Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2024 i Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

NEXX X.WST3 HELMET I have a selection of helmets for different styles of riding, and the latest one to attract my attention is the NEXX X.WST3. By the way, NEXX helmets are manufactured in Portugal and they’ve been busy producing them since 2001. NEXX does everything in-house, meaning that the brand can offer more flexibility while providing a higher level of customisation and service. They have five categories of helmet and the sleek X.WST3 is suited to street/urban cruising. The X. WST3 is available with a choice of two lightweight shells: the X-PRO 3K Carbon Fibre and a Multi-Composite Fibre option, made with NEXX’s own X-MATRIX2 material. Both versions are ECE22.06 certified, and come in three outer shell sizes for the closest fit across each size range. I decided to…

Personally, of late, I’ve hit the buffers and there’s not an awful lot been happening in the workshop. Recovering from a long-term illness took its toll and motivation levels dropped to an all-time low. When your mojo goes it’s sometimes surprisingly difficult to kick-start the damn thing. That said, the enforced ‘hors de combat’ situation did have an upside. Occasionally I was able to delve piecemeal into the small, yet not insignificant, stock of parts accumulated over some 15 or so projects. This panoply of parts also included items for bikes I’d never even owned but might, just possibly, aspire to one day. Yes, a stupid notion without doubt and one with little likelihood of a positive resolution any time soon. Who has the will and dedication to go the…

We love to hear from you, so why not let us know what you like, or dislike, in YOUR magazine. 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. The best will win one of our lovely T-shirts! Star Letter Funny as flip I just wanted to thank Kevin Raymond for keeping me entertained over the last year or so. The first pages I turn to now when I buy my CMM are the centrefold (to see if it’s good enough to end up on my workshop wall) and then the projects section. Not only am I currently after a decent project, but I just giggle at some of the stuff he comes out with…

Dave Taylor MBE was a real motorcycling legend, known to many as ‘The Wheelie King’. Taylor helped set up a number of road safety initiatives which were as a direct result of him seeing two of his friends die in road accidents on motorcycles. He said at the time that he knew it wasn’t the motorcycles that killed his friends, it was their and others’ attitudes to safety. During the 1970s and 1980s he would use his innate skill on two wheels to highlight the excitement that riding could give – but also while stressing the vital importance of safety and training. His safety road-shows would eventually be taken to schools where – for many youngsters of the time – their first powered transport would be a motorcycle, moped or…

IN CONJUNCTION WITH So, I thought I’d send you some pictures and words on my shed, which nestles in Tain, deep in the Scottish Highlands of Ross-shire. I built it myself about 25 years ago for the explicit use of restoring bikes. I retired some four years ago and spend my time now buying bikes, restoring them, then selling them on to fund the next project. I recently extended it (as like everyone else you never have enough room, right!) and made a small machine shop with a lathe, milling machine and surface grinder. I do every part of the restorations myself bar chrome-plating, and this includes making many hard-to-find parts, which is a part of restorations that I really enjoy. So, I do engine rebuilds, wheel building, frame repairs,…

WITH MORE THAN 30 PAGES OF PRACTICAL ADVICE! YAMAHA DT175: Steve Cooper tries a trailie classic TRIUMPH ROCKET III: What’s the original like 20 years on? We try the latest version… HONDA CB77: Buyer’s Guide SHOW US YER SHED: WIN a £50 Venhill voucher if you show us YOURS! PROJECT BIKES: We will be showcasing some of the following (space allowing): Pip Higham’s Triumph Spotty Bike; Bertie Simmonds’ Kawasaki ZRX1100R-TC; Mark Haycock’s Honda ST70; Steve Cooper’s Yamaha YL1 or new Ducati/Suzuki special; Jeff Ware’s Bridgestone BS90; David Punshon’s Honda CB750 DOHC; Malc Shaw’s Suzuki GT500 Café Racer; Kev Raymond’s back with a Honda SS50; and Taylor Mackenzie’s Yamaha TY80 should really be featured. Let’s not forget Dave Marsden from Z-Power and his ‘Goose’ Mad Max replica which is on its way…

Before Carl Fogarty was a household name for eating strange animal parts and becoming King of the Jungle, he was a world champion motorcycle racer – and it is 30 years since his first world title. It wasn’t the easiest of victories and it all came down to a final nail-biting last round at Phillip Island, Australia, in 1994. Fogarty’s first World Superbike championship win was made all the more remarkable, thanks to injury and big changes to his Ducati team. Carl and Ducati came off the back of a successful 1993 where he was runner-up to the consistent Scott Russell on the Kawasaki ZXR750. For 1994 it was all change. In came the Ducati 916 to replace the 888 and team boss Raymond Roche and most of the team…

We want to see YOUR pride and joy in our pages, so you can share what you ride and what you restore/build with fellow readers. Email your hi-res shots to bsimmonds@mortons.co.uk or mail in some photos at the address at the front of the mag. Let us know what you’ve done, how you’ve done it and send before and after shots if you can. Do get in touch – because the best of the month gets a free T-shirt! Geoff Brooks’ Kawasaki ZX-7R Ninja I thought I would drop you a line with a couple of pics of my Kawasaki ZX-7R which I have been updating for some time now. The bike has been mine from new and, as a fan of the Kawasaki France endurance racers, I always wanted…

