Kawasaki S1A, A Stylish - Classic 250 !

Stylish and with amazing street presence : The Kawasaki S1A.

Whatever else you may say about Kawasaki’s earlier Inline triples, even the most curmudgeonly, misanthropic philistine would be hard-pushed to say the bikes don’t have style and street presence. The asymmetric exhaust is there to get noticed - imbalance is good for getting a response.

Kawasaki S1A : Styling

Every manufacturer of the period used candy paint and vinyl graphics but few did it so well and the look and lines are like no other. And no one, but no one else had the bare-faced cheek or courage to put a tail piece on a 250cc Japanese motorcycle. Even the H1s had a bare derrière until 1973. The S1 series had one singular purpose for existence and that was to get youngsters on board Kawasakis. It’s probably fair to say that the S1 range sold to learners who favoured form over function.

The bike sold more on looks than anything else. If you’d managed to coerce mum and dad to sign as guarantors on the HP agreement you’d done so because the bike looked so uber-sexy sitting in the dealer’s window.

Very little looks like a Kawasaki S1, which was obviously the intention of the stylists. There’s an almost aggressive stance to the bike and from any angle it looks ready for action. The layout of the iconic exhaust system is there for effect, with two silencers on the right and one on the left. Have a look at the centre pot’s exit route. It is little short of a work of art how it manages to find its way out and even better how it contrives to run parallel to its neighbour – stunning stuff.

Looking up from the exhaust system there’s a decent-sized dual seat that’s very obviously intended to take a passenger. We’re firmly in the 1970s here and motorcycles still have to be able to multitask, commuting Monday to Friday, a bit of manic one-up as and when but not forgetting to pick up the girlfriend on Saturday evening. Unique to the 250 of the period is the famous Kawasaki seat hump. Even if there’s precious little room inside it still looks special. In the increasingly competitive learner market of the early 70s such things were important.

Moving forward there’s a fairly long tank aiding the impression that the bike is bigger than it is. This and the aforementioned saddle somehow combine to give an illusion of greater size. This is more marketing spin to get buy-in from the kids of the day and something Honda would latterly emulate with their Superdreams.

Across the top yoke is a pair of clocks unlike anything the opposition are using. They have a unique look to them that’s both clinically clean yet funky at the same time, almost military in style. With the parent company making planes and helicopters it makes you wonder if the look was drawn up in-house before being handed over to Nippon Seiki or whoever.

Out on the ends of the bars there is a set of tactile grips that suggest you’ll need their assistance to hold on, some companywide switchgear and a curious little lever just inboard of the throttle. Hang on what’s that doing there? This is another early triple foible and possibly another ploy to distinguish the factory’s products from its rivals. Yes, defying logic, perceived wisdom and possibly common sense as well it’s the choke lever. Even better it is spring-loaded and rotates in the same direction as the twist grip, which should make starting fun.

Up front it’s all standard fare with a pair of exposed fork stanchions and a drum brake running a twin-leading shoe arrangement. When launched at the tail end of 1971, both the S1 and S2 ran the same twin-leading shoes front brake but for the A series models of the 1973 model year the S2 received a disc brake. The 250 was considered to be sufficiently well braked that the drum would remain in place right to the end of the S1’s life. But what’s it like to ride ?

Kawasaki S1A Ride Test !

Fuel on, turn the ignition key and pull out the kick-start lever, which feels like no other I’ve ever used. It’s long, it’s high and it sticks out at a jaunty angle. Initially a little confusing, the layout is a little more logical when you consider the need for the starting mechanism to miss that stunning duo of pipes on the right-hand side.

Having regained my balance and adjusted to the lever arrangement it’s time to grasp the throttle and choke set up. With a positive stop choke lever on the carburettors like Yamaha or Suzuki you don’t give the fuel enrichment system a second thought, but on the S1A you need to hold the choke down with your thumb, kick through and hopefully catch the motor as it fires.

Thankfully, I’m able to let the choke off almost instantly and, with a little judicious throttle tweaking, the tiny triple soon gets some warmth into it. Ensuring there’s sufficient heat in the motor is never a chore. There’s a perpetual mechanical clattery rustle from the motor that somehow seems to convey a sense of impeding urgency. The airbox has only rudimentary baffling as it inhales deeply and finally there’s that trio of silencers.

Make no mistake, they are tuned not only for performance but tone as well. Racer on the road wouldn’t be an over exaggeration as they really do sound that good and further egg the rider on to give the throttle just one more twist. In a nutshell it sounds delicious.

Throwing a leg over the seat and getting myself sorted out the first thing that’s apparent is the rise of the handlebars, but then again this is a USA market machine and owner Chris decided to keep it as authentic and original as possible. For a Stateside machine the bars are nowhere near as raised as some I’ve sampled and as it’s a 250 I’m riding I doubt they’ll provoke an unintended wheelie unless I am totally stupid.

Settling onto the comfortable seat it’s time to see what the teenage tearaway is capable of. Initially the experience is less than inspiring but that’s more a criticism of the rider than the bike. At first the pick-up seems almost flat and uninspiring, but after a very brief period of acclimatisation it’s very obviously apparent that the bike wants some revs. Three small pots on a 250 are never going to provide the low down torque of an RD250 or the solidity of a CB250. The bike was designed to be a Banzai, brain out, bolide and not a good all-rounder.

So with recalibrated expectations and inputs let’s try that again shall we? Open the taps, slip the clutch and away hurtles the Candy Gold S1A. The change from first to second gear is a little ropey but apparently many are like that. Even the smallest amount of wear on an S-series gear pedal linkage can have a profound and adverse effect. With just a little practice I have it sussed and then we can start to rock ‘n’ roll.

If aesthetics and bragging rights were the primary reasons for kids back in the day buying an S1 then it was surely the noise and sensations that ensured the bike didn’t get swapped for something more sensible The sound of an S1 coming on pipe and hitting that sweet spot is seriously like nothing else. The screaming wail of the three pipes is beguiling and addictive. Factor in the rasping drone of the inlet system as it gets a proper workout and the auditory input is almost hypnotic.

Everything comes together when the tacho needle begins to nudge 5500 rpm and then slips towards 6000. The whole thing comes alive, with pipes and porting gel as one and the bike sears forwards. Keep the smallest stroker triple here or hereabouts and you’ll be smiling like a loon dancing on the gear pedal and playing tunes all day.

The same feral edge of the legendary H1 seems to have been condensed and planted somewhere with the S1. This is truly a bike that could and would generate brand loyalty.

It’d be easy to think that the S1 is all about its power unit and to a degree you’d be correct. After all this was the bike’s unique selling point back in the day. However, even Kawasaki knew that the 250 couldn’t emulate its famous 500 in terms of handling.

The S1 handles much better than its big brother and so it should. Surprisingly light and predictable for a bike that’s wider than most of its ilk, it tracked around perfectly for our riding shots and was even happy to undertake feet-up 180s at walking pace. At speed the little triple never seemed anything other than sure-footed and was blissfully happy to change line if asked.

Suspension was no better than a comparable Yamaha twin of the period but measurably superior to a Honda CB250 K Series. In terms of braking some criticise the continued use of the twin-leading shoe front brake in the light of the S2A being equipped with a disc. Having ridden with both types of front anchor on smaller triples, my money is on the S1A’s drum brake. Powerful, progressive and not especially prone to fade after a series of action shots and the inevitable turn-arounds, it impressed all day long.

Back in the day some elements of the press suggested that S1/KH250 owners only had six brain cells, which was purportedly all they needed to ride the smallest of the genre. I’d counter that facetious statement by saying those same critics only used six brain cells to reach their myopic conclusion.

Yes, the bike majors on frenetic performance, I agree it emits an unholy sound and without doubt it can egg you on to misbehave, but that’s just one aspect of its character. The super-smooth engine, the style, the looks and, surprisingly, the comfort, are aspects of ownership the bike’s detractors chose to ignore.

