Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2019 i Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

BUYER’S GUIDE KAWASAKI Z1A Not quite the original and best, but the Z1A is, for many, the only way into early Zed ownership WORDS: STEVE COOPER PHOTOS: GARY ‘D’ CHAPMAN EXHAUSTS Some pattern systems run the more restrictive Z900 baffles, but details on how to convert to Z1 spec are in the public domain. PANELS & SEAT 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 or out of the , 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…

Buying a modern classic If you’ve got your heart, mind and wallet set on a modern classic, where do you go to buy one? The internet has broadened our reach, but the basics are much the same CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON Choose the machine you want to buy. Read CMM to narrow your choice down, then learn as much as you can about that bike. Go see one in the flesh at a dealer, and try and get a ride on a good one, so you know what it feels like. TAKE A MATE Often a knowledgeable mate can calm you down and make you see faults you may not if you’ve fallen for the bike. LIGHT IS RIGHT Difficult in Winter, but try and see the bike in daylight or…

BUYER’S GUIDE HONDA CX500 TURBO Quirky, oddball but alluring, and that’s just the standard CX. Now meet its bad-boy brother WORDS: STEVE COOPER PHOTOS: GARY ‘D’ CHAPMAN ENGINE NOISE Valve train may be prone to excessive wear. Use top-quality oil, change regularly and maintain valve clearances accurately. GEARBOX They all clunk, apparently. Only a professional undercut of the transmission gears totally cures this. WASTE GATES This was technology of the 1980s pushed to the limit and the crucial waste gate is known to have an issue. Consult on-line forums for in-depth advice. WIRING The multi-pin connector under left-hand side panel from the stator can melt. Ditto the starter relay connector below it. GENERATORS Stator failures are known to occur at as low as 20,000 miles LACK OF POWER Off boost,…

BUYER’S GUIDE SUZUKI GSXR750 If the CB750F was the starting point for the modern Jap motorcycle, this started the modern sportsbike trend WORDS: STEVE COOPER PHOTOS: GARY ‘D’ CHAPMAN ELECTRICS Much better than the older GS/GSX models; the voltage regulator in the piggy back alternator can sometimes fail. ENGINE Mega-strong motor forms the basis of the later Bandit. You’d have to be either supremely unlucky or a total animal to actually kill one. Run semi-synthetic oil. PANEL & TRIM NOS panels were obsolete years ago so make sure everything is there and in good order. Clocks and that iconic silencer are always going to be difficult to replace. TYRES Avons, Continental are fine. Metzlers can make handling heavy. Pirelli are now offering suitable hoops as well. CHASSIS Check frame for…

BUYER’S GUIDE HONDA CB750 Honda’s seminal CB750 across-the-frame four-cylinder is still the original superbike WORDS: STEVE COOPER PHOTOS: GARY ‘D’ CHAPMAN ELECTRICS Normally bullet-proof, but any issues are likely to be wiring related. Alternator gaskets don’t leak, it’s the grommet around the alternator’s wires that shrink. A smear of crankcase sealer should sort it. CARB TUNING Models with 4-1 throttle cables can and do go out of tune quite quickly. CARB PARTS Ensure any carb parts you fit are identical to the worn ones. Components known to change within model runs and some generic kits don’t take this into account. EXHAUSTS These can rot out with age. Check carb needle is in correct notch for OEM or aftermarket 4-1, as it makes a big difference to the running of the…

TT-FOCUS FOR CLASSIC SHOW You’ve still got time to book for April’s Carole Nash International Classic MotorCycle Show. The Stafford-based show is now in its 39th year and takes place over April 27-28. The theme of this event will celebrate the 100th meeting of the classic road-race event, the Isle of Man TT races. Why? Well, while racing began on the island in 1907, with time lost during two world wars and the 2001 Foot and Mouth epidemic, 2019 will mark the 100th time the legendary event has been held. The special guests have been chosen to reflect the TT bias of the event. The headline guests include Ian Hutchinson, sidecar brothers Tom and Ben Birchall, Charlie Williams, John Cooper, Tommy Robb, Alex George and Jim Redman. The show’s compere…

