Classic Motorcycles

[CarlS]

Sounds like a really good product.

 

[DaveM]

Yamaha YZF-R1 (1998-2001) – Tomorrow’s Classic Today

When news first hit about this new machine the journos got it all wrong – because initially this was thought to be the replacement for the venerable YZF750 – it was even spotted being tested by Yamaha world superbike riders Colin Edwards and Scott Russell…

But the journalists were wrong – this new machine was a full, litre-class FireBlade beater, no mere 750…

There are many reasons why the first-generation R1 4XV is already a classic – aside from the way prices have been going. Firstly, it was a real game-changer, like the Honda CBR900RR FireBlade and Yamaha FZR1000 before it. Back then, 150bhp claimed was the stuff of fantasy, but then there was the YZR500-inspired Deltabox II chassis (with longer swingarm for better traction, this came from the YZR racers) the fiercely powerful Blue-Spot Sumitomo calipers but most of all, the original 4XV still ranks as one of the best-looking bikes to ever come out of Japan.

Reliability-wise, the five-valve per-cylinder motor was spot on with many owners hitting 50,000 miles with no drama other than filter and oil changes. What we would say is that you can easily avoid tuned machines as – even today – you don’t need more for the road! Yamaha used to have issues with clutches and brake discs warping with earlier FZRs – but it was only a clutch recall on those first models of R1 that blighted the bike, although second gear was reportedly weak on some machines and of course the EXUP valves can stick if not serviced.

Also, frames/subframes can be so light they can be damaged easily in the smallest of crashes, so watch out for polished frames or carbon frame-rail covers. The tacho/dash was one of the first digital speedo units and it also gives diagnostic info, so check this when you switch it on as it jumps to a pre-set level to tell you what’s wrong with the bike.

Prices have been heading north for a couple of years now. Five years back, as little as 1500 notes could see you with a decent 4XV in your garage, now that price will only give you a rough one, moving to a shade under £3K for a belter. Colours matter here: the original red/white seems to be more popular than the classy blue launch colours. Prices can head towards £5000 for really low milers at a dealer: crazy, we know…

While the launch models from 1998 are good investments, the second year saw a classy ‘competition white’ model (more a copy of the WSB Yamaha race colours) while the 5JJ model (2000-2001) was better still, with improved handling, less weight (175 kilos from 176 or so), smoother motor (carb changes) and a better gearbox. Bodywork was similar, but all-new so it still looked good. Owners say not to worry about not having original end cans: the carbon 4XV and titanium 5JJ ones can be found on eBay for a few quid.

For: Still goes good, still looks great!

Against: Some issues, hard to find a good one at a good price!

Make	Yamaha
Model	YZF-R1
Years available	1998-1999 (4XV) 2000-2001 (5JJ)
Major changes	Gearlinkage change 1999, colours, then 2000-5JJ bodywork, gearbox, carb, end-can changes.
Price when new	£9399 Nov 1997
Values now	£2000-£5000 (top end for low-mile 4XVs)

£8539 1998 (post parallel imports)

Verdict: Already a classic and now up there with the Blade and LC!

The post Yamaha YZF-R1 (1998-2001) – Tomorrow’s Classic Today appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.

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[DaveM]

Yamaha YZF-R6 (1999-2000) – Tomorrow’s Classic Today

Yamaha had a good track record of building manic and crazy machines in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s – in both two and four-stroke guise.

Think back to the RDs of old both 350 and 400, then the LC (250/350) and the YPVS/Powervalve… the TZR series, the RD500LC (OK, not as mad as the RG) and then the middleweight FZRs…

Yes, the original late-1980s/early 1990s FZR600 3HE was a mad, manic street screamer – but following the launch of the Honda CBR600 F-M in 1991, it came across as your mad cousin, albeit one of skinny tyres. By 1994 it was replaced by the still sporty FZR600R – which aped the looks of the YZF750. It won the British Supersport championship with Ian Simpson in 1994 and all was well…

Then the Yamaha 600s supersport bikes seemed to lose their edge a bit. At the close of 1996, in came the YZF600R Yamaha Thundercat. It shared lots of the previous model under its flanks: the same, basic motor but with some internal changes such as forged pistons, new valve springs, 36mm Keihins (not 34mm ones) lightweight cylinder block and ram-air all of which increased power by five bhp to 105bhp @ 11,500rpm. The chassis parts were also similar, the frame was almost identical and those Blue Spot brakes came from the Thunderace. Suspension was basic, but decent, featuring right-way-up 41mm forks and a monoshock with pre-load adjustment, rebound and compression damping. Dry weight was 187 kilos which was well in the ball-park for the time.

Thing was, the Cat was a bit chunky around the mid-riff and people said it felt as big as a 750 – which is a good thing to many of us. But, at the time the 600 class was going a little bit crazy, with the likes of the 1995 Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja taking things to a sportier level and the 1997 Suzuki GSX-R600 SRAD doing the same. So something with the tuning fork logo was needed to redress this balance…

That something was the 1999 YZF-R6, which was one lunatic supersports 600. It wasn’t such a big leap forward as it looked – because its bigger brother the R1 had shown how to do that the year before. Why? Firstly the R1 had shown how to make great leaps forward just a year earlier, so we were anticipating the middleweight from Yamaha a year or so earlier and – Honda decided to release its own CBR600F-X with its alloy frame and various other mods in the same year… it made for one helluva comparison.