I’d go so far as to say that the S1 Kawasaki is probably THE iconic learner of the period. It has it all - performance, looks and fun factor. If I go on record as saying that I could find space for one in my garage, does that convey just how good these bikes are?

Kawasaki S1A Specifications

Manufacturer : Kawasaki

Model: S1A 250

Year Built : 1972 - 1975



Engine: 2-Stroke, Inline-Triple (3-Cylinder), Piston-Port, Air Cooled

Bore x Stroke : 45 x 53.2 mm

Displacement : 249 cc

Compression ratio : 7.5: 1

Fuel Supply : 3 x Carburetor Mikuni VM22SC

Ignition : Coil

Starter system : Kick-Starter

Transmission : 5-Speed

Max Power : 32 HP @ 8.500 RPM

Max Torque : 25 N.m @ 7.000 RPM



Dimensions L x W x H : 2.019 x 820 x 1.035 mm

Wheelbase : 1.371 mm

Seat height : 800 mm

Dry weight : 149.5 Kg

Fuel tank capacity : 15 Liter



Frame: Tubular-Steel Double Cradle

Suspension Front: 34mm Telescopic Fork

Rear Suspension: Dual Kawasaki Shockbreaker

Brakes Front: 180mm Drum Brake

Rear brakes: 180mm Drum Brake

Front tires: 3.00 - 18 Inch

Rear tires: 3:25 - 18 Inch

Classic Bike Colour-Schemes !

We’re lucky in the classic world. We’re lucky as we have some of the best colour-schemes, paint jobs and graphics in the biking sphere.

Take a look at most modern motorcycles and you’ll probably wonder what all the fuss is about (I sometimes do). So, can any colours really match up with the luscious palettes we see on Classic Japanese two-wheeled works of art ? I mean, just check out this Kawasaki S1A : it’s simply gorgeous in gold (even if it’s probably called ‘orange candy crush’ or some such nonsense).


If there was a heyday for Classic Japanese colour schemes it was probably the 1960s/1970s with vibrant colours and everyone wanting a candy-coloured bike with a dash of metalflake, or perhaps a flip-flop...

While the 1980s gave us some lovely colours on road bikes, such as Kawasaki’s lime green (straight from their racing paint schemes) and race replicas came in some cool colours – like Suzuki’s corporate blues on the GSX-R750 – things went wrong in the 1990s !

If you remember the first ‘pink’ Yamaha YZF750R in 1993 (like the figure above) or the zig-zag purple shell-suit that was the water-cooled GSX-R750 and 1100WNs then you’ll realise that for the Japanese it was a time that taste forgot! There were some notable exceptions – such as the CBR900RR First Blades, "Ferrari Red" Honda NR750 & Ducati 916, and also the single-colour tone ZXR750J – but many factory schemes of that decade were hideous!

Ride, Modern Classics Motorcycle In A Game !

Ride is the latest attempt to simulate the energy and intensity of riding motorcycles in the form of a computer game. 

Honestly, I loving both sitting on a sofa playing games and also riding motorcycles, it would be interesting to see how I would enjoy Ride on my Sony's PS4. After all, for lazy gits like me, it means I can indulge in motorcycling when it’s raining or in the winter…


Although the game is based heavily on the modern range of motorcycles (it features more than 100) there are also some pretty cool unlockable ‘modern classics’ that make us drool. These include Honda’s CBR900RR Original Fireblade of 1992, Yamaha’s OW-01 from the late 1980s, the Aprilia RSV1000 Mille of 1998, the 1996 Suzuki GSX-R750 SRAD and Honda’s oval-pistoned NR750 from the early 1990s.

I bought the game just before deadline for this issue and so far I’m loving it : you can customise your rider in all manner of kit and make your motorcycle unique too. You’ve also a wide range of tracks to choose from, including our faves Donington Park and a lovely "North Wales" road circuit.

While it’s not realistic in any way at all (basically I’m a riding god on this game) it is a splendid bit of fun which is well worth a look and cheaper than buying an NR750 at least… So, buy this game for your kids/grandkids/great-grandkids and then hog the controller. It’s a blast!

Ride is out now and available for PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3 and PS4.

Suzuki GSX1100E, Superb Classic Four !

Suzuki really stirred up the pot with the GSX1100E of 1980, if you wanted sphincter-searing acceleration at a knock down price the GSX had it all covered.

Suzuki sat back to watch the combined efforts from Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki flounder in its wake until (with the opposition closing the gap) the EFE was born in 1984, and it had no intention of taking any prisoners.

The GSX1100E motor is astoundingly simple : it has Inline four cylinders, five speeds and one destination, the top of the heap. It builds on the principles established as far back as the GT750 water-cooled two-stroke. The transmission layout is very similar, this design carried on to the GS750, the GS1000 and then the GSX1100.



The crank and gearbox input and output shaft centres are shared with its four-stroke buddies, the basic design of the camshaft drive chain and tensioners is a simple evolution of its forebears. That’s the trick that Suzuki pulled off for the umpteenth time, no crazy ideas, just good old simplicity and brilliance of design that don’t hanker after adulation or adoration, but that does tend to follow after the first time you crank open the throttle on one!

Around the time that the 100 horsepower gate swung open the Big 4 were all capable of producing bikes that could transcend this hurdle but there were many problems which befell them. There were chocolate cams and recalcitrant camchain tensioners and second gear selectors that did and then didn’t.

Big problems emerged when bikes exceeded 200 kilos and 100 HP. But the EFE tore up that risk assessment, and then proceeded to tear up the quarter mile with Pee Wee Gleason on board in mid 10 second order at close to 130mph. These numbers were pretty impressive back then... wait a mo, they’re pretty impressive now ! The reason for this massive rush of ballbusting torque is simple, the development that Suzuki did on the GSX1100 was just the starter, when the main course rolled up the EFE had a totally sorted carb/cam/valve/piston/exhaust combo.

The carbs were just big enough to allow in excess of 110 HP but small enough to encourage high intake velocity which gave near perfect atomisation of the intake charge, hence great midrange and throttle response regardless of gear position or the position of the tacho needle.

The cams, likewise didn’t need crazy lifts or excessive spring pressures to get the job done, just enough was okay thanks. The intake valves increased in diameter by 1mm from 27 to 28mm but the exhaust stayed the same at 23mm. The 76mm pistons are lovely, tough with slim rings, the forgings (not castings) are neatly ribbed under the crown for strength and heat dissipation.

Yet again Suzuki pulled a rabbit out of their hat here, generally speaking, alloys used for casting use a higher proportion of silicone in their mix. This reduces the coefficient of expansion thus allowing tighter piston to wall clearances, the ART alloy used for the forged pistons still allows minimal clearances which were previously unheard of. It might be worth mentioning here that Suzuki’s GS1000R F1 racebikes used pistons crafted by Fred Hadleigh at Omega in the West Midlands.

What is truly amazing is the similarity twixt the Omega design and the later factory pistons as installed in the EFE, and yes I am aware that the 1000R was a two-valver and the GSX has four of ’em, the design clues I’m referring to relate to the internal design as opposed to the piston crown.

Vincenzo Piatti pioneered a fully machinable combustion chamber which optimised compression, valve size and flame travel to burn the precious charge in the most efficient way possible. With this single refinement the GSX and its first cousin, the EFE, stomped off into the distance, any gear, any revs, anytime.

Given the fact that there was so much of everything available at relatively low engine speeds, riding an EFE was rapidly recognised as a good way to spend a Sunday afternoon, they start easily, will run on just about any kind of fuel without complaining, they don’t get hot, they have a huge alternator to fire up the similarly huge headlamp and they don’t wilt after a tankful of abuse. Even 30 odd years after its release the EFE has a loyal band of followers that can’t get enough of that torque-nami, sure they dress ’em up with USD forks and trick swingarms (like Colin Peabody’s lovely bike here) but the stuff that sits under that crackle black cam cover is sacrosanct, the beating heart of a true classic.



