Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2017 i Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

Doing it all over again... Don’t believe that ‘nostalgia ain’t what it used to be’ rubbish. It is, and then some. The proof of this is in the recent Pro-Am Challenge at Knockhill. Think of it: take 16 identical Yamaha RD250LC bikes (well, almost identical, each one has a certain character) and plonk on top legends of old: one team of eight from south of the border and one team from north. Now, as battles go, England versus Scotland is kind of a biggie… Y’know, Bannockburn, Culloden, football, referendums, we can’t help ourselves. When I saw the team lists, I had to concede that the Jocks had the English whipped… but thankfully it was closer than that and it was a brilliant spectacle: check out the video on YouTube and…

Quick Spin 2002 BMW R 1150 RT For more than 20 years BMW’s boxer RT family has been doing the business: meet the future touring classic. WORDS: BERTIE SIMMONDS PHOTOS: MORTONS ARCHIVE/JOE DICK I’ve got a fair few anecdotes about my trials and tribulations with BMW’s R1150RT but you may laugh at this one most… I was once trapped between an 1150RT and my Fiat Coupe Turbo, while Swing Out Sister’s 1986 hit tune Breakout was playing at full volume. It was 2003 and BMW only specified a compact cassette player in this tourer, so I had resorted to digging out my varied selection of Eighties pop, whacked it on full-titty (earplugs and wind-noise means it’s the only way you can hear it) and I then proceeded to paddle backwards on…

CLASSIC RIDE Jekyll & hybird Scoop becomes besotted, again! This time with a Kawasaki 250/500cc two-stroke hybrid! WORDS: STEVE COOPER PHOTOS: GARY D CHAPMAN Hybrid – the offspring of two different breeds, varieties or species, especially as produced through human manipulation for specific genetic characteristics. Often engineered thus to enhance particular attributes. Kawasaki triples come with something of a reputation; some of it genuinely earned, most acquired via myth and folklore. In reality a large amount of what’s spoken about the genus is based upon fact to varying degree; let’s examine the facts. The early 500s were wayward and flighty: the later models less so but still able wrong-foot the unwary. The first of the 750s had the capability to be real animals and anyone who raced one was either…

The Shed... New tools for sale, old tools rated, watch out for the dog. It’s The Shed… WORK SHOP news Swivel palm ratchet Need to get your tool into those hard-to-reach areas? Then speak to Laser Tools! They have just introduced this Swivel Palm Ratchet (part number 6665), which features a swivel joint on th driver and a swivelling handle ensuring that the socket or screw bit will get a firm grip even when straight access is difficult. This versatile tool features a super-smooth 72 tooth ratchet, which is switchable for forward and reverse and th swivel adaptors which offer ¼in drive, 3/8in drive and a ¼i shank bit driver. It can also be used with any standard ¼in drive accessories. Manufactured from chrome vanadium steel and chrome plated for…

Blue Spot caliper overhaul Brakingmyths Blue Spot brake calipers from the YZF-R1, R6 and Fazer series are a classic upgrade – but how do you service them? Our Ralph has the answers. WORDS AND PHOTOS: RALPH FERRAND Afew years ago a customer, who soon became a friend, bought a 1999 R6 in blue. It had a few issues, including leaking fork seals, which I fixed. He had paid buttons for it and I rapidly fell head-over-heels in lust with it. It was pretty original save for a few imperfections, but it came with all the original parts. I did say to the chap that if he ever got bored with it, to let me know. At the end of last year when I rang him up to invite him to…

Liner loving Clogged carbs? Troublesome tank? Temperamental tap? Your tank needs some TLC then… WORDS AND PHOTOS: STEVE COOPER If you’ve recently bought a classic that’s an older restoration there’s a fair chance the petrol tank may have been lined. Reasons for doing so are various; to fix a leak, seal a seam or stop rust getting into the carburettors. All valid to varying degrees but what’s not acceptable is the way many previously well adhered liners are now failing in service. Of course there are many reasons why a liner might fail but there’s now one primary cause – modern petrol. Some four or five years ago there appears to have been a sea change in petrol’s formulation. Of course the suppliers will strenuously deny this but if you…

