Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2019 i Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

VINNY STYLES Q&A To get a feel for what’s going on from the showroom floor we spoke to Vinny Styles, Sales Manager at Wheels Motorcycles, Peterborough. Wheels Motorcycles is a multi franchise dealer and also sells a large selection of used machines. With over a decade of experience in the trade, Vinny told us what’s happening on the new/used retro front. www.wheelsmotorcycles.co.uk Q: Who’s buying new retro machines? A: “There’s no stereotypical buyer, and the current crop of retro motorcycles appeal to a wide variety of motorcyclists. Some people have decided that their race-rep days are behind them, yet they still want the benefits of a new machine. To benefit from their useable power, bikes like the Kawasaki Z900RS are obvious options.” Q: Who is buying…

SUPA-FIX APX4 We’ve all suffered from either a broken fixing lug or cracked a panel while removing or refitting it. Recently I had an issue where a bike fell over in the back of my van, which resulted in the left-hand indicator punching its way through the back of the fairing. With a new fairing panel costing over £600, CMM’s Steve Cooper mentioned Supa-Fix APX14, a two-part product consisting of a powder/filler (two types provided) and a glue/activator. I followed the instructions by chamfering the edges of the section attached to the indicator and refitting it into the fairing, before taping it into place. This tape also prevents the powder and glue running through the gaps and spoiling the paintwork. Turning the fairing around, I then added the powder to…

The way we were… Send us your nostalgic snaps of you back in the day with your steed! Either send to me at bsimmonds@mortons.co.uk or via our vibrant Facebook page. C’mon! William Hastings says: “I have attached some pics of my little collection I thought you might like. The Suzuki A100 is a 1979 version: it’s the ‘Trigger’s Broom’ of A100s as it’s had everything replaced including the paint to look like an AP. I also have the Mars Bar Elsie and the SuperDream which I’m currently working on. My modern bikes are my trusty Bandit and my Z1000. As my wife says; I have five bikes and yet only one arse! She doesn’t get it! I love the mag so keep up the good work.” Alistair Freeborn says: “Here…

The Suzuki GT185's genealogy The GT185’s direct ancestor was the T200, aka The Invader or X5, which ran from the period 1967 to 1969. Suzuki then took a leave of absence from the 200 class until 1973, when it launched the GT185 sold stateside as The Adventure; the GT shared little, if anything, with the T200. The initial K-model sported a twin leading shoe front brake, fork gaiters and black plastic bodied clocks. The fuel tank carried a broad pale blue flash contrasting against chrome and red name badges. Subsequent L and M models (74/75) adopted a disc front brake, dispensed with the gaiters, and ran pinstriped tanks sporting chrome tank badges. 1976 saw the A model running satin black side-panels, but little else changed, other than black headlight bowl…

HONDA NSR250 TIMELINE 1983 MVX250: The three-cylinder MVX was the NSR’s grandad. The MVX had ATAC, an early powervalve system. Downfall was the not-so-good VT250 chassis. 1985 NS250R MC11: Honda's first V-twin stroker had Astralite wheels, nicasil barrels and an alloy frame: 45hp@9500rpm and awesome looking! 1987 NSR250 MC16: The first ever NSR. Everything was new. Initially only available in red, a blue version was released after six months. It had three-spoke wheels, a box section alloy frame and swingarm, was 20kg less than the MC11 and had RC exhaust valves. 1988 NSR250R MC18: Completely revised from its earlier brothers. It had high swept, six-spoke wheels. The MC18 is considered the closest of the NSRs to the RS250 racer; also available as a Rothmans special edition, with lightweight magnesium wheels.…

