Classic Motorcycle Mechanics
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics
This is the magazine dedicated to the buying, riding and rebuilding of the later classics and Japanese machines. Subscribe here.
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Go to check/replace your front sprocket, grease the clutch push rod, inspect generator wiring etc. and you’re normally faced with something that looks like valve grinding paste lovingly mixed with a cow pat. And that’s pretty much what it is. Apart from making access difficult and unpleasant there’s a real chance this nasty concoction will…
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Having owned my RD400F for 12 years I decided it was time to restore the old girl. After spending a lot of time restoring the parts, one area for real concern was to place the engine in the frame without damaging the frame or the engine. My solution is simple! I used foam insulation, the…
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1 Locking washers were used in the past to stop nuts and bolts from coming undone, but the modern approach is to use a chemical solution: threadlocker. Do be aware of a few things though. There are many different types of different locking strengths for different jobs. Check the specification you need. The strength is…
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Q: I can’t seem to get electric power to my RD. When I turn the key I get no red or green light on the dash. This started after I hooked a charger to the battery. The battery is good and I have replaced the four glass fuses of the right side under the plastic…
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Q: Having followed the manual (or so I thought) to adjust the rear brake on my BMW K1100LT I was left on a dual carriageway with a seized rear brake. At first I felt it was an engine problem due to severe loss in power but I knew it was the brake when it pulled…
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Not every bike can be a winner, Kawasaki’s mid-Eighties GPz-750 was one such near-miss. Though well worthy of compliment, rivals’ superiority relegated it to runner-up status. That silver medal placing is something I remember well back then. I’d overlooked it to own its bigger, more glamorous headlining brother, the GPz1100. Once more commendable tackle like…
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When the arrival of this ground-breaking Benelli was causing a sensation in UK showrooms, I was still a couple of years from starting my own riding career. Even so, as a keen biking apprentice wanting to learn the trade, I bought all the key glossy bike mags to swot up on what was what. Clapping…
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Yet again I had to admit my negative judgement wasn’t just premature, but inappropriate too. After assessing bikes for not far short of a couple of decades now, you’d think I should know better. Being patient and seeing the whole picture is so important in this testing game, and is certainly the message I took…
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The BSA Gold Star has been part of motorcycling folklore for the past eight decades, and at this year’s Carole Nash International Classic MotorCycle Show the ‘Goldie’ will be celebrated in the Restoration Theatre. Expert hints and tips on all things restoration and maintenance will be on offer once again at the Carole Nash-sponsored Stafford…
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All was set and sorted. But then, after some overnight contemplation, Speed Triple owner Stuart Wallace developed cold feet and things went disappointingly Pete Tong. ‘Sorry, I’ve changed my mind. I can’t let you ride it. It’s just too special to me, I can’t take the risk,’ was the general sentiment of his decline. Having…
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