You’ll get a bit of a surprise when you first ride the Harley-Davidson XR1200 around a corner. You’ll enjoy it… Okay, it may seem like I’m damning with faint praise there, but I’m trying to make the point that big lumps of American pig-iron aren’t normally renowned for their cornering prowess, but the XR can put a smile on your face in the wobbly bits of road that pop up between those straighty things. Other Harleys have put smiles on my face, but for different reasons. Bikes such as the liquid-cooled V-Rod, a real ‘power cruiser’ which can burst away from the lights quicker than something you’d expect from Milwaukee. And, of course, I’m also talking about the big tourers here, the likes of an Electra-Glide or something similar. Something…

Volte-face! I’ll be honest, I was pretty underwhelmed by the idea of a Bluetooth battery monitor. Well, that was until my Kawasaki Z1300 started exhibiting battery issues. Basically The Beast’s battery was dead; it had ceased to be. Then, having parted with many beer tokens for a new ‘volt storage device’, I wasn’t best pleased when I dragged the big six out of the workshop to take me to a bike night, only to find that the new battery was also bereft of power! I started the bike from a jump pack and then grabbed a multi meter, only to find that there were insufficient volts being returned to the battery. Great, so instead I took the ZRX1200, Rex. It transpired that the reg/rec (combined regulator and rectifier) was goosed and…

RUROC EOX HELMET This is Ruroc’s all-new top-of-the-range full-face helmet – the EOX. Ooh and we’re liking the aggressive look. As you’d expect, the helmet is ECE 22.06 and DOT Certified and has a lightweight QUAD-MATRIX carbon composite shell which is sculpted for optimal aerodynamic performance. It features a toolless visor mechanism, an adjustable airflow system with six high-flow vents, and a ‘Right Fit’ formula for personalised comfort. The field of view through the helmet’s aperture is a wide 215 degrees. You also have the optional add-on of the brand’s newly-designed and optimised Shockwave system as well as an all-new Shockwave Mesh system, developed in association with leading wireless communication experts, Cardo Systems, where (with sound engineered by the audio experts at Harman Kardon) riders can connect with up to…

July 20 Kempton Auto-Jumble July 20 sees the next Kempton Auto Jumble – but with a twist! The event now offers an exciting new feature for buying and selling bikes! Whether you’re on the hunt for your dream motorcycle or ready to part with your beloved ride, Kempton is the ideal place to make it happen. Bundle-selling tickets are available for just £15 in advance, giving you early access to the show and the chance to sell your bike. If you’re looking to find your dream bike, entry tickets start at just £7! At Kempton Auto Jumble, you’ll discover more than just bikes. Find your perfect motorcycle, a new restoration project, that elusive spare part, or simply enjoy swapping stories with fellow enthusiasts. For more www.kemptonautojumble.co.uk August 2 Fowlers Bristol…

First time I found out that Honda was about to launch a new high-performance road bike with top-notch handling was at the Barcelona 24-hour race in July in 1978. The factory was about to clinch the FIM Coupe D’Endurance series for the third year running and in Spain it was to put what was the basis of the new CB900F to the ultimate test. Two years earlier, when Honda returned to racing with works-supported teams in long-distance racing, it had been fielding machines powered by highly-modified four-cylinder CB750 engines, with the capacity upped to 941cc with 16-valve DOHC heads. That had been the start of a renaissance for Honda after it pulled out of Grand Prix racing at the end of 1967, having clinched every factory title. In the early…

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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 £5.20 EACH (inc p&p) For EU and ROW, please see www.classicmagazines.co.uk DECEMBER 2023 ■ One Super Blackbird ■ Guide to the VFR400R ■ Original parallel twin JANUARY 2024 ■ Colourful CBR600 resto ■ Full-on Italian thunder ■ Project Kawasaki turbo time FEBRUARY 2024 ■ The black art of clutches ■ Honda’s mighty VFlOOOR ■ 1980s RD replicas MARCH 2024 ■ Stunning Yam Fazer ■ Rocket Ill turns 20 ■ Red hot magna APRIL 2024 ■ Bag a two-grand Tiger ■ Delight is a Darmah ■ Jump pack test MAY 2024 ■ Millennium Blade ■ Special…

Those of you who recall the uphill and down dale tale of Bertie’s Aprilia RSV Tuono project will know he was trying to flog it – well, muggins here bought it. You’ll have seen some of my bikes in ‘Show Us Yours’ as well as some mates and me in ‘The Way We Were’ last issue. For 40 years or so motorcycles and scooters have been my passion, as is building, designing and fettling them; since 2018 I’ve described myself as creative director/chief designer/engineer and general dogsbody at Vic’s Custom and Classic Motorcycles in Kent, which is something I did for a few years before recently I called it a day, only to start up again five miles down the road. Also I can say that doing this stuff –…

We’ve had a drop of rain recently, in fact I’ve been thinking about installing an outboard on the back of my TC. But then the skies cleared and last Thursday I wheeled the little bike into the afternoon sunshine and headed off for Wray for the bike night. A couple of hours later I got thoroughly drenched just as I was getting close to back home, so, two hours’ riding, two hours’ cleaning (there’s a lot of ‘stuff’ on our roads and none of it is edible), then a shower and a brew with time to think about the first scoot around. After almost 60 years I still love it and the fettling and cleaning isn’t really a chore, it’s fun. Just hope I can do it for a few…