Classic Motorcycle Mechanics June 2017

70S

SUZZUKI X7 Buye er’s guide!

HONDA A C72 Ridden!

60S

Triple treat!!

...And for dessert:

June 2017 Issue 356

Five decades of modern classic motorcycle mechanics including: 90s: 0s: Hond Honda CR125 restoration, Ducati 996 resto. 80s: Yamaha TZR250 race resto, Suzuki RG400, Yamaha DT175 MX resto. 70s: M Make k your own coolant hoses, Honda C70 & 400/Four resto. 60s: Honda C72, Honda Cub. Also: Coming Classic, Q&A – your questions answered and your bikes and memories!

June 2017 Issue 356 Publisher: Dan Savage, asavage@mortons.co.uk Contributors: Mark Haycock, Ian 'Shroom' Burgess, Kevin Larkins Art Editor: Justin Blackamore Picture Desk: Paul Fincham, Jonathan Schofield Production Editor: Dan Sharp Divisional advertising manager: Martin Freeman mfreeman@mortons.co.uk Tel: 01507 529538 Advertising: Robert Bee rbee@mortons.co.uk, Tel: 01507 529575 Subscription manager: Paul Deacon Circulation manager: Steven O’Hara Marketing manager: Charlotte Park Commercial director: Nigel Hole Editorial address: CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS MAGAZINE, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR Website: www.classicmechanics.com General enquiries and back issues: Tel: 01507 529529 24 hour answer phone help@classicmagazines.co.uk www.classicmagazines.co.uk Archivist: Jane Skayman jskayman@mortons.co.uk, 01507 529423 Subscription: Full subscription rates (but see page 36 for offer): (12 months 12 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £50.40. Export rates are also available – see page 36 for more details. UK subscriptions are zero-rated for the purposes of Value Added Tax. Customer services: Tel: 01507 529529 Lines are open: Monday-Friday 8.30am-7pm Saturday 8.30am-12:30pm Distribution: Marketforce UK Ltd, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HU. Tel: 0203 787 9001 Subscription agents: CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS MAGAZINE, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR Printed: William Gibbons & Sons, Wolverhampton Published date: CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS MAGAZINE is published on the third Wednesday of every month Next issue: June 21, 2017 Advertising deadline: June 5, 2017 © Mortons Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher. ISSN 0959-0900 CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS magazine takes all responsible steps to ensure advice and technical tips are written by experienced and competent people. We also advise readers to seek further professional advice if they are unsure at any time. Anything technical written by the editor is exempt – he’s rubbish with spanners.

CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS (USPS:729-550) is published monthly

by Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ UK. USA subscriptions are $60 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. Periodical Postage is paid at Wisconsin Rapids, WI. Postmaster: Send address changes to CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS, Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. 715572-4595 chris@classicbikebooks.com

Independent publisher since 1885

Having trouble finding a copy of this magazine?

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The Ton-up Club!

Weird as it sounds, even a classic motorcycle magazine has to keep up with the times.

For example, it’s been a while since even the CMM office has seen a Hermes typewriter and while our amazing archive is full of gorgeous black and white (and colour) prints and transparencies, we use more digital than ‘actual’ pictures in today’s day and age. It’s just the way things have developed (ahem…).

Truth be told, magazines need to evolve to survive and that means we need to move onwards (and hopefully upwards) and keep abreast of the big trends. Now, while we still get the odd hand-written letter from our dear readers, the majority of you send in emails, which means you’re mostly computer and internet literate. This is why we’ve been pushing our new website (www.classicmechanics.com)

and our Facebook and Twitter pages with CMM contributor Scott Redmond.

