Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

One of the leading breakfast cereals says it all: ‘The original and best’, and we have to say that’s true when it comes to bikes. The original classics are what we know and love best, but there’s a lot to be said for other bikes that enjoy that monik

2 x500cc world champion 4 x250cc GP world champion 125cc world champion TT-F1 world champion Phil Read, who passed away on October 6, was a seven-/ eight-time world champion. Racing in a time of greats, Phil would win the 250cc crown four times (196

Modern ‘bike-friendly’ denim is practical, comfortable and versatile, which means I don’t have to get changed when I get to my destination. I know many riders won’t ever consider wearing jeans on their bike – leathers and textiles are king. I get tha

www.70s-80srestorations.co.uk ■

Two of British motorcycling’s biggest names, including a king of the jungle, are set to entertain the fans at the first major classic bike event of 2023. Carl Fogarty and James Whitham will take centre stage at the Classic Bike Guide Winter Classic o

We really like these subtle and classy two-stroke timepieces! Each Moto Culture watch represents a particular 500cc Grand Prix team that we supported during those halcyon days of the late 1980s/early 1990s. Yes, this was a true golden age of 500cc Gr

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

Reading social media posts can be rewarding but it can also be challenging… it all depends on the subject matter and the mind-sets of people participating. Not so long ago one of the two-stroke Facebook pages carried a story and video of a newly-deve

After weeks of deliberation by racing stars and riding celebrities, Motorcycle Live’s search for the ‘Dream Garage’ is nearly complete. Doubtless there will be plenty of classics up on the Dream Garage stand at the show. Those who have been polled in

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 [email protected] or mail in some photos at the address at the front of the mag. Let us kn

After a successful restoration of a CB175 I decided to plunge once more into the resto world and all the agony, stress and, hopefully, joy that it brings... but what to buy? It had to be cheap, with plenty of available parts, a bit of a head-turner

It was a weekend to remember at The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show, and what a show it was! World superbike champion from 1997 and World 250cc champ of 1990 John Kocinski was there for both days, regaling the masses with unheard tales from the mot

Douglas Adams spoke about this in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy: “Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts

Kawasaki has always done the retro thing well – and often ‘first’, too. Even in my 20s I loved the look of the Kawasaki Zephyr range, copying as they did the original big Zeds of old – the bikes that my uncles would turn up on and the bikes I was plo

“I was the lucky so and so who won the Kawasaki Z650RS at Motorcycle LIVE last year. I was given a choice of colours and as I’d had an original green one in the 1980s, I felt there was only one choice. The bike was presented to me via my local dealer

Even though I haven’t passed three score years yet, I am already noticing that my strength is not what it once was. When the Laser Tools rep came round last time, he was showing me high leverage pliers. These are basically geared pliers that multipl

Iused to think that putting decent paint on a bike was like chrome plating, something you simply couldn’t do outside a professional paint shop. I’m not saying you can do this from home and make a business out of it, but what does make it worth the ef

There have been moments, many moments if I’m honest here, when I would have happily swapped the Rickuki for a conventional restoration. Building a special may seem like a blank canvas to those not involved but the reality is often rather different.

When I started writing these articles, I had no idea where or how long it was going to take me, honest! Similar to building my CMR TR750, the reality is it has taken me far longer than I ever thought and it’s been in part a journey into the unknown.

Iwas looking on the bright side after seeing the great condition of the top-end; a few bits of metal floating around the crankcase would have settled to the bottom of the sump and stayed there, right? I mean, I saw no evidence of carnage in the cam

Small and beautifully formed – that’d be a good sobriquet for Honda’s jewel-like VF500. Unfortunately it’s been erroneously tarred with the same brush as the poisoned VF750 and has been labelled ‘guilty by association’. The reality is that neither t

G’day! Last issue I stripped the top-end and was happy with what I discovered about Slabby 3, that it had undergone some TLC before being shelved. This time I’ve had a good look ‘down under’ at the bottom-end and I’m equally happy. I also check out

At long last I had the 450 working, insured, UK registered and ready to go for its first test ride. By this stage I had got used to the unfamiliar sound that the engine made – aweird hissing noise which I eventually realised was merely the sound of

Okay, it’s time to drill and tap for the exhaust studs. This has to be cock-on; you can see that I’ve used studs screwed into adjacent holes to get the angles correct, so it’s got to be perfect! After I’m happy with the repairs to the head, John at

One impediment to signing off the dry build was the niggling issue of the idiot lights that wouldn’t all illuminate. When you find you’re colour blind to certain hues used in Japanese looms it probably makes a lot of sense getting in someone who can

SUZUKI TS250: Steve Cooper rides this Suzuki off-road classic. SUZUKI GSX-R1000: With the 1000 disappearing from the UK, we look at the classic models of the last 22 years. PAINT YOUR WAGON: Ralph Ferrand continues his series on getting a professiona