Legend seeks original resto! If you know anything about Z1s, big Zed Kawasakis or anything a bit ‘team green’, then you’ll know the name Dave Marsden. Dave set-up Z-Power, a Kawasaki Zed parts specialist, and he needs CMM readers’ help in tracking down his first Z1 restoration. Now he’s claiming to be ‘semiretired’, he says he has time to catch up on 40 years of lost sleep and wants to track down ‘NRJ 10M’, the first Z1 he restored in 1977. “The bike was only four years old back then, but was in a terrible state, considering it was so ‘young’ at the time,” he says. “From what I can find out, the bike is still in use, although a DVLA check stated it was last MoT’d in 2008, and…

CLASSIC RIDE TWO-STROKE TRIBUTE The legacy of Norifumi ‘Norick’ Abe lives on in a number of specials built around the world. Here’s one from Down Under WORDS: JEFF WARE PICS: HEATHER WARE Aussie Mick Costin, owner of Costin Motorcycle Engineering, is a two-stroke maniac. In fact, I’d go as far as to call him the mad professor of two-strokes Down Under. Thankfully for die-hard GP fans like me, he specialises in replicating the glory days of the mighty, raw, untamed and awe-inspiring 500cc two-strokes. He is currently contracted to build the replicas for the World GP Bike Legends series. In his humble workshop in western Sydney, Mick makes these dream bikes for lucky cashed-up customers from all over the world. This beauty was shipped off to Japan just a few…

Allspeed Q&A CMM: With the large and the small can design, other than appearance, is there any difference in performance between the two? Tony Greenslade: “Small can was the original size. The large can was designed when the new BSAU 193 regulation came into effect in 1984/5, so Pete made the can larger to make them slightly quieter. It’s more of a visual thing, as it’s not much quieter. Performance-wise, the theory is the large can should work better. However, the couple of times we have done a back-to-back on a bike, the small can proved to be better. We are talking a one or two bhp difference. We have recently produced some ‘Micron’ small can-style pipes. If you’re a Micron fan we can make a pipe for you as…

GROUP TEST Beer Bikers Along with our theme of the best paint jobs on the best bikes, Bertie Simmonds makes his a double middleweight whammy with an early noughties Suzuki GSX-R600 and Honda CBR600 F-Sport WORDS: BERTIE SIMMONDS PHOTOS: GARY D CHAPMAN AND MORTONS ARCHIVE Today we have a real visual treat in the form of special editions of two of the best middleweight sports bikes of the noughties. Now, today isn’t about anonymously plodding through the murk on two wheels. Instead it’s about dropping down that visor and being Valentino Rossi, or erm… Katsuaki Fujiwara, because these bikes are resplendent in some special paint bling. Let’s look at the Suzuki first. Historically, Suzuki were a little late coming to the supersport 600 party (check out our timeline for details),…

HAYNES PRINT & ONLINE Project Honda CL350 part 1 CL clubbing! He’s a Honda man through and through is our Mark. Here he begins his CL350 refurbishment I do admit that my first allegiance is to Honda, and a couple of years ago I was thinking back to a time (about 1990) when I had seen a small ad in the local paper where someone was advertising a small collection of Hondas he wanted to sell. The seller was only a few miles away and it turned out that there were three similar 1970s twins: a CB250K4, a CB350K4 and a CB250G5, in various states of completion. We agreed on £280 and I was able to ride the CB350 back later that day as it was pretty much…

HAYNES PRINT & ONLINE Clutch control We get to grips with springs, plates, baskets and thrust washers. Yup, Scoop is checking his clutch The use of the clutch dramatically advanced the earliest motorcycles. Prior to its introduction, riders had to kill the engine whenever coming to a complete halt and re-start the motor again to get going. variable ratio drive as you move away from a standing start, slipping the clutch until engine speed and road speed achieve something like parity. Oh, and you like to pull the occasional wheelie as well? Your well-being is now being taken care of by a handful of springs and an aluminium basket holding some metal and fibre plates. Impressed? Well, if you’re not, you should be! When we stripped Project Yamaha CS3C’s engine,…

