Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2025 i Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

ROADSKINARMOURED HOODIE EASYRIDER II For me, comfort and protection are everything when it comes to bike gear. And I’m also a creature of habit. This meant that for many years I was still in one-piece leathers when many had moved to two-piece textiles for better functionality. And so it’s proved that when many biking colleagues and friends had moved to armoured, protective casual clothing, I was still in waterproof textiles and lumbering biker boots. This is the reason why I used this Roadskin Armoured Hoodie Easyrider II garment all of twice back in 2023 before hanging it up in the garage and forgetting about it, sticking to ‘what I know’. What a fool I have been! Digging it out this summer, it’s since never been changed for any other biking…

If you’ve ever seen the project bike and workshop articles in CMM and thought, ‘I could do that’, well, now’s your chance! We are always looking for talented amateur writers to join our contributing team. Most of our current contributors are in the magazine regularly because they ‘gave it a go’! What we are looking for predominantly are technical articles and project bike write-ups. While we have plenty of contributors, we’ve been listening to YOU and you want a wider breadth of machines in our pages. So, if you’ve got something to write about, contact editor Bertie on: BSimmonds@Mortons.co.uk. And yes, it will even earn you a few quid……

SEPTEMBER 17 CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS OUT NOW 20 Kempton Park Motorcycle Jumble Kempton Park Racecourse, Staines Road East, Sunburyon-Thames, Surrey TW16 5AQ: www.kemptonautojumble.co.uk 20-21 Sywell Classic Pistons & Props Sywell Aerodrome, Hall Farm, Sywell, Northants NN6 0BN: www.sywellclassic.co.uk 20-21 Dorset Bike Festival Wooders Campsite, Sugar Hill, Wareham, Dorset BH20 7NN: www.dorsetbikefest.com 21 Classic Motorcycle Show Dover Transport Museum, Willingdon Road, Dover, Kent CT16 2JX: www.dovertransportmuseum.org.uk 21 Romney Marsh Classic Bike Jumble and Ride-in Show Hamstreet, Kent TN26 2JD: www.elk-promotions.co.uk 24 CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE ON SALE 25 Bideford Bike Night The Quay car park, Bideford, Devon EX39 2AG: www.bidefordbikeshow.org 28 Huddersfield Autojumble Old Market Building, Brook Street, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD1 1RG: www.phoenixfairs.jimdo.com OCTOBER 3 THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE ON SALE 4 OLD BIKE MART OUT NOW 4 Huggy’s Motorcycle Gathering and…

Bravo, bling! I see you having a pop at those blue brake lines on Andy Bolas’ Suzuki SV650! What’s wrong with a little 1990s bling? Mind you, light blue brake lines on a dark blue bike are a bit too far! Check out this photo of my 2001 SV650 owned from new with 32,000 miles. It’s not been used since 2021 as there’s a new toy in the box. It’s a 2019 Z900RS with a few minor bits of pseudo 1990s tat, too: Rizoma wide bars; cut-down grab rail; 1970s replica side-panel badges; Z1000 (2004) front wheel with homemade carrier for ABS; Z1000 (2010) rear wheel; finished in Aztec Yellow metallic thanks to We Restore Alloys, Dundee. I find the three-spoke wheels easier to clean and I like to be…

Honda’s venerable CBR600F was always the sensible choice in the supersport 600 category, even if it wasn’t always the most exciting. Since 1987, the CBR was the shrewd pick of UK bikers who wanted to do a little bit of everything, be it touring, commuting, brisk B-road riding or just learning their craft as a sensible, if sporting choice as a first post-test bike. It proved it could hustle, too, winning six UK Supersport 600 titles in the 1990s with the likes of tuning powerhouse V&M Racing. Out on the street other manufacturers tried to steal Honda’s crown, often doing things differently. With 1990s bikers being sports-bike crazy, it made sense that the likes of Kawasaki (ZX-6R Ninja), Suzuki (GSX-R600) and Yamaha (YZF-6R) made something sharper and more focused to…

I’ve been the proud owner of my blue XS400 for almost seven of her 44 years; she was first registered in the summer of 1979. I must admit I never looked at XSs back in the day and started my biking career totally wedded to two-strokes. I just wanted to get that out there before the XS haters chip in. My first proper bikes were an RD 125 and then an RD250 DX D (blue with alloy wheels), both from new. I’m currently the proud owner again of another RD250 but this time it’s something a bit more modern (an E also from 1978). So how did I end up with an XS 400, I hear you ask? Believe me, I have been asked that same question many times. My standard…

*and FB Marketplace, and Gumtree, and anywhere else we spot something we like… 1998 Honda RVF400 NC35 Asking: £2750 A tidy looking NC35 for under three grand? There has to be some sort of catch, surely… Oh yes, right there where it says: ‘Appears to have been a Cat-D write-off in 2004,’ and again where it says: ‘The engine seems to have seized.’ Not bothered much about the Cat-D thing, really, but suitable engines don’t come up for sale all that often, or all that cheaply, so that puts a downer on things. Except it also says, ‘…the great news is I have another RVF engine in good condition, which comes with the bike’. Great news indeed – given how compact and hard to work on these things are, this…