The architecture that was laid down back then has not changed, particularly in drag racing circles (or should that be straights?) Whatever, EFE-based bikes, with a few tweaks are running over three seconds quicker down the 1320 than Pee Wee ran at Orange County International Raceway all those years ago, sure they have multi-stage lock up clutches and trick auto boxes and digital everything but underneath are still the rock solid design concepts that haven’t been improved on. With capacities of up to 1600cc by virtue of big pistons and stroker cranks it’s unlikely there will ever be a more appropriate basis for this kind of lunacy as slimmer, modern engines afford less room to grow.

So we have a great spread of everything, reliability, simplicity, strength and power. Can’t last can it? And it didn’t, fuel injection, water cooling and Nikasil plated bores changed what had previously been simple and pure into, well, complicated, and we don’t really do complicated. So the EFE continues to co-exist with its younger siblings, I wonder how things will be in another 30 years? I know which one my money’s on.

Suzuki GSX1100E Specifications

Manufacturing : Suzuki Motor Co.

Model : GSX1100E (EFE)

Production Year : 1972 - 1976



Engine : 4-Stroke, Oil-Cooled, Inline 4 Cylinder DOHC 16-Valve

Bore x Stroke : 72 x 66 mm

Cylinder capacity : 1.074 cc

Fuel Supply System : Carburetor Mikuni 34mm

Compression ratio : 9.5: 1

Transmission : 5 - Speed

Ignition : CDI

Starter : Electric Starter

Max Power : 100 HP @ 8.700 RPM

Max Torque : 85,3 N.m @ 6.500 RPM

Top Speed : 227 Km / h



Dimensions L x W x H : 2.255 x 760 x 1.190 mm

Wheelbase: 1.510 mm

Ground Clearance: 152 mm

Dry weight : 237 kg

Fuel tank capacity: 19 L



Frame : Tubular Steel Double Cradle

Front Suspension : 37mm Kayaba Telescopic Fork

Rear Suspension : Kayaba Dual Shock

Front Brakes : Dual Hydraulic Disc 275mm, 2 Pots

Rear Brakes : Single Hydraulic Disc 275mm, 2 Pots

Front Tires : 3:50 - 19

Rear tires : 4.50 - 17

Motorcycle Events : Ramsgate Sprint Revival

Many years ago the seaside town of Ramsgate in East Kent and its incumbent Sunbeam Motor Cycle Club organised quartermile sprints along the Western Undercliff.

For 12 years until 1968 the events drew large crowds before the slightly curved seafront course, with its unforgiving cast-iron railings, was deemed too dangerous for use – that was until 2015, as now once again over the weekend of August 15-16 the Undercliff will echo to the sound of race engines.

A short course will allow demonstrations of bikes of the era, including a number that were stars of the original events, to evoke memories of times past.

On Government Acre, the cliff top area above the course, further attractions will include a static display of bikes organised by the East Kent Classic Motorcycle Club.

Being the town of My Friends birth, he probably will be around should anyone want to meet up, but more interestingly six times world champion Jim Redman will also be at the event. For more informations, you can go to Ramsgate Sprint Revival Official Site.

Practicalities and Pressures, Look After Your Tyres !

You should be checking your pressures like you check your wallet and keys before you head out. Make life easier by fitting angled tyre valves, and keep a gauge by the garage door. The owner’s manual, or the internet will provide suitable pressures, but, again, we’re grownups, so if you want to experiment with a few PSI up or down, be our guest.

Of course, trackday use means softer pressures generally, while two-up, luggaged, high-speed Autobahn generally means higher pressures. If you’re unsure, stick to the tyre manufacturer’s, or bike manufacturer’s recommendations.

Changing Tyres

It’s possible to remove, fit, and balance bike tyres yourself, if you invest a moderate sum of cash. A bead breaker, some tyre irons, a tub of tyre lube and a bit of practice will have you slipping the old hoops on and off like George Clooney removing a hennight bra. Static balancing is fine for most purposes, and you can rustle up a balancing setup with an old paddock stand easily enough, or buy a proper one. Once you get started, you’ll never pay a shop £20 to fit rubber ever again. Punctures are the devil's work and in the olden days, you were pretty much screwed, when you rode over a screw.

But there are a few decent puncture repair kits around now. On a tubeless tyre, you can use an external plug repair, which will get you home (within reason). Indeed, some people (not us) have used external plug repairs for hundreds, even thousands of miles. Not recommended, but testament to the repair integrity. Top tip – carry extra gas canisters, or a small pump: the supplied canisters aren’t always enough to fill a fat rear tyre.


- Tubed tyres are more of a faff – you really need the tyre off and the tube out for a patched repair.

- Aerosol-type ‘tyre-weld’ repairs are less good in our experience, and can make a proper repair later
more difficult. They are convenient though, and in an emergency, might do the job.

- No-one who we spoke to recommends the pre-puncture repair fluids which you put in your tyre before you get a puncture. The manufacturers of these products claim they’re safe and effective, but the big tyre firms warn against them. The argument is that they may hide a very serious piece of damage to a tyre – i.e. you won’t notice a puncture straight away, and the tyre can be dangerously damaged. Bridgestone told us, “The use of ANY liquid sealant will render any warranty invalid. This form of temporary repair can have a detrimental effect on ply material and can hide any secondary damage caused by the penetrating object. You have to bear in mind that once the carcass of the tyre is penetrated it is deemed as broken and this is not how it was designed! Therefore, over a period of time the carcass of the tyre could break down with catastrophic consequences.”

- The best repair is a properly approved, internal mushroom plug applied by a trained fitter. The hole must be no bigger than 3mm, and must be within the centre area of the tread. Only one repair per tyre, and many manufacturers don’t recommend repairs to V-rated tyres (more than 150mph).

Honda XRV750 Africa Twin, Admirable Big-Trailie !

Honda‘s Africa Twin is another bike that conjures up specific memories for me. Back in 1994, I joined a sportbike mag, and did so with thoughts of ripping round the country on big bhp, hi-spec, race-reps. But just days into the job I was sent on an errand on one of the twin-pot Hondas.

Deemed back then as a big-trailie (the poncey, pretentious world of ‘adventure’ bikes was still some way off). I treated the prospect of riding the 750 with some disdain. A nose bleed-inducing seat height, skinny tyres with knobbles on ’em and a pathetic 62 HP were just some of the numerous discouraging ‘features’ serving to put me right off the bike. I wouldn’t care, it wasn’t long since I’d been earning a living delivering parcels aboard battered old high-mileage sheds. So quite why I was getting a bit snooty about a trip on the Africa Twin, god only knows.



Turns out the 20-odd-mile run was a real education. What a corker of a bike the 750 was. Super comfy, dead easy to ride, torquey motor were just some of the qualities I quickly listed. By the time I was done, I’d added plenty more. No wonder I’d seen so many of these sorts of bikes whenever I’d whizzed over to Europe. Suddenly the Africa Twin made a load of sense, and made me realise there were more bikes to like than just race-reps.

Since then I’ve appreciated a ton of rides on big trailies and pretty much loved the lot. When I met the owner of this one a few years back, I was in a much better position to understand why he liked it so much. Then when he added a few tales of true adventure behind the near 40,000 miles it had on its clock back then, I admired the Honda all the more.

It’s so damned easy to get on with. It might look a bit of a weighty brute, but get those spoked wheels turning and any thoughts of excess are left back where you began. Balance and poise are so evident from the word go, after just 10 minutes you feel so familiar with the bike it feels like you’ve been on it 50 times before. That’s the sign of a very sorted motorbike.

The riding position helps, with bars and pegs meeting the most ideal points of your extended arms and legs. It fits, and I suspect it’ll fit everyone bar freaks of nature. Fitting as ideally as it does, and combined with the shelter the excellent fairing and screen provides, staying in the comfy saddle all day long wouldn’t entitle you to any claims to fame for mile-eating. I might not have done the sort of miles its owner has done on the Honda, but it’s easy to see why he’s been able to cover so many.