HAYNES PRINT & ONLINE Project Honda CB750 K2 part 19 Clutch control After having had a mountain to climb, Mark’s on the final push with the K2 WORDS AND P CS: MARK HAYCOCK The K2 is at last in working order: MOT passed, registered, number plate obtained and on the road. As you might expect, there are one or two teething difficulties, some small and others less so, and this time I shall have a look at one of the more significant items. One feature of Japanese bikes back in the 1960s was that the clutches were generally well designed and could be operated easily. The CB750 took this to the next level as for a very powerful bike (for the time) the clutch operation was incredibly…

BUYER’S GUIDE SUZUKI GT750 Another core classic, this seminal two-stroke triple has inspired a large and loyal following both in the UK and abroad OIL SEALS It won’t run properly if the crankshaft oil seals are shot HEADER TANK Check for oil or milky contamination, which is again a sign of the water pump seal failing. CLUTCH The steel band around the clutch basket has been known to break, causing primary drive mayhem. IGNITION SYSTEM Three sets of points to gap and time is a fag. Retro-fitted electronic enhance ownership and shouldn’t offend most purists either. BARRELS Well known for seizing on their studs. Check all round for signs of bodgery or leverage during a re-build. GEARBOX SPROCKET Cheap 70s chains were well known for causing chaos in this area,…

BUYER’S GUIDE YAMAHA RD400 If you’re looking for the ultimate air-cooled stroker, we think your luck is in EXHAUSTS 400s run a flexible mount at the joint between silencer and pipe. If it’s not there, chances are the system is from a 250. PLASTICS Age is now making panels fragile and prone to cracking. SEAT BASE Prone to rot; used replacements very hard to source, but fibreglass pattern units are available. TANK If the rear rubbers wear or shrink and mounting bolt is overtightened, the rear bracket can pull away from the tank. ELECTRICS Generator windings now failing with age; looms beginning to fail; connector blocks need overhauling; CDI units starting to fail. GUARDS Only pattern rears available. Front still sold by Yamaha for around £280; pattern version £180. GEARBOX…

BUYER’S GUIDE SUZUKI GS1000S One of the original machines to be sold off the back of its racing success, Suzuki’s GS1000S is a cool(ey) classic ELECTRICS Over charging and component frying can go with the territory. CLOCKS These are known to get quirky or pack up with age, and replacement is extremely rare. Repair is possible, but potentially expensive. BRAKES Budget for a full re-build if the bike has been standing for ages and poorly stored. TANK There has been the odd report of stored bikes’ tanks rotting out on the rear lower corners. Look for bubbling paint and/or fuel staining. EXHAUSTS Always go for original if you can find. Quality of some period after-market systems was shocking. With the launch of the GS1000 in 1978, Suzuki aced the competition.…

BUYER’S GUIDE WELCOME TO CMM’s Classic Buyer’s Guide There are so many machines now that are entering the lexicon of what we consider ‘classic’ Japanese and European motorcycles, but at the same time there are many which are at the core of our hobby. In this handy pocket guide, we’ve pulled together 12 core classic Japanese and European machines to ensure you have an at-a-glance guide as to what to look out for with each and every one of them. From the original superbike the Honda CB750, through to the 1980s’s wild child the Yamaha RD350LC, the two-stroke Yamaha TZR250 and the Italian stallion the Moto Guzzi Le Mans Mk.1, they’re all here. We hope this guide will help you choose your next core classic. Bertie Simmonds…

BUYER’S GUIDE YAMAHA RD350LC If ever a machine summed up an era of magic motorcycling times, it was the Yamaha RD350LC – but what should you look out for? EXHAUSTS Earliest example without the engine tie bars tended to break exhausts. SUSPENSION Mono-shock units can get tired with age. PLASTICS Look for signs of bad repairs, damage to mounting points. ENGINE/ GEARBOX Generally up to the job and better than many: usual stroker top-end wear, rings, little ends, etc. TANKS Famously rot out on lower LHS if stored with petrol in and parked on side-stand. IGNITION OEM coils now dying in short order. Ignition system almost 40 years old and can play up. Replacements from Power Dynamo and Zeeltronic are both sensible alternatives. BRAKES The front caliper can wear on…

