Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2016 i Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

Dates sorted! The Classic Bike Trackdays Endurance Legends event at Donington Park has had its dates confirmed for 2017. The weekend of May 6-7 promises to be a very special one in the classic event calendar so put it in your diary right now. Both Classic Motorcycle Mechanics and Classic Racer are backing the event, which promises to be a corker! The main event is set to be a Four-Hour Classic race with teams from around the world, including a few that will have some famous names. The Lansdowne Classic has also been confirmed as one of the big support races, with more still to be announced so stay tuned for further details as they become available. As well as the racing and along with free practice and qualifying sessions,…

PIP HIGHAM Pip Higham is trying to find a lost love… Among several other unmentionable character defects one stands out like a parka on a penguin: I’ve got a bit of an obsession about building, rebuilding, hacking, fettling, call it what you will, old bikes. I’ve loaded piles of junk into my van that were itching to go to the scrap man, but with a bit of blasting, a grizzle of grinding and usually a significant amount of welding, the scrap magically changes into a thing that works. I’ve rebuilt GT380s with front wheels tucked under the gearbox and I’ve rescued the occasional Vincent (oh the pain... and the cost!) from a fate worse than invisibility. I’ve attempted to help various mates in their efforts to rescue the un-rescueable and…

Why did Honda build the CB? It had to be air-cooled didn’t it? Honda’s chief designer on the project Mitsuyoshi Kohama, who has also worked on the VFR750F, NS400R and the FireBlade family says: “My only reason is that a lot of customers like air-cooled engines. I like the metallic sound the engine makes as it cools. Just looking at the cooling fins inspires me. There is something about an air-cooled engine – a feeling you simply can’t get from the liquid-cooled engine in a high-performance bike. To me, as a bike rider and a bike fan, a future without air-cooled engines just didn’t seem right. And I was certain I wasn’t the only one who felt this way.” There are – of course – some massively modern touches. The…

David humbles Goliaths Few would immediately suggest that the T350 would be a viable race bike yet this was exactly the choice of Joe Eastmure when he competed in the 1972 Castrol Six Hour race at Amaroo Park, New South Wales, Australia. When the chequered flag dropped he’d beaten 750cc H2 Kawasaki triples, TZ750 Yams and host of bigger and supposedly more competent machinery. If the fans loved the result it was a different story with others. The race was a huge PR generator for the manufacturers and their importers; having a privately-entered pipsqueak Suzuki Rebel taking the laurels wasn’t what they wanted. Allegations and insinuations about the Suzuki were bandied about. The organisers were faced with the dilemma of a 350 blowing away the superbikes that were supposed to…

Connector cleaning Replacement of old corroded connectors is always the suggested option but are there viable alternatives? Male bullet connectors can be easily rejuvenated with a lump of abrasive pad and some switch cleaner but the female connectors can present a challenge. Using a Dremel or similar these 3mm brass bristle brushes off eBay are ideal for getting rid of corrosion. Ten seconds is all it needs to go from green corrosion to bright connector. Wash out with some more switch cleaner and enjoy minimal resistance. Even better you can do the job with the loom in situ on your bike and working methodically a morning’s work should have your wiring back to its best without you buying a new or pattern loom with the attendant hassle of fitting it.…

Badge engineering Steve Cooper on how to rejuvenate your old metal badges: why buy a pattern part? WORDS AND PHOTOS: STEVE COOPER The manufacturer’s name on almost any modern motorcycle is normally a vinyl decal protected by lacquer. The company logo of the firm that produced the bike is still there for all to see but it’s done via the cheapest possible route. There was atime however, when the Big Four crowed loud and proud about who they were and what model of bike you were looking at. Typically the badges/emblems/ logos affixed to the bikes of the period were either made of cast alloy or moulded plastic. Countless years on many of either type can, potentially, look rather shabby. If you are fortunate it may be possible to source…