Older and cheaper Okay let’s talk older brother here and look at the major differences when it comes to wonga. The R1100RT first came out in late 1995 and cost a whopping £10,450. The core of the bike was the then (recently) new 1085cc air-cooled ‘oil-head’ boxer twin engine, first seen in the quirky-looking R1100RS of 1993. The RT was actually three kilos lighter than the RS and it was also incredibly good at what it did – touring – but also incredibly ugly, well at least from the front-on view. It looked a little like some strange fish that lives in the depths of the ocean. This didn’t seem to put people off as 60,000 were sold before the 1150RT was launched with a big stab at making the thing…

PIP HIGHAM Donington: engineering prowess and lumpy gravy! While I sat in the Paddock Bar at Doni, contemplating my plate of carbs and gravy, my attention was drawn to a significant sepia print on the wall betwixt the sausage rolls and the KitKat enclosure. It depicted a bunch of leather clad blokes on bikes hurtling around a dusty, gravel encrusted Donington on various black bikes, none of which appeared to have much in the way of suspension. My old man raced at Doni in the years just prior to the last European disagreement on his Rudge Ulster and some sort of Triumph, probably a Tiger ‘undred. I spent a few contemplative moments while my gravy acquired the correct viscosity wondering what had gone through those boys’ minds back then, the…

Benelli 750 sei SIX SHOOTER! Scoop rides the original six pot legend and comes away impressed. WORDS: STEVE COOPER PHOTOS: GARY D CHAPMAN Ipull up onto the forecourt of a well-known supermarket to put some fuel into today’s ride. The absent minded mother in the SUV shoots us a second then a third look as I get to the pump. A guy filling his rep-wagon just stands gawping. Refuelled, I start the engine and the place goes into slow motion as the customers, staff and passers-by simply stop what they are doing and stare at the red and silver motorcycle that’s just been fired up. The exhaust note is hardly loud but it is unquestionably unique and it’s grabbing attention like nothing else. Obviously it’s not me they’re checking out,…

BUYER’S GUIDE YAMAHA TX750 Yamaha’s second generation big twin – poisoned chalice or just too far ahead of its time? WORDS: STEVE COOPER PHOTOS: GARY ‘D’ CHAPMAN Few motorcycles with such a heinous reputation are as apparently desirable as Yamaha’s supposedly infamous TX750 twin. One well versed source details that the bike had more supplementary manuals, dealer upgrades documents and official factory revision papers than the rest of Yamaha’s entire 1970s stable. Another informant tells that by the end of the TX750’s life (which was remarkably short) the entire remaining European stock was dumped as landfill: that was how bad a reputation the bike had earnt. So all in all not exactly an auspicious start for a new and supposed flagship model! The bike came into being as the supposed…

Project Suzuki RG400/500 part 2 RG500 REBUILD! Last month Stan the Man told us how to strip, tune and big-bore the RG400/500 family of square four motors. This month it’s rebuild time! WORDS AND PHOTOS: STAN STEPHENS So, a quick recap! A few readers have been asking for me to group together some of the things I’ve done to legendary two-stroke motors, your wish is my command (and Bertie’s budget!). Last month we went into some detail on the engine strip of the square four, we talked about the disc valves and the issues they sometimes have and we also looked at the big-bore kits that I helped develop for the RG400 and RG500. Then we also looked at how to tune the barrels to perfection. Now it’s time for…

Archive Pro-Am RETURNS! WORDS: BERTIE SIMMONDS PHOTOS: HARRY PARVIN What a sight and what a sound (and we’re not talking about the bar afterwards) but instead the amazing Pro-Am Challenge at Knockhill. It was Scotland versus England and eight Jocks versus eight Sassenachs and all aboard the Yamaha RD250LC around the tight and twisty Knockhill circuit. The Scots were led by our own Niall Mackenzie, with an excellent team of Brian Morrison, Iain MacPherson, Joe Toner, Donnie McLeod, Iain Duffus, John Crawford and Sandy Christie. The English team captain was Alan Carter who led Andy Muggleton, Curt Langan, Geoff Fowler, Dave Crampton, Graeme Mitchell, Dale Robinson and Charlie Corner. Our own Niall was claiming this was going to be revenge for Culloden in 1746, and on the day he took…

I’ve got one! I was interested to see your article on the Z1000 in July issue as I bought mine way back in 2003 from a man in Glasgow. My bike differs slightly in that it has Wiseco 1045 pistons, a 3in strip added to the tank (making it look huge) a one-off JMC swingarm, modified Z1000 seat and cowl, grab-rail, fork brace, all in a Rickman frame. I rode the bike for a short while, but in outer London it was a bit of a handful. I have now, at the age of 69, put a deposit on a new Enfield Himalayan (still waiting for a delivery date). I also have a few project bikes that need inspiration before I get too old to ride. John Spring Bertie says:…