What to look out for WHO DID IT? Dream Machine are well up there in the top of the list of firms that repaint motorcycles. Over the years there’s been no end of contenders, with firms like Mirage, Kinetic Art, Esoteric and KAS Racepaint being no strangers to topping off a fancy special with eye-catching paint back in the day. Good paint also costs big money, and you get what you pay for. WHAT’S UNDER THE PAINT? It would be a waste to put an expensive paint job on to cheapo fibreglass fairing panels. Even worse, imagine respraying a tank which isn’t fuel tight due to rot. Always look beyond the posh paint. IS IT KOSHER? Many bikes are resprayed because they’ve been involved in an accident. Until the insurance…

WIN! Three pairs of Hood Jeans are up for grabs – worth over £479! Here at Classic Motorcycle Mechanics, we know our readers love free stuff, so we’ve teamed up with our friends at Hood Jeans to offer you the chance to win one of three pairs of their K7-AA Infinity Motorcycle Jeans – worth a whopping £159.99 each. These jeans are made to a high specification with revolutionary D30 T5 X knee and hip armour, and offer the best protection while riding. In 2018 they were the first motorcycle jeans to be certified in the UK to the new PPE regulation for AA rated protective clothing for motorcyclists. They offer a hi-tech double layer construction, which gives excellent abrasion protection, while the Airflow mesh improves comfort by making them…

Foggy, Foggy, Foggy! Hi guys, great magazine! I’m of an age where I’m shortly looking to buy a 30-year-old Ducati. I had the 916 Strada when it first came out, but my first love was the 851. Being a fan of most things Italian, I loved the article on the Cagiva 500cc GP bike by Jeff. I couldn’t believe that Carl Fogarty (Donington 1993) wasn’t mentioned, though. He put the Cagiva on provisional pole (for a while) on a one-off ride and was up for a third place finish when he ran out of fuel on the last two bends and coasted in forth. Beaten. I think. by your very own Niall on a private Yamaha. Top British rides by both, three top riders crashed including Schwantz, but to finish…

Kawasaki F9 story Kawasaki’s two-stroke 350cc series of trail bikes starts at the end of the 1960s when the company realised that serious riders were after more power on the dirt. Having had trail irons on sale in the USA for several years, the 350 was always going to happen but, arguably, the launch of Yamaha’s RT-1 360 focussed the Kawasaki R&D team’s minds. For the 1970 model year the F5, aka Bighorn, was launched and looking remarkably similar to the 250 F4 Sidewinder, which had been developed from the F21M moto crosser. The F5 differed from its 250 relative by having a conventional five-speed gearbox rather that the rotary, ‘one more tap and back to first from top’ style transmission. The all new F5 only ran for two years…

TAMIYA KIT WINNER The Way We Were …SPECIAL! We love receiving nostalgic snaps of you back in the day with your steed. With our special theme of ‘race-rep paint’, we figured we’d do a special spread. So come on X7 owners, Guzzi owners, et al, pull your fingers out. Either email me at bsimmonds@mortons.co. uk or via our vibrant Facebook page. C’mon! Make mine a Skoal: Dave ‘Davemeister’ Watkins’s Suzuki Gamma RG400 sports a Skoal Bandit replica scheme and has been seen in CMM before. They are easily one of the most iconic Suzuki sponsors. When Kelly Rhyne was looking for a paint job for his Honda VF1000R special, he didn’t have too far to look. Tipping his hat to ‘Fast’ Freddie Spencer, Kelly chose the bold…

HAYNES PRINT & ONLINE Project Kawasaki Z1325 part 17  Odds and sods Ralph is back with this very special ‘special’ Zed. He’s getting close to the finish line WORDS AND P CS RALPH FERRAND ’m back again with the major build of an extreme special based on Kawasaki’s flagship motorcycle of the 1970s. The bottom end of this fine bike was massively over-engineered and as a result, long after KHI had moved on to the ultra-modern water-cooled engines, there were lads around the world tuning the living poop out of Zed motors, producing well in excess of 500 horsepower to propel their drag bikes at vision-blurring speeds. For this level of insanity, the earlier cases were required (Z1, Z1A or Z1B) as they had some extra webbing and the inner…

