Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2023 i Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

I remember I was late getting away from the office and my girlfriend (later my wife) had booked us to see a film – no idea what it was. It was July 1997 and legendary lens-man John Noble was keeping me chatting at the Bike magazine offices in Peterborough, telling me about the fin rot on his Koi Carp; I told him I had to dash. It wasn’t too far along the A605 between Peterborough and the A14 which led to my home in Kettering. And I had the fastest production bike in the world at my disposal: Honda’s CBR1100XX Super Blackbird. If ever a bike was designed to help me make up the time I’d lost, this was it. Yes at times I went too fast; yes I take…

PIRELLI ANGEL GT II TYRES Tyre development being what it is, you don’t need the latest all-singing, alldancing sports tyres – even on a sports machine. It’s probably been that way for years. I’ve been on enough tyre launches to be told that today’s sports-touring tyres are as good/better than yesteryear’s outright sports tyres. Why else do you think people that know like Ron Haslam ran sportstouring tyres on their race school bikes at Donington Park? I’m also honest enough about my shrinking riding capabilities (call it self-preservation/wisdom) that I don’t use a bike as hard as I used to, so don’t expect me to be talking about spinning up the rear in this test. Crashing both hurts and can be expensive. That’s why when I was recommended these sports-touring…

We may want to ‘go large’ in 2024 and need your advice. Last year we had some ‘AV’ (audio visual) equipment in a bid to get the taste of the 1990s flowing… This year, space issues meant we were a little cramped, to allow other clubs to get their stand space… But, we’re thinking of ‘going large’ in 2024 and wanted to both run some ideas past you as well as ask for your input. With the show being so hard on our old bones, would you welcome a bit of a ‘chill-out’ CMM section? Sure, we have our main stand where you can buy subscriptions at a competitive rate (and many of you did, thank you, it was a stand record) but how about somewhere to sit, chew the fat…

Back in the spring of 1997 I joined Bike magazine and was the lucky recipient of Honda’s new hyper-bike – the CBR1100XX Super Blackbird as a long-termer. Me and P774 OLU did 4000 miles together in three months, going to the Isle of Man, speed-testing it for the benefit of TV cameras at Bruntingthorpe, and even lending it to Aaron Slight, who gave me a surreal ‘backie’ on it at that year’s TT. By early July 1997, I had a broken left arm and right thumb as a result of a Blackbird-VW Caddy van interface. Our relationship then was short, sweet and quite painful… Fast-forward to June 2009 and I’m in the market for a bike, preferably a sports-tourer. I spot a Blackbird R280 OBF with 19,650 miles on the…

Well who would have thought it? Not only does the Suzuki Apache motor fit the Ducati GTV350 chassis, it also looks like it’s supposed to be there! As Sean Allen, who is wielding the angle grinders and welding gear, opined: “I think Ducati may come after us for faking something it could have made back in the late 1970s!” I have to admit we’ve been lucky… more than lucky if I’m honest. The engine sits just perfectly between the two sets of angled rails that come down from the head-stock and seat tubes. Even better, the Suzuki’s cylinder is pretty much parallel to the front tubes – which is amazingly good fortune by anyone’s standards. And Gods of Restorations and Projects continued to smile upon us when a pair of…

1990s Honda VFR800 Asking: £600 I’m a big fan of high-mileage bikes (because they’re usually cheap), and a big fan of VFRs (because they’re just ace) so normally I’d be frothing at the prospect of an early 800 (before they screwed it up with the under-seat exhausts and the VTEC system) for virtually no money at all: sitting on new tyres, too. So why do I find myself recoiling from this one? Well, high miles are good if the bike’s been sensibly and carefully looked after, and this one is setting off alarm bells all over the place. The hideous homemade seat and cowl are the obvious triggers, followed by the tacky boy-racer wheel stickers, the smoked headlights, and the evidence of matt black rattle can finish over footrest hangers and…

IN CONJUNCTION WITH Here’s my wonderful Whitstable workshop: it cost me just short of a grand and I put it up myself in 2019. I'm not particularly flush for cash so it took me ages to save up for it. It’s 20x10ft and I upgraded it with a stronger floor and real glass instead of plastic. I’ve got what I call a ‘clean’ bench which is really brightly lit by five spotlights at close range and is kept clean. All of the fiddly work such as carb strips and switchgear repairs are done here, and also my other hobby of plastic kit modelling. That’s a Fiat CR42 in 1/32 scale there at the moment. I also make or adapt any bits that I might need on my mini-lathe and mill.…