In 1969 the mechanics (not ‘technicians’, these were ‘mechanics’ with brown overalls and well-worn 5/16th spanners in their back pockets) at the Triumph factory had amassed a huge amount of knowledge about Tridents (and the BSA equivalent, the Rocket Three) having raced, tuned, blown up and subsequently fixed many a three-cylinder. But what happens if the Trident loses a cylinder? It then becomes atwin cylinder 500… The Daytona in fact, much overlooked, but not to be dismissed just yet. The aforementioned ‘mechanics’ Arthur Jakeman and Jack Shemans also had a very impressive secret weapon: Percy Tait. Percy was a very accomplished rider, both on Tarmac and in former years on dirt. He rode Triumph’s development bikes on a daily basis, and this experience imbued in him a ‘weapons-grade’ skill set…

Two decades ago Troy Corser triumphed when he became the first rider to win the World Superbike championship twice on different machinery. His first title win came in 1996 on the dominant Promotor Power Horse Ducati at a time when perhaps the title favourite – our own Carl Fogarty – had left the Italian manufacturer and had a difficult year on the Honda RC45. The season see-sawed between factory Ducati rider John Kocinski, Aaron Slight (on the Honda) and – when he finally found form – Fogarty himself. Corser would take the title, becoming the-then youngest champion and the first Australian to be crowned champ. 1997 saw an abortive year on a YZR500 Yamaha in 500cc Grand Prixs where background problems saw him not really get afair crack of the…

Want the next issue of CMM? Of course you do! Then it’s simple. Subscribing is best but, failing that, why not pre-order? Simply scan the fuzzy circular 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 next issue (see page 97 for more) then go to: www.classicmagazines.co.uk/issue/preorder where you can pre-order all of Kelsey’s wonderful magazines. Even ones about trains, cars or towpaths… Scan me with your camera phone…

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! STEVE KIRBY’S COLLECTION These are my current bikes, I hope you like them. The Sprint ST I bought in 2017 as I only had the H1 on the road and wanted amilemuncher. I considered another VFR750 but always fancied a Triumph triple and old STs are great value for money. My…

How does that old saying go: ‘Believe half of what you see and nothing of what you hear?’ I think that’s it… The world of classic motorcycling is full of empirical statements, definitive statements, rash assumptions and downright lies. This is why some will argue that, say, you’d be mad to waste your hard-earned cash on a Suzuki GT380 when a Kawasaki S3 is obviously the ‘right’ choice. Logical – hardly, balanced – certainly not, pragmatic – don’t make me laugh. We all have our preferences and reasons for buying certain bikes, but we’d be lying to ourselves if we reckoned that we always make cogent and impartial decisions. And by the same rationale it’s exceptionally easy to jump on the bandwagon and accept that perceived wisdom is automatically correct…

My aim is to go through the wheels next and sort out the bearings, brake linings, seals and spacers, etc. I’ve already established the bearing in the sprocket carrier feels lumpy so that’s likely to be heading for recycling. Although I could clean it out, check it over, and repack it with grease, it’s not really worth the risk or potential hassle. When Suzuki built the GT750 and T500 – from which this bike borrows heavily – they were interested in economies of scale and if using open bearings saved them a few Yen on each machine over a model year, those monies soon mounted up. However, on an individual basis come restoration time there’s little if any logic or incentive to skimp. When quality bearings are to be had at…

Look at this beautiful machine – and it’s currently up for auction, if your pockets are deep enough! Suzuki and Hideo ‘Pops’ Yoshimura have been names joined at the hip since 1978 and this bike celebrates that long association. And we think it’s breathtaking. Built using an original ‘slabby’ Suzuki GSX-R750 model, this is similar to that taken to victory by Kevin Schwantz at the Daytona 200 as well as the bikes that scooped three successive All-Japan TT-F1 titles between 1985-1987 with riders Satoshi Tsujimoto and Yukiya Ohshima. This build is called the ‘604 Complete Machine’ and models the bike that Tsujimoto raced at Daytona in 1986. It uses a custom Cyclone exhaust system, as well as upgraded suspension and brakes. Much engine work and uprated Mikuni TMR MJN32 carbs…

Two recent crowd-pleasing events were held at Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum in August. First up was the annual Triumph Owners’ Day, which saw an estimated 460 motorcycles filling the museum grounds. A highlight of the day was Oscar Cridland, aged 13, who proudly presented his Triumph TR5 Trophy in Shell Blue – built from parts found in his grandfather’s garage. On winning the ‘Doc Bike’s Choice’ award he said: “This restoration journey with my grandad has been long and rewarding. He’s a lifelong biker and has inspired me!” Prizes awarded on the day included John Lewis ‘Best Meriden’ for his Thunderbird; Rod Clark ‘Best Hinckley’ for his chrome Speed Triple; Chris Towner ‘Museum’s Choice’ for his 1952 flat-track Bonnie; and Graham Head ‘Best in Show’ for his striking blue and…