You’re never likely to be stressed by the well-mannered V-twin Engine. Its power delivery is best described as soft, and so progressive and linear is the way it builds, it’s probably fair to even label it as polite. Always feeling unhurried you can understand why it only has five gears, and why you don’t need to swap them much. It pays to drop down a cog or two when you’re in town to nip any snatching in the bud, but in the right gear the engine pulls beautifully from bugger all revs.

There’s a bit of vibration if you ask a lot of the engine in the taller gears when it’s running slowly, but only fussy types would object to it. But you’ll not see any blurring in the mirrors and won’t feel anything through the bars. Then as soon as the 750 is spinning more freely it smooths out completely. It’s a very real world and fully usable engine. Short of sheer power it might be, but as it’s so friendly you can use all it has and never feel intimidated. Oh, it’s lovely!

There’s a nice feel from the chassis too. By modern standards its handling has to be described as a bit slow and lethargic. In fairness though, you’ll only really sense that if you’re trying to hurry it through stuff like chicanes. The majority of the time you’ll appreciate the stability it offers, with the feel and feedback being another bonus to help you realise exactly what’s going on beneath you.

Part of that is down to the soft, supple suspension, which also gives good, comfortable ride quality, making bumps feel significantly less serious. It gets a bit flustered if you test its damping too much, but its slight wallowing won’t generate any worry. Hustling this bike might need a bit more muscle at times, but those same muscles won’t often be made rigid with worry : safe and certain is the best way to describe the handling.

You don’t see many Africa Twins on UK roads these days, and it’s a wonder why Honda didn’t do a better job of replacing it when it was dropped in 2003 to be replaced by the lacklustre Varadero – which had been out a few years even then. I reckon it’s one of the best and most endearing Hondas built in recent times... and easily tough enough to trot round the world.

Honda XRV750 Specifications

Manufacturing: Honda (Honda Racing Company)

Model: XRV750 Africa Twin

Year Built: 1989 - 2003



Engine: 4-Stroke, Liquid Cooled, 50' V-Twin, SOHC 6-Valve (3-Valve per Cylinder)

Bore x Stroke: 81 x 72 mm

Cylinder capacity: 742 cc

Fuel Supply System: 2 x Keihin CV 38mm Flatside Carburetor

Compression ratio: 9,0: 1

Transmission: 5-Speed

Ignition: Digital ECU

Max Power: 62 HP @ 7.500 RPM

Max Torque: 62,7 N.m @ 6.000 RPM

Top Speed: 182 Km / h



Dimensions - Length x Width x Height: 2.315 x 905 x 1.430 mm

Wheelbase: 1.565 mm

Seat Height : 860 mm

Empty weight: 207 kg

Fuel tank capacity: 23 Liter



Frame: Aluminium Double-Cradle Frame

Front Suspension : 43mm Air-Assisted Telescopic Fork

Rear Suspension: Monoshock with Pro-Link System, Compression Damping Adjustment

Front Brakes : 2 x 276mm Hydraulic Discs, 2 Piston Caliper

Rear brakes : 256mm Hydraulic Disc, 1 Piston Caliper

Front Tires : 90/90 - D21

Rear tires: 140/80 - R17

Honda RVF750R (RC45), The Successful Race-Breed !

In the early days, We're dismissed the Honda RVF750R (RC45) as over-priced and underpowered – as a road bike it was over £17,980 in 1994, when a Kawasaki ZXR750 L1 was £7950. But to judge it as solely a road machine is missing the point.

It was designed, right from the start, to be festooned in HRC race-kit bits and win races – it was built to be modified. The small production run of stock road bikes was just a consequence. The RC45’s job was to win superbike races.

As well as being a much-needed replacement to the aging RC30 in WSBK, Honda badly needed a bike to win the Suzuka 8-hours race. Some say that in the 90s a Suzuka win was more important than a 500GP title and new rules banning prototype machines meant that Honda needed a competitive bike. The machine was an evolution.

The RC45 has gear-driven cams, like its predecessor the RC30, but Honda extensively redesigned the engine to make it more compact and was updated with fuel-injection too. The RC45 won the 8-hours in its debut year, then again in 1995.

Colin Edwards and Noriyuki Haga beat it with the Yamaha YZF750 in 1996, but the Honda V4 won again in 97, 98 and its final year 99, by which time it had a double-sided swingarm, two-into-one pipes up either side of the bike and a very funky Lucky Strike red paintjob.

It was retired when the equally dominant VTR1000 SP-1 V-twin took over. The highlight being a holidaying Valentino Rossi winning on it in 2001. Since 1994, Honda has won 17 Suzuka 8-hours to Suzuki’s two and Yamaha’s one. Kawasaki last won in 1993 with the ZXR-7, the last year of the F1 prototype rules.

The RC45 also won a World Superbike title with John Kocinski, in 1997, and AMA Superbike the following year with Ben Bostrom. Philip McCallen, Joey Dunlop and Steve Hislop won TTs on the V4 too.

Honda RVF750 (RC45) Specifications

Manufacturing: Honda (Honda Racing Company)

Model: RVF 750 (RC45)

Year Built: 1994 - 1999



Engine: 4-Stroke, Liquid Cooled, 90 'V-4 (4 Cylinder), DOHC 16 Valve, Gear-Driven Camshaft

Bore x Stroke: 70 x 48.6 mm

Cylinder capacity: 748 cc

Fuel Supply System: PGM-FI (Fuel Injection)

Compression ratio: 11.5: 1

Transmission: 6-Speed, Close Ratio

Ignition: Digital ECU

Starter: Electric Starter

Max Power: 119 HP @ 12,000 RPM

Max Torque: 75 N.m @ 10,500 RPM

Top Speed: 260 Km / h



Length x Width x Height: 2110 x 710 x 1100 mm

Wheelbase: 1407 mm

Ground Clearance : 130 mm

Dry weight : 189 kg

Fuel tank capacity: 18 Liter



Frame: Aluminium Twinspar Frame, Low Center of Gravity

Front Suspension : 41mm Upside Down Fork

Rear suspension: Monoshock with Pro-Link System, ELF Designed Single Sided swingarm (Mono-Arm)

Front Brakes : Hydraulic discs 2 x 310mm , 4 Piston Caliper

Rear brakes : Hydraulic Disc 220mm, Caliper 2 Piston

Front Tires : 130/60 - ZR16

Rear tires : 190/50 - ZR17

The 2 Stroke Race Replica, Suzuki RG500 vs Yamaha RD500 vs Honda NS400R

GP action spilled over onto the streets in the mid eighties when Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki all produced showroom replicas of their 500 grand prix two strokes. Good-Bikers gets to grips with eleven cylinders of sheer excitement, and emerges with a grin the size of the Grand Canyon.

One of the classic car magazines is running a series on "Dream Cars". A reader chooses his motoring Pamela Anderson, the mag fixes up a test drive and the reader says if reality matches up to the fantasy. (Stop that, you at the back, you'll go blind !) Regular readers will be aware of my taste for performance two strokes, so it will come as no surprise to find out that my motorcycling babes would be a Suzuki RG500, a RD500 Yamaha or Honda's quirky NS400 triple.

Together they make up a unique snapshot of mid-eighties style as performance two stroke road bikes reached their peak by mimicking grand prix machines only just past their sell-by date.



A confirmed Yamaha fan since owning my first real bike - a brilliant black and gold YDS7 in around 1975, l made my first speed induced subscription to Mr Plocl's coffers on one of the first RD250LCs and still remember the anticipation when the 500cc version was announced.