Now, the web page has some ‘At a Glance Guides’, ‘Q&A’ and our news and calendar sections there for you to take a gander at, among others. Meanwhile our buzzing social media pages (and Facebook specifically) is the place to be for old bike banter. Best of all, we’ve just broken through the 100,000 ‘likes’ threshold. With this in mind, we are spannering up unique content and project bikes that will solely exist on social media. Check it all out as it happens on: www.facebook.com/ ClassicMechanics/

www.facebook.com/ClassicMechanics/

editor

www.twitter.com/cmmmag

Bertie Simmonds

Andy Bolas

Ralph Ferrand

bertie@classicmechanics.com It seems you didn’t like the Africa Twin adventure piece last month… see the letters page!

editorial@classicmechanics.com The most famous plumber since Super Mario, our bold Bolas tries something a little outside his comfort zone!

editorial@classicmechanics.com Double helpings of the bearded one: the DT175 gets its timing sorted and he sorts the fork legs on the 400/Four.

Steve Cooper

Scott Redmond

Niall Mackenzie

editorial@classicmechanics.com This month Scoop rides a Honda C72, tells us about the X7 and helps us sort coolant hoses for our classics.

editorial@classicmechanics.com The big man is back: he finds out what gems Unit 5 motorcycle importers are bringing in!

editorial@classicmechanics.com One thread held up play for several hours… but his C70 Cub is nearly, very nearly finished!

Jack Watts

John Nutting

Jerry Thurston

editorial@classicmechanics.com 15-year-old Jack Watts shows that our hobby is safe in the hands of the younger generation.

editorial@classicmechanics.com Nutters rides a super-rare, low-mile NS400R this month and recalls why it didn’t sell so well.

editorial@classicmechanics.com Jerry has a 1969 Honda Cub to recommission: not to mint status as he wants to be able to use it!

Paul Berryman

Gary ‘D’ Chapman

Robert Bee

editorial@classicmechanics.com Well, maybe not him – more Tony Galea! Read PB’s DR600 project piece and his special on the cam-chain king!

editorial@classicmechanics.com Most of what you see is down to this amazing man. He snaps C72 and NS400R this month.

rbee@mortons.co.uk Big, bad Bob is the go-to boy when it comes to putting your top-quality adverts in this top-quality publication!

Where the buck stops!

Older/Nicer stuff editor

Honda CR125 restorer

King of cam-chains!

Quick Spin super-sub!

Real World Rider

Stroker, Ace!

Photographic genius

Devil with the DT

Still glad to be grey

(Another) Cub Reporter

Top ad-person

www.classicmechanics.com / 3

66

❙ WORKSHOP NEWS

68

❙ Q&A

70

❙ YAMAHA TZR250

74

❙ SUZUKI DR600

80

❙ PROJECT RUNT

82 86

Mark Haycock and you with tips!

Part two of Charlie’s resto-racer.

Paul Berryman and a cam-chain masterclass.

Scott Redmond quieten downs his Suzuki GSX-R1000 K1.

❙ DUCATI 996

Jim Lindsay is nearly done!

❙ CHANGING COOLANT HOSES Steve Cooper shows us how.

92

97

Contents

New metal bits and old kit tested.

❙ YAMAHA DT175 MX

Ralph Ferrand is on with part nine: timing!

❙ HONDA C70 CUB

Niall Mackenzie cannibalises one to build another!

110 ❙ SUZUKI X7

Steve Cooper’s buyer’s guide on the legendary learner!

06

ARCHIVE

38 46

HONDA NS400R

08

1979 KAWASAKI KH250

12

NEWS

50

READER RESTO!

18 20 22

CALENDAR

56

UNIT 5

1982 World 500 MX champ Brad Lackey.

Quick Spin on a 70s legend!

We bust the ton on Facebook and new Tamiya kits!

June is Mackenzie month!

FEEDBACK

Praise, moans and blabber!

SHOW US YOURS

Now with added nostalgia: ‘The Way We Were!’

114 ❙ HONDA CB400 FOUR

26

RICKMAN MOTORCYCLES

127 ❙ MAKE OR BREAK REVISITED!

30

HONDA C72

Ralph Ferrand sorts the forks in part two of this project.

61

The best of British!

Steve Cooper rides a classic.

64

A triple treat!

READER RESTO!

15-year-old Jack Watts restores a motocrosser!

Jerry Thurston recommissions a Honda Cub! Scott Redmond visits a Romford bike importer.