HAYNES PRINT & ONLINE Project Honda VTR1000F FireStorm part 1 Storm in a teacup Our own Scott Redmond is not overly fond of Hondas, but he still ends up with them. Here’s his latest catch WORDS AND PICS: SCOTT REDMOND The way I look at the used bike market is that the pool of classic bikes that come to market for sale are eagerly awaited by punters who still trawl the ‘For sale’ posts looking for a bike to suit their needs. That includes me! Away from the high-end stuff, there’s the active market of the sub-prime condition classic, and this is where I lurk. Not every old bike gets treated to new parts, a pampered garage and life on the trickle charger. There are so many ’80s…

BUYER’S GUIDE YAMAHA CS5E One of Yamaha’s rare sub-250 twins grabs this month’s limelight WORDS: STEVE COOPER PHOTOS: GARY D CHAPMAN SEAT BASE/TRIM Check bases for rot. Seat foam often degrades with age to a crumbly mess. The stainless steel trim is almost impossible the find. EXHAUST SYSTEM One-piece systems prone to stress-induced corrosion at barrel joint: ensure fit correct at port, then tighten up the lower CHASSIS Wayward handling may be down to loose engine bolts. Check the two bolts at the back of the engine and the four at the front engine plate. Thread locker helps. REGULATOR/ STARTER RELAY Poor starting and/or charging generally down to contacts inside the gold-coloured box under right-hand side panel. Carefully clean and adjust as per factory settings. PISTONS Just like all contemporary…

Pip Higham Tuner, engineer, rider GS750: Where it all started Chomping through a bucket of old photographs, I came across some odd bundles of negatives. What a pain, I’ve got to look at these. Who knows what lies on those crusty old bits of celluloid? I make a call to friend Tom to ask about the means required to access the mystery strips, and apparently I may need a scanner, which he has. I pick up the Epson device the next afternoon and after puzzling for an hour or so about how the hell it works, I embark on a journey into the depths of that internet where it becomes screamingly obvious that Mr Epson does not wish me to have an easy ride. We’ve all been there, yes? ‘MSN…

BUYER’S GUIDE MOTO GUZZI Le Mans Mk1 1976 wasn’t just about the long, hot summer, it was also about the amazing Moto Guzzi Le Mans WORDS: STEVE COOPER PHOTOS: GARY ‘D’ CHAPMAN REAR BEVEL BOX Normally bombproof if oil changes have been carried out, so avoid noisy examples. ELECTRICS Much better than you might expect, but a modern one-piece regulator/ rectifier is a good idea and a sensible upgrade of the 40-year-old original. CARBS A heavier throttle is part of the package; get input about so-called upgrades. OIL & FILTER Filter originally sat inside the sump. Sump extensions with external oil filters make oil/ filter change much easier and give the motor an easier time. SWITCH GEAR Often upgraded and no real issue. OEM stuff isn’t bad. HEADLIGHT SWITCH Unusual…

BUYER’S GUIDE KAWASHKI H2A The beast of the 1970s was Kawasaki’s H2 750 two-stroke triple. Light the blue touchpaper... TYRES Cheap tyres and H2s can make for disasters. Different owners hold different views but modern compounds and construction technologies can make distinct improvements. ELECTRICS/CDI Generally robust, but poor storage can take out the yellow/ gold-coloured CDI boxes under the seats. Options are available. GEARBOX Jumping out of fourth and fifth is well known. Selector forks and/or the dogs on the gears themselves are likely culprits. ETHANOL Some owners are reporting original rubber parts are wilting in the face of modern petrol. Fuel lines, tap seals and inlet rubbers are most likely to be affected. ENGINE Generally strong as an ox and being in a fairly low state of tune, tends…

BUYER’S GUIDE YAMAHA TZR250 Before the frenzied two-stroke race-reps was this, the thinking man’s 250 sportsbike WORDS: STEVE COOPER PHOTOS: GARY ‘D’ CHAPMAN POWERVALVE CONTROL BOX Flat batteries can cause the ‘brain’ to die. PISTONS Earliest pistons had poor ring pegs ,leading to a blow up. Should all have been sorted now, unless you find an early one still in its crate. HEAD GASKET Just like any water-cooled Yamaha, TZR250s don’t normally like pattern head gaskets. BODYWORK It needs to be there, complete and intact. Pattern panels are generally not up to the OEM high standards. TANK They rot out on the lower edges, particularly on the left-hand side. Don’t leave old fuel in them when the bike’s not in use. BRAKES Usual Yamaha gremlins of seized calipers and broken…

