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Cunning and cool – the Kawasaki Ninja!
Think of the best names that conjure up something special…something with a bit of star quality and you’ll soon realise that a name is vitally important.
It’s why Marion Morrison became John Wayne, why Maurice Micklewhite became Michael Caine, why Reg Dwight became Elton John, why the Supermarine Shrew became the Spitfire and why Shirley Crabtree became, well, he became Big Daddy. Shirley just isn’t much of a wrestling name, is it?
Names are vital for bikes, too… So, while we aspired to have a FireBlade, or lusted after a Desmosedici, we would also giggle at the Invader, Intruder, Thundercat and Thunderace. With this in mind, Kawasaki hit the nail on the head with ‘Ninja’ and the name has covered a wide-range of machines over the decades.
Clearly, being a Japanese factory you’d think they’d embrace all the rich history of their home islands: Suzuki had already shown the way in 1980 with the name ‘Katana’ for that year’s GSX1100S model (it’s a Japanese sword) but how did Kawasaki get to adopt the Ninja name, which now covers many models and has done so for the last 35 years.
Let’s go back to 1984, which was a landmark year for Kawasaki. Back then the Ninja 900R – known as GPZ900R in Europe – marked the start of the Ninja family and a legend was born.
But that legend could so easily have been called the ‘Panther’. Former Kawasaki Motors Corporation Marketing Director in the US, Mike Vaughan recalls: “I had named all the snowmobiles in the snowmobile division. When I came to the motorcycle side we decided to look at names as alternatives to just letters and numbers to describe a product. I was given the responsibility for naming along with taking suggestions from an agency we worked with. They actually suggested Panther but nobody at Kawasaki – including me – liked or understood the rationale for that!”
His time in Japan convinced Vaughan that something directly ‘Japanese’ would and could work so much better. He says: “I had stumbled across the name ‘Ninja’ while I was stationed in Japan. I’d been a history/journalism major in college, and had a love of such history. I knew virtually nothing of Japanese history before this, so I thought – while stationed there – I may as well learn something about these warriors and how they got to be who they are. I stumbled over the Ninja name somewhere around then, and thought that these are pretty interesting characters. In 1974 I bought a sailboat and christened it Ninja, with the name both in Japanese and English. I thought it was cool. It was unique, and I felt the spirit of the Ninja was well represented by the boat, stealthy and quiet. The name stayed with me until the 900R project was reaching the end of it development.”
So what was a ‘ninja’? Well, they appeared from around the 12th-15th centuries in feudal Japan and – in comparison to the honourable samurai – were instead masters of deception, often using covert methods or disguises with which to spy for information of the enemy or assassinate their leaders. The name ‘Ninja’ was cool, cunning and ultimately deadly…
So, Vaughan liked the name, but he then had to persuade his American colleagues and then the Japanese management that the mysterious oriental myth of the Ninja warrior would suit this new sport bike line-up which was coming ready for the mid-1980s.
Vaughan says: “The American management accepted and endorsed the name, but the factory in Japan took some persuading. I guess it would be like naming an Italian bike the ‘Mafia’ in their minds. The naming push was both formal and informal. I wrote a paper outlining why this would be a good name. At every meeting we had, the name was brought up. We worked mostly through the Japanese staff at Kawasaki in the US, but whenever we were in Japan we’d lobby face-to-face. Finally they cautiously agreed and we prepared to roll out the product name and the 900R. By chance the Richard Chamberlain TV series Shogun was airing about the same time we launched the Ninja brand and the idea was pretty much embraced universally by the motorcycle establishment from then on.”
Of course, over here in the UK we didn’t get any of this. The Kawasaki GPz900R (the bike moved to a ‘big Z’ some years later) achieved most of its fame through being the new fastest production bike in the world – capable of more than 150mph. And over ‘ere we were less impressed with some American drag racer called Jay ‘Pee Wee’ Gleeson getting a 10.55 quarter mile time or what the bike handled like at Laguna Seca on the bike’s launch. More important for us Brits was the fact that – at the 1984 Isle of Man TT – the GT Motorcycles GPz900R with Geoff Johnson aboard won the Production TT with GPzs taking second and third (although the bike in third was removed from the results due to a technical infringement.)