HAYNES PRINT & ONLINE Carb cleaning You don’t automatically need expensive kit to sort out carburettors, according to our Scoop. You may have heard people say: ‘The only way to do a job is the right way!’, and to a point that’s a perfectly reasonable statement. Unless, of course there’s more than one correct method, in which case we might very well have ourselves another of those interminable social media debates that just seem to perpetuate anger, misinformation and downright lies. So, sticking my neck out this month, I’m offering an alternative modus operandi for cleaning carburettors. Back in the day when my old dad rode BSA M21s and Royal Enfield J2s, a blocked carburettor was normally fixed by the side of the road with a metal bristle from a…

IT’S MY BIKE: Mal Williams It’s the long, hot summer of 1976 and I have turned 17. Time to upgrade from the faithful FS1-E. A few of the gang had bought KH250s, RD250s and the occasional CB250, but I fancied something different. It was a toss-up between Yamaha’s RD200 Electric or Suzuki’s GT185. The decision was made and a new GT185A was ordered from Bowens of Llawhadden in West Wales at a then earth-shattering £425.00 + VAT. Bearing in mind that at the time I was earning £13 a week, the bank of mam and dad came to the rescue. The bike was duly collected on the 3 August to get the then new ‘R’ registration. The ’76 A-model came (for some reason) with ‘ace’ bars with standard foot…

News TT focus for classic show The Isle of Man TT races will be the special focus of this year’s Carole Nash International Classic MotorCycle Show. The Stafford-based show, to be held over the weekend of April 27-28, will be marking the 100th meeting of the classic road-race, which this year will be taking place in May and June. Racing began on the island in 1907, but two world wars and the Foot and Mouth epidemic in 2001 (which led to the cancellation of that year’s event) means that 2019 will mark the 100th time the legendary event has been held. To celebrate this, the International Classic MotorCycle Show will have headline guests from the world of road-racing, including Ian Hutchinson, and sidecar brothers Tom and Ben Birchall. Between the…

Smack Your Pitch Up! The Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club’s regular Popham Autojumble will be held on Sunday, April 9. As per usual, the location is Popham Airfield, Hampshire SO21 3BD, from 8am to 2pm. Pop along and ‘smack your pitch up’, as they cost just £10 each and public admission is a mere £2 per person. Catering facilities and toilets are on site, and there is free parking. Lovely! And yes, this is for motorcycles and bike parts only! Simply arrive and pay for your pitch, because there’s no need to pre-book!…

March 2019 SEE YOU THERE! 03 Sidecar Sunday: Ace Café www.london.acecafe.com 03 Malvern Drive-In Classic Car & Motorcycle Autojumble www.classicshows.org 10 British & Classic Bike Day Ace Café, www.london.acecafe.com 10 Kenley Autojumble www.KenleyAutojumble.co.uk 17 ’Normous Newark Autojumble www.newarkautojumble.co.uk 17 Straightliners Santa Pod Raceway www.straightlinersonline.co.uk 17 Shropshire Vintage and Classic Motorcycle Show & Autojumble Wistanstow Village Hall www.shropshirevintagebikeshow.co.uk 20 APRIL ISSUE OF CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS 23-24 Manchester Bike Show www.manchesterbikeshow.com 24 Overland & Adventure Bike Day Ace Café: www.london.acecafe.com 24 Huddersfield Autojumble www.phoenixfairs.jimdo.com 31 Scooter Sunday & Raleigh Chopper Meet Ace Café: www.london.acecafe.com 31 South of England Classic Show & Bikejumble South of England Showground, Ardingly, West Sussex www.elk-promotions.co.uk…

Kawasaki GPZ500S Timeline 1987-1993 GPZ500S A1-A6 The engine was derived from the 450 motor in the EN450LTD custom, or half a GPZ1000RX (minus the belt-drive.) Originally, the A-model came with 16-inch wheels front and rear, and a rear drum brake. Forks were 36mm, seat height was 770mm. Price new in 1990 was £2949. 1988-1993 GPZ500S B1-B6 As left, although this model, which was generally for the European market, came with twin front discs. 1994-2004 GPZ500S D1-D12 Updated model with 17-inch wheels front and rear and the drum at the back replaced with a disc. Forks were now sturdier 38mm items. Seat height was raised to 775mm, and in came swoopy new bodywork. 1994-2004 GPZ500S E1-E12 Again, as left, but with a twin front disc set-up mainly for the European market.…