Holy hydroforming! How on earth has made this? Pip Higham on hydroforming an exhaust for his SDR... WORDS AND PHOTOS: PIP HIGHAM When I bought my SDR200 it was a bit of a mess. In fact it looked like it had been upside down in a pond in Higashikagura for a few years, which was a bit of a shame. The SDR was only sold in Japan for a short time, about two years max, but it has quite a cult following. It is lean and funky but as I took it apart I was a bit taken aback by the weight of the exhaust system. The bike weighed about 115kg, but the exhaust made up 6.5kg of that! Something had to be done! I’d seen hydroformed systems a few…

SPECIFICATION ENGINE TYPE 748cc, liquid-cooled, 8-valve, DOHC, V-twin MAXIMUM POWER 94bhp @ 9300rpm MAXIMUM TORQUE 56lb-ft @ 8500rpm TRANSMISSION 6-speed FINAL DRIVE chain FRAME Tubular steel trellis SUSPENSION Front: 43mm Showa USD telescopic forks, fully adjustable Rear: Ohlins monoshock, fully adjustable BRAKES Front: twin 320mm discs with four piston Brembo calipers Rear: 220mm disc, single-piston caliper TYRES Front: 120/60-17 Rear: 180/55-17 SEAT HEIGHT 790mm WHEELBASE 1410mm DRY WEIGHT 194kg FUEL CAPACITY 17 litres THANKS TO: Rich at Louigi Moto for the loan of the 748 – if you want anything Ducati related, head to www.louigimoto.com .…

ON ANY SUNDAY Motorcycles and McQueen – could any motorcycle film be cooler than this? Forty-five years on, we look back at On Any Sunday ahead of the legends arriving at the CMM show this October. WORDS: BERTIE SIMMONDS PHOTOS: COURTESY BRUCE BROWN & MORTONS ARCHIVE MOTORCYCLE SPORT AND THE MEN WHO RIDE ON ANY SUNDAY AFILM BY BRUCE BROWN Forty-five years ago the film On Any Sunday was released and today it’s as ‘must-watch’ a flick as ever. The premise behind On Any Sunday is simple: on any Sunday around the world, you’ll find someone racing a motorcycle in one discipline or another. Film-maker Bruce Brown did just that, getting under the skin of the subject with a documentary style that shows both the beauty of motorcycle racing and…

YAMAHA FS1-E TIMELINE 1969 YAMAHA FS1 Super Sports (SS) Launched in 1969 as a 50cc, 6bhp, five-speed motorcycle capable of 50mph+: only available in Japan and a few European countries, including Austria and Switzerland between 1969 and 1970. Blue/white and red/white with frames and swingarms painted in the primary blue or red. 1973-1974 YAMAHA FS1-E The MKII Candy Orange was identical to the SS except for the FS1-E livery on the side-panels and approximately 5500 were sold from August 1973 through to ’74. 1974-1975 YAMAHA FS1-E The 1975 model came in three different colour options although 95% of this year’s model were supplied and sold in Baja Brown, still with the white vinyl tank pin-striping and side-panel decals. The other two colours sold only in a…

The Shed... New tools for sale, old tools and kit rated. You’re in The Shed. Updated ignitions from REX Our chums from Rex’s Speed Shop say they’ve for something for us all. They said: “We’ve spruced up and improved our Kawasaki H1/H2 replacement ignition module! For several years we offered a simple ‘all-in-one, black-box’ replacement for the four unit Kawasaki ‘Solid State Magneto’ assembly. “While the electronics were spot-on, bringing modern, reliable ignition to 1970s machines, the mounting system was sadly lacking. The new version features a corrosion-resistant, highly-polished stainless steel mounting bracket and a redesigned all-in-one CDi unit. The leads are now all marked for left, right and centre cylinders and the correct black three-way connector. This bespoke ignition assembly is a very smart looking piece of kit, with…

