Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2021 i Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

BOOK CORNER THE YAMAHA FZ750 BOOK FZ750 owner and enthusiast Michael Boyle has written this missive on the ground-breaking Yamaha which was launched in 1985. It is a comprehensive study of the world’s first production five-valve per-cylinder motorcycle written from the viewpoint of Yamaha’s Racing successes with the bike and its derivatives. The Book is illustrated with over 350 photographs as well as technical drawings, and has a foreword by former WSB Champion Aaron Slight. Michael has written and produced this book at cost and all proceeds go to Great Ormond Street Hospital charity. https://en-gb.facebook.com/groups/3441494775889366/…

PRE-ORDER YOUR CMM! In these difficult times, it’s often the case that people of our age may not be outside, shopping or buying our favourite magazines so we’ve got just the thing for you: pre-order. Simply scan the fuzzy round thing with your smartphone (c’mon, we’ve all got one) and off you pop! Alternatively, if you like what you see coming up in the August issue (see page 105 for more) then go to: www.classicmagazines.co.uk/issue/preorder where you can pre-order all of Mortons’ wonderful magazines, which include trains, cars or towpaths……

How much mister? A full ride-in ride-out fitting service adds £800 plus VAT to the basic £3499 cost for the turbo kit, while the engine work (remove and refit motor, fit spacer plate, cam timing, gaskets) is another £995 plus VAT, and a silencer and link pipe would add around £500 depending on spec. So, that’s less than £6500 all in then for a ride-in ride-out service. If you then add in £7k for a low-miler Katana (or £5k for a GSX-S1000) and you have a pretty impressive bang for your buck, if that’s your thing. www.bigccracing.com…

Tested Riding kit worn, tools twirled & tyres turned RST ISLE OF MAN TT GRANDSTAND LEATHER 1PC SUIT At my age, the intention never was to try and ride like a TT racer, but merely to wear a one-piece suit that offered excellent protection and day-long comfort… and I found it in this offering from RST. What particularly drew me to the suit was the fact that it offered a less aggressive stance than RST’s TracTech Evo suit (I recently sold mine), thereby allowing the wearer to adopt a more upright stance. The suit is CE Certified to Level A, and comes with CE Level 1 back protector, shoulder, elbow and knee armour, plus pocket only hip armour and TPU shoulder cups. You’ve also got double layer cowhide on your…

Weise Airflow Plus Gloves TO BE IN WITH A CHANCE OF WINNING THIS GREAT PRIZE… 1. Go to www.classicmechanics.com 2. Fill in your details 3. Press enter 4. Sit back, relax and wait We’ve teamed up with our friends at Weise to offer you the chance to win a pair of Weise Airflow Plus gloves worth £39.99. They feature full grain leather palm, with stretch mesh on the back of the hand and TPU knuckle reinforcement. Find out more on a range of bike clothing at thekeycollection.co.uk Competition closes: 22/07/2021. Good luck! There are no cash alternatives available. The winner will be the first name drawn at random. Terms and Conditions apply. To view the privacy policy of MMG Ltd (publisher of Classic Motorcycle Mechanics) please visit www.mortons.co.uk/privacy…

SCOOPERMAN! The sunny side of the classic world, with the VJMC’s Steve Cooper Where would we be without our friends and mates? How many of us can actually say we can get by without input, advice, parts or the physical help without someone else who is similarly afflicted with this bizarre hobby of ours? These are the people who make up our own private world. Some are close to hand, some are the other end or side of the country, there’ll be some overseas that you only see once in a blue moon and a handful that are virtual mates from the other side of the world. Most of us have them and they are utterly indispensable. A ‘virtual’ friend of mine lives in Malaysia. We met on the ubiquitous…

DIARY DATES Some dates for your diary… remember, thanks to Covid-19, nothing is set in stone, so do check these before you go. Booking online is best… 25-27 JUNE: Santa Pod Festival of Power This event has been rescheduled from its traditional Easter weekend! This three-day summer spectacular features an action-packed line-up of family drag racing entertainment with all things powerful on and off the track on four and two wheels – the latter with freestyle stunt bike rider Lee Bowers. For more go to: www.santapod.co.uk 27 JUNE: Honda Owners Club To celebrate 60 years of the Honda Owners Club, an event will take place at the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum, Bashley Cross Roads, New Milton, Hampshire BH25 5SZ. 3/4 JULY: International Classic Motorcycle Show Our popular International Classic MotorCycle…

The way we were… Send us yournostalgic 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! Andy Turner says: “It’s been great to read the magazine during the last year to help remind me of brighter things! The January 2021 issue threw up a surprise too as Dean Welburn’s mono-shocked CB500/4 was later owned by me in the early 1990s! As a poor student in Manchester I graduated from a CM125 to my first big bike, the 500/4, bought from a shop in Worsley. I couldn’t quite stretch to the £750 they wanted for a 750/4 so it had to be the 500. The dealer happily off-loaded a charging fault on to me. “The battery is…

