Workshop

Yamaha XT500 restoration For step-by-step photos and captions, visit the image gallery. Picture one: Now the real fun can begin. The XT engine is a fairly light and manageable lump compared to some, but I still find it easiest to lay it on its right side and offer the frame up to it. The traditional…

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Kawasaki Z400 rebuild A colleague had his arm twisted for a Scrapheap Challenge-type project and had earmarked a distressed Kawasaki 440 engine as the project’s powerplant. Could I look over the engine for him? You bet! The engine had previously been removed from the donor bike and was of unknown history. When I finally got…

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Kawasaki Z400 engine rebuild I had already stripped Steve’s Kawasaki 400 twin engine into its component parts and now it’s time to take a good look around the bits to see what needs to be replaced for the rebuild. Ringing Z-Power for some advice about gaskets and parts availability gave me something of a surprise,…

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Kawasaki Z1 It's not often I get the opportunity to delve deep into the heart of the King of Motorcycles, but when this scarce 1972 Z1 turned up at our workshops in a cloud of oil smoke, I relished the prospect of giving it a thorough mechanical overhaul, particularly as it was such a lightly…

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Kawasaki Z1 engine rebuild Second instalment of Rod Gibson's Kawasaki Z1 engine rebuild. Captions are reproduced in full below but for step-by-step captions and images, visit the image gallery. Image gallery captions Picture one: Last month I left the engine in big lumps, now it’s time to dismantle all the component parts for a through…

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Kawasaki Z1 engine rebuild Third and final part of Rod Gibson's Kawasaki Z1 engine rebuild. Captions are reproduced in full below but for step-by-step captions and images, visit the image gallery. Picture one: Last month I fitted the crank, input shaft and clutch basket into the upper crankcase half. Before joining the cases I’m refitting…

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Honda CB125T Bought a couple of years back to replace her tired CG125, the little Superdream had come with a history of problems and mishaps. Despite being roadworthy and carrying a full MoT, the bike smoked like a two stroke and slurped copious quantities of oil during the brief time she’d ridden it before admitting…

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Honda CB125 valves Below are the captions in full. Click on the image gallery and scroll through the pic strip for pictorial reference and captions. Picture one: First of all I’ve opted to remove the valves from the cylinder head. My valve spring compressor has had two metal strips welded into the jaws to fit…

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Honda CB125T In the last part I sorted out all the bits and pieces required to rebuild Angie’s faithful Honda CB125TDC which had arrived at my garage amid clouds of oil smoke and badly needing a rebore. Now with all the new gaskets and parts assembled on the bench and shiny new pistons ready to…

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Vincent valve gear overhaul (pdf) My associations with Vincent engines have taught me several things. There seem to be more working parts in a Vincent than any other bike rye ever seen inside. The design of various aspects of the engine are as advanced as anything being used today. There are other areas where the…

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