COMIG CLASSIC Yamaha FZS600 Fazer 1998-2000 ASK ANDY CMM contributor Andy Bolas has owned hundreds of bikes new and old and he knows what to source, buy and collect for the future. Listen to him! SPECIFICATION YAMAHA FZS600 Fazer YEARS AVAILABLE 1998-2000 MAJOR CHANGES Colour changes, s model released in 2000 alongside standard model with two tone paint, twin trip meters, more padding to the seat, slightly lower rear pegs and new grab rail. PRICE NEW £4950 VALUES NOW £500-£2200 VERDICT A great all-rounder and fun bike only let down by poor build quality: grab an early one while you can! FOR: Brill, fun bike and great value for money at the moment anyway! AGAINST: A lot of rough ones out there, take your time and get a good one,…

RD500LC’s workshop woes! He' got more that half a dozen of these beauties in his workshop at the moment, so what woes can one conceal? WORDS AND PHOTOS: STAN STEPHENS This month my article will be about an RD500LC engine I have been repairing and rebuilding. One problem I found on this engine was that the clutch hub nut had not been tightened properly and the lock washer looked as if it had been reused many times, the result was the clutch had chattered on the shaft and almost stripped the splines in the centre. There was nothing I could do to repair it. I ordered a new one from Yamaha and sure enough they were no longer available, so I was reduced to searching for a second-hand one on…

Project Yamaha DT175 part 1 Ralph’s DT dilemma! He’s in trouble with the missus! Our Ralph takes in yet another waif to be restored. WORDS AND PHOTOS: RALPH FERRAND While taking my wife’s Z650 for an MoT I noticed a very forlorn looking DT that clearly hadn’t turned a wheel in years leaning up against a wall. I am a sucker for wanting to rescue bikes that clearly are a lost hope, so asked the owner how little he would accept for it to have a new home. I obviously had my rose tinted glasses on and could only see what it could look like rather than the stark reality. This fool was soon parted from his money and in more trouble with my wife; I had promised I would…

What to buy and how much to pay If you are in the market for one of these terrific middleweights then you’ll need to decide if the looks of the various different iterations make an impact on you. The 2002-on models were restyled to look substantially more modern and may look too current for many classics fans. The later S models have a certain style to them and the red/white/black option really does shout race track classic. Outside of this, the choice mostly comes down to availability, condition and colour preference; there’s genuinely little else to argue about. Standard Fazers seem to be preferred and unless you like anodized bolt heads, custom paintwork and the like we’d argue you steer clear of specials; aftermarket cans and decent brake hoses accepted…

SCOOPERMAN! The sunny side of the classic world, with the VJMC’s Steve Cooper What constitutes a true classic motorcycle? It’s probably one of the most contentious questions in our admittedly insular world. Some would argue it’s really only iconic machinery such as Kettles, Z1s, MV Agustas, Guzzi Le Mans, etc. that are genuinely worthy of such status. Yet all of the above and more, with the possible exception of the MV, are nothing more than commercially produced, series production, motorcycles. How can anything made in huge volumes such as the CB750 be truly collectable? Surely it is stuff like bespoke handmade Munch Mammoths and the like that should be highly prized not something made in vast quantities? But rarity alone cannot confer classic status or indeed value. If that was…

FEEDBACK Post to Mechanics, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ or email your pictures to editorial@classicmechanics.com WIN a Scottoiler bike care pack Every month we’re giving away a Scottoiler Bike Care Pack to the writer of the best submitted letter we receive. The pack contains two litres of Scottoiler FS365; giving you the ultimate in summer and winter corrosion protection. Simply get in touch by sending emails to: letters@classicmechanics.com or post your letters to the normal address, giving contact details just in case you are that lucky winner. Pip’s Pods! Hello CMM! Regarding Pip Higham’s entertaining tale of his exploits at Santa Pod, he says that Jeff Byne’s double Triumph was the first bike into the eights. I’m out of touch, is that bike the Hagon-framed double Triumph that…

Changing Vrooms! What happens when the inevitable occurs and you realise you just don’t want to ride that modern sportsbike anymore? Go retro! WORDS: STEVE MORT PHOTOS: SARAH POOLEY, MORTONS ARCHIVE It was a painful admission for a 53-year-old man to make. I finally found that my modified, tuned 2008 Yamaha YZF-R1 was getting a) too uncomfortable and b) too bloody fast for my old bones to bear. Let me tell you a little about myself. I’m a man who has owned bikes all my life, from the day my dad gave me an old Honda Cub to ride on the fields when I was 11, to the present day, when my job as a motorcycle salesman lets me ride loads of bikes, not just the ones in my garage.…