The owner’s view: Mal Williams Purchased four years ago literally in boxes, this little GT185B was a failed restoration and came with three engines, a brand new M-model petrol tank and a new seat. One engine was built up from the three by using all the best components available. These engines are a bit of an oddity as the gearbox components are actually built up in the upper casing and also have a weird gear change linkage. Another odd feature is the electric starter, which utilises the dynamo by energising it through a second set of brushes, thus turning it into a DC electric motor fixed directly to the left-hand side of the crankshaft. The bike was up and running in 2017 after being off the road for at least…

Owner’s story – Jamie Greentree “I grew up around bikes. My uncle is Keith Greentree, an A grade racer who retired a few years ago. My dad, Ross Greentree, raced a lot and I spent many weekends as a kid sleeping in his Transit van alongside his TZ350s while we travelled around and he raced: we’d drive all night to get to races. “I got into bikes at an early age and have always had a thing for two-strokes. I had plenty of dirt bikes, RM125s early on ,and my first road bike was a 1983 Suzuki RG250. I had a blast riding around with my mates on their two-stroke 250s when we were all on our ‘L’s. In 1988 I got one of the very first RGV250s off the…

Allen Millyard Award-winning motorcycle engineer! My dream come true! Here it is, finished… Allen’s RC374 six-cylinder racer-replica My RC374 was basically finished and assembled in bare metal. I had run the engine several times and it was running really well. I had rolled down the drive a few times and it felt great. It’s such a small and compact bike, I found myself wondering how Mike Hailwood rode his RC174 around the Isle of Man TT circuit at speeds of up to 150mph in 1967. Standing back and looking at the bike, I thought it would be nice to leave the fairing in its raw aluminium finish complete with hammer marks, rather than painting it silver, but wondered what to do about the yellow stripe and blue race ovals. I…

Keep them clean! Once upon a time carburettors could sit in petrol without issue year on year but not now. Modern unleaded rapidly degrades fast, eating into alloy bodies, leaving corrosive deposits in jets and gumming up passageways. You can use a fuel preservative when the bike is laid up but it’s often easier to simply drain the carbs via the float bowl drain. If your bike doesn’t have one and the float bowl isn’t easily removable simply run the bike with the tap in the OFF position until it stops running. The carbs won’t be totally petrol free but you’ll be giving then best possible chance to work as they should the next time the bike is fired up.…

SPECIFICATION SUZUKI GT 185 ENGINE TYPE Air cooled 184cc, two-stroke twin, piston-ported BORE AND STROKE 49.0 mm 49.0 mm CLAIMED HORSEPOWER 21bhp @ 7500 rpm MAXIMUM TORQUE 15.2 lb/ft @ 6000rpm TRANSMISSION TYPE 5 speed COMPRESSION RATIO 7.0:1 IGNITION Points/coil CARBURETTOR 2 x Mikuni VM20 SEAT HEIGHT 775 mm (30.5”) TYRES 2.75– 18 (F), 3.50 – 18 (R) FUEL CAPACITY 2.2 gallons (10.0 litres) OIL TANK CAPACITY 2.4 pints (1.2 litres ) DRY WEIGHT 115kgs (253 lbs) WHEELBASE 1315mm (51.75 in) OVERALL LENGTH 1980 mm (78.0 in) OVERALL WIDTH 760 mm (29.9 in) HEIGHT 1010 mm (39.8in)…