The Swinging Sixties produced a crop of superstars and icons during this most delectable of decades – and one such icon was Mike Hailwood. Such was the mark of the man, of his genius, that he is still recalled and remembered with fondness and respect. Valentino Rossi – an icon in his own right – has always been a keen historian of motorcycle racing. So, when he matched Mike’s 76 grand prix win tally at the Sachsenring in 2005, he did so in style with a flag stating: ’76 Rossi, 76 Hailwood, I’m sorry Mike.’ This was out of respect for Hailwood’s many achievements on two wheels. And, to celebrate the first 50 years of MotoGP in 1999, readers of Motociclismo in Spain voted Mike as their favourite rider, ahead…

We love retro-styled machines here at CMM and this is the latest from Yamaha’s Sport Heritage range. Called the XSR900 GP, it evokes memories of Marlboro-backed YZR500s from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, ridden by such greats as Giacomo Agostini, Kenny Roberts, Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey. Of course, the XSR is powered by a four-stroke 890cc CP3 crossplane crank triple and benefits from an R1-derived six-axis IMU and lean-sensitive rider aids. Three pre-set integrated riding modes, ‘SPORT’, ‘STREET’ and ‘RAIN’ feature factory settings with different intervention levels to suit different conditions; the rider can also manually select their own settings. Yes, it’s modern, so this bike can be connected to your phone via an app – and the traditional clocks are represented by a five-inch colour TFT screen. The…

Trevor Garrard says: “Love the Show Us Yours and The Way We Were features. Born in 1960, I was fortunate to grow up in those halcyon days of the 1970s where the Japanese motorcycle industry really started to shift up a gear. I had a Honda SS50 as my first bike (I wanted a Yamaha FS1-E!). Then I progressed on to trail bikes, with a new Honda XL125 that I fitted out with Preston Pettys and endure lamp on the rear-end, plus a Sammy Miller straightthrough pipe. I passed my test on this bike in early 1978. I moved up to a Suzuki TS250M aged 18 (an identical one I later bought in my late 50s, thanks to seeing one of the same colour for sale in your magazine), then a…

If you were to listen to the modern bike press you might very well conclude the latest tranche of larger parallel twins is akin to the second coming – well, third if we’re being accurate here. The likes of Honda’s new Hornet, Suzuki’s multi-platform 800, Aprilia’s RS660 and more are the new ‘must haves’. Truth be told, a certain firm based in Iwata, Japan, started the current trend back in 2014 with the sublime MT-07, but that’s only part of the story. Yamaha has a thing about parallel twins – some have been stunning, other’s dire, but they always seem to come back to them. The company revisited the concept in earnest back in 1991 with the immensely competent TDM850. Some called it the ‘TEDIUM’ whilst others referred to it…

Soon you’ll be able to read the tale of me heading north of the border on the ol’ Bavarian Battleship – the R18, not the Bismarck… We mentioned last time my prep for said trip, but what about touring and other noted accessories? I think that this is where the retro brigade have an edge on the real classic scene. I mean, have you seen how crazy people go for period aftermarket goodies now? Real Allspeeds/Microns/fork-braces/lightweight wheels – all of these things are searched for and treasured. The first thing I do with a long-term test bike is check out what accessories are needed, and what performance boosts I can plan in. But this is another area where the R18 is not normal. My Classic model has a screen and…

If you wanted more than 164bhp, you could stage-one tune your Honda Blackbird and get, say, 10 per cent extra power all round. But in 1998 it was Honda’s 50th Anniversary, so in the UK a number of special-edition machines were built. Honda UK took the CBR600, FireStorm, FireBlade and VFR800 and with the help of RS Performance’s Russell Savory created special-edition machines. The 50th Anniversary Honda CBR1200XX Super Blackbird nested itself at the very top of this tree, boasting 200bhp at the crank (around 175-180bhp at the rear wheel) and being clocked at 200mph. V&M Racing’s Jack Valentine and tuning maestro, the late, great Steve Mellor made the Blackbird 50th bike something very special. The looks were subtle: with an understated red/white/carbon colour scheme with gold lettering, courtesy of…

I had planned to be elbows deep in the CX500 motor by now, but another project came along, as they do. It’s a modern one, so it needn’t concern us here, except that I needed to free up some space in the workshop and especially free up the bike bench, so the CX had to go back in the other barn for a while. Doing that meant moving the Bunne Shoppe Flyer (my old Mobylette) and the KDX200 around to try and make space, and I thought I may as well try and get the BSF running for the first time since it conked out (again) last year. I'd ditched the original ignition coil and condenser set up (inside the flywheel) for an external version which is alleged to be…