READER RESTO!

Dave Watkins on why he’s repainted his RG400 Suzuki.

RETRO REBOOT

What if Triumph remade the Daytona for today?

130 NEXT MONTH

Kawasaki’s Z1000, best bikes of 1982 and an RG500 special from Stan!

How prices have changed over the last five years.

36

SUBSCRIBE! Subscribe and save cash!

www.classicmechanics.com / 5

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WORDS: BERTIE SIMMONDS PHOTOS: MORTONS ARCHIVE

Brad Lackey Brad Lackey is a bona fide motocross legend.

Born in 1953 in California, son of a mad-keen motorcyclist, ‘Bad Brad’ as he became known to his fans, showed terrific determination to eventually become the USA’s only 500cc World Motocross champion.

Despite the lure of staying in America to pick up titles (he was 1972 AMA 500cc champ) Brad spent time learning his trade in Europe while riding for CZ prior to his AMA win. Even while he was dominating in the States he wanted to return to Europe to take the 500cc world title. He won the first of seven Grand Prix in 1977 in Britain (the first for an American) and came second in the overall title hunt the following year for Honda,

before switching to Kawasaki where he was one point behind André Malherbe going into the final event of the 1980 season, but crashed out, losing his chance of the title.

Even with some of the European press dubbing him ‘Bad Lucky’, thanks to a number of machinery failures, his dream became a reality in 1982 when he took the 500cc World Motocross title for Suzuki. A real character, there’s still life in the old dog as he takes part in classic motocross events and was the Over-40s AHRMA champ in 2000! cmm ■ Want to get hold of pictures from the Mortons Archive? Then head to: www.mortonsarchive.com

Brad Lackey

1982 World 500cc MX champ

www.classicmechanics.com / 7

1979

Kawasaki KH250 Why is the man with an RG500 worried about riding a little three-pot stroker from the Seventies? Let’s find out.

WORDS: ANDY BOLAS PHOTOS: GARY D CHAPMAN

S

o here I am on my way to pick up a KH250 from CMM reader an nd Kawasaki nut Doug Perkins for a quick spin s and I’m a bit apprehensive to say the leasst.

On arrival, Doug gives mee a few tips on starting the little KH and we’re soon n loaded up and on our way back to sunny Staffordsshire. So why the concern? Well, I’ve ridden lo ots of different machines, but I haven’t ridden a bike from f the 1970s for a good few years, the last being a H2 750 which had a rather impressive motor but the chassis and brakes left a lot to be desired to the point where I’m sure it tried to kill me a couple of times t around the 200 circuit at Snetterton!

A bit of history: the KH reeplaced the S1 250 in 1976 and dates back to thee heady days of the learner legal 250 era when at 17 you could ride a 250 on L-plates although th hese bikes would be no quicker in reality to the 125 5s I started out on (in full power form anyway). Usually KHI traded on the fact that the machines they weree selling us were real power houses but they could dn’t do that for the little stink-wheel as unlike its big gger relations it wasn’t really that hot. Looking back at some old road tests from back in the day, the Kaawasaki didn’t seem to fare too well against its com mpetitors and the Yamaha and Suzuki offerings seeme ed to be a little better at everything than the little Kaawasaki.

Being a triple the KH wass a little wider and heavier than the other strokkers in its class but putting out slightly less horssepower too didn’t do it any favours! For comparison n, the 1979 Yamaha RD managed 30bhp @ 7500rpm and tipped the scales at 152kg, the 146kg pre X7 7 GT250 from Suzuki managed 30bhp @ 7500rpm while the triple puffed its way to 28bhp @ 7500rp pm and weighed 160kg.

8 / classic motorcycle mechanics

www.classicmechanics.com / 9

Oh dear! Interestingly the KH claimed less bhp than the bike it replaced (the 1975 S1 claimed 32bhp @ 8500rpm). Looking through the specs for the KH and its competitors, I also noticed that the KH has the longest wheelbase too at 1374mm so I would imagine the KH to be the more relaxed and slower steering bike of the bunch, I may be wrong as I’m yet to ride an air-cooled RD250 or a GT250!