What makes the first YZF-R6 5EB special is that raw edge that was back with this model. Compared to the easy-going CBR, the mad power delivery from 8000rpm was wild – many felt it could almost be a two-stroke, four-stroke…

In comparison to the CBR, the power was peakier and the handling sharper – if less stable. Road tests from the time placed the R6 just ahead of the new CBR which itself was ahead of the ZX-6R and GSX-R600 – but this was a very closely-fought class. Much was made of the bikes claimed power of 120bhp and 200bhp per litre, but to get there you had to rev the thing hard to its 15,500 rpm redline, even though peak-power was around 2000rpm lower in the rev-range and power dropped off sharply at around 14,000. Ride one though, and you soon fall in love. Brakes came from the R1 (Blue Spots again) and handling was from God…

TLC was needed if this was a bike you commuted on, and we did hear stories of cracked cylinders, cam-chain tensioner problems and the return spring failing in the gearbox which can leave the bike stuck in gear – although this was an easy fix. Also an issue (and subject of a recall) was the side-stand cut-out switch and the fitment of a retaining plate in the oil delivery pipe.

Of course the R6 is still with us and has changed much over the last 20 years, but an original 5EB can be had for as little as a grand – albeit a rough/track one. Half-decent bikes start around £1750-£2000 and rise to daft prices like £5000 for a dealer-sold machine with less than 10K on the clocks…

For – Manic power delivery and good looks!

Against – A bit sharp for the road? Some are abused!

SPECIFICATION

Make	YAMAHA
Model	YZF600 R6 5eb
Price new	£6599
Years available	1999-2000
Major changes	Just graphic changes no major updates till the updated 2001 model.
Cost	£1000 up to £5000 for a mint bike with low miles

Verdict – You need to be in the mood for this mad machine – but the rewards are there…

The post Yamaha YZF-R6 (1999-2000) – Tomorrow’s Classic Today appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.

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[DaveM]

Triumph Motorcycle History

It’s almost three decades since Triumph burst back onto the scene with an amazing array of new bikes – CB-Net decided to have a little look at the history of this amazing manufacturer…

John Bloor, from Bloor Holdings purchased the Triumph name way back in 1983.

Initially, he kept the name alive through former Triumph parts dealer Les Harris who was allowed to license-build small numbers of classic Meriden Bonnevilles, but – by 1988 – Les had built his last bike.

John Stuart Bloor (known as JSB to his employees) was born in the early 1940s in a Derbyshire mining village. He finished his education at 15 and began his career working for a local building contractor. Just two years later at 17, he took the plunge and became self-employed, initially as a plasterer, before taking on a project that led him to build his first complete house – all of this before his 20th birthday – from this start Bloor Homes blossomed, becoming one of the largest privately-owned house building companies in the UK.

Bloor (as his staff would attest) wasn’t some dreamer, instead he wanted to resurrect a big, British name as a business. Speaking in an interview in TORQUE magazine (Triumph’s in-house mag) he said: “When I was 16 I used to have a Tiger Cub. To be honest, I didn’t think a lot of it, as water used to get into the points. I’d be coming back home from work on a winter’s night at 6pm I was always having to pull over and start fiddling with the points. I wasn’t best pleased!”

With Bloor Homes doing well he wanted to start a business that was one with a completed product, but which could be successfully exported abroad. Bloor had put together a close-knit design and development team based at Unit 14, Bayton Road, Bedworth and they began working on a new range of Triumphs. They visited motorcycle factories across the world, some in Japan, some in Europe and they formulated their own plans for a new range of modular Triumphs that would spark the re-birth of mass-produced British motorcycles.

That re-birth took place officially on June 29th 1990, seven years since the hard work had begun. This was when the press gathered at the new factory in Hinckley, Leicestershire, to hear the announcement that Triumph Motorcycles is back in business again.

The assembled journalists were told that Triumph was not aiming at low-volume production instead they intended to mass produce British designed and built motorcycles once more. The invited guests were ushered around a brand-new, state-of-the-art motorcycle production facility, ready to manufacture and assemble a six-strong ‘modular’ range of multi-cylinder motorcycles for the 1991 model year.

The approach was called the ‘modular’, because models would share common parts, be it chassis or engine, from which you could build a number of different machines. This would prove to be a cost-effective way of getting a wide-range of motorcycles out to the buying public and a concept which was originally mooted back in 1973 by BSA-Triumph’s Bert Hopwood.

During that June day in 1990 the guests were told that Triumph would be producing a range of triple and four-cylinder motorcycles which would have a power output of anything between 90 to 135bhp and would not only be competitive with anything then produced in Europe, the US or Japan, but also employ the latest market-leading production processes.

These new machines would be officially launched at the Cologne show in September 1990. The layout of these new triples and fours was up-to-date, featuring liquid-cooling, DOHC and four-valves per cylinder. The frame was a steel-spine, upon which the various engines would hang. The new factory would produce an annual projected total of 10,000 bikes.

Following the detailed factory tour, the journalists were ushered into the boardroom, where two machines were unveiled: one a 750cc naked three-cylinder roadster – the Trident and a fully-faired three-cylinder sports tourer, the Trophy.