SUSPENSION On the soft side as standard: ex track bikes (may have been upgraded for sharper handling at the expense of comfort. CARBS Like any carb these don’t like stale fuel but location and fitment make cleaning them out more difficult. SPEED LIMITED VFR400R-K/N had their speed limited to 112mph – override devices are available. PANELS Some ageing inevitable especially around mounts but cheap pattern panels are more prone to stress issues. ENGINE Reliable if serviced and not tuned: revs to 14,500rpm so don’t skimp on oil quality or regular changes. SPARK PLUGS Not the easiest to access and sometimes not changed when they should be which may lead to misfires and poor running. ELECTRICS Some bikes have experienced issues with alternators and regulator/rectifier units: typical 1990s Honda! For some…

CALLING ALL WEIRDOS! Okay, I get it – I’m opening myself up for a lot of ridicule here, but Honda’s strange DN-01 is now 15 years of age… Yup, this strange-looking, push-me-pull-you looking ‘thing’ is now eligible as a classic Japanese machine. But should it be? Well, I bet there’ll be one on a stand somewhere at next year’s Stafford Show and here’s why… It’s very different. Some classed it as a cruiser, some as a tourer, but in reality it was neither. Even on the (very wet) launch around Lake Como, in Italy, we didn’t really know. It didn’t seem to be comfortable enough to tour all-day long and the on-board storage was pretty non-existent. Then, with the carrying capacity ‘never exceed’ of 140-odd kilos, it meant that with…

Igenuinely cannot recall the last time I did any serious spannering on a bike that didn’t have a centre-stand or the ability to somehow hoik the front-end up off the ground. The Apache lacks the former and that oh-so-sexy exhaust system precludes the latter which makes adjusting the steering races a royal pain. Still, needs must when the devil drives as they say. The Sealey axle stands mentioned a while ago, augmented by some old rags, saved the day and the hopefully front-end is now fully sorted. I’ve taken the liberty of removing the original dust seals from the forks post rebuild and installed some appropriate fork gaiters I found on line. Some will no doubt bemoan this deviation from factory specification but here’s the logic. This is the first…

CABERG TOURMAX X HELMET Italian lid maker Caberg is 50 next year, so expect a flurry of launches, including this one. The original Tourmax was launched back in 2014. The new Tourmax X is double homologated – in both chin up and chin guard down mode; has a micro-adjustable visor system; a new venting system; and a lining made of breathable and hypoallergenic fabric materials that guarantee maximum freshness and hygiene in addition to being completely removable and washable. You’ve also got a Double Visor Tech system, the integrated sun visor that is easy to use while the external visor is scratchresistant and, thanks to the double Pinlock lens, does not allow fogging. The Tourmax X can also be used with the PRO SPEAK EVO comms system. Three graphic schemes…

Yet again, the modern world looks to the classic for inspiration – including Kawasaki with its new sports models for 2024. The name ‘Ninja’ has been synonymous with Kawasaki sports machines for 40 years and in 2024 the manufacturer will add to that by using a famous colour scheme from the late 1980s/early 1990s on its sporting motorcycles. The trio of machines comprises the Ninja ZX-10R, the Ninja ZX-6R and the new Ninja ZX-4RR. Each machine will be available in a version of the evocative early 1990s Kawasaki World Endurance livery of green, blue and white with the bold Kawasaki logo dominating the lower cowl, just like the three-time championship winning machines of the period. Adopted for the 1989 ZXR series of machines, the distinctive livery dials into the fashion…

More details of the new Kawasaki Eliminator 500 and Eliminator 500 SE are now being released. Kawasaki hopes that the new models will have a big presence in the 500cc middleweight class, also bringing back the classic ‘Eliminator’ name of days gone by. The EU A2 licence class compliant Eliminator 500 mates a liquid-cooled parallel twin-cylinder motor to a trellis frame creating a mean and moody silhouette, just like you’d expect from a good cruiser. With a low seat height of just 735mm (but offering two other seat height options of 765 and 715mm, courtesy of different seats) the Eliminator is aiming to be comfortable for all. Modern LED lighting is used throughout, as well as all digital clocks and Bluetooth/smartphone connectivity. Kawasaki says that the bike will offer strong…

It was a weekend to remember at The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show and you’d be forgiven for thinking we’d gone back in time… We’re saying this not just because of the amazing breadth of machines on display or in the auction from almost a century of motorcycling, but the fact that the show ‘felt’ old school, like the shows of old. This was due to the ‘buzz’ around the Stafford Showground and the numbers coming in through the gates. Yes, the weather didn’t play ball during set up day on Friday nor for much of Saturday, but the smiles were there for all to see. Even from the people either marching in wearing wellies/hiking boots (me) or being dragged out of the mulch by a tractor (not me…). Inside the…