A few years later I somehow persuaded the company I was working for to buy me a Marlboro-Liveried RD500 as a company vehicle and even used It to commute into central London for a while. I parted with it when a moto cross accident meant a few weeks in hospital and a few weeks more in plaster. I rode it unannounced to the nearest Motorcycle City shop on my way to work the day before the operation and they offered me the same amount that the company had originally paid for it. l left the bike, caught the train to the office, handed over the cheque to the boss and even/body was happy. Except me. I missed the bike badly and have hankered after having a go on one again ever since.

As I now own an NS400 there would be no point in selecting that as a dream ride. but what about an RG500 I'd heard the stories about fearsome acceleration and race track manners, but I'd never been able to get my leg over one to find out for myself.

Actually it was a bit of a cheat - I had to provide my own NS400, but there you go. The RG500 & RD500 was brought along by 27-year old man from Sutton-in-Ashfield.

Honda NS400 Ride Test !

As a 400 triple - the cylinders are arranged in a Vee with two pots facing forward and one vertical - the NS feels much smaller than either the Square Four (U4) RG500 or V-Four RD500 - much more like a scaled up 250 than a scaled down 500. That makes it feel much more compact and agile than the other two. Throw in perfor- mance that is nof far short of the RD, and you have got the recipe for some real fun. The compact lines mean the bike is a squeeze for taller riders, but for pint-sized jockeys like me it's perfect.


A rear seat hump is available to provide a single seat conversion, but I don't have one, so I have to make do. The scooped out saddle makes for a very low seat height however, and there's no problem slipping backwards. In fact the problem is exactly the opposite - sliding forward when the brakes are applied. The high revving, very fast engine coupled to triple disc brakes (twin calipers at the front) and lightweight makes it a superb late braker. Even my recently rebuilt motor wants to rev right up to the 10,250 RPM red line in every gear and the whole package gives you the confidence to go really deep into turns before hitting the anchors and flicking it through.

As a result a good session playing silly buggers on back lanes soon makes the wristsache as your weight is constantly being thrown forward. Of course, that sort of hard braking takes its toll and my front discs now need replacing (around £160 for the pair). I can't wait to find out what they are like when they are back up to scratch. I'm still experimenting with the adiustable front and rear suspension, but at present I have it set almost as hard as it will go, which seems to suit me fine for the sorf of use I give it short blasts round the twisty roads of Rutland that leave me with a grin from ear to ear even if the petrol bills are hard on the wallet.

Actually I couldn't tell you how economical it is as I have never bothered to carry out any mpg checks. With a bike of this kind fuel consumption is irrelevant. We're talking fun here with a capital "F" and that never comes cheap. There are plenty of CB750s out there for those who like that sort of thing.

Although I never went out looking for an NS, and almost took it over by accident, I am a convert. The acceleration, top speed, handling and braking package has exceeded my expectations. The only thing I hate is the hollow burble produced by the sausage-shaped silencers. l’d love to fit some different cans, but that costs money and My Wife has her eye on a holiday somewhere sunny, so perhaps they'll have to wait.

Even with the awful noise, the NS gives its bigger cousins some serious competition. I couldn't wait to see how they measured up.

Honda NS400 Specifications

Manufacturing : Honda Motor Company

Model : NS400R (Road-Bike)

Year of Manufacture : 1985 - 1987



Engine: 2-Stroke, Liquid-Cooled, 90º V-3 (3 Cylinders), ATAC (Auto-Controlled Torque Amplification Chamber) System

Bore x Stroke: 57 x 50.6 mm

Capacity: 387 cc

Fuel Supply System: 3 x 26 mm Keihin Carburetor

Compression ratio : 6, 7: 1

Transmission : 6-Speed Gearbox, Close-Ratio

Max Power : 72 HP @ 9500 RPM

Max Torque : 50 N.m @ 8000 RPM



Frame : Aluminium Twinspar Double-Cradle Frame

Dimension L x W x H : 2.065 x 720 x 1.150 mm

Wheelbase : 1.385 mm

Seat height : 790 mm

Dry weight : 163 kg

Fuel tank capacity : 19 L



Front Suspension  : Water-Assisted Telescopic Fork, TRAC Anti-Dive System

Rear Suspension : Adjustable monoshock with Pro-Link

Front Brakes : 2 x Disc Hydraulic Disc 256 mm, 4 piston calipers

Rear Brakes : Hydraulic Disc, Disc 220 mm, 2 Piston Caliper

Front Tires : 100/90 - 16

Rear Tires: 110/90 - 17

Yamaha RD500 Ride !

Second stop was Yamaha's RD500. Unlike my old company bike, this one was finished in basic Yamaha livery in place of the garish day-glo orange Eddie Lawson-style Marlboro paint job.

Some readers may remember that a few racers - including Steve Parrish I seem to recall - tried to convert 5O0LCs into competitive Formula One competition bikes (road based 1000cc four strokes or 500cc two strokes), but failed miserably. The reason is that the big LC is really a road bike that borrows some principles from the racers rather than a racer fitted with lights, as is the case with the RG.

The result is a smoother, more flexible power deliver than either of the other two. Of course speed and acceleration is there once you wind up the wick, but it is also happy poodling along or being run in a high gear hence my ability to commute through London traffic all those years ago.

Whereas both the NS and particularly the RG500 kick in with a distinct power band once they get wound up, the RD never really feels as if it's going to get away from you. That doesn't mean it‘s not fast, it sure is, but it is never frenzied and it means you don't have to slip the clutch half as much as on either the NS400 or the RG.

Yamaha RD500 also feels like a road bike. The riding position is more upright than on the other two machines and it feels much heavier. As a result the handling is more ponderous and doesn’t offer the same "fickability" or confidence levels and that influences how you ride it.

Looking at the frame confirms this reservation. While the NS and RG sport chunky, solid-looking early beam-style frames, the RD’s braced square tubing looks much less sturdy, especially under the steering head. As a result you tend to be smoother and more relaxed on the RD, particularly as its rather "Wooden" single pot front disc brakes don’t provide much bite, but it was still the only bike that gave me a "moment" during our test - the rear wheel stepping out of line on the exit from a bend. Doohan might do it on purpose, but I didn't and took things a bit easier from then on.

Yamaha RD500 Specifications

Manufacturing : Yamaha

Model : RD500-LC

Production Year : 1984 - 1986



Engine: 2-Stroke, Liquid-Cooled, 50 degree V-4 (4 Cylinder), YPVS (Yamaha Powervalve System), Reed-Valve

Bore x Stroke: 56.4 x 50 mm

Cylinder capacity: 499.5 cc

Fuel Supply System: 4 x carburetor Mikuni VM26SS

Compression ratio: 6.6: 1

Transmission: 6-Speed Gearbox

Max Power: 88 HP @ 9.500 RPM

Max Torque: 67 N.m @ 8.500 RPM



Frame : Aluminium Double-Cradle Frame

Wheelbase : 1.207 mm

Dry weight : 173 kg

Fuel tank capacity : 22 L


Front Suspension : Water-Assisted Telescopic Fork, Adjustable Preload

Rear suspension: Aluminium swingarm, Linked-monoshock Absorber

Front Brakes : 2 x Hydraulic Disc (Disc 267 mm), 2 Piston Caliper

Rear brakes: Hydraulic Disc (Disc 245 mm), 2 Piston Caliper

Front Tires : 120/80 - 16

Rear Tires : 130/80 - 18

Suzuki RG500 Ride

While the RD is a compromise roadster, Suzuki's square four RG500 takes no prisoners. it’s as if one of Barry Sheene's old GP bikes had been hauled off the track, had its nose wiped and some lights stuck on.

This is a complete headcase of a bike. Nothing below 8.000 rpm, then its razor sharp exhaust note turns into a shriek as the power hits you from behind like activating a NOS at Fast Furious Movie, and the rest of the world turns into a blur until you get to the 10.000 rpm redline a few seconds later. Manic! The performance is shattering, and that comes from someone who still rides modern performance bikes. The problem is that l can’t imagine the sort of public roads where you could really ride it.