We had to wait a further 12 months for our first Ninja – the GPZ600R – one of the real breakthrough bikes of 1985, even if it was in the shadow of the likes of Suzuki’s RG500 and GSX-R750 and Yamaha’s FZ750. The 600R was the bedrock upon which Kawasaki built its successful middleweight sportsbikes, many of which have or still carry the Ninja name to this day.
Since the mid-1980s many famous sporting Kawasakis have since bore the Ninja name, many of which were called ‘Ninja’ in their own markets, but often not in Europe or the UK. While we had four-cylinder machines such as the ZX-6R and ZX-7R Ninja, the ZZ-R family was also called Ninja in the USA, while ‘our’ ZX-10 Tomcat, was a Ninja over in the USA. It’s the same for the twin-cylinder machines which we enjoyed as the GPX250 and GPZ500S, but were coolly christened ‘Ninja’ in other parts of the world. Today, even learners can get some kudos by riding a pukka single-cylinder ‘Ninja’ such as the 250SL.
The post Cunning and cool – the Kawasaki Ninja! appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
Source...
Think of the best names that conjure up something special…something with a bit of star quality and you’ll soon realise that a name is vitally important.
It’s why Marion Morrison became John Wayne, why Maurice Micklewhite became Michael Caine, why Reg Dwight became Elton John, why the Supermarine Shrew became the Spitfire and why Shirley Crabtree became, well, he became Big Daddy. Shirley just isn’t much of a wrestling name, is it?
Names are vital for bikes, too… So, while we aspired to have a FireBlade, or lusted after a Desmosedici, we would also giggle at the Invader, Intruder, Thundercat and Thunderace. With this in mind, Kawasaki hit the nail on the head with ‘Ninja’ and the name has covered a wide-range of machines over the decades.
Clearly, being a Japanese factory you’d think they’d embrace all the rich history of their home islands: Suzuki had already shown the way in 1980 with the name ‘Katana’ for that year’s GSX1100S model (it’s a Japanese sword) but how did Kawasaki get to adopt the Ninja name, which now covers many models and has done so for the last 35 years.
Let’s go back to 1984, which was a landmark year for Kawasaki. Back then the Ninja 900R – known as GPZ900R in Europe – marked the start of the Ninja family and a legend was born.
But that legend could so easily have been called the ‘Panther’. Former Kawasaki Motors Corporation Marketing Director in the US, Mike Vaughan recalls: “I had named all the snowmobiles in the snowmobile division. When I came to the motorcycle side we decided to look at names as alternatives to just letters and numbers to describe a product. I was given the responsibility for naming along with taking suggestions from an agency we worked with. They actually suggested Panther but nobody at Kawasaki – including me – liked or understood the rationale for that!”
His time in Japan convinced Vaughan that something directly ‘Japanese’ would and could work so much better. He says: “I had stumbled across the name ‘Ninja’ while I was stationed in Japan. I’d been a history/journalism major in college, and had a love of such history. I knew virtually nothing of Japanese history before this, so I thought – while stationed there – I may as well learn something about these warriors and how they got to be who they are. I stumbled over the Ninja name somewhere around then, and thought that these are pretty interesting characters. In 1974 I bought a sailboat and christened it Ninja, with the name both in Japanese and English. I thought it was cool. It was unique, and I felt the spirit of the Ninja was well represented by the boat, stealthy and quiet. The name stayed with me until the 900R project was reaching the end of it development.”
So what was a ‘ninja’? Well, they appeared from around the 12th-15th centuries in feudal Japan and – in comparison to the honourable samurai – were instead masters of deception, often using covert methods or disguises with which to spy for information of the enemy or assassinate their leaders. The name ‘Ninja’ was cool, cunning and ultimately deadly…
So, Vaughan liked the name, but he then had to persuade his American colleagues and then the Japanese management that the mysterious oriental myth of the Ninja warrior would suit this new sport bike line-up which was coming ready for the mid-1980s.
Vaughan says: “The American management accepted and endorsed the name, but the factory in Japan took some persuading. I guess it would be like naming an Italian bike the ‘Mafia’ in their minds. The naming push was both formal and informal. I wrote a paper outlining why this would be a good name. At every meeting we had, the name was brought up. We worked mostly through the Japanese staff at Kawasaki in the US, but whenever we were in Japan we’d lobby face-to-face. Finally they cautiously agreed and we prepared to roll out the product name and the 900R. By chance the Richard Chamberlain TV series Shogun was airing about the same time we launched the Ninja brand and the idea was pretty much embraced universally by the motorcycle establishment from then on.”
