Classic Motorcycle Mechanics November 2016

Rich man, poor man… Riding Suzuki GB’s amazing restoration of the GSX-R750F was a real treat for me this month. Suzuki GB has supported our passion for a few years now, courtesy of their Vintage Parts Programme. They’ve spent the last few NEC events showcasing what they can do with rebuilds of a Suzuki TL1000S and – last year – this lovely Slabbie. They are clearly very coy about just how much it cost to restore to near-as-dammit perfect condition, but the rumour is it was around £30,000! Now, we know no CMM reader would do such a resto, but it clearly shows what parts are out there for our core classics. So more power to Suzuki for showing what they can do for us. With the VPP expanding all…

Rainey days WORDS: BERTIE SIMMONDS PHOTO: MORTONS ARCHIVE For many of us the first time we got a glimpse of Wayne Rainey was as part of the great Rainey and Schwantz double act in the Transatlantic Challenge races of 1987. This shot of the 1983 and 1987 AMA champ is from Brands Hatch, the first event, during their titanic struggles to be top Transatlantic dog. Unsurprisingly, the Brits really didn’t get a look-in and the American team ran away with the title but Kevin Schwantz and Rainey ran away with the accolades. Looking back now, it seems simple to think that they should have talked things through to win the £100,000 purse for the rider who won all the races, but each rider’s need to beat the other proved a…

Quick Spin 1978 HONDA CB400 FOUR F2 Can a missed opportunity make things all the sweeter for our man Mossy second time around? WORDS: CHRIS MOSS PHOTOS: MARK MANNING Ican’t remember exactly when the must-have-one-more-than-anything feeling began. All I know is: I craved a 400/4. I think I’d not long since acquired my SS50, clocked up a few miles, thought I knew everything, and reckoned it was already time to move up the biking ladder. But the whole idea was pure fantasy. I didn’t even have a job to finance such a promotion, nor did I possess sufficient skill or experience to pilot one. Oh, and I hadn’t passed my test! But we all have dreams, and back in the mid-70s the little Honda had captured my heart. Having one…

John Wyatt of Rising Sun Restorations They’re still fairly easy to get hold of. Values range from around £1500 for a rough one, up to £5000 for a really nice example. On average you’d need to spend between £2750 and £3750. They’re usually either pretty rough or have been restored fairly well. The majority are in near standard trim, with a few fitted with big-bore kits, ace bars, exhausts, shocks and the like. There are more F1s available than F2s. Most who bought 400/4s bought the first ones and didn’t need another. People didn’t like the yellow F2 models, and they’d sit unsold in showrooms for a long while. If you look after them well, they’ll easily do 110,000 miles or more. The secret is maintenance. Change the engine oil…

GO ‘LIVE’ WITH THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM! The National Motorcycle Museum host its third annual FREE open day on Saturday, November 5. Yup, everyone can visit the museum collection free of charge. There will also be a host of other free attractions including the NMM’s amazing ‘Stars on Stage’ feature which is presented in association with Central Wheel Components Ltd In addition there will be an indoor autojumble and trade area, plus a ‘Meet the Experts’ section. ‘Stars on Stage’ will feature Carl Fogarty and our own James Whitham hosting a raft of top names including John ‘Moon Eyes’ Cooper, Ian Hutchinson, Chris Vincent, Peter Hickman, John McGuinness and James Ellison. In addition the NMM’s aural treat the ‘live start-up’ section will feature a host of amazing machines to assault…

£3 million raised in charity auction The Robert White Collection netted £3 million for a cancer charity with 99% of the items sold at Bonhams. The late Robert White bequeathed collection’s proceeds to fund advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment in his home county of Dorset. The collection up for auction included vintage cars, 48 motorcycles (including a number of rare MV Agustas) and other items including rare watches. With the auction originally aiming for £2 million, the amazing total will now be used to build new cancer facilities at Poole and Dorset County hospitals, benefiting patients across the whole of the country. Bonhams co-chairman Malcolm Barber said: “The sale attracted bidders from all across the globe, seeing just shy of 100% sold and £3 million achieved. As auctioneer of…