We did our test through a sequence of fairly tight turns. The NS400 was fine. the RD500 was fairly happy. Then came the RG500. Getting on the gas to power round the turns meant 8000 revs - way too fast for for the corner even in second, while screaming first gear wasn't a viable option.

On long fast sweepers it would be incredible, but by the time you're up and running with the power delivery, Mr Plod will already be showing an unhealthy interest. As our test bike's owner Steve Orrldge can vouch. He’s already been caught speeding four times on RG500. “I take it easy then as soon as I get my licence clear I get done again" he confessed.

But then again, given Steve's taste in motorcycles, his chequered relationship with their lordships' bench is probably predictable. After passing his test on a Yamaha RD125LC, he moved straight on to an RG500.

"l’d tried my mate's and ljust had to have one," he said. A couple of years later and "fancyirig a change" the RG500 made way for the nutter‘s friend - a Suzuki GSX-R1100 (“as fast as you like, but a bit heavy after the RG"). The GSX stayed around for three years, but the RG experience eventually proved too much to resist. “There was no competition on the 1100 and I missed the fun i‘d had on the RG," he said. Surprisingly the 1100 kept Steve out of the speeding courts, although he was hauled before the beak for pulling a wheelie away from the traffic lights in the East Midlands‘ bikers‘ Mecca at Matlock Bath. “I looked left and not right. There was a police bike at the side of me and I didn't see it! Result - wallet £200 lighter for ‘not being in RG500 proper control’.

It was at Matlock Bath that Steve spotted an RG500, parked up with e note attached saying the owner would swap it for a GSX-Fl. A call was made and Steve ended up with the RG plus £1600 in his pocket.

The bike was tatty, but Steve's job meant that wasn't a problem. He resprayed it in standard trim and now uses itiust for fun, having notched up just 2500 miles in the last 18 months.

“They are wicked machines," he grins. “They handle great and the power comes in with a bang The only problem is feeding the four carbs. I'm always running out of petrol." Steve's bike shows the care he iavishes on it. The 10,000-mile mark rolled up while I was riding it, but it looks and feels like a nicely run- in new machine.

It kick starts easily and pulls away with much less clutch than the Honda requires, and it vibrates less than the Yamaha. There is no real performance until you get it buzzing, but then hold onto your hat, because away we go! Before you know it, you're heading into turns much faster than is healthy. Luckily the twin piston caliper front discs and single caliper rear disc are well up to the job and the beefy frame can cope with the stresses such performance throws at it, but it would be really scary to try and ride hard all the time - and I can't think of another way to ride it.

It really lives up to the old cliche of being a ‘racer for the road’. I loved it, but I can't imagine living with it Pamela Anderson might look like good fun, but can you imagine living with her’? I bet it would be hard work, and even the novelty of those pneumatic features will probably wear off In time.

Suzuki RG500 Specifications

Manufacturing: Suzuki

Model : RG500 (Road-Bike)

Production Year : 1985 - 1987



Engine: 2-Stroke, Liquid-Cooled, "Square-Four" (U-4) 4 Cylinder, SAEC (Suzuki Automatic Exhaust Control) System

Bore x Stroke: 56 x 50.6 mm

Cylinder capacity: 548 cc

Fuel Supply System: 4 x carburetor Mikuni VM28

Compression ratio: 7.0: 1

Transmission: 6-Speed Gearbox

Max Power: 95 HP @ 9.500 RPM

Max Torque: 72 N.m @ 9.000 RPM



Frame : Box Frame Twinspar

Dry weight : 156 kg

Fuel tank capacity : 17 liters (5 liters Backup Plus)


Front Suspension : Hydraulic Telescopic Fork, Anti-Dive

Rear Suspension: Dual-Shock Absorber

Front Brakes : 2 x Hydraulic Disc (Disc 260mm),  4 Piston Caliper

Rear brakes: Hydraulic Disc (Disc 210 mm), 2 Piston Caliper

Front Tires : 110/90 - 16

Rear tires: 120/90 - 17

Conclusion

My conclusions from this test really surprised me. I had fond memories of the RD and from what I'd heard of the RG500 I could imagine myself offering the owner my NS and wads of My Wife housekeeping to let me take it home, As it worked out I think l‘ve got the best of the bunch. The RD500 Yamaha is a nice bike, but it's nowhere near as good as I remembered it to be. Speed wise there isn't much to choose between it and the Honda, despite the NS400‘s lack of cubes, but in the handling and braking departments the NS would leave it for dead as soon as the twisty bits beckoned.

The RG is certainly the quickest of the bunch, but it's hard work and the unforgiving power delivery makes it hard to keep it working to the best effect while having a certain intimidatoiy value, I would bet that on the majority of journeys the NS would turn out to be the fastest bike from A to B. Adrenaline without drama, race style without tantrums.

All three are brilliant bikes but I couldn't believe how such different results could be achieved by three sets of engineers starting out with the same basic brief.

Kawasaki Z1, The True King !

It was called The King, and for years Kawasaki’s Z1 had no pretenders to its crown. With an electronically tested top speed of 134 mph in 1973, Kawasaki’s entry into the big four-cylinder bike market had an impact few have ever matched.

Its roots go back to 1967, when Kawasaki’s rapid two-strokes were frightening unwary riders with their wheel-standing habits and offending bureaucracy with their blue exhaust fumes. America was a vital market for the company, and was known to be planning legislation to control exhaust pollution, so engineer Gyoichi Inamura was appointed head of a team developing a new fourstroke model.

Their answer was a 750cc four cylinder, but Honda announced their own CB750 Four in 1968. The goalposts in the game of international success had been moved.

Kawasaki’s answer, codenamed T103, was running by 1970. By May 1972 production was under way and at the Cologne Show that September the Kawasaki Z1 was launched. It came with 82 HP @ 8.500 RPM, a top speed that made it the fastest production bike in the world, and it would purr through town at a whisper with no more than 83 decibels coming from the four upswept silencers.

Available in a combination of Candy Apple and Orange, the black cylinder block with the tips of its fins polished alloy highlights, a proud "900 Double Overhead Camshaft" badge on the sidepanels, it was a real stunner.


In Britain, it was yours for £1088, if you were lucky enough to afford the payments. Rich people could, while poorer but enthusiastic people said they would, whatever sacrifice they had to make. Some dug deeper for the optional second front disc, that didn’t become standard until the 1976 Model KZ900-A4.

It was not the best handling bike on the road, and when some magazine tester rode it through the speed trap at 134 mph it weaved and wobbled so much the timekeeper thought he was about to witness the fastest leg-off in the paper’s history. But the bike came back under control to an enthusiastic write-up. That year Motorcyclenews readers voted the Kawasaki Z1 MCN Motorcycle of the Year.

The engine became the definitive ‘bullet proof’ power unit. In 1973, at Daytona Speedway, Florida, a Kawasaki Z1 set a class world record of 150.8 mph (241 km/h) for ten kilometres and went on to average 109.6 mph for 24 Hours, another world record. Drag racers and sprinters, led by Holland’s importer Henk Vink, supercharged the Kawasaki Z1 900 engine to dominate their own sport. British chassis makers like the Rickman Brothers produced frames to tame the 82 bhp power and make it the fastest on straight roads or twisties.

The 903cc Z1 evolved, with minor modifications and colour and styling changes, from its 1973 form to the A4 version of 1976. The most obvious change in its successful life was a change to natural alloy cylinder finish on the 1974 Z10A version. For 1977 it was replaced by the Z1000, but the lean, mean Kawasaki Z1 is still remembered as the real thing. "The True King".

