable/removable. The lid comes standard with both 2D clear and light smoke visor, chin curtain, Pinlock and breath deflector. www.oxfordproducts.com ROADSKIN TYRIAN ARMOURED JEANS We’re big fans of Roadskin’s stuff here at CMM and this/these are the…4 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024400 FOUR AT 50!Honda’s evergreen classic – the CB400F Four – turns 50 this October and The David Silver Honda Collection aims to celebrate in style with a huge open day. The Collection wants to get many owners together and take part in an awards event on September 28 which will aim to find the following: ■ The best original bike ■ The best restored bike ■ The best customised machine ■ Judge’s favourite 400 Four ■ Highest mileage machine ■ The 400 Four that’s travelled the furthest to get to the event. The event promises to have live music, food, free entry to the museum for attendees, and a CB400F cake is already being made in preparation for the event, which will be at the collection hall at Unit 14, Masterlord Industrial…1 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024CHRIS DABBS – A TRIBUTEClassic Motorcycle Mechanics was saddened to hear the news of the passing of motorcycle journalist Chris Dabbs, aged just 61. Dabbsy was a legend, starting out in the 1980s working for a number of publications as a test rider before joining Motor Cycle News in January 1987 as Road Test Editor. A keen racer, he would go on to be a front-runner in the Harley 883 Sportster British Championship race series, finishing third in the 1992 season. With MCN in its pomp, Chris was often the cover star, riding all the motorcycles that mattered from the late 1980s into the early 1990s. Then in July 1993 Dabbsy suffered a road accident that put him in a wheelchair, but that wasn’t going to stop him. He returned to work nine months…2 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024FEEDBACKWe love to hear from you, so why not let us know what you like, or dislike, in YOUR magazine. Simply get in touch by sending emails to: letters@classicmechanics.com or direct to the editor at BSimmonds@Mortons.co.uk or post your letters to the normal address. The best will win one of our lovely T-shirts! Bravo, Bolas! Not my normal thing to drop a message regarding a bike test in a magazine. However, I feel praise should always be given where it’s due. I am a bit long in the tooth and came back to reading CMM after a few years away. The reason I stopped buying magazines was that I felt the journalism could often be very poor. Clearly the machines tested are ‘retrospective’ and not a manufacturer’s test bike. This…6 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024The Pepsi Challenge!Erik Hobo loves his Suzuki RG250s so much he’s got his own web page on them (bitacticusgehaasticus.com) and runs a Facebook page that celebrates the little two-stroke tearaways… It’s fair to say he’s restored a few and helped keep a few on the road. He loves Suzuki’s 1983-1987 quarter-litre race-replica and no mistake. Also, the Dutchman is no stranger to the pages of CMM as he was in the July 2017 issue with his quirky ‘JPS’ logoed RG… But this is a more traditional take on the parallel-twin sports machine, albeit still a bit of a ‘special edition’. This story begins back in 2019 when a frame came up for sale in the UK. Erik explains: “I was looking for a new project to build and after going through my…4 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Second opinion: Ella Middleton“I have ridden various 250 two-strokes and have my own 2MA TZR track bike along with a TDR250. I wasn’t overly impressed with the KR-1 to begin with, but I think this was mainly due to being restricted on revs. It’s like just as the motor is coming on song and starting to come into the powerband I’m having to change up. I have, however, ridden a B1 with a few miles on it and can confirm they do go really well and are a fair bit quicker than my old TZR. Theriding position is very much like a reverse cylinder TZR, only the KR-1 feels lighter and less peaky. I like the fact that on the B1 you could run into bends leaving it to the last minute, knock…1 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Yamaha XSR900 GPThe XSR900, a modern-day triple-cylinder café racer from Yamaha using their impressive CP3 engine, has been a familiar face on the showroom floor since 2016. With naked neo-retro styling, the XSR looked great, but it also had the performance