Of course, over here in the UK we didn’t get any of this. The Kawasaki GPz900R (the bike moved to a ‘big Z’ some years later) achieved most of its fame through being the new fastest production bike in the world – capable of more than 150mph. And over ‘ere we were less impressed with some American drag racer called Jay ‘Pee Wee’ Gleeson getting a 10.55 quarter mile time or what the bike handled like at Laguna Seca on the bike’s launch. More important for us Brits was the fact that – at the 1984 Isle of Man TT – the GT Motorcycles GPz900R with Geoff Johnson aboard won the Production TT with GPzs taking second and third (although the bike in third was removed from the results due to a technical infringement.)
We had to wait a further 12 months for our first Ninja – the GPZ600R – one of the real breakthrough bikes of 1985, even if it was in the shadow of the likes of Suzuki’s RG500 and GSX-R750 and Yamaha’s FZ750. The 600R was the bedrock upon which Kawasaki built its successful middleweight sportsbikes, many of which have or still carry the Ninja name to this day.
Since the mid-1980s many famous sporting Kawasakis have since bore the Ninja name, many of which were called ‘Ninja’ in their own markets, but often not in Europe or the UK. While we had four-cylinder machines such as the ZX-6R and ZX-7R Ninja, the ZZ-R family was also called Ninja in the USA, while ‘our’ ZX-10 Tomcat, was a Ninja over in the USA. It’s the same for the twin-cylinder machines which we enjoyed as the GPX250 and GPZ500S, but were coolly christened ‘Ninja’ in other parts of the world. Today, even learners can get some kudos by riding a pukka single-cylinder ‘Ninja’ such as the 250SL.
The post Cunning and cool – the Kawasaki Ninja! appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
Source...
Green Piece!
With all this talk of politics and climate change this spring, it’s little wonder we’ve wanted to ‘go green’ here at CB-Net!
Unless you’ve been living under a stone, you’ll notice that Kawasaki tends to favour a certain colour.
Yes, that’s right: Lime Green – it’s just a classic colour and has been forever linked with the brand. Or has it?
Actually, for many years Kawasaki used red as a race colour – which kinda makes sense when you think that this colour has often been almost a ‘second choice’ for Kwak owners. After all, think of all the GPz900Rs, GPXs, GPZs and Ninjas of all capacities that have come in some sort of red hue, firecracker or otherwise.
History indeed shows that it was a bright red 125cc B8M that dominated a number of Japanese national off-road events way back in the day. So why the switch from red to green?
If we rewind back to 1968, Kawasaki were struggling to create a distinctive image for themselves in the rapidly growing (and vitally important to them) US motorcycle market. To try and give them something of what we’d call today a ‘USP’ the company explored several different options to help set them apart from the many other motorcycle brands in what was then the world’s largest two wheeler market.
The A1 Samurai had just been introduced, the knarly H1 Mach III was soon to be launched and no one knew exactly how it would be received when it did hit the streets. Out on the track the A1RR (a 250cc two-stroke) had seen success in road racing but this bike’s red and cream race-paint was pretty much lost in a sea of similar paint schemes.
George Hamawaki, then president of Kawasaki Motors in the US, gave National Sales Manager Don Graves, and National Marketing Manager Paul Collins, the unenviable job of coming up with something – anything – to help strengthen Kawasaki’s identity out in the States.
Thankfully for Kawasaki, Graves had been in the custom car business while at college and he felt that some new colour, a new vibrant hue could be the thing they needed. Graves eventually got hold of a custom car painter by the name of Molly Sanders. Sanders had an almost run-down shop behind a service station in Brea, California but it was busy and it was popular…
Graves says: “I spent two days drinking with Molly, and was impressed enough to get the go-ahead from Hamawaki to obtain some new paint ideas.” Sanders was sent 20 tanks and 20 mudguards and was told to be as creative as he wanted…
Within a month Sanders was ready to reveal the tank and fender combinations on the bikes themselves. Legend has it that when the Kawasaki top brass showed up, he demanded that they also hear his reasoning behind each of the combinations. The story goes that there were variations on the then-current themes of reds, blues, yellows etc. Apparently, Graves then asked Molly which one he thought was best, which did Sanders think was ‘the one.’ He answered: “None of them… but I’ll show you a colour that will make you stand out.”