Kawasaki Z1 Specifications

Manufacturing : Kawasaki

Model : Z1 (Z1 900)

Production Year : 1972 - 1976



Engine : 4-Stroke, Air-Cooled, Inline 4 Cylinder DOHC 8 Valve

Bore x Stroke : 66 x 66 mm

Cylinder capacity : 903 cc

Fuel Supply System : Carburetor Mikuni VM 28mm

Compression ratio : 8.5: 1

Transmission : 5 - Speed

Ignition : CDI

Starter : Electric & Kick Starter

Max Power : 82 HP @ 8500 RPM

Max Torque : 73.5 N.m @ 7,000 RPM

Top Speed : 216 Km / h



Dimensions L x W x H : 2.200 x 685 x 1.170 mm

Wheelbase: 1.490 mm

Ground Clearance: 135 mm

Dry weight : 230 kg

Fuel tank capacity: 18 L



Frame : Tubular Steel Double Cradle

Front Suspension : Telescopic Fork 36 mm

Rear Suspension : Dual Shock, Adjustable

Front Brakes : Single Hydraulic disc 296mm, 2 Pots

Rear Brakes : Brake Drum (Drum) 7.9 Inches

Front Tires : 3:25 - 19

Rear tires : 4.00 - 18

6 Things You Should Check Before Ride a Motorcycle

Motorcycles require more upkeep than cars. This has always been the case, and it is still a fact of motorcycling life, even with the technological advances you learned about in Anatomy of Motorcycles. The consequences of a systems failure on a bike are much more severe than they are if something goes wrong with your car.

Take a blown tire, for example. When a tire blows on your car, you can have difficulty controlling it. When the same thing happens on a bike, the danger level increases exponentially.

The best way to avoid a catastrophic failure is to inspect your motorcycle on a regular basis. Some items need to be checked more often than others : some should be checked each time you go out for a ride. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) uses the "T-CLOCK" method to help remember what to check during the pre-ride inspection :


T = Tires and wheels

C = Controls

L = Lights and electrics

O = Oils and fluids

C = Chassis and chain

K = Kickstand


This method is useful, but I’m going to present a simpler one, because I’ve found that by making the pre-ride inspection too complicated, you encourage riders to ignore the whole thing completely.

I try to check all the items on the T-CLOCK list fairly regularly, but to be honest, I don’t check them all every time I ride. A lot depends on the bike I’m riding; for example, if I know that a bike doesn’t use oil, I might only check the oil once a week. If the bike is an oil burner, I might check it in the morning, then check it a couple more times as the day progresses.

I’ve found that the cables and other controls on modern bikes seem to need less attention than those on older bikes : I might go a couple of weeks without attending to my cables and controls, depending on the conditions I’ve been riding under. As for chains, I prefer shaft-driven bikes, so I can eliminate that messy procedure entirely. I do check for loose bolts in the chassis and make certain the spring is attached to the kickstand each time I ride. The two things I consider absolutely essential to check before each ride are the tires and lights.

Checking the Tires

I check the air pressure in my tires each morning before I start my bike. I keep an air pressure gauge in my jacket pocket, and I check the tires when they are cold (when the air inside them warms up, which it does very quickly while you ride, the pressure reads higher). Not only is riding with the proper air pressure in your tires safer, it makes your tires last longer. Check your owner’s manual to find the proper airpressure level for your motorcycle.

Whenever I check my air pressure, I also look over the tires themselves to check their wear, and also to look for any abnormalities, like bulges, damage to the carcass, and cracking in the sidewalls, as well as to make certain I haven’t picked up a nail or a chunk of glass. I will not ride on a tire I have any questions about.

The best way to avoid a blowout is to keep a close eye on your tires, changing them as soon as they wear down to an unacceptable level, and to make certain they are free of debris, like nails or other objects that could puncture the tire.

At the same time I check the tires, I make certain the bolts holding the axles in place are tight. Probably the one thing worse than having a flat tire would be having a tire fall off completely.

Looking at Lights

Your lighting system is fairly simple to overlook, but it can get you into a lot of trouble. If your brake lights aren’t working, you can end up with a Chevrolet enema before you even get out of town. Bikes stop more quickly than most cars, and car drivers, by and large, don’t give themselves enough room to stop when they’re following you. Brake lights are not much protection to keep tailgaters from embedding themselves into your nether regions, but they are all you have (at least until someone designs an anti-tailgating device that uses a 70mm cannon mounted on your saddlebag).

Motorcycle headlights and tail lights seem to fail more frequently than their automotive counterparts, probably because of increased vibration. Since most motorcycles only have one headlight, if it burns out, you will be up the creek when the sun goes down. It’s a good idea to check both the high beam and low beam of your headlight when you check your tail light and brake light.

This might seem like a lot of preparation before you can ride, and it is, but the consequences of being unprepared on a bike are just too great. Learn the controls of your motorcycle. Memorize them and test yourself on them. In an emergency situation, your life can depend on your split-second reactions. You can’t afford to lose any time in reacting because you had to think about where a control was: That microsecond can cost you your life.

And internalize the habit of giving your bike a preride inspection. You might feel tempted to skip it when you’re late for work or trying to get to a movie on time, but the possible consequences of some sort of failure of your motorcycle could be so severe that you might never see a movie or be able to work again. Take a few minutes to check over your machine before you take your life in your hands. Those minutes may add years to your life.

Honda CB750, Glamorous & Glorious !

Big Japanese Inline Fours start with the Honda CB750. It’s cheap, invincible, and it’ll get you there on modern roads.

Four decades ago, Honda changed motorcycling forever by making the first mass produced in-line four. The 125mph CB750 had features that rival’s brochures just could not match. They included an engine with obvious grand prix ancestry, electric starting, a five-speed gearbox and a disc front brake. The Dream Four, as Honda originally named it, was unveiled at the 1968 Tokyo Show and was on US roads the following summer. It was sold in the UK from January 1970.


Despite huge development costs, the blockbuster four was keenly priced – it cost less than a Triumph's Inline-Triple in the US. They sold by the shedload. Hugely influential, the CB750 design remained in production until 1978, with updates and derivatives. An estimated total of 553,000 were built. Well equipped – and weighty – the CB750 offers a remarkably modern level of sophistication. Prices are rising and some spares are getting scarce, but the dependable Honda can take you many miles at modern traffic speeds with hardly any spannering.

Honda CB750 - The Engine !

Company founder Soichiro Honda set a challenging brief for the youthful project team who were charged with creating the company’s first 750cc motorcycle engine. The bike had to deliver stronger performance than any of its rivals, but with less vibration and more reliability.

Imposing appearance was important. Yet the engine had to be compact enough to avoid creating an unmanageable monster, while being cost-effective to produce and easy to service. Honda chose an in-line four engine over Horizontally-Opposed and Vee Four cylinders. The layout’s advantages included smoothness and an affinity with Honda’s successful grand prix racers – riders were going to be much more interested in buying motorcycles that were like the race winners.

The finalised design electrified the 1968 Tokyo Show, and set an industry pattern that endures today.



Plain bearings are used throughout the bottom end, with big-end journals disposed at 180-degree intervals: the inner two are at top dead centre when the outers are at bottom dead centre. The cam chain and twin primary chains are driven by sprockets cut in the crank metal between the inner cylinders’ webs. Valve gear is simple, with a single camshaft in plain bearings that opens eight valves via rockers with clearance adjusters.

The biggest challenge was how to cut down the weight and width of a large capacity four. To minimise engine width, Honda made a radical decision to sacrifice revs – the bore is 2mm less than the 63mm stroke. To reduce engine height, they tilted the cylinders forward. And to find more ground clearance, they used a dry sump lubrication system – almost every other Honda has a wet sump system.

Oil is circulated through internal galleries by a twin rotor trochoidal pump in the crankcase. Some lubricant is supplied to the gearbox from where, on pre-1976 engines, a trickle was passed to the chain across the inner face of the output sprocket.



Driven by the paired primary chains via a shock absorber, the multi-plate clutch is in the right-side portion of an elaborate horizontally - split crankcase. There are five ratios in a conventional two-shaft gearbox, with output from a third shaft carrying the sprocket. The alternator is a sophisticated three-phase 180 watt Hitachi type with exciter coils rather than permanent magnets. It mounts at the leftward end of the crankshaft.