Looking around the bike it has a few nice little touches like the handlebar mounted choke lever instead of having one directly on the side of the carb (like an RG250/250LC) which can be very fiddly at times and the instruments are neat and easy to read.

This bike is a low mileage 1979 B4 model – an unrestored survivor: but this may partly be down to the fact that it was registered late on in 1982 so would have missed out on being abused by a learner!

The build quality of the little Kawasaki seems far superior to the Suzuki X5 I used to own, especially the paint and plating. It’s also still wearing its original exhausts and even has the tool kit and owner’s handbook under the seat: I’m not sure how old the tyres are either as although Doug has owned it for a few years he has only put it on the road this year! Let’s find out!

The motor dominates the visuals of the bike with its three heavily-finned cylinders and three exhausts, two on the right and one on the left. As I said earlier I was a little uncertain about riding Doug’s KH and looking round the bike didn’t really make me any more confident: spindly wheels, skinny forks, twin rear shocks, tyres from the year dot and brakes that look a little, erm, primitive shall we say! So, it’s time to get out on the road. Two prods of the 10 / classic motorcycle mechanics

2

1

3

It’s my bike: Doug Perkins This bike belongs to serial Kawasaki collector Doug Perkins and possibly one Kawasaki UK’s first customers.

He says: “I saw this bike for sale around three years ago and when I noticed the mileage and the originality of the bike I made a few more enquiries and found out the bike was a one owner from new bike, so that was it, a deal was done! Buying the KH seemed a little strange for me as when I was a lad I owned a 250 Samurai and detested the little triple 250, but due to its provenance and my desire for collecting Kawasakis I had to have it. From what I can see,

the bike is totally original except the tyres. Before this road test the bike had only been used as a show piece really on the VJMC displays; a little recommissioning was needed before I was happy for Andy to collect the bike and test it. I changed the fluids and fork oil: I also had the carbs off and ultrasonically cleaned them then set them up. I was really pleased when Andy reported back to me that the bike performed perfectly!”

4

kick-start and the KH fires into life easily, smoking evenly from all three pipes. The KH has a nice roomy seating position and a nice smooth progressive clutch although the throttle action seems a little stiff. It does snap shut quickly and positively however, so I don’t think it’s in need of lubrication.

Pulling away and the KH’s triple motor reminded me of another three-cylinder 250 two-stroke I had recently ridden, my own Honda MVX250F which although being a V3 rather than inline triple seemed to share the same engine characteristics as the motor seems to pull well from low down (for a 250) and then runs out of steam around 8000-8500rpm.

Not the peaky little beast I was expecting, the distinctive ‘clack-clack-clack’ exhaust note sounds like nothing else I have ridden and they must sound awesome with a set of expansion pipes on.

Out on the road and my concerns about the overall package soon fade away. Making my way through town the little triple was perfect, not causing any dramas being happy to sit at 30mph through the built up areas without throwing a wobbly.

Leaving the 30 limit and going into a 60 zone, the bike gave a little stutter as it cleared its throat then pulled cleanly through its five-speed gearbox all the way to its redline: time to leave the main road and go down the lanes to see how the chassis and brakes cope when the motor is having a bit of a work out.

IN DETAIL: 1/ It’s not going to pull your arms out of their sockets but it has a certain charm.

2/ Character comes from the baleful sounds emanating from the expansion chambers.

3/ 70s switchgear: groovy, man.

4/ Watching the KH’s needles spin is up there with watching Pan’s People gyrate.

SPECIFICATION

1979

Kawasaki

KH250 ENGINE TYPE

3 cylinder piston-port two-stroke MAX POWER

28bhp @ 7500rpm TORQUE

16lb-ft @ 7000rpm TRANSMISSION

5 speed manual FINAL DRIVE

Chain

SUSPENSION

Front: 34mm telescopic forks Rear: twin oil damped shocks BRAKES

I must admit the little KH really impressed me, never once getting out of shape like the 750 I rode.