Marketplace Retro revival Today’s crop of retro machines feed heavily off the nostalgia from bona fide classics. But, as Scott Redmond reveals, what is going around is coming around WORDS: SCOTT REDMOND PHOTOS: SCOTT REDMOND/MORTON’S ARCHIVE Back to the future is a formula that motorcycle manufacturers continue to exploit, but do they always strike it lucky? For 2019, it’s Suzuki that’s stolen the headlines with their confusingly titled 2020 Katana 1000. For 2018, it was Kawasaki that had us all drooling with not just one Z900RS, but a pair of the buggers! The café model is probably the better looking bike, but beyond the looks and PR-hype that’s actually going on, are these retros any good? Most are reworked models from within the existing range. The new Katana is basically…

GOLDEN OLDIE Bransons Motorcycles had a special customer for one of Honda’s ‘new’ Super Cub C100s recently. Dick Comer, who is 85, collected this latest version of Honda’s classic two-wheeler from the Yeovil-based dealership. Dick, a well-known retired local motor trader, has been a keen motorcyclist since the age of 14, and competed successfully in trials into his early seventies. He has owned numerous different makes and models over the years. “Dick has been a customer since we first opened the business back in 1979. We’re now in our 40th year, and I’d like to wish him all the best and many more years of happy motorcycling,” said Paul Branson of Bransons Motorcycles. The very first Super Cub C100 was introduced in 1958. Designed by Soichiro Honda, its stated aim…

SCOOPERMAN! The sunny side of the classic world, with the VJMC’s Steve Cooper Everyone has a nit-picker in their psyche somewhere. It’s that little voice inside your head, which always tries to dispute the real, the obvious and the here-and-now. It tries to find faults with something that looks perfectly good or acceptable. Whether it’s a bag of carrots at the supermarket or a classic motorcycle at an event, human nature just has to find faults. How does this apply to classic motorcycles? Well, outside of obvious ringers, lash-ups, a Z900 made to resemble a Z1, and similar shenanigans, the vast majority of machines are as they left the factory or supplying dealer. Sadly, for some this just isn’t accurate enough, even though it is almost certainly the inimitable truth.…

FEEDBACK WIN BRIDGESTONE TYRES Post to Mechanics, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ or email your pictures to editorial@classicmechanics.com Brighton Show CB debut! After your recent articles on the Honda CB750’s 50th and the pre-production Honda CB750, I thought I would show you these pictures. I was attending the Brighton Motorcycle Show in 1969 (I’m the one on the bike, not the girl!) I thought I would also send photos that also show the green bike. Jeff Gregory Bertie says: Thanks Jeff! See page 44 for more. Helping another reader As a happy subscriber, I was reading my February copy of CMM, when I noted Janusz Glapa’s letter, and his request for any reviews of the CZ350. I have attached scans of a mixed review from the…

Show us yours We want to see YOUR pride and joy in our pages, so you can share what you ride and restore with fellow readers. Email your hi-res shots to bsimmonds@mortons.co.uk or mail in some photos to the address at the front of the mag. Let us know what you’ve done and how you’ve done it, and send before and after shots if you can. Do get in touch. Bertie. Mike Smith’s Triumph Trekker and Honda XL600R Please see attached a few photos of a Triumph Street Scrambler I created in 2015. It was based on a 1992 Trident 900 using parts from various Triumphs. Total cost including the Trident was £1800. Then, in 2016 I finished an old 1985 Honda XL600R-F. The total spent on this was just…

SPECIFICATION Kawasaki GPZ 500S ENGINE 498cc 4-stroke parallel twin with 4 valves per cylinder MAX POWER 60bhp @ 9800 rpm MAX TORQUE 34 ft-lb @ 8500 rpm TRANSMISSION 6-speed FINAL DRIVE Chain SUSPENSION Front: 36mm non-adjustable forks (38mm 1994-on) Rear: Monoshock with pre-load adjustment BRAKES Front: single 280mm disc with twin piston caliper (some models later twin disc) Rear: drum. (1994-on disc set-up) TYRES Front: 100-90-16 (1994 – 110/70-17) Rear- 120-90-16 (1994 – 130/70-17) SEAT HEIGHT 770mm (775 1994-on) WHEEL BASE 1440mm (1994-on 1435mm) DRY WEIGHT 171 kg (wet around 195 kilos) FUEL CAPACITY 18 litres…