He then revealed the first incarnation of the unmistakable ‘Kawasaki Lime Green.’ Apparently, the reaction was muted and the faces of the top-brass at Kawasaki USA were puzzled. Sanders then gave them his reasoning. He told them that this was a unique colour, that it was distinctive and that it would stand out on any race-track. Most importantly it was unique… no-one had used a colour so striking, so bold and so original before. “This is an exclusive Kawasaki colour that can’t be confused with anything else,” he said.
Despite some misgivings the colour was given the go-ahead and shortly afterwards Kawasaki’s Racing Green was introduced to the world making an impact at events such as Daytona and being seen on accessories and race-wear. At first the colour was restricted to competition machines and paraphernalia. That embargo was broken in 1982 with the Eddie Lawson Replica, after which numerous machines wore the iconic green hue including the Ninja family of machines.
Since the late 1960s, Kawasaki’s green has changed many times, sometimes due to the change in paint technology and sometimes due to customer taste. The teams themselves even embraced the colour… in the UK a number of the teams were called ‘Team Green’ in both on and off-road disciplines. The bikes were even ‘green meanies.’
Kawasaki made lime green their own in the world of two wheels. From the two-stroke race machines of the 1970s, through to the Steady Eddie replicas of the 1980s, into the 1990s with a range of Ninjas and ZXRs through to the all-conquering World Superbike Ninja ZX-10R today of Jonathan Rea.
In the two-wheeled world, Kawasaki, lime green, track victories and road sales successes have become as one!
The post Green Piece! appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
Source...
With all this talk of politics and climate change this spring, it’s little wonder we’ve wanted to ‘go green’ here at CB-Net!
Unless you’ve been living under a stone, you’ll notice that Kawasaki tends to favour a certain colour.
Yes, that’s right: Lime Green – it’s just a classic colour and has been forever linked with the brand. Or has it?
Actually, for many years Kawasaki used red as a race colour – which kinda makes sense when you think that this colour has often been almost a ‘second choice’ for Kwak owners. After all, think of all the GPz900Rs, GPXs, GPZs and Ninjas of all capacities that have come in some sort of red hue, firecracker or otherwise.
History indeed shows that it was a bright red 125cc B8M that dominated a number of Japanese national off-road events way back in the day. So why the switch from red to green?
If we rewind back to 1968, Kawasaki were struggling to create a distinctive image for themselves in the rapidly growing (and vitally important to them) US motorcycle market. To try and give them something of what we’d call today a ‘USP’ the company explored several different options to help set them apart from the many other motorcycle brands in what was then the world’s largest two wheeler market.
The A1 Samurai had just been introduced, the knarly H1 Mach III was soon to be launched and no one knew exactly how it would be received when it did hit the streets. Out on the track the A1RR (a 250cc two-stroke) had seen success in road racing but this bike’s red and cream race-paint was pretty much lost in a sea of similar paint schemes.
George Hamawaki, then president of Kawasaki Motors in the US, gave National Sales Manager Don Graves, and National Marketing Manager Paul Collins, the unenviable job of coming up with something – anything – to help strengthen Kawasaki’s identity out in the States.
Thankfully for Kawasaki, Graves had been in the custom car business while at college and he felt that some new colour, a new vibrant hue could be the thing they needed. Graves eventually got hold of a custom car painter by the name of Molly Sanders. Sanders had an almost run-down shop behind a service station in Brea, California but it was busy and it was popular…
Graves says: “I spent two days drinking with Molly, and was impressed enough to get the go-ahead from Hamawaki to obtain some new paint ideas.” Sanders was sent 20 tanks and 20 mudguards and was told to be as creative as he wanted…
Within a month Sanders was ready to reveal the tank and fender combinations on the bikes themselves. Legend has it that when the Kawasaki top brass showed up, he demanded that they also hear his reasoning behind each of the combinations. The story goes that there were variations on the then-current themes of reds, blues, yellows etc. Apparently, Graves then asked Molly which one he thought was best, which did Sanders think was ‘the one.’ He answered: “None of them… but I’ll show you a colour that will make you stand out.”
