Features

1970 Honda CB750K2 Our bike is a CB750 K1 manufactured in 1970 for the American market and is number 28,208 off the production line that year, with production starting from frame number CB750 – 1044650. The K1 has cosmetic and detail changes from the original model and was the first model to arrive here in…

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Honda CB750 engine, awaiting overhaul Click on the image gallery for step-by-step images and captions. Image captions Picture one: To begin the stripdown I've removed the points cover from the right-hand side of the engine. Unlike later Japanese fours this is a chromed steel pressing. Removal reveals a conventional points set-up with two sets of…

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Honda CB750K2 overhaul’s nearing the end… See the step-by-step instructions in the image gallery. Picture one: Last month I finished off the top end of the engine. Now I'm going to complete the motor before fitting it into the frame. First off, the gear selector mechanism engages into the right hand side of the lower…

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All done… See step-by-step images in the gallery. Image captions Picture one: The original wiring on this bike was in remarkably good condition, and I've had to do only a little cleaning up and retaping before refitting the harness. The major electrical components mount in the usual place to a plate on the left of…

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Yamaha 650 XS1 Our Yamaha engine wasn’t in bad overall condition, as we discovered in part one. A full strip of the engine revealed no major problems, only the front camchain slipper blade being in need of replacement. I’ve had the head and barrels bead blasted and we’ve opted to replace the camchain. So, armed…

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1984 Kawasaki GPZ900R In the development of the motorcycle there have always been radical ideas that have changed the way we see, perceive and ultimately buy our latest motorised bicycle. The universal adoption of the diamond pattern frame in the pioneer days, the move from side to overhead valve, rear suspension, twin then multiple cylinders…

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Get that ignition timing sorted! There are a hundred and one ways to compromise a motorcycle’s performance but one of the most pernicious has to be timing. Getting that all important spark to arrive at precisely the correct moment has a dramatic impact upon the bike’s power delivery. If you check out a manual for…

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Come along to Newark and stock up on spares, or just admire the bikes on display… The Carole Nash Classic Bike Guide Winter Classic Show takes place this weekend, January 5-6, at the Newark Showground in Nottinghamshire, with guest of honour superbike racer Chris ‘The Stalker’ Walker. A huge range of trade stands will offer a wealth…

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Honda CB250 Honda’s CB250N twin, the Super Dream, was a remarkable motorcycle. Sold in the UK from 1978, it was a big bike for its capacity and weighed as much the average 650 of the day. With only average power for a 250cc four-stroke, it struggled to reach 90mph flat out. So the Super Dream…

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Tiny trailie Suzuki TC90J The chance to ride certain machines doesn’t come up very often. Some are pampered  restorations but some are just plain rare. And when the owner tells you he doesn’t mind you getting the bike dirty and then points you to a prime piece of unfettered trail bike territory it’d be churlish…

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