SUZUKI RGV250 TIMELINE 1983 – 1987 RG250 Gamma An alloy framed parallel twin-cylinder water-cooled two-stroke that out-performed the RZ/ RD250 in almost everyway but was never as popular. 1983 model had only a bikini fairing. By 1987 the RG250 was fully faired. 1988-1989 RGV250 VJ21 J/K The RGV hit the world by storm as Suzuki pushed the bike into many markets where the NSR was not available, instantly taking the 250cc two-stroke race replica market by storm. The bike was a no compromise production racer with lights. A 90º V-twin engine making 67hp@8500rpm, 128kg dry, 32mm Mikuni carburettors, single stage powervalves, 300mm twin rotors and Showa suspension went with the stunning GP styling. 1989 model also came in a Pepsi Suzuki replica, celebrating the GP squad’s association with the soft…

HAYNES PRINT & ONLINE Q&A Our very own wizened sages, Messrs Mark Haycock and Steve Cooper, are here to answer all of your woes, be they mechanical or spiritual. Every month we will be giving advice, as well as some general tips. Don’t forget to send in your own tips, too. 1987 KAWASAKI GPX750 Q:  My bike holds on to revs after the throttle is closed and then gradually returns to tick-over. I think I’ve checked all the usual suspects for air leakage, which I’ve assumed is the cause of the problem. Inlet stubs are properly clamped to the inlet manifold and carb bodies, are pliable and don’t appear to have cracks or splits. The throttle/choke cables are properly routed and move freely, and the throttle snaps shut when released.…

What to buy and how much to pay If you know and accept that the days of the cheap two-stroke tiddler are well and truly over, then you’ll be a little more comfortable with GT185 prices. Mint restored examples are being advertised in excess of £4500, but in all honestly that’s far too much. £3500 seems to be about the right price and, in all honesty, you’d probably struggle to restore one for less, given the cost of chrome and paint these days. A halfway decent, used GT185 needs to be all there with nothing missing, so figure on anywhere between £2000 and £3000, give or take depending upon condition. Basket cases you take on at your peril. Parts are out there, but they are rare and often pricey. If…

Next month BEER BIKES: We ride an Alstare Corona Suzuki GSX-R600 and a Nastro Azzuro Rossi Honda CBR600F-S in a race-rep battle PAINT ME BAD: With our main test setting a trend, we look at the best racer-replica paint jobs over the years, from Skoal Bandit, through Pepsi, Lucky Strike and more besides NORICK ABE REPLICA: Continuing our theme, we check out this amazing Down Under Yamaha RD500 special KAWASAKI F9: Steve Cooper rides a sweet-looking off-road trailie HONDA RC374: We recap Allen Millyard’s brilliant build of this ultimate race-replica WORKSHOP: Sort your clutch out PROJECT BIKES: Ralph Ferrand is now on with part 17 of the Kawasaki Z1325 special. We have two new contributors, as Justin Blackamore introduces his Kawasaki GPZ500S and Johnny Hedges shows us his Honda VFR800…

Pip Higham Tuner, engineer, rider The Rite of Passage One of the most exciting days of my teenage life was spent shopping in Manchester. Not in the Trafford Centre or the Arndale (hadn't even been built, never mind built, bombed and re-built), but in a fantastic shop called Hemmings on Deansgate. I'd spent hours looking through their window and more than a couple of Saturdays surveying helmets, gloves, boots and any number of jackets, leather, PVC, (yikes!) and other stuff. For months I'd been saving up the cash required for the big day: June 9, 1965. Prior to that date I'd wagged it from WWGS in order to re-point the long-suffering gable wall at our then little TV shop. To clarify that, I spent about six weeks balanced on planks…