That original factory stood on a ten-acre site which today looks small in comparison to Factory 2, which was completed in 2000 and sits upon a site four-times larger than the original factory. In the early 1990s, Triumph’s Factory 1 could produce up to 200 crankcases and cylinder heads per week by 2010 that same number of completed bikes was being crated for delivery every single day…

The level of initial investment was huge and guessed to be around £60-£80 million with Bloor and his company bank-rolling everything until Triumph Motorcycles could finally send out its own invoices in the spring of 1991. A total of 10,000 units a year was reached in the mid-1990s and production topped 50,000 units a year in 2008.

The company finally posted a profit in 2000 after which it is thought around £100 million had been invested in the firm. Interestingly, Triumph Thailand was formed in 2001, where components were manufactured leading to some models now being built there.

Today Triumph has around 40 motorcycles in their range, spawned from 19 distinct motorcycles, covering all the bases from sports machines, adventure bikes and naked street bikes. With around 700 dealers in 35 countries and a huge side business in clothing, aftermarket goods and equipment, Triumph has been a real success story!

The post Triumph Motorcycle History appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.

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[DaveM]

Suzuki TL1000S (1997-2001) – Tomorrow’s Classic Today

Suzuki made itself a fine reputation of building bad-ass bikes during the 1980s and 1990s: the GSX-Rs especially were thought of as machines to be treated with some respect.

Come the 1990s and the GSX-R range had gotten bloated and suffered poor handling as a result and – if we’re honest – even the motors were left behind in the power stakes compared to some, more modern liquid-cooled lumps.

But then things changed at Suzuki and the GSX-R range was revitalised with liquid-cooled (not oil/air-cooled) motors and – from 1996’s SRAD – a beam frame to boot! GSX-Rs were cool again… well, apart from the fact that by 1997 lots of Brit bikers wanted a twin: mainly Italian twins.

It made sense then, that Suzuki would build themselves a V-twin sportsbike and they built a corker… a corker with all the bad-boy image of the early GSX-Rs and the scary feel of the behemoth GSX-R1100s of the late 1980s in particular.

The TL1000S was basically Suzuki’s response to Ducati’s V-twin range of 900SS air-cooled and 916 family of four-valve per cylinder liquid-cooled sports machines. At its heart was a 996cc, liquid-cooled 90-degree V-twin motor, pumping out around 125bhp (more than the 916) with the motor cradled in a quirky, lattice ally-frame which was half Jap beam frame and half Italian trellis. Front suspension was nothing weird for the time – 43mm upside-down telescopic forks – but it was the rear shock which was a little strange.

It wasn’t strange in the world of F1, as it had a ‘rotary’ damper, where rotary arms sloshed around in oil to provide damping, while the shock was mounted separately: this was supposed to make the whole bike shorter. Perhaps both these issues led to the problems…

Yes, problems. On launch (at a track) nothing seemed too untoward, but back home on Blighty’s blighted highways, people were getting spat off their TL’s and one man – Simon Carolan-Evans – was killed after suffering a high-side off his TL. Awfully (and somewhat predictably) the image and fate of the TL was sealed. Was it that rotary damper? Or just the fact that the grunt (76-ft/lbs) in such a short chassis was pitching people off? Either way, for 1998 it came in with a steering damper and existing models were recalled for one, along with a replacement ECU. Some other issues also manifested themselves: some bikes suffered gearbox issues, some had leaking fuel tap seals and clutch covers, thermostat faults were reported and the rear suspension unit could also develop hairline cracks around its mounting points to the frame.

If this sounds like a horror show – it isn’t. Firstly, the bike itself is robust and reliable. Just make sure you OD on the TLC as it’s a Suzuki… And the TL1000S may no longer be the wild and scary bucking bronco the press reported on more than two decades ago, but it’s still capable of delivering mucho fun – just be careful with the chain adjustment as they are a little sensitive to it. Some owners leave a little more slack/play in the chain than you normally would.

Compared to its great rivals of the time, the TL is a more exciting proposition than the VTR1000 Honda FireStorm, but a different proposition to the Ducati 916… Go find a good one – some may have had extensive rear shock mods which help with the ride, even if it may not make them as desirable as original spec machines.

Prices start around £1000 for a basket case laden with tat, but you can still get a rough, but solid one for £500 more. £2000 is where decent ones start and some dealers are labelling the bike a ‘classic’ and asking around £4000+ for bikes with around 20k on the clocks.

Of course, if you wanted a saner home for that lovely motor, you could try Suzuki’s later SV1000 or even the 1000cc VStrom.

FOR: Amazing motor and a slice of biking history…

AGAINST: They don’t handle neglect well…

Make	Suzuki
Model	TL1000S-V up to S-X
Years available	1997-2001
Major changes	Steering damper fitted, ECU modified, colour and graphic changes
Price new	£7999 at launch
Values now	£1000 up to £4000

VERDICT: A solid, funsome V-twin!

The post Suzuki TL1000S (1997-2001) – Tomorrow’s Classic Today appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.

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[DaveM]

Suzuki GSF1200 Bandit N/S (1996-2000) – Tomorrow’s Classic Today

The Bandit 12 is one of those bikes that’s already crept up in value – and it looks like this will continue for a while yet.