BUYER’S GUIDE HONDA CB400 FOUR If there’s a better middleweight Japanese classic that’s this cool, we’ve yet to see it CHASSIS Lower frame rails can rot out from the inside and side stand mount breaks away, so avoid bikes thus afflicted. The mudguards are typical 70s fare and will inevitably rot. Clean, rust proof and add ACF-50. PANEL WORK Not too much to worry about in terms of quality, but look out for broken panels and side panel lugs. Seat bases rot out, but aftermarket units are the business. CARBS Wet air filters can cause carburation issues; remove filter and, if clean, allow to dry, then replace. IGNITION It’s all of 40 years old now so modern electronic ignition system may be advantageous. OEM coils collect rain/spray and are fabled…

cmm Archive Fag packet heroes! WORDS: BERTIE SIMMONDS PIC: MORTONS ARCHIVE The irony was never lost on me that some of the fittest sportsmen on the planet in the 1980s and 1990s were backed by cigarette companies. Wrestling a 131 kilo, 160bhp two-stroke demanded the peak of physical fitness, and yet the logos often emblazoned on the sides of these missiles were not like the energy drink companies we see today. Nope, some of the fastest (and scariest) motorcycles of the 1980s and 1990s looked like cigarette packets. So, we give thanks to the likes of HB (remember the HB-backed Hondas?), John Player Special (JPS Nortons), Gauloises (Yamahas), Rothmans (Honda) and, of course, Lucky Strike and Marlboro for backing our favourite sport. Wayne Rainey made his 500cc debut on the…

Stuff The latest riding kit, top tools, tyres, retro clothing and more! ALLSPEED EXPANSION CHAMBERS Now these are a super-cool blast from the past: Allspeed expansion chambers are back and being manufactured in the UK. Well, Essex… A range of bikes are catered for, including Yamaha’s RD250 and 350LC (chrome £695, bare metal £475), Yamaha YPVS (same price), RD250/400 (E and F models, same price), RD125LC (£395/£285), RD80LC (same price), FS1-E (ditto), Suzuki GT750 Kettle (£1195/£865), and Suzuki GT250/ X7 prices £695 chrome/£475 bare – original downpipes required! www.gibsonexhausts.co.uk HJC I70 HELMET This is the new sport-touring lid from HJC. It has a sleek design, but is a compact and uses a smaller shell than most helmets in this size. The vents work, but thanks to the wind-tunnel design, it’s…

CLASSIC RIDE THE LITTLE BIG HORN Big stroker singles often come with a certain rep. Scoop samples Kawasaki’s F9 350 to find out WORDS: STEVE COOPER PICS: GARY D CHAPMAN Back in the early 1970s the Japanese factories were taking the feedback from their American distributors literally, that bigger was better. That mind set had come from the earliest forms of Stateside automotive competition where the maxim, ‘…There ain’t no substitute for cubes…’ saw every manufacturer looking to produce the largest capacity engine. Sometimes that approach worked fine with off-road motorcycles. Yamaha’s upscaling of the DT from 250 to 360 saw the resultant RT putting huge smiles on faces. When Suzuki tried the same trick on the TS250 Savage to deliver the TS400 it all got rather messy, with the…

CLASSIC LOOK Allspeed ahead A classic name in two-stroke expansion chamber circles is back in business. Scott Redmond is on the pipe WORDS: SCOTT REDMOND Allspeed Exhausts are a brand that any two-stroke junkie will be well aware of. For many they were the choice of a generation of stroker fans. Now they’re back in business – thanks to CMM friends Tony and Claire Greenslade at Gibson Exhausts. Let’s start our story with Peter Gibson, a former docker and motorcycle racer who was developing one of the most iconic motorcycle exhaust brands in the UK. Based in Noak Hill, Romford, it was around five miles from where a young Tony Greenslade was dressed up as a robot (cardboard box), enjoying a Silver Jubilee street party in Pretoria Road, around five…

