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.

  • Mark’s Top Three Tips – Maintenance

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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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  • 1977 Yamaha RD400

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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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  • 1995 BMW K1100LT

    1995 BMW K1100LT

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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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  • Quick Spins – 1984 Kawasaki GPz750

    Quick Spins – 1984 Kawasaki GPz750

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    Not every bike can be a winner, Kawasakiโ€™s mid-Eighties GPz-750 was one such near-miss. Though well worthy of compliment, rivalsโ€™ superiority relegated it to runner-up status. That silver medal placing is something I remember well back then. Iโ€™d overlooked it to own its bigger, more glamorous headlining brother, the GPz1100. Once more commendable tackle like…

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  • Quick Spins – 1975 Benelli 750 Sei

    Quick Spins – 1975 Benelli 750 Sei

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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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  • Quick Spins – 1986 Suzuki RG500 Gamma

    Quick Spins – 1986 Suzuki RG500 Gamma

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    Yet again I had to admit my negative judgement wasnโ€™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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  • Going for Gold

    Going for Gold

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    The BSA Gold Star has been part of motorcycling folklore for the past eight decades, and at this yearโ€™s Carole Nash International Classic MotorCycle Show the โ€˜Goldieโ€™ 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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  • Quick Spins – 1996 Triumph Speed Triple

    Quick Spins – 1996 Triumph Speed Triple

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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. Itโ€™s just too special to me, I can’t take the risk,’ was the general sentiment of his decline. Having…

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  • CHARITY EVENT IN FOURTH YEAR!

    CHARITY EVENT IN FOURTH YEAR!

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    Classic bike riders are being asked to saddle up to help raise money for blood cancer charities. The BONE-shaker MARROW-thon charity ride between Birmingham and Burton on Trent began in 2014 after the organiser beat an aggressive form of leukaemia. Since 2014, Katherine Sinfield has gone from strength to strength and the BONE-shaker MARROW-thon has…

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  • New roadster kit launched!

    New roadster kit launched!

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    Kits to turn early Hinckley Triumph triples into classicstyled Roadsters are being made available by Cafรฉ Racer Kits (CRK). Based on the sports machine first produced by CRKโ€™s Ian Saxcoburg two years ago, the Roadster has a restyled fuel tank with a larger volume option, dual seat, exhaust system and conventional handlebars too. The Roadster…

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