If you’re at the show you could win this hat, full of history and intertwined as part of Wayne Gardner’s story. CMM editor Bertie Simmonds won the hat at an auction late last year. He says: “The hat once belonged to Wayne Gardner and was given for auction by Anne Brown, wife of the late, great grand prix paddock journalist John Brown, who was a friend of mine. As you can see from the picture, on winning his 1987 world title, Wayne gifted him his famous hat to JB who kept it in pride of place.” Early this year Wayne was reunited with the hat, recalling that ‘JB’ was a lovely fella and that he is happy to help auction this hat off in aid of the British Heart Foundation…

Phil Humphries says: “You included this shot of me last year! I bought this GPZ 550 (UWD 84X) new in 81, and sold her to buy a Z1000H which I’ve still got – more than can be said for the hair and waist size. The DVLA said the 550 is still running strong out there somewhere. While I’d love to be reunited with her, I thought you’d like to see this. This is me with another GPZ I found after placing a Wanted ad in CMM’s classifieds. The bike was disclosed as a non-runner: cosmetically it looked great, giving the impression it was well looked after. How wrong I was to let heart rule head! There was so much wrong (and downright dangerous) but after a complete strip and rebuild its back…

Honda launched the ubiquitous CBR600 in 1987 to much applause. Over the years the 600F model was developed into a fuel-injected two-model (F and F-Sport) version in 2001. Eventually, the need for success in racing dictated a more refined, track-focused ‘RR’ version, which is where our family tree begins… 2003-2004 HONDA CBR600RR-3/4 The first properly focused ‘RR’ mass-produced CBR600, the looks were based heavily on the-then V5 Honda MotoGP four-stroke the RC211V with some tech (such as the FI system) derived from the RCV, too. The 599cc inline four produced 117 claimed bhp, had a race-derived chassis and under-seat end-can. Dry weight was 169 kilos. An O2 sensor was the only addition to the 2004 machine. 2005-2006 HONDA CBR600RR-5/6 Mild but important updates saw the RR-5/6 finally get 41mm inverted…

The XS400 stems from Yamaha’s heightened awareness of the growing pressure placed on two strokes within the USA and particularly California as the 1970s ticked by. 1976 had seen the XS360 rolled out to the vital American market as a direct rival to the Honda twins of the time that had proved to be huge revenue generators; mid-capacity motorcycles had become huge business since the 1960s stateside. 1977 saw a lower-spec XS360 being offered alongside the ‘standard’ model. Drum front brake, no electric start, side stand only and other cost-cutting measures brought the retail price down by 20 per cent. Boring the 360 motor out delivered the 400 during the same year with the 360 deleted for 1978. Come 1980, the XS400 gained an SE suffix and a factory custom makeover…

Why is it that new things always come along a week or two too late? Hmm. More on that later. My man at Laser Tools visited the other week and dropped off some toys for me to test, one of which was a little socket set based around their ¼-inch drive Roto Lock tool of which I have been a massive fan for quite some while. Whenever friends visit my workshop and see me using one of my Roto Lock wrenches, invariably they insist that I sell them one. Once you’ve used one, you really don’t want to give it back. Given my man at Laser Tools knows what a fan I am of this tool, I’m surprised he hasn’t shown me this little socket set before. This set may…

I purchased this bike nearly 25 years ago now. Initially it was up for sale in a local bike shop for £2999, which really was a touch too expensive for me at the time. It was a one owner bike with a reasonably low mileage and it looked like new, being as it was a late registered bike on an N-plate; these stopped being imported in around 1991. Fast-forward 12 months or so and I’m chatting with a customer about bikes and he mentions having a TZR250 that he’s got and doesn’t use anymore. Well, lo and behold it’s only the same blooming bike! Thankfully, it had always been well looked after and maintained and since I’ve had it, other than precautionary pistons and rings, it’s not needed anything more…

1982 KAWASAKI GPz750: Steve Cooper heads back to the 1980s and loves it! ROYAL ENFIELD BEAR 650: Bertie Simmonds is knocked out by a retro 650 twin 2001 HONDA GL1800 GOLD WING: Our own big Bert on a really big bike… SUZUKI SV650S: Buyer’s Guide on Suzuki’s top value 1990s V-twin AND SHOW US YER SHED AND THE WAY WE WERE: Win a T-shirt for sending us your nostalgic waffle! PROJECT BIKES: We will be showcasing some of the following (space allowing): Mark Haycock’s Honda CB400 Four; Steve Cooper’s Ducati/Suzuki special or Rickuki special; Jeff Ware’s Honda CBR900RR FireBlade or Suzuki GSX-R750F. Then there’s Ralph Ferrand with his Kawasaki Z900 Special or new project Moto Guzzi Le Mans Mk.1. Or Will Hollman’s Yamaha DT360 and Andy Bolas’ Suzuki GS1000 and Suzuki…