It’s a family affair… It’s fair to say that Aprilia got more than their money’s worth with the development of the 60-degree V-twin motor. Originally destined for the RSV1000 Mille sportsbike, as well as the Ohlins-suspended RSV1000 Mille R and (altered for racing homologation) the RSV Mille SP, it ended up finding several attractive homes. Firstly there was the SL1000 Falco. This half-faired machine used a mildly detuned version of the motor (claimed 118 rather than 125/128bhp) and a funky double twin-spar ally frame which tantalisingly showed a glimpse of the motor. Ergonomics weren’t as extreme and a lower seat height was useful for the shorter in leg (the Mille always felt tall). Considering it was up against cheaper Japanese opposition such as the Honda VTR1000F FireStorm, it initially did…

Tool of the month with BIKERS TOOLBOX Metal magic! Ralph Ferrand works with tools all day long – he sells them too at bikerstoolbox.co.uk so he knows what works. PHOTOGRAPHY BY GARY WARD AND RALPH FERRAND Ihave a better equipped workshop than most home fettlers and I justify my over-the-top toy buying habit by repairing the odd bike for a small financial recompense and writing in this august organ. Many years ago I treated myself to an AC/DC TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welder, which is pretty fancy pants for a home workshop and will, combined with the right skill level, weld aluminium. TIG welding, however, does require not only a high degree of learned competence, but also regular practice, even if one has previously achieved a decent level of proficiency…

TIMELINE: The Chott and Beyond The original Chott ran from 1974 to 1976 pretty much unaltered other than paintwork schemes. Seeking to maximise return on their efforts the factory latterly revised and updated the basic design to deliver the 2TR. Focusing purely on competition now with minimal tarmac appeal the bike lost its gauges, the magnesium castings were replaced with aluminium alloys, and the previously stainless steel front guard became plastic. Now very much a niche market machine the 2TR was much more in line with a customer base that wanted a proper off-road tool. At the same time the Breganze hierarchy was looking to expand its markets and particularly within the dirt arena. Sales of off-road machinery were booming and quite reasonably Laverda wanted a slice of the action.…

Project Kawasaki Z900 Stocker part 1 Stripping yarns! Kindly given a box of old Zed bits, Ralph Ferrand is back on the case with one of his favourite four-strokes! WORDS AND PICS: RALPH FERRAND Right now I’m the envy of my Zed Head friends, having been the lucky recipient of the extremely generous gift of a collection of boxes containing a 1976 Kawasaki Z900 from a fellow member of the Z1 Owners Club. I gave my word that I would perform as good a restoration as I am able to and have been throwing money at the project from day one. Although the bike is mostly apart, the bottom-end of the motor was in one piece so it was time to pull that apart. Many years ago I designed and…

Project Yamaha TX750 Part 10 Motor-mania! Mark’s on the finishing straight with his TX750, but a little engine work now needs to be done to get it sorted. This is the first part of a two engine re-build. articles. WORDS AND PICS: MARK HAYCOCK Last time I made the decision that the safest course of action would be to take the engine to bits to inspect what was in there, if not to completely overhaul it. It might be helpful to know what to expect so let us take a look at what we know. After I had fixed the starter mechanism, I wanted to see what sort of state the engine might be in so I did a compression check (Photo 1). Looks pretty good doesn’t it: 190psi. The…

BACK ISSUES Whether it's recent releases or vintage copies, step back in time and browse through the ages with the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics back issue collection. OVER 250 ISSUES ARE AVAILABLE TO ORDER TODAY AT CLASSIC MAGAZINES.CO.UK 4.95 EACH (inc p&p) For EU and ROW, please see www.classicmagazines.co.uk NOVEMBER 2020 ■ Honda's big one ■ Double kettles ■ Retro V-Strom MARCH 2021 ■ 1970s triple treats ■ Stavros' first love ■ BMW Kl DECEMBER 2020 ■ Triumph revival ■ Real riding tips ■ Yamaha's YR APRIL 2021 ■ Bimota V Due ■ Cool Ducati twin ■ Suzuki Hayabusa JANUARY 2021 ■ Suzuki two-strokes ■ Kawasaki six appeal ■ BMW R80 MAY 2021 ? Sixes of the best ? Svelte Yamaha LS2 ? Kawasaki Z750 FEBRUARY 2021 ■ Big bore blade…