At the end of 1996, Honda was aiming for the very top: it wanted the title of the fastest production bike on the planet. By the mid-1990s that title had been held for years by Kawasaki’s ZZ-R1100. Since its introduction in 1990 via a big update in 1993, the (by then) ram-air equipped four-cylinder Kawasaki was the master blaster of choice, clocking anything between 170-178mph at the various test tracks used by the motorcycle press of the time. No machine had really come close to beating the ZZ-R, but by the start of 1996 word was getting out that Honda was taking up the challenge, replacing the venerable CBR1000F at the same time. When the bike finally broke cover that summer, it was clear that aerodynamics were a big part…

“I bought this one in March 2023 off a guy in Stourport. I paid £3250 for the Blackbird and I never argued on price as it was that nice. It did have a rubbish screen on it but I kept that even though I’ve replaced, it. I’ve not touched the bike really apart from putting some tyres on it. Apart from the fork legs it’s mint – they always go there for some reason. It’s only got about 8-9000 miles so I’m hoping the reg/rectifier will be okay. It’s a ballistic missile when you ride it: this bike still feels bloody fast… Once you get past 5000rpm it screams and away it goes. I had one 10 years ago and crashed and repaired it but it never felt the same so…

Fifty years or so after it first made the classic ‘Boxer’ horizontally opposed twin, BMW built this, the R90 S. It was a game-changer… It’s late 1973 and we’ve seen the Honda CB750 and Kawasaki Z1, so why would people care about a 67bhp twin? Well, it handled like nothing else at the time, leaving the more powerful four-cylinders in their wobbling wake. How else would it win the inaugural AMA Superbike championship in 1976 with Reg Pridmore aboard? Okay, so that bike made over 100bhp, but it still weighed a (for the time) feather-light 175 kilos. It also looked great – thank the future Katana designer Hans Muth for that – and the colour schemes rocked. BMW suddenly wasn’t boring anymore… While we’re on about bores, some may have…

My next project is this rather tidy Yamaha Thundercat which belongs to a friend of the mag and ace shock guy Tony Hutchison from Hagon. We are going to be carrying out various jobs on the bike for Tony. The bike wears its 19k miles very well for a Yamaha from the 1990s, although it is starting to show some signs of age in the more hidden areas. Tony has requested I go through the Thundercat both cosmetically and mechanically; its last proper outing was at Brands Hatch a couple of years ago and looking at the state of the Bridgestone 023s, the day was thoroughly enjoyed by the pilot! We will, in due course, also be doing a ‘Classic Ride’ on the bike. These Cats are pretty under-rated and…

*and FB Marketplace, and Gumtree, and anywhere else we spot something we like… 1969 Yamaha CS3 200 Asking: £1399 How cool is this? It’s fair to say that perhaps if it was the more common low-pipe version (basically an early RD200) I might not be so enthusiastic, but those upswept pipes just make it for me. Pretty sure this version never came to the UK officially – this one’s been imported from the States so will need registering – but there’s very little difference from the UK version apart from the pipes. That’s good because it’s missing a few fiddly bits which will need sourcing. The eBay listing says the engine’s been stripped and rebuilt and the frame’s freshly painted, so in theory a lot of the hard work’s done. In…

Many of us have been here – you take the top off a master cylinder and wince at what’s inside. Some evil-ooking fluid, possibly some rust or corrosion, lots of staining and possibly some random black gunge floating around. You sigh because you know there’s more hassle and financial outlay ahead if the project is ever going to turn a wheel in anger. Your options are limited: find another one and hope it’s in better condition; fit something new from a more modern bike; or attempt to rebuild what you have. All have their pros and cons but they come with compromises. What if there was another route, one that came with a guarantee of success? At the risk of misquoting a line from a famous pantomime; we really are…

Before I do any more work on the motor I bolt the cases into the frame and consider the bent frame top tubes; as I said before I’ve seen this defect many times and I know I can sort it. It’s essential to have the cases firmly bolted in place to retain the relative positions of the mounting holes in both frame and engine. With a selection of lumps of wood and a substantial aluminium billet held underneath the point on the frame at the apex of the bend I can fit two lightweight scissor jacks pushing vertically upwards. I load up the jacks and fire up my MAPP torch; the trick now is to gently warm the area in question. This took me about half-an-hour and it’s essential to…