Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2020 i Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

cmm Tested Riding kit ridden in, tools twirled and tyres tested CABERG TOURMAX The first ever dual-mode helmet I wore was the Shoei Syncrotec back in 2001, and while it suited my needs at the time (I was on a BMW tourer launch in Europe), I soon reverted to a conventional full-face when going about my normal daily, biking business. Why? Well, back then I rode sportsbikes for 85% of the time, so a flip-top lid suitable for speaking da lingo at the odd péage wasn’t really on my horizon. But in the last two decades things have changed. Most of my riding is done at a more sedate pace and the bikes I’m normally riding are built for distance, not speed – even if I’m built for neither! So,…

cmm News WEMOTO IS BACK OPEN! Top parts suppliers Wemoto are now ‘back open for business’. With the onset of the coroavirus pandemic, Wemoto – who stock around one-and-a-quarter million parts for 14,000 different models of motorbike – closed their showroom temporarily, but were open for online orders only. And business was brisk. Now their shop is open once more, from Monday to Friday, 08.30 to 17.00. Social distancing measures are in place to ensure the safety of staff and customers alike. For more go to: www.wemoto.com…

SCOOPERMAN! The sunny side of the classic world, with the VJMC’s Steve Cooper The ongoing Covid-19 situation has certainly royally screwed around with everyone’s plans as countless shows and events have been cancelled. That we are living through strange times and in strained circumstances is a given, but at least we are now allowed to ride our bikes – kind of. Through the grimmest days of March and April social media was alight with debates as to whether we were even being responsible by using our bikes for ‘essential travel’. Protecting the NHS was the pivotal point, but hopefully we are over the worst. At its simplest level motorcycle riding is a singularly insular pursuit and if all we can manage is a solo ride out and back home then…

FEEDBACK Post to Mechanics, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ or email your pictures to editorial@classicmechanics.com Millyard the marvel! Thanks for the magazine. For me the best bits are the Workshop articles. In particular I am amazed at the things that Allen Millyard just seems to do. Creating a six-cylinder Zed is a remarkable undertaking. He is a real inspiration. In the January issue of CMM Allen wrote about making an exhaust for his SS100. I am hoping that I may be able to do something similar to solve a problem that I have. In the article he describes making the baffles, but I cannot work out what it actually looks like. Is there any chance of asking him for a sketch of it? Chris Hammerton Bertie says: “Allen?…

Show us yours DAVID BOWERS’ SUZUKI GS450S I bought this from a deceased estate sale so it had no history. Both tyres were original but in a poor state with big flat spots. I haven’t had to do too much other than change out most of the rubber bits seals, etc., due to the bike’s incontinence from being sat for so long. I also stripped the wheels, then polished and gold painted them as per the original spec. It was imported (from Italy I think) at some stage so I had to get it registered, which was quite straightforward. I got a receipt for the purchase, which I sent to get a NOVA number along with a letter explaining the lack of history; they are only interested in any tax…

YAMAHA YZR500 TIMELINE 1973 OW20 Liquid-cooled, inline four-cylinder, two-stroke engine, chrome-moly frame. This won at the first round of the 1973 season, ridden by Jarno Saarinen. 1974-1975 OW23 Yamaha won their first 500cc constructor’s championship with the 23 in 1974 and in 1975 Giacomo Agostini rode it to their first rider’s world championship, as well as giving Yamaha their second constructor’s title. 1977 OW35 Changes made to stroke-ratio, carbs and valve intake system. 1978 OW35K In comes Yamaha’s Power Valve System (YPVS). Kenny Roberts bags the first of his three championships on the bounce. 1979 OW45 Second title for Roberts. 1983 OW70 Full Deltabox frame and 17-inch front wheels. Roberts narrowly beaten to 500cc title in his final year by a young Freddie Spencer. 1984 OW76 Eddie Lawson wins the…

WORK SHOP 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 YAMAHA TX650 Q: I’ve dropped you a line for some help and advice. Almost at the time that you took delivery of your Yamaha TX750 from the States, I took delivery of a 1973 Yamaha TX650 – even in the same colour. On reading some magazine articles from the period, I now realise that the early bikes had some handling issues. I plan on fitting taper roller bearings in the head stock and needle roller bearings in the swingarm to try and firm things up a bit. I wonder if I can have your thoughts on the…

SUZUKI SAVINGS! If you fancy a Suzuki Katana, then listen up. Suzuki is giving you the chance to have your Kat, your way, by running a number of great money-saving offers across the range (not just Kitty Kats) this summer, including the return of its popular 2, 3, 4 finance campaign, plus a £500 test ride incentive, running from July 1 to September 30. The popular 2, 3, 4 finance offer allows customers to choose from either a two, three or four-year agreement, on either PCP or HP, with an APR to match. As well as the Kat, you can bag yourself a GSX-R1000/R, both the GSX-S1000 and GSX-S1000F, plus the GSX-S750 as well as the V-Strom 650 and XT version. Suzuki is also offering £500 off the RRP of…