Now, we love ‘em here at CB-Net – not only are they great bikes but (ahem) they break well too…

This could be because the bike was always a parts-bin special, even at birth. The 1157cc motor was a stonker – coming from the old oil/air-cooled GSX-R1100 (it was bored out for the Bandit) and forks and swingarm were not too dissimilar from those attached to the RF900R – but like many classics, this bike became something truly greater than the parts it was assembled from.

The styling can be traced back to the 250cc baby-Bandit which first appeared in 1989 and that classic naked ‘no-frills’ style was adhered to for the first incarnation up until 2000. When you first threw a leg over the Bandit 12, the first thing you realise is that this is one comfy machine – you’ll be looking at three (not two: 600 Bandit) chrome clocks and firing up the motor will be so reminiscent of big Suzooks of yore…

Riding it will blow you away – how can something made from old parts feel so fresh and new? And the wave of torque… this bike is phenomenal…

OK it was no GSX-R1100 in the outright power stakes (milder cams, restrictive exhaust, smaller bore carbs: 36mm instead of 40mm) so yeah, the Bandit’s power was neutered to 96bhp but the way it delivered its power was just silky-smooth and linear. And – if 100bhp wasn’t enough – you could tune the nads off it… Cans gave 15bhp, stage one 20-25, turbos/nitrous up to 300bhp…

The Bandit c

ame at a time of big-bore retros, such as the Yamaha XJR1200 (£7799) and the Honda CB1000 ‘Big One’ (£8295) but the Bandit came in at a phenomenal £5999! OK, so maybe the ZRX1100 Kawasaki looked better and had more power, but it was also more expensive (£7295).

If there were downsides, it was that the Bandit was latched onto by the mad modifiying brigade and lots of tat has been hung on a poor Bandit. Also, the Suzuki wasn’t the best-made thing out there and it suffered over one winter, let alone the fact that now 23 winters have passed them by… Issues were frame and tank paint being thin (some paint flaked off the frame welds) engine paint, head races with no grease and the downpipes rot meaning standard full systems are relatively rare…

Back in the day suspension was soft as new and (unless replaced with something decent) will not be any better today. Brakes were the more than capable Nissins but they always suffered from a lack of TLC – although not quite as badly as those six-pot Tokicos!

Poor running can often be attributed to poor carb set-up or bolt-on cans/systems without the required dyno time.

Prices? Well, we did say they’ve gone up in value: three or four years back you’d find projects for £500 and decent ones for £1500: these are hen’s teeth today. Instead budget for around that £1500 for a really naff one covered in tat and up to double that amount for a half decent one. Low-milers now command up to £4000 from a dealer!

For: Motor, looks, image!

Against: Poor build quality, often bodged and buggered!

Make	Suzuki
Model	GSF1200N/S
Years available	1996-2000
Major changes	colour changes
Price new	£5999 for the N model and £6399 for the half-faired S model.
Values now	£1500-£4500

Verdict – It’s not tomorrow’s classic – it’s already there!

The post Suzuki GSF1200 Bandit N/S (1996-2000) – Tomorrow’s Classic Today appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.

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[DaveM]

Suzuki GSX-R750 W-T SRAD and 750Y/K3 (1996-2003) – Tomorrow’s Classic Today

The Suzuki GSX-R750F re-wrote the rules for sportsbikes back in 1985, blah, blah, blah etc. etc.

We won’t go on about how the old skinny-wheeled, double-cradled Gixer is a classic because we all know that. And we won’t be looking at the likes of the mighty GSX-R1100 either – because most of the early models of that are classic too… Now, while we may suck our teeth at whether ALL double-cradle GSX-R750s are classic or not (think 1992’s W-N with – at last – water-cooled motor and hideous shell-suit graphics) we do think that the two models in our spotlight today are…

We’re talking of the 1996 GSX-R750WT, known by many as the SRAD and its replacement, 2000’s GSX-R750Y, which became the K1/K3 up until 2003, after which it was replaced with an all-new (you guessed it) K4!

The SRAD was a real leap forward for Suzuki with the GSX-R family. After all, some tuners/old-school Suzook peeps had already muttered into their Simpson Bandits that you couldn’t have a water-cooled GSX-R when the slightly disappointing W-N hit our shores in 1992. What would they say when the new GSX-R750 came out, with an all-new motor grasped by (shock horror) a BEAM frame, of all things?! Ditching the double-cradle could seem sacrilegious, after all…

What was the SRAD? Well, named thanks to the acronym ‘Suzuki Ram Air Direct’, this described the two yawning air-scoops either side of the headlight which fed gulps of air to the ram-air system. When launched at the end of 1995 (24 ruddy years back) it was the best 750 of its day, beating the also-new (but heavy) Kawasaki ZX-7R and the long-in-the-tooth Yamaha YZF750R.

Of course, king of the sportsbike world in 1995/96 was the Honda CBR900RR FireBlade in RR-S/R then T/V guise. Impressively, the SRAD’s performance (around 120bhp, 165mph top end and mid-ten second standing quarters) meant it just had the cojones to take on the bigger-capacity Blade, even in its updated T/V guise for 1996/97.

The reason the SRAD was such a performer was that it went ‘back to basics.’ So, like the original F, it was about light weight and good power. Meanwhile the geometry was based loosely on Kevin Schwantz’s 1993 RGV500 chassis (with the signature double-cradle frame replaced finally with a beam frame.) All told, it had a dry weight of just 179 kilos with 120bhp, compared to the 750F’s 176 kilos and 100bhp. In between models had become bloated – like the 1991 750M with 114bhp and 208 kilos.