Stuff The latest riding kit, top tools tyres, retro clothing and more! TUCANO URBANO SPENCER JACKET The new SPENCER jacket from Tucano Urbano is classic, simple and easily adaptable to life both on and off the bike, but it’s tough and protective, too! Class A-CE approved for protection against abrasion and impact without limiting riding ability, the SPENCER jacket has soft shoulder and elbow protection included as standard, as well as a pocket for a back protector. The outer shell is made from a mixed nylon/cotton Ripstop material which is water-resistant and has a wax effect. You’ve also got a polyester mesh lining for added breathability. Oh, and you’ll never forget a face mask again thanks to the small pocket inside the collar that holds a microfibre face mask which…

News Like father, like son! Many of you will know that Niall Mackenzie is a CMM friend and contributor – but we also love the work his son Taylor Mackenzie puts into his social media output; it keeps his racing alive. And it keeps us entertained; Google ‘Mad Mark’ and prepare to laugh. Ahead of his ride on a 500cc two-stroke machine at Oliver’s Mount recently the 28-year-old former British Superstock 1000 champion shared some pictures with his followers on social media. It seems that for the 1989 season, when dad Niall rode for Giacomo Agostini’s Marlboro Yamaha squad, Taylor (today) and dad were around the same age. Taylor even borrowed dad’s old 1989 leathers: whiffy? For more visit: www.taylor-mackenzie.co.uk…

News RARE RACER FOR SALE Our friends at The Motorcycle Broker currently have this for sale: a 1978 Ducati NCR which was supplied new to Steve Wynne Racing, the very same who set up Mike Hailwood’s TT winning machine of the same year… Paul Jayson of The Motorcycle Broker says: “It was in the crate for many years and then used only to parade once with Paul Smart riding it. It is unrestored and completely original with the round case, dry clutch and sand-cast NCR motor. Only 18 of these machines were built and this is one of the few genuine ones to come to market since January 2014 when Bonhams sold one for £125,000.” Unsurprisingly, this machine is POA but it has plenty of history and documentation. For more…

FEEDBACK Post to Mechanics, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ or email your pictures to editorial@classicmechanics.com WIN BRIDGESTONE KIT Every month, we’re giving away a Bridgestone Oxford Products Oximiser 3X to the winner of our Star Letter! No cash alternatives, before you ask! Simply get in touch by sending emails to: letters@classicmechanics.com or direct to the editor at BSimmonds@Mortons.co.uk or post your letters to the normal address, giving contact details in case you’re the lucky winner. Harleys please! Great mag, well worth subscribing for decent and helpful journalism. I run and maintain a variety of Japanese, British and American bikes and enjoy all the articles, especially the tool features and restorations. However, the main reason for writing is about Harley-Davidson. I note your reference to this great marque in…

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. WINNER LEVER BENDING Q:Just a quick comment about the bent clutch lever on Mark Haycock’s TX750. Mark says that he wouldn’t advise straightening it, but I have successfully straightened them in the past. The issue with alloy levers is that once bent they ‘work harden’ and become brittle so any attempt to straighten them runs the risk of them snapping. The solution to this is to anneal the metal by heating and quenching it before bending it straight. (Rub soft soap on the…

Project Suzuki TR750 part 13 Lucky for some! Has it really been more than 12 issues (and much longer than a year) since we first saw Malc? He’s still on with his Suzuki triple special! WORDS AND PICS: MALCOLM SHAW Time has flown by and here we are at part 13 and it’s somewhat of an anniversary. It means I’ve been writing about my build for over a year now! I realise that sometimes I only cover making a few bits, and even then I don’t always cover every detail. It’s surprising what it takes to describe making something. Anyway, I hope it has been of interest and informative, and inspired some of you to start your own builds. Let’s see what I can cover this time. A little more…

Project Aprilia RSV1000 Mille part 4 Plodding on! Lots of things speed up and slow down any restoration, be it boredom, laziness, a lockdown, family or otherwise. So much has happened in the last year, but Bruce is trying to get on with the marvellous Mille. WORDS: BRUCE WILSON PICS: GARY D CHAPMAN So, I bought a year 2000 RSV Mille for £550.Yes, it arrived in carrier bags. Yes, I nearly set fire to my garage trying to get the thing started. Yes, I realised almost instantly that I was farther out of my depth than a fish on top of a mountain. Luckily for me, I’m surrounded by mates that know far more than I do about nuts and bolts and engines, as you will have seen with parts…

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Project Yamaha RD350 part 9 Simply stunning! The final tweaks and a new set of panels have Scoop and others smiling at his classic stroker. WORDS AND PICS: STEVE COOPER The very fact I’ve not reported back on the early 1973 Yamaha RD350 for a while could be taken any number of ways. It’s nothing bad. In fact I’ve done little else but ride it. Obviously the editor of this august organ has to juggle many articles so this latest episode was written some time ago. Either way I’ve not fallen out of love with the bike. Even after the inevitable winter lay-ups, once the battery is given a quick boost this grand old dame fires up ready for another season of geriatric mayhem. The Power Dynamo alternator coupled to…