to match with a torquey 847cc churning out 113bhp. 2021 saw an update with capacity up to 889cc, a jump to 117bhp, and a new frame helping to bring weight down from the previous generation. All good so far with sales ticking over nicely, then at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2023 Yamaha revealed their DB40 prototype – essentially the bike you see here with all new bodywork and clip-ons. It was met with much nodding of approval and early 2024 saw the bike officially launched as a production machine…1 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Time to stop!I guess its okay doing all the fancy bits – they do give quite a mental boost as they are slowly fitted and the ‘look’ of the project emerges. However, there are also all the parts which have a safety implication that require attention over and above their aesthetic rejuvenation! This brings me to the front brake system. If we start with the front disc on this bike: it’s a big lump of stainless, wasn’t the greatest stopper in the dry and less so in the wet! Couple that with a sliding caliper that generally slowly seized up even from new and we do not have the most modern of stopping systems! I have heard there are some companies that make pattern discs and pads which are of different materials…6 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Kawasaki ZRX1200RSo the saying goes: Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be – yet this month’s subject matter proves it’s pretty damn close! The Kawasaki ZRX1200R pays homage to the mid-1980s Eddie Lawson replica Z1100R and the 1100 was effectively an upgrade of the Z1R. That’s an awful lot of family lineage going on there, most of which stems from the original Z1… Kawasaki is big on heritage, so it would seem. Eddie Lawson’s exploits and successes on the 1023cc air-cooled four during the early 1980s are still a huge draw for fans of the marque and many fancied a road-going replica. However, no one was going to be able to drag a design based on early 70s technology through post-millennium emissions regulations; Kawasaki’s boffins are clever but there are limits,…5 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Time CapsuleG’day everyone. This issue, as you can see in the pictures, will tell you that the BS90 Trail restoration is starting to take shape, and what a pretty sight it is! I must admit, the more I work on this bike, the more I appreciate the engineering. There are lots of small design elements that would have been way ahead of their time back in 1969. More on those another time, but I will say that just about every nut, bolt, shaft, or component on this motorcycle serves a dual purpose. Nothing is wasted, and the quality is way ahead of current quality when it comes to fasteners. The fact that I have been able to save just about every nut and bolt from being rechromed, just by wire-wheeling and…6 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024Doris done!She’s pretty much done – is old Doris – and she’s looking mighty fine, we think. Okay, so she isn’t resplendent in pink, but – on the whole – I think perhaps Gavin Anderson who bought the bike from me has done a stonking job and perhaps keeping her as the lady in black actually works better. So, moving on from last time, Gavin got the engine going and was looking to get things sorted for MoT time – and that meant the dodgy brakes, but more of that later. First he wanted to unleash some of that three-cylinder howl. Gavin says: “Looking on eBay I wanted a good quality – but competitively priced – end can and came across the GRmoto brand. They did a stunning-looking carbon effect/finish can,…6 min
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|July 2024BACK ISSUES£5.20 EACH inc pp FOR EU and ROW, please see www.classicmagazines.co.uk OVER 250 ISSUES ARE AVAILABLE TO ORDER TODAY AT CLASSIC MAGAZINES.CO.UK OCTOBER 2023 ■ Delectable Aero ■ Buyer's guide: BMW R60/5 ■ Beautiful rare Guzzi NOVEMBER 2023 ■ Unbeatable CBX750F ■ Testing your fluid ■ The pick of the tourers DECEMBER 2023 ■ One Super Blackbird ■ Guide to the VFR400R ■ Original parallel twin JANUARY 2024 ■ Colourful CBR600 resto ■ Full-on Italian thunder ■ Project Kawasaki turbo time FEBRUARY 2024 ■ The black art of clutches ■ Honda's mighty VFlOOOR ■ 1980s RD replicas MARCH 2024 ■ Stunning Yam Fazer ■ Rocket 111 turns 20 ■ Red hot magna APRIL 2024 ■ Bag a two-grand Tiger ■ Delight is a Darmah ■ Jump pack test MAY 2024…1 min