The 1998 model got fuel-injection to replace the W-T and W-V’s 39mm Mikunis before the next big revamp which came along in Y2K as we used to call the year ‘2000.’

Y2K (sorry) saw the launch of the GSX-R750Y: this looked very different, but was actually a refinement of what had gone before. In came smoother looks and slipperier aerodynamics along with (or should that be without) even less weight – a shocking 166 kilos dry. Revvin’ Kevin Schwantz himself was at the Misano launch of the new machine and figured that this stock road bike was better than his 1988 Daytona-winning GSX-R750 and that the stock 750Y could probably beat the pole-time for 1988’s Daytona 200.

But, while it looked quite different, there wasn’t much that had changed under the skin of the 750Y. Small changes to the motor included inlet and exhaust valve angles, a more compact combustion chamber, narrower cylinder head, higher compression ratio and 16-bit digital fuel injection. The Y also had a larger SRAD system and different brakes, but similar forks and shock.

When it comes to prices there is a lot of overlap between the SRAD and the Y/K models (and even the previous W-S and K4 models). Bargains will likely be the likes of ex-racers and track bikes – there are lots out there. Next up comes bikes bedecked with crap: mini-indicators, shite streetfighters, stickers/carbon covers etc… Rubbish/high-milers will be below a grand, but you can just about still get something resembling half decent between £1500-£2000… Low-mile, mint versions of either model can touch £4500…

Colour-wise many would suggest that only the corporate Suzuki blues are worthy of investment – and that’s true to a point – but some of the classy, but less garish schemes (red/black is always good) are worth a good look.

For – Still an amazing 750 in either shape…

Against – Many are abused and therefore hard to find a decent one…

Suzuki GSX-R750 W-T SRAD Specification;

Make	SUZUKI
Model	GSX-R750 WT SRAD / GSX-R750Y-K3
Price new	£8999 (SRAD Dec 1995) £7789 (750Y Mar 2000)
Years available	1996-2003
Major changes	As listed in the story!
Cost	£1000 up to £4500 for a minter/low-miler

Verdict – Another pair of classic GSX-Rs….

The post Suzuki GSX-R750 W-T SRAD and 750Y/K3 (1996-2003) – Tomorrow’s Classic Today appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.

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[grandpaul]

The Suzuki GSX-R750F re-wrote the rules for sportsbikes back in 1985, blah, blah, blah etc. etc.

Yep, they broke several world speed AND endurance records, right here in Laredo, Texas...

CW’s 1985 24-Hour World Speed Record

www.cycleworld.com

 

[DaveM]

Dynamic Duo from OptiMate

New for 2019, the OptiMate1 Duo takes battery charging and maintenance to the next level, automatically recognising whether a battery is lead acid or Lithium Ion, so the user can just plug-in and go.

Faced with a new or a recently acquired used bike, owners are often unaware of which type of battery their machine is fitted with – lead acid (AGM, STD or GEL type) or the increasingly popular Lithium Ion (Li-ion).

Using the wrong charger with either type, but particularly Li-ion, can have catastrophic consequences, damaging the battery beyond repair over a relatively short period of time.

OptiMate 1 Duo uses the latest charging technology to automatically determine the type of battery is it connected to, and selects the charging programme to suit – so you don’t have to.

It’s ideal for owners of multiple machines too – no need for different chargers and no danger of attaching them to the wrong machine.

There’s no risk of over- or under-charging and the OptiMate1 Duo has built-in spark suppression, with automatic shut-down, if short-circuited or the battery is disconnected. The unique 24-7-365 programme means the user can just ‘connect and forget’.

It’s safe to use with all 12 volt lead-acid, STD filler cap and wet cell, sealed AGM (MF) or GEL; and 12.8/13.2V lithium (LiFePO4) batteries.

The OptiMate1 Duo retails for £42.99 including VAT – less than the price of most replacement batteries – and comes with everything needed to get connected.

Visit www.optimate1.com for details.

The post Dynamic Duo from OptiMate appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.

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[grandpaul]

Similar to the Battery Tenders. I have 1 or 2 of them (3 maybe?), and a dozen pigtails, about half of them mounted on various older bikes, the other half new in the bags they came in years ago.

I did the battery tender dance for MANY years. Kinda gave up as I've been selling off bikes. It's almost to the point where I can get all of them out for a ride every now and then these days (that's a thing)

 

[Rocky]

I switched from a Battery Tender to Optimate five years ago because the Optimate is more technically advanced and does far more than just charge the battery.
This new version is another step forward for Optimate.

 

[CarlS]

I will purchase an Optimate as I have both lithium and lead acid batteries. I currently have three Shumachers which are at least 15 years old. These Shumachers have preformed very well. I keep one Mabel's Honda Big Ruckus and one on my MTD lawn tractor. These chargers certainly increase the life of batteries! I have a lithium battery in my Tiger.

 

[DaveM]

Motorcycle Top Trumps!