Team Allspeed – Spa 2019 Team Allspeed took on the four-stroke world of Endurance Legends last year at Donington, and to most people’s surprise they came 12th out of 50 teams. “The endurance bug has bitten us now,” says Tony. “We thought about building a four-stroke. As a Yamaha fan it could only be a FZ750, but what do we know about racing an FZ, let alone a four-stroke? So, the TZR250 is back out again! Our aim this year is to race in the dark. When it was announced that a round of the FIM European Endurance Classics would be run at July’s Spa Bikers Classic, we just had to enter. We have been to this event several times as spectators and stood in the rain watching the race…

RETRO REBOOT Paint my wagon In a themed twist to our regular Reboot, we asked Kar Lee what makes a good colour scheme. He recreated a few new ones for us, while showing us some classic race-rep retro reboots WORDS AND IMAGES: KAR LEE Some stunning paint schemes have graced race bikes over the decades, from the golden era of GP racing’s fag-packet designs of Lucky Strike, Rothmans and Marlboro, to the one-offs like Rossi’s flower-power Valencia scheme of 2003 and Marco Melandri’s 2004 Spiderman in Portugal. It’s not just the prototype racers that make our legs go wobbly, either. Endurance bikes also deliver a healthy stream of designs that neatly bridge the gap between road-going and race machinery, but what is it that makes a design successful? As someone…

Allen Millyard Award-winning motorcycle engineer! From dream to reality It was a chance meeting with Guy Martin and a real Honda Six that led to the creation of this beauty. Allen ends the series on his amazing RC374 My RC374 project totally absorbed me from day one. There was a lot to think about and details to research online, in books and magazines, and from talking to people that worked on the original Honda sixes. I then had to work out how I could make all the parts in my workshop at home. Looking back, it was an exciting time and I often found it hard to switch off, sometimes finding myself going over problems in my mind as I fell asleep, and then waking at two in the morning…

Bert’s blarney To say I’m a bit jealous of Mr Redmond is an understatement. Y’see, I harbour a bit of love for Honda’s forgotten twin-pot sportster as I had one (by default) back in the day. I was working on an august motorcycling magazine back in 1998 when I got the keys to a VTR1000F FireStorm for the year when the deputy editor left, leaving it riderless. Yes, it was a freebie long-termer. Initially, I wasn’t really enamoured with the machine as it seemed to be the typical Honda thing of great bike with zero character, but then the Storm worked its magic on me. Back then I was always on two wheels and hardly in my car, so I racked up the miles on my daily commute as well…

HAYNES PRINT & ONLINE Project Mobylette part 1  Moby: Go! Our own Francophile likes to tell us he’s busy, so it’s taken a while for him to start on his projects. Or so he tells us! WORDS AND PICS: KEV RAYMOND Many, many months ago, I introduced my fleet of scrofulous old bikes and mopeds to you, and promised to update you on progress in the following issue. Since then, despite increasingly shrill demands from our esteemed editor (indeed Kev, it was June 2018 when we first heard from you - ed), I’ve completely failed to keep you updated. Basically, life got in the way, and while that’s preferable to the obvious alternative, the lack of spanner time throughout 2018 meant there was no progress to update anyway. Hopefully, that’s…

HAYNES PRINT & ONLINE Project Kawasaki GPZ500S part 1 Twin peaks Our former art editor (he helped make the mag look good) has flown the nest, but – thankfully – joined the biking fraternity with a little help from CMM legend Pip Higham Hello, Justin here. If I’m being completely honest, I know very little about the world of second-hand bikes and no idea what I even wanted as my first ride. Luckily for me, I worked with a lot of people that know their stuff. So, I had to narrow things down a bit. Regular readers may recall I enjoyed my first time on a bike at the Honda Ron Haslam School back in 2014. Then in 2018 I did my CBT and passed my test.…

What do the parts specialists say? What do the parts specialists say? We picked up the phone to Honda parts specialists David Silver Spares to pick their brains for some answers to our Honda regulator big question. We got through to Chaz Chesire. Q: Are Honda regulator/rectifiers really that bad? “Customers often wrongly assume that it’s a case of buying a new reg/rec and off they go again. This is why electrical items like these are nonreturnable, something that we remind customers. There are several reasons why a rectifier will blow: if you’ve burnt yours out ,you should do a few checks before plugging in a new one.” Q: What advice would you give anyone that wants to prevent a reg/rec meltdown? “Buying a good workshop manual is a good…