The 250 seemed a very pleasant all round package and while its performance would never set the world on fire you could make good progress and I was really happy riding around on it. It was also nice to see where my KR-1S came from! The only downsides I could see was that – like the 500LC we tested a while back – you couldn’t pull up for fuel without someone stopping you and reminiscing about the little green meanie!

I really enjoyed my time on the KH250 and it’s little wonder that people now spend up to £6000 to find a nice one! cmm

Front: single 277mm disc with single piston caliper Rear: 180mm single leading shoe drum TYRES

Front: 3.25 x 18 Rear: 3.50 x 18 SEAT HEIGHT

800mm

WHEEL BASE

1374mm

DRY WEIGHT

160kg

FUEL CAPACITY

14 litres

PRICE NEW

£640 in 1977

www.classicmechanics.com / 11

& events WE’VE DONE THE TON A bit of selfcongratulatory flag waving here, but the CMM Facebook page has broken through the 100,000 likes barrier!

Under Scott Redmond’s stewardship, the page has grown from 5500 likes last year to more than 101,000 at my last time of looking.

So, Scott and our pal Ian ‘Shroom’ Burgess are planning to take things up a level and run a social-media only Project Bike which you can follow online. So what is it, Scottie?

He says: “The plan was a simple one, find an old bike, approach our friends in the bike trade and create an online project bike for our 100,000 followers on the CMM Facebook page. Instead of words and photographs it’s

The most useful gear we’ve found this month

SPADA PEACEDOG JACKET We think this is very cool and retro. It features aged/distressed tumbl bled d sheep h hide (whatever that iss) and a four-piece CE Level 1 armour a set and a back-pad alrready fitted. It also has doub ble stitching, tough construction, breathable, waterproof membrane e and YKK zippers along g with a nice, removable e double-lined thermal hood so you look good d on and off the bike. It costs £279.99 sizes 38-50. www.spadaclothing.co.uk

Come join us on Facebook and Twitter!

going to be filmed on the CMM camcorder and uploaded not only to Facebook at 9pm on a Sunday evening, but it will also be stored nice and neatly on our new YouTube channel.

“When our video man Shroom pulled up on a knackered Suzuki Bandit 1200 he’d got off eBay for £1150 we realised we had our first subject.

“So far, so good. The next step was to reach out to the trade and round up the parts we’d

Project Bandit is go!

need to make this all happen. They didn’t disappoint us. The lovely Daisy Cordell at Wemoto liked the idea so much she insisted we give her a shopping list.

Mike from Mad4Bikes follows our page and replied to our shout-out, his box of XCP cleaning products being the first parts to land at our workshop. Martin from Max Torque Cans noticed our photos and by chance he’d just made his first 4-2-1 full system for the Bandit 1200, should we need to replace the exhaust it’s nice to know we can access one.

“There’s plenty of excitement within the CMM squad, if it goes to plan it should be epic and we’ll all bathe in the glory, if it bombs it was all Bertie’s idea…”

■ Find us on: www.facebook.com/ ClassicMechanics

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SIDI ARCADIA RAIN BOOT Check these out: they feature full-grain leather and suede construction, lined with a waterproof membrane, all while looking thoroughly ‘boot-like’.

We like that… It says here they also feature an ‘ ti ibration system insole’ ‘anti-vi so own ners of Brit singles should d be saved from tingling feet, w we reckon. The boots cost £174.99 and are available from: www.sidiselect.co.uk

SHOEI GT-AIR PRIMAL TC-2 We think this lid is pleasingly retro, especially in this colour scheme. The outer shell (in three sizes) is of multi-composite fibre construction made from various layers for optimum rigidity and shock absorbing qualities. It has the Shoei EQRS (Emergency Quick Release System) so the helmet can be removed safely in case of an accident and an integrated sunshield to European standards (just for all you Brexiteers out there). It also features a removable, washable lining and a sophisticated ventilation system. This lovely lid costs £499.99 and we will be reviewing it over the summer. Go to: www.shoeiassured.co.uk