You don’t have to fly the Cross of St. George outside your semi or wave the Union Jack around like a dervish to be a patriot. You could put your money where your mouth is and ‘buy British.’ Here’s our patriotic pick of the top Triumphs from the early Hinckley years…

The first generation…

The new Hinckley Triumph’s launch machines may have been based largely on old tech (some say the bikes were more than heavily based on Kawasaki’s GPz900R, both in motor architecture and chassis/frame design) but that didn’t mean the news of their arrival wasn’t given much fanfare: this was the return of a big name in the motorcycle world.

Half of the range featured long-stroke motors (300cc per cylinder) which were the Trophy 1200 four-cylinder (featuring a square headlight), the Trident 900 triple (a smart-looking naked machine with a round headlight) and the Trophy 900 three cylinder. You then also had the short-stroke – 250cc per cylinder – range. This comprised of the Daytona 1000 Sport four-cylinder, the Trident 750 and Daytona 750 triple.

It’s fair to say that early bikes suffered on build quality in some areas according to dealers from back in the day but time has shown that they have been pretty much bulletproof, with some bikes going on for many hundreds of thousands of miles.

If you like working on your own bikes, then you’ll find out that Clive Wood runs a series of workshops on these bikes (clivejlracing@aol.com: 07752 477738) from his place in Bognor Regis. Apparently on these early machines valve clearance issues can be a problem (check every 3000 or so miles, not the 12,000 the factory suggests) as can worn starter sprag clutches.

For the time these early models were pretty rapid, with the 900 Trophy and Trident putting out just under 100 claimed bhp and the Daytona 750 and Trident 750 around 90bhp with the Daytona 1000 hitting a whopping 120bhp. The Trophy 4 1200 took this further still with an impressive (for the time) 135bhp at the crank.

If there was a question mark it was weight. These weren’t lightweights, even back then. The Trophy 1200 was 240 kilos dry and around 270 kilos fully fuelled and ready to ride. The naked Trident 900 was 212 kilos dry before you even thought about filling her up…

Pricing was competitive for the time: the Daytona 750 triple cost £6149 back in 1991 – early Daytonas are rare with only around 1000 of both capacities sold. Other prices from the launch year include the Trident 750 (£5109) the 900 Trident (£5543), Trophy 900 (£6122) and Trophy 1200 (£6604.)

Expanding the range…

As Triumph moved into the mid to late 1990s, Daytona’s now became 900 and 1200cc: the 1200 had a claimed 147bhp at 9500rpm which blew into touch the supposed ‘gentleman’s agreement’ on power caps for two-wheelers in the face of certain EU bureaucrats.

Triumph was also expanding their range still further. By 1994/1995 they now had the rare Super III 900 (£9699) which was a great bike even if it was still being a bit too much of a heavyweight to compete with other 900cc sportsbikes of 1994 such as the Honda CBR900RR FireBlade and Kawasaki ZX-9R.

The Speed Triple of the same year is a classic now – especially the rarer 750 version: beware though. Because, in the same way that RD350Fs are often stripped of their bodywork to become the rarer and more lusted after Ns, so it is with the modular Triumph range. Always check the provenance of any supposed Speed Triple and that counts for later T500 series models, too.

Oh and if you fancy something different but love today’s adventure machines, why not have a look at the first Triumph Tiger? Released in 1993 these bikes are that little bit different and offer brilliant mile-munching ability and comfort. We’d also humbly suggest the likes of the Trident Sprint, Sprint Sport (black and limited-edition) and Sprint Executive (panniers!) No, it’s not the most visually striking machine, but as a solid, do-it-all bike it’s a great all-rounder.

The post Motorcycle Top Trumps! appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.

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[DaveM]

Motorcycle Top Trumps (Part 2)

We here at CB-Net figured we’d chuck some interesting bits and pieces at you about Triumph, which John Bloor resurrected almost 20 years ago.

John Stuart Bloor made his fortune in the building trade, with Bloor Homes. He bought the Triumph name in 1983, began to research into motorcycle manufacturing in the late 1980s before launching a small range of modular motorcycles in 1990 for production during 1991.

Triumph has since gone on to become one of the biggest players in the motorcycle market and that’s something we should be proud of.

Any quotes come from a series of interviews originally carried in Triumph’s TORQUE magazine a number of years back with John Bloor. In 2011 Bloor’s son Nick took over as CEO of Triumph Motorcycles and in 2017 they opened a new visitor centre costing around £4 million.

Want to visit? Then check out: www.triumphmotorcycles.co.uk/visitor-experience

The Triumph name was bought for around £105 or £108,000: Bloor himself can’t remember which!

Only the name was bought in 1983, not the factory as: “It was never the intention to carry on with what was happening then with that factory.”

A licence was granted to Les Harris in Devon to continue small-volume production of the Bonneville between 1983 and 1990.

When researching whether to build bikes or not with the Triumph name, a number of Bloor’s trusted employees in the 1980s were sent to motorcycle manufacturers across Europe and to Japan to research modern manufacturing and design methods, before returning to the-then HQ in Bedworth.

“Starting Triumph has been a hard slog: much more complex than the building business.”

“I never considered the name ‘Triumph’ reborn until the first bike was produced at Hinckley in 1991.”

“Japanese currency was weak in the late 1970s, but it was getting stronger and stronger so we knew that probably by 1987 or 1988 we could stand a chance to be competitive in the future.”

“Eventually the Japanese built bikes in other countries and the name effectively became a brand. Research and development is done at home and in some cases abroad, but the brand is controlled directly from Japan. They’re selling the brand abroad, at least that’s the way I see it.” Triumph opened their Thailand factory in 2002 and it’s since grown to three factories, making different machines and parts.