Four 28mm Keihin round-slide carburettors with integral float chambers are operated by a rocking beam throttle mechanism. The earliest models have an all-cable one-into-four exhaust. Honda knew that four separate exhaust pipes were not essential for performance but instead used them for striking visual effect on its 1968 bombshell and all later CB750s except the Super Sports and Automatics.

Teething troubles included a leaky head joint, soon addressed by an extra holding-down bolt. Honda dealt with early drive chain failures by enlarging the gearbox sprocket. You can get cam chain rattle if the tensioner’s badly adjusted or carburation is unbalanced. Generally however, Honda’s landmark engine is trouble-free.

Riding The Honda CB750 !

Size and weight are the things that strike you when you first approach the CB750. Yet the Honda is far from being unmanageable. Rolling it off the stand won’t give you a hernia and the choke lever is readily to hand. A mere jab of the thumb sets the four-cylinder powerhouse burbling and its power delivering is pleasantly docile at small throttle openings.

We rode a 1976 CB750, coded K6. On several markets, including the UK, it was the first update of the four since the K2 of 1972. The 900cc Kawasaki Z1 and Honda GL1000 Gold Wing had arrived by 1976, so the 750 could no longer claim to be the ultimate bike. It was simply an affordable 110mph workhorse ready to go the distance, while offering a high level of comfort and convenience.

Some of the edge has gone off the grand prix howl of the original four’s exhaust note. But the environmentally corrected K6 engine still has a pleasant tone and a useful head of steam. It may not spin as readily as a modern four, but making music by winding up to 7000 RPM through the gears makes for an exhilarating ride.



For a quieter life, you can saunter along in a high ratio, knowing you only need snick the leftside pedal down to stoke up enough revs for strong forward thrust when it’s needed. The gearchange is notchy at low speed and the clutch on this machine is far from silky, but on the whole the bike is easy to control, letting you to concentrate on enjoying the ride.

The seat is really comfy, although tingly high frequency vibes penetrate the filling across a fair span of the rpm range. The bars and footrests are well placed for brisk, rather than frenetic, road riding, with windblast inevitably becoming an issue at motorway velocity.

Except when making tight turns, when topheaviness is apparent, the four’s bulk can be largely forgotten. But, although the front disc and rear drum offer effective braking for leisurely riding, when the machine’s 218 Kg - plus weight is rolling at speed it’s a mistake to expect too much from the disc.

On minor country roads the ride is bouncy, the impression being that the K6 has over-firm fork action and poorly-damped rear units. Suspension was one of the most frequently revised areas during CB750 production and many owners fitted aftermarket rear shocks. When the stock rear units on this bike are warmed-up, wavering can be felt when cornering with verve, although not to an alarming degree at legal speeds. Handling quirks are the price you pay for 68 HP allied to Sixties’ Japanese chassis design.

Modern Avon tyres are fitted although specialist restorer John Wyatt, who built this gleaming beauty out of a 100,000-miler, says he prefers the lighter steering of a slimmer front tyre with a ribbed tread of the type seen on original fitments.



On this model, which has a Honda replacement tank, the single petrol tap is on the left. Earlier fours had it on the right: not good for switching to reserve while operating the twistgrip at the same time.

Also on the left, under the forward part of the tank, the ignition key is awkward. It comes as no surprise that a US aftermarket conversion for re-siting the switch on the handlebar was a hot seller. A lock is provided for the seat, which lifts to give access to the battery and a tray for the rarely-needed tools.

Many refinements were made during the CB750’s long production life. New regulations had to be met and Honda tried to minimise risks, holding talks with US safety campaigner Ralph Nader. Faults and weaknesses that cropped up in service were addressed. As a result, although blander and slower than the earlier models, the less lusted-after later Ks offer more sophistication and dependability.

Direct comparison with a 21st century four may make the Honda seem rough, clattery and sluggish, but the CB750 is a spectacularly clever package for a 46-year-old design. Positive attributes, such as strong performance, decent brakes, dependable electrics and reliability far outweigh the shortcomings. It won’t win you friends among the more blinkered devotees of its British contemporaries, but this eye-grabbing classic gives you the freedom to go as far as you want whenever you want.

Honda CB750 Specifications

Manufacturing : Honda

Model : CB750

Production Year : 1969 – 2003, 2007



Engine : 4-Stroke, Inline 4-Cylinder, SOHC 8-Valve, Air-Cooled (1969-1978) | 4-Stroke, Inline 4-Cylinder, DOHC 16-Valve, Air-Cooled (1978-2003)

Bore x Stroke : 61 x 63 mm

Capacity : 736 cc

Compression Ratio : 9,0 : 1

Induction : Keihin Carburetor 28mm (1969-1978) | Keihin Carburetor 30mm (1978-2003)

Transmission : 5-Speed Gearbox, Constant-Mesh

Starter : Electric & Kick Starter (1969-1978) | Electric Starter (1978-2003)

Maximum Power : 68 HP @ 8.500 RPM (1969-1978) | 77 HP @ 9.000 RPM (1978-2003)

Maximum Torque : 60 N.m @ 7.000 RPM

Top Speed : 125 Mph ( 200 Km/h )



Frame : Tubular-Steel Open Duplex Cradle

Dry Weight : 218 Kg

Fuel Tank Capacity : 19 Litre

Dimensions L x W x H : 2200 x 890 x 1100 mm

Wheelbase : 1460 mm

Seat Height : 790 mm



Front Suspension : Telescopic Fork

Rear Suspension : Dual - Shock absorber, Swingarm

Front Brake : Single Disc Brake, 296 mm Disc

Rear Brake : 180mm Drum Brake

Front Tyre : 3.25 – 19 Inch

Rear Tyre : 4.00 – 18 Inch

How to Raise a Fallen Motorcycle

Once you’ve determined you’re all right at the Emergency Situations, you need to turn your attention to your fallen bike. If you’re lucky, it will be safe to ride. But be careful, because incorrectly raising even a small bike can injure your back. You’ve just survived a wipeout : wouldn’t it be embarrassing to injure yourself when you pick up your bike ?

If possible, find someone to help you lift the bike. If you have to lift it by yourself, there are procedures to help prevent you from injuring your back.



When picking up your bike, use leverage to avoid straining your back. If the bike has case guards (metal tubes mounted around the engine to protect the engine cases in a crash), grab the handlebars and roll the bike toward you on the case guards, using the bike’s momentum to get it upright. Bend your knees and use your legs, not your back, to lift the machine upright.

If the bike doesn’t have case guards, grasp the lower side of the handlebar (the side under the bike), turn the front wheel toward you, grasp some solid part of the frame, and work your knee under the seat. Then, use your legs to lift the bike. You might want to extend your side stand, in case you get the bike upright and it falls over in the opposite direction.

Don’t smoke anywhere near the fallen bike, since gas will most likely have dripped out. There may also be battery acid that has dripped out. This can burn holes in your riding gear and even your skin, as well as corrode metal parts on your bike. You’ll want to check the level of the fluid in your battery after a fall.



Once you’ve gotten the bike upright, check for other damage, too. Brake, clutch, and shift levers can get bent or broken in a fall. Riding a bike with a broken clutch or brake lever is difficult and dangerous. You may be in a situation where you have to ride away from your crash site with a broken or bent lever, but replace it as soon as possible.

Also check your wheels and tires after a crash. Make certain that a fender or chain guard isn’t rubbing on your tire. Make certain that your handlebars are firmly attached to your fork. If your handlebars break loose, you’re going to crash again. In the majority of all emergency situations, the only thing that will be hurt is your pride. Swallow it and count your blessings.

Once you have calmed down, reconstruct the events leading up to your crash. Chances are, in retrospect, you will remember ways you could have avoided the accident entirely. Remember these things the next time you ride, and you will greatly decrease your odds of ever crashing again.