Prize winner Pages per penny! What’s gone wrong? Why am I suddenly a few pages short in my favourite magazine? I keep all my old CMMs (and other mags besides) and I can’t help feeling I’ve been short changed! Summer means big magazines with lots of features and many, many pages. So what’s happened? £4.40 for 100 pages? C’mon, I want to feel the width and add it to the quality of the best classic motorcycle magazine around. Have I missed something somewhere? In all honesty, I love the mag and all the people who write for it: Ralph makes me giggle sometimes… and I love Scoop! Keep up the good work! Baz Smith Bertie says: “Cheers Baz! Well, what’s ‘happened’ is that little thing called Covid-19, sir! Sadly, this…

The way we were… Ray Canale says: “I loved the 1970s! It was all big hair, big flares and big bikes. It was also all about good summers on a 1976 silver Laverda Jota that was first in from Breganze at the Earl’s Court Show in 1976. The photo itself is from 1979.” Shaun Donovan says: “Here is a photo of my brother Brian’s 450 and my 500/4 taken on holiday in Derbyshire in the late 1970s. My brother finally bought himself a 500/4 this year in Australia. I have included an old picture of when my brother started racing at Darley Moor; he is on our Honda CB72 wearing my leathers. On the left is Mark Pealing, Brian’s friend and best man; our mum (not really a race supporter)…

SPECIFICATION ENGINE TYPE 996cc, DOHC, liquid-cooled four-stroke V-twin BORE AND STROKE 98 x 66mm CLAIMED HORSEPOWER 110 @ 9000rpm MAXIMUM TORQUE 72ft/lb @ 7000rpm TRANSMISSION TYPE 6-speed COMPRESSION RATIO 9.4:1 CARBURETION 2 x 48mm Keihin CV carburettors FRAME Aluminium twin-spar SUSPENSION 41mm cartridge forks with preload and rebound adjustment, Pro-Link monoshock with preload and rebound adjustment TYRES 120/70-17 (F) 180/54-17 (R) FUEL CAPACITY 16-19 litres BRAKES 2 x 296mm discs , Nissin four-piston caliper (F), 1 x 220mm disc twin piston caliper (R) WEIGHT 193 kilos…

SPECIFICATION 1991 YAMAHA FRANCE YZR 500 POWER: 165bhp, 13,000rpm redline, powerband @ 9500-12,500rpm WEIGHT: 130kg TOP SPEED: 194mph (Mugello, 1991) TUNING/ADJUSTMENTS ALLOWED: Jetting, compression ratios and expansion chamber mods. Unlimited gearing, gearbox and primary drive ratio options. Geometry, suspension, wheelbase, engine position and wheel rim width options. Cooling systems and aerodynamics NEW PARTS: Complete clutch, powervalve cables, brake discs, brake lines, shrouds, pads, tyres, chain, oils, lubes, etc. New inserts were ‘turned’ and we needed new water pipes made: all paintwork re-done, including wheels.…

Allen Millyard Award-winning motorcycle engineer! Test ride tales! A test ride and then the big job of sorting the camshaft out: all in a day’s work for our Allen… With the lockdown rules relaxed I was finally able to take my Kawasaki Z1 Super Six for a test ride. The bike had been finished for a few months, but I had only ridden it across my garden a couple of times, which isn’t far. I had a gallon of petrol in the shed so I put it in the tank, turned on the petrol tap and waited a couple of minutes to check for leaks. All seemed fine so I put on the choke, pressed the starter button and it burst into life on fast idle and sounded great. It…

IT’S MY BIKE: Peter Spicer “I love AS3s – I must do as I’ve had four of them now. I’ve sold two in the past and immediately regretted it. They have to be one of the ‘stand-out’ models from Yamaha’s Europa range… they’re just so pretty. That’s part of the attraction along with the ride, which is something rather special. These engines need to be revved hard to get the best out of them, but you’re rewarded by a sound track like little else. If you like a challenge then a project AS3 will certainly oblige; they really are incredibly hard to sort out properly and they’re most definitely not the ideal machine to take on as a first time restoration. Buy the best and most complete you can…

HAYNES PRINT & ONLINE Yamaha YZF-R1 4XV Part 6 Final fling! There was just one last thing to finish Niall Mackenzie’s YZF-R1 Yamaha – fitting as Yamaha Motor Company celebrates 65 years this July! WORDS: NIALL MACKENZIE PICS: NIALL MACKENZIE AND GARY D CHAPMAN My ‘Journey’s End’ piece on my 1998 R1 in the January issue of this wonderful publication was essentially the conclusion of my latest restoration. There was no rush, but real work got in the way so it took over a year to once again have this Yamaha icon looking pristine. Except I knew she wasn’t. Most nights I sleep well (paying my taxes and not cheating on the wife definitely helps). However, a careless brake fluid spill on the rear wheel and a scabby Niall Mac…