“To start building bikes, premises are the easy part. It’s people that are the difficult part. We trained most of them by taking raw material from university. I would say 95% of the people we employed then were under 30. You have to have good people – they’re your principal assets. Money is just a commodity.”

It’s thought that between £60-£100 million of Bloor’s own money went into Triumph between 1983 and 2000 when the company finally broke even.

On starting Triumph Motorcycles and beginning the manufacture of motorcycles: “I think I was an idiot to be honest! It was a large part of my life: and everyone else’s. We were here day in day out, every hour of the day. We lived it. When the first bike rolled off the production line I just felt that ‘it will be good.’”

After 2002’s factory fire: “The staff did exceptionally well, remarkably well, but then they’re well organised. All our people are well organised, team supervisors and team leaders.”

Triumph may be a small factory compared to the Japanese but: “We were one of the first manufacturers to use fuel-injection on a large capacity, mass-produced bike – the T595 – three years before the FireBlade had it on the bike.”

“Most of our clients are individualists, so these are the people we’re making motorcycles for.”

People stay at Triumph to work for a long time because: “It’s an interesting place to work. We treat people as well as we can, we look after them. It’s a trust thing that goes both ways. We are careful about who we hire.”

If bikes aren’t well received: “We always care: if we have a bike – maybe like the TT600 – it isn’t well received but (as we did) we modify it and it turns out to be the Daytona 650, then that’s a lesson learned. Criticism is good as long as it’s positive.”

The normal Triumph owner is: “Quite discerning. Everyone wants quality and everyone is extremely well-informed today.”

“I once put my business card on one of our bikes. It was in Llandudno in North Wales. I wrote on it: ‘Thank you for buying one of our bikes.’”

In his time in charge, Bloor is proudest of: “If I’m proud of anything it’s that we kept making little progressions each year. That’s what we’ve done. There’s no high moments or low moments, really, just continuous improvements.”

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[grandpaul]

One of the best resurrection success stories ever, in my opinion.

I wish Norton had a similar plan, but they went a whole different way. Hopefully they last, but they'll never touch Triumph in this era.

 

[DaveM]

The Motorbike Show returns in May

The Motorbike Show returns for a brand new series on ITV4 starting on 2nd May.

In the first of six hour-long episodes, presenter Henry Cole visits Wales to ride the iconic Devil’s Bridge, joins Sam Lovegrove to buy a rare BSA Goldstar and tells the fascinating story of two classic British names – Ariel and the Triton.

Following episodes cover topics as diverse as riding in Cornwall and the Algarve, participating in the epic Pioneer Run on a pre-1915 bike, and a look at the extreme conditions faced in the Paris-Dakar Rally. Plus a celebration of the Honda CB 750’s 50th birthday and the strange history of Hesketh, Britain’s most aristocratic bike brand.

The Motorbike Show, Series 8, Episode 1, is on ITV4 at 9pm from Thursday 2nd May.

Details on the ITV4 website at www.itv.com/hub/itv4

The post The Motorbike Show returns in May appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.

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[DaveM]

Yamaha YZF1000R Thunderace – Tomorrow’s Classic Today

We love a trier, here at CB-Net and the Ace was always one of those…

It tried hard, it was a great bike, but also – strangely – a bit of an also-ran. It was Yamaha’s stop-gap answer to the Honda CBR900RR FireBlade. Yamaha had been kings of the sportsbike hill with previous offerings, such as the Genesis thou’ and later EXUP 1000, but from 1992 the Blade had ‘em all beat.

Come 1996 Yamaha had had enough… their answer though didn’t quite cut it. Essentially, the Thunderace was the last of the big, bulky, comfy sportsters which had dominated the sportsbike world until the arrival of the Blade. It was fast, but you could easily go two-up somewhere nice. Try that on today’s Panigale V4…

It wasn’t quite what the doctor ordered as it was a bit more of a refinement of what had gone before. The chassis came pretty much from the YZF750, so it could hustle, meanwhile the motor was the 20-valve 1002cc mill, taken lock-stock from the EXUP. This means it had a claimed 145bhp which should have had the whipping of any but a modified Blade. The swingarm was robust (and now a popular item with modders) as were the right-way-up forks. Brakes were the very fierce Blue-Spot Sumitomos.

It was bigger than a Blade but for many that was a positive thing and it meant that the Ace took many things in its stride – not least two-up riding or even touring. It even looked handsome enough, avoiding some of the more garish colour schemes of the 1990s…

Issues: well, not many, as you’d expect with tried-and-trusted parts. Yes, the brakes need TLC to keep up to spec, of course the engine burned oil (it’s a Yamaha, sir) and the EXUP valves would stick if not kept up to the mark, but the clutch was strong enough and the brake discs didn’t warp like some earlier Yamaha sports machines.

The biggest plus point is left to today… price. Sure, we’ve seen half decent bikes for around £500 a few years back, but prices – while they’ve gone up a little – aren’t anywhere near Blade prices. Rough bikes now start at around a grand, but nice, low milers are still sat under £2000.

For: comfort, power, brakes, handling. What more do you want?

Against: Not king dick – and never was!