The FS1-E Owners Club If you want to know anything about the UK-market Fizzy and more, this is the group to join. As the UK’s only officially recognised FS1/1-E club, they’ve got lots of information to help you get back into the legend that is the Fizzy, whether you want to buy, ride or restore this amazing machine. On paying the nominal £10 fee you’ll have access to the country’s or maybe even Europe’s biggest Fizzy club, as it boasts more than 600 members who come from all over the globe. Formed in 2009 by Per Brandt, the club features an online forum, from which members can pool information and advice. So, if you want help with your Fizzy restoration your first £10 would be best spent joining up –…

SPECIFICATION T 350 ENGINE TYPE Air-cooled, two-stroke, piston-ported, twin BORE AND STROKE 61 x 54mm CLAIMED HORSEPOWER 39-40bhp @ 7500rpm MAXIMUM TORQUE 29lb-ft @ 6500rpm TRANSMISSION TYPE 6 speed, chain final drive COMPRESSION RATIO 8.5:1 CARBURETION 2 x 32mm VM Mikuni TYRES 3.00-18 (F), 3.25-18 (R) FUEL CAPACITY 3.25 gallons (14.7 litres) OIL TANK CAPACITY 2.1 litres DRY WEIGHT 149kg (328lb) WHEELBASE 1290mm (50.8in) OVERALL LENGTH 1956mm (77in) OVERALL WIDTH 870mm (34.3in) OVERALL HEIGHT 1105mm (43.5in)…

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. 1969 SUZUKI TS250 Q: Can you tell me please if it is possible to repair the cover on an original 1969 Suzuki TS250 saddle? The saddle is old but in good condition except for a 2in cut lengthways on the seat top, that appears to have been made in the past with a sharp knife as the cut is not ragged. I want to save the saddle cover as the bike is all original and has the patina of age that I…

Project Ducati 996 part 2 Belt and braces! When it comes to cam belt changes on a Ducati 996, would you give it a go yourself? Meet a man who did. WORDS AND PHOTOS: JIM LINDSAY However simple people tell you a job is, it’s always achallenge if you have not done it before. Beyond adjusting the chain and fixing some crash damage, I’ve not taken the spanners to my Ducati 996 since I bought it. I’m going to do a rolling restoration rather than a full nut and bolt job and the last recorded cam belt change was three years ago so, before pulling bits off for refurbishment, I thought I’d tackle this task myself. What the hell? Nothing to lose except maybe north of £1000 if I get…

Two-stroke timing! Tune in to part two of Mr Haycock’s series of features on motorcycle timing: this month, a two-stroke. Last time we looked at what ignition timing is about, and why it is necessary to arrange for spark advance, and now I am moving on to look at how to set it up on a two-stroke engine. Before I start I should point out that this engine is perhaps a little removed from the type we would normally deal with, but it is the only two-stroke I currently have and we are just looking at basic principles so here goes! The quantity of spark advance can be expressed in two ways. Normally, it is shown as a number of degrees of crankshaft rotation before top dead centre (BTDC) but…

Project Yamaha FZ600 ‘Nancy’ part 7 Shaking down Nancy! So, she finally turns her wheels in anger. What could possibly go wrong, Spike? WORDS:MIKE‘SPIKE’EDWARDS PHOTOS: RUSSELL LEE (SPORTS-PICS.UK), PETE WILEMAN As the age-old saying goes ‘perfect preparation prevents p… err, pathetically poor performance’ and if the last 34 years of racing has taught me anything it’s that it’s very easy to make a tit of yourself if you don’t test and work things out before you go race. The expectation of riding Nancy had grown enormously, soas a treat I ordered up some new tyres from Avon. I was invited to the opening of Alf’s Motorcycles’ new showroom in Worthing and on the way decided to swing by Mallory Park for some shakedown laps. Mark from No Limits track days…