Pip Higham Tuner, engineer, rider Stress? Pah, who needs it! What do they say are the most stressful events in the life of an average bloke? Hmm, been there, done that. Moving house? Well now, there’s a thing, moving house, although troublesome, costly, exasperating and frustrating (there are solicitors, estate agents and many men and women equipped with over and under clipboards and self-loading lasers involved), the process of buying and selling wasn’t a bother to me, it’s the stuff that’s the problem. You see, I’ve got a shed, with shelves and boxes, many boxes, a LOT of boxes! And there’s more – there are a few bikes to consider. Let’s not get too picky about numbers here, suffice to say there are more than I need, but less than…

cmm Stuff The latest riding kit, top tools, tyres, retro clothing and more ! SHARK CITYCRUISER HELMET The Citycruiser is a new open-face/jet-style helmet from SHARK. The Citycruiser features an innovative design with ‘X-Tra protection’ as the shell provides increased protection of the cheeks and jaw in comparison to other jet helmets on the market. For comfort, the lightweight Citycruiser features a new AEGIS® MICROTECH interior made from recycled fibres with antibacterial and anti-odour properties, and is removable and washable. For those that wear glasses, it’s fitted with the SHARK EASYFIT system. The helmet is available in eight colours, in sizes XS to XL. www.nevis.uk.com GOOD BITS CB750 PARTS Good-Bits.co.uk is a company doing for Honda CB750 in classic racing. Over the years they’ve been developing parts on the Smith…

POP TO OUR SHOP! Over the last few months we’ve been beavering away uploading more interesting features for you to download. These are more of our ‘older’ features from the archives of Classic Motorcycle Mechanics, including such gems as an ‘Albion Gearbox Rebuild’ – the whole series over 21 pages by Don Morley and Bruce Preston’s 24-pager on rebuilding a knackered air-head Boxer Beemer. Many more are being added all the time, so head to www.classicmechanics.com/shop/ Don’t forget that if you subscribe, you can get access to CMM Extra! This is a portal where we have more than 10 years of back issues (that’s many millions of words) so you can peruse and read any article, road test or rebuild at any time. So, do go check out www.classicmechanics.com/extra/…

Honda VTR1000F FireStorm timeline 1996-2000 Honda VTR1000F FireStorm The original FireStorm featured  Honda Multi-Action System forks and shock, the semi-pivotless frame and side radiators. These design features would be seen on some other Hondas from the time. Allegedly the Storm had the biggest carbs then seen on a production bike. Only change was silver wheels from 1999. Price then: £7995 (1997) Price now: £1000-£4000 2001-2005 Honda VTR1000F FireStorm Mild update, but the most important was the upping of the tank from 16 to 19 litres.  A new LCD dash came in, with two trips, fuel gauge, engine temp, odo and a clock. Honda’s HISS (Honda Ignition Security System) immobiliser came in, too. Other updates gave the riding positon more comfort (bars were higher) and modifications to the front forks. Price…

Tool of the month with BIKER’S TOOLBOX Rotary club! Ralph’s back with Tool of the Month once more, and this time it’s small rotary multi-tools I remember friends waxing lyrical about the Dremel many years ago, but I didn’t really ‘get it’ for a long time. I ended up buying a rotary multi-tool for one specific job – removing the security screws from the back door of my printing workshop 20 years ago. Long story, but the Police had battered my back door down, realising they’d got the wrong place! The end result was that I needed to cut a slot in hardened counter-sunk, non-tamper woodscrews. The only tool I could see that would do the job was a very small abrasive cutting disc, so I bought a…

What to buy and how much to pay All genuine UK AS3s appear to have been supplied in red/white, but elsewhere Yamaha supplied them in orange/white, with a fair number also in blue/white. There’s also supposedly a small batch that arrived in turquoise, although ‘Yamoraks’ sometimes question if this wasn’t just a ‘bad batch of paint’. Regardless of hue, don’t pay more for an example in ‘rarer’ orange or blue. If you buy one in boxes, mount the tank and seat on the frame and check they fit correctly as a pair; early and late models, plus some imports, run different dimensions. Later RD125 or 200 seats will fit, but the gap at the front is wrong. Get a parts book and research what you need outside of just AS3.…

Options and decisions The points for our bike on the bench came complete with back-plates and this was a fairly common approach back in the day. The contact points themselves are mounted on a pivot post and secured in place with an E-clip. There’re also insulating posts, nuts and washers involved, so most manufacturers decided to make life easier for mechanics and owners by selling the contactor assemblies pre-mounted. You can still buy bare points sets on line or from specialist suppliers and, providing the components are OEM or equivalent, you should be able to swap the points sets new for old. However, always take pictures of your existing set up in order to note where clips, insulators, washers, etc., go. Condensers are normally mounted adjacent to the points they…

HAYNES PRINT & ONLINE Suzuki TR750 Special part 4 Feet up! Pegs, positioning and comfort are all that’s on Malc’s mind this month! WORDS AND PICS: MALCOLM SHAW I’m quite pleased with the results with the TR750 so far, but there’s already a few bits which are not quite what I envisaged or working how I’d like. A consistent issue is how to get everything to work together as it should and in a safe way – and that means the controls. Now I have to ‘fess’ up, age is creeping up on me and I’m no racing snake, the odd pint of real ale and bacon butties have done their best to shape the frame! As can probably be seen from earlier pics the clip-ons have a slight rise…