SPECIFICATIONS

Make	YAMAHA
Model	YZF1000 Thunderace
Years available	1996-2003
Major changes	Colour changes
Cost	£9259 new in 1997.

Now: £1000-£2000+

Verdict: Under-rated do-it-all sportster…

The post Yamaha YZF1000R Thunderace – Tomorrow’s Classic Today appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.

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[DaveM]

Kawasaki ZZR600 (1990-2003) – The Tyre Kicker’s Guide

Way, way back in 1990 Kawasaki launched two sibling rocket ships. Yes, at the time of their birth, both the ZZ-R1100 and ZZ-R600 were cutting-edge sports tackle and fast as buggery hell.

Soon – in just a few short years – pukka sports tackle saw both ZZ-R models quietly moved to the ‘sports-touring’ shelf of your local Kawasaki dealer, but while the 1100 had the kudos of being the king of speed and was able to be an impressive ride, the 600 did not…

The 600 was a straightforward, 599cc inline four built into the body of a capacious tub of a bike. This thing was large even for the time – but this meant it was comfy too. This and the combination of a low, squashy seat; vast, protective fairing and a 14,000rpm redline thanks to a typical Kawasaki motor meant that it was so very fast for a middleweight, even if it was a tad porky and softly sprung for real scratching.

It was updated for a while, but still lasted for 16 whole years, until 2006 and during this time the ZZ-R600 confounded biking fashion pundits by remaining popular. What kept the ZZ-R in a class of its own was its refusal to join the sportsbike set and simply be its own bike. Yes it was big (for its capacity) fast (for its capacity) but this meant that it was able to tour with ease… OK so it wasn’t the best-finished of the time, nor was it the best suspended but as a commuter and small tourer it showed the way to bikes we have today that are a half-way house on cubic capacity, but the full-bore when it comes to capability.

Today it almost matters not which model you look at: it’s all down to mileage and condition, hence some original Ds can out-price later models…With this in mind, rough ones start around £600 and decent ones top out at around £2500 plus. Not bad considering the machine’s capability…

ENGINE: Extremely reliable, punting out 99bhp and 47ft-lb of torque. No complaints here apart from reg/rectifiers that can go wrong.

CARBURETTORS: Like many Kawasakis of this vintage, the ZZ-R’s carbs may succumb to icing. Signs include poor starting and running, irregular tickover and a sticking throttle. Some use Silkolene Pro FST fuel additive, which dissolves ice as it forms in the carbs others keep the carb heating rail/filter clean.

RECALLS: E1 and E2 models had swingarm welds that could fail, so a recall replaced the swinger. E2 and E3 models could suffer drive chain failures so these were replaced and on the F1 the same chain problem could happen, and the tools could fall out of the bike onto the rear wheel: a mounting strap and additional cover sorted this.

SUSPENSION: Soggy and soft from new, firmer fork springs are a good upgrade today. Pre-1995 bikes had no fork adjustment; post-1995 bikes got adjustable preload and rebound damping. Rear shocks are often replaced, too: Hagon seem to be the most popular choice.

BRAKES: Were never the best and need regular cleaning or the calipers easily get caked with crud. Upgraded pads and hoses help here.

CUSH DRIVES: Need regular checking as they can wear quickly but they’re easy to replace.

COMFORT: Brilliant! The seat is wide and low, making the bike popular with smaller riders, while the reach to the bars and pegs isn’t a big stretch and the screen and fairing work effectively at speed.

FINISH: Exhaust headers and downpipes suffer. Back in the day Motad were the first port of call, but today Wemoto (www.wemoto.com) do a set of downpipes for around £300. End cans are more plentiful so take your choice…

EQUIPMENT: A lot for the (second-hand) money: centre-stand (which drags during enthusiastic cornering) grab-rail, bungee points plus fuel and temperature gauges, analogue speedo and rev counter and a digital clock. There’s also a lockable compartment.

WEBSITES:

www.kawasakiownersclub.com

www.zzrbikes.com/forum

Kawasaki ZZ-R600 D1 – D3 (1990 – 1992)

Colours: Two tone red or blue, black/red, blue/silver, ebony/grey, blue/red/purple

Price new: £5395 (1992)

Kawasaki ZZ-R600 E1 – E2 (1993 – 1994)

Colours: ebony/green, violet/red, ebony/red, violet/silver/red

Price new: £5275 (1993)

Comments: New bodywork with twin ram-air ducts, new silencers and minor engine modifications. The instrument panel had a facelift and got a fuel gauge: still no suspension adjustment on these models.

Kawasaki ZZ-R600 E3 – E6F (1995 – 2006)

Colours: red/black/violet, ebony/grey/violet, metallic eventide, red, silver, black, silver/beige, light/dark blue

Price new: £6350 (1995)

Comments: Suspension upgrade. Subsequent improvements included a digital clock (E4 model onwards) and an alarm/immobiliser as standard (E7 model onwards).

WHY WE LOVE IT: For the money, a great first ‘big’ bike with big bike elements…

WHY WE DON’T: Some haven’t worn well!

The post Kawasaki ZZR600 (1990-2003) – The Tyre Kicker’s Guide appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.

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[CarlS]

I am having trouble grasping 1990's bikes being classics! Guess I am showing my age.

 

[triumph david]

I am having trouble grasping 1990's bikes being classics! Guess I am showing my age.

I am right there with you!!!