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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Q: Hello! My son is living in the USA and he is in the middle of fixing up his 1984 ZX750 GPz A12 American spec. He wants to know the torque setting for the bolts holding the drive chain sprocket on the rear wheel. He has set them at 29 ft-lbs, but is unsure if that…
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Words/Pictures by Steve Cooper We’ve all been there; the painter or powdercoater forget to mask a thread. Taps and dies are good on smaller threads but what about larger ones? What if you’ve already fitted key parts and access is limited? Fill the back of any holes or spaces with clean rag and add masking…
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Q: My bike was involved in a crash and came down on the right hand (timing cover) side. All the electronic ignition pick-ups have been replaced by a previous owner with parts from a GS1000. I am not sure whether the black box was also replaced to match. The bike starts fine, but will not rev-out…
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In the October 2015 edition of CMM a chap called Rob Neal wrote about high-temperature paint for his CX500 well, I have a similar vintage CBX1000 and have used VHT silver spray paint to good effect on several of the casings and it looks great despite not being applied by a professional. While in the…
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Words/Pictures by Steve Cooper Dropping a fixing into a bike is a pain with ages spent crawling around to no avail. Rather than waste time stand back, take a deep breath and then put something cushioning under the bike. Often just taking the bike the stand will cause the screw, washer etc. to plop onto…
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Q: Can you tell me how to tell if a nut or bolt is usable or not. I think I over-torqued a bolt/acorn nut combination due to using a cheap torque wrench which didn’t click. Note to self: cheap tools cause more problems than they solve. Tommy G, USA A: It has often occurred to…
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Q: My new bike is a Suzuki RV90 running 6v magneto electrics. Needless to say the lights are feeble, the stop lamp glows dismally and indicators don’t. Apart from making sure all connectors and earth points are clean and the general wiring is in good order is there anything else that can be done to…
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Words/Picture by Steve Cooper Many 60s, 70s and 80s strokers run disc-valve induction systems with the carburettor sitting at the end of the crank. With this type of intake system it’s vital that the chamber the carb sits it is airtight. If there’s air leakage the engine will be hard to set up, prone to…
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Q: Hi, great article in a recent mag on the TR1. I own a 1981 model which I rebuilt from a basket case. It’s a lovely bike and as John Nutting says the torque is wonderful. However since I built it I get a ‘tut-tut’ in the carbs when ticking over and what appears to…
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Q: Having recently acquired a 1984 TY250 trials for restoration but I find myself with a plastic fuel tank that has a nice yellowy tinge to it. Is there any way of returning this it to its former (white) glory? Lee Riches A: Opinions vary on the cause of this discolouration. It is tempting to…
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