MIRA FILES SOUL music Do the latest Bonneville twins capture the essence of a traditional Triumph? John Nutting compares them to examples from the 50s and the 70s. WORDS: JOHN NUTTING PHOTOS: GARY CHAPMAN It is 80 years since Triumph launched a 500cc parallel twin that evolved into the Bonneville. Edward Turner’s design for the 1937 Speed Twin was so good, attempts were made by other factories to copy this lithe and lively sporting motorcycle. So good that it became an icon of two-wheel style. It has starred in films (Marlon Brando rode one in The Wild One as did Steve McQueen in The Great Escape), powered the world’s fastest motorcycles, been raced to 100mph TT laps, satisfied teenage dreams and miraculously survived fundamentally unchanged into the 1980s. That image…

RETRO REBOOT Ducati 1299 Superbike Thirty years ago Ducati produced its first water-cooled V-twin production bike in the shape of the 851. Here’s what it might look like today. WORDS AND IMAGES: KAR LEE It’s 1987 and we’re going mad for GSX-Rs, ZXRs, RC30s and the gorgeous Ducati 851. With its Desmodromic valve system, water-cooling and a move away from Pantah two-valve heads to four-valves and fuel injection for good measure, Ducati was back in the limelight after a lull. Wrapped up in Paso-inspired bodywork, the 851 looked like a substantial piece of kit, even if the 16in front wheel wasn’t well received. Just two years later it grew to a 17-incher which helped handling massively, then in 1991 the capacity jumped to 888. By 1994 the game was up…

Project Fast Berk part 4 Fast Berk fettles! Did we hear that right? Charlie has actually done something on his future race bike? It’s been an extremely positive month for my ongoing TZR project. As a recap, my ambitions to race were somewhat boosted with the discovery of a TZR250 in various boxes at CMM’s sister title Fast Bikes magazine. This is the ideal bike to enter into the Yamaha Past Masters (YPM) series and once I had permission from Benjamin Kubas Cronin at FB to build his bike and race it, I cracked on immediately! Personally I am a little challenged in the mechanical department but have recruited help from Wayne Philips at my local Yamaha dealer Phoenix of Trowbridge, and between us over the past four months have…

Project Honda VF750F part 1 Double V-ision Fresh from fettling his Ducati, our Jim is seeing double with Honda’s maligned V4… WORDS AND PHOTOS: JIM LINDSAY The Honda VF750F was the first Superbike worthy of the name. Released in 1983, it followed a long line of ferociously quick air-cooled bikes with questionable handling, and it changed the landscape. It was a V4 – the perfect engine layout for performance; compact in all directions, and presenting the smallest possible area to the impeding air. I was editor of Mechanics Magazine at the time (formerly Motorcycle Mechanics, later to become Performance Bikes). When we tested it, it made 74bhp on the dyno (Honda claimed 90bhp – manufacturers lied then, manufacturers lie now). Thanks mostly to its well sorted aerodynamics, it tripped the…

Project Suzuki Stingerp part 12 Un-stung HERO! No it’s not an illusion or a mirage; the Stinger lives! Hurrah for Scoop! WORDS AND PHOTOS: STEVE COOPER Did you hear the cheering? Did you see the fireworks? Did you miss the pall of smoke that drifted over the Northern Home Counties? Well against the odds and all expectations Satan’s Suzuki Stinger actually ran early in April 2017. Okay so perhaps I’m being a bit cynical. It always was going to work; it is, after all, only a machine and given the right conditions it simply had to run. It’s funny how months (okay years) of misery, weeks in the workshop, serial setbacks and perplexing problems are forgotten in the blink of an eye, or the crackle of that initial fire-up. Connected to…

Project Suzuki GSX-R1000 K1 part 3 Tready, steady GO! Our Scottie needs some new boots for the Runt. He blags ’em then dynos the bike… what could go wrong? WORDS AND PHOTOS: SCOTTIE REDMOND From day one of buying this bike I always knew that I’d have to repaint the wheels. The mismatched colours are the result of its murky past which didn’t bother me, but the combination of colours makes the bike look stupid. I had considered repainting the wheels, but trying to find someone local to do them for both a reasonable price and a swift turnaround of time proved fruitless. This is my everyday ride so the thought of having to chase up a painter weeks after taking the wheels out wasn’t an option. I did consider…