He then revealed the first incarnation of the unmistakable ‘Kawasaki Lime Green.’ Apparently, the reaction was muted and the faces of the top-brass at Kawasaki USA were puzzled. Sanders then gave them his reasoning. He told them that this was a unique colour, that it was distinctive and that it would stand out on any race-track. Most importantly it was unique… no-one had used a colour so striking, so bold and so original before. “This is an exclusive Kawasaki colour that can’t be confused with anything else,” he said.
Despite some misgivings the colour was given the go-ahead and shortly afterwards Kawasaki’s Racing Green was introduced to the world making an impact at events such as Daytona and being seen on accessories and race-wear. At first the colour was restricted to competition machines and paraphernalia. That embargo was broken in 1982 with the Eddie Lawson Replica, after which numerous machines wore the iconic green hue including the Ninja family of machines.
Since the late 1960s, Kawasaki’s green has changed many times, sometimes due to the change in paint technology and sometimes due to customer taste. The teams themselves even embraced the colour… in the UK a number of the teams were called ‘Team Green’ in both on and off-road disciplines. The bikes were even ‘green meanies.’
Kawasaki made lime green their own in the world of two wheels. From the two-stroke race machines of the 1970s, through to the Steady Eddie replicas of the 1980s, into the 1990s with a range of Ninjas and ZXRs through to the all-conquering World Superbike Ninja ZX-10R today of Jonathan Rea.
In the two-wheeled world, Kawasaki, lime green, track victories and road sales successes have become as one!
The post Green Piece! appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
Source...
Marvellous Muzzy!
There are few people in motorcycling who are instantly recognisable because of some sort of facial hair!
OK, so when we think of sideburns, we think of Ron Haslam, but when you think of a perfectly waxed moustache in the style of General Kitchener (ok, or of Blackadder’s General Melchett) it has to be Rob Muzzy.
Thanks to Rob Muzzy, we experienced the talents of Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey and Scott Russell in international racing, as well as Kawasaki winning the 1993 World Superbike title on the ZXR750 and a Suzuka Eight-Hour win against the best Japan could muster. Meanwhile, out on the road, we’ve had the Eddie Lawson Replica courtesy of Muzzy – in a roundabout way…
If we’re talking AMA titles, then listen to this: the Muzzy team has also taken 21 AMA number one plates in disciplines as varied as road-racing, dirt-track, motocross, over the years which is an amazing total – little wonder Rob Muzzy was inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame.
“Like a lot of enthusiasts, I fell in love with motorcycles when I was young,” says the man himself. “Right from the beginning I found it hard to leave them stock. I was always going for more performance. I was not a classically trained engineer but I read everything I could find about engine building, race modifications and such. I incorporated the knowledge I gradually gained in my own race bikes. Eventually I always had the fastest bikes out there, so the other competitors would come to me for engine building or tuning. I got involved with Kawasaki as a company by replying to an advert for a race technician.”
And the rest is history! But it’s interesting to note that Rob’s race career began in drag racing and dirt-track racing. Drag racing is where you’re always chasing power – think to our very own V&M Racing with Jack Valentine and the late, great Steve Mellor.
Obviously at the start Rob’s influence was purely based in the US of A. The Muzzy team’s titles with Eddie Lawson (1981, 1982) and Wayne Rainey (1983) led to the giant-killing 1993 World Superbike title with Scott Russell as well as the Suzuka Eight-Hour win of the same year. And let’s not make any bones about this – the Muzzy team were pretty much just that, a small team: sure they had some support from Kawasaki, but it wasn’t the factory team set-up you see today in WSB or even in the later 1990s.
Rob confirms: “The AMA and WSB machines were a combination of kit parts from Kawasaki back in Japan, more specialist works parts that money could not buy, and our own in-house parts. One of the benefits we had was being able to develop and test parts in a very short space of time. Many times when we found an improvement we would send the part to Kawasaki Heavy Industries for them to make. Equally, often we would make parts ourselves to save costs and, crucially, time.”
Time… this was indeed of the essence as the Muzzy team were awarded with the works contract to run the 1993-1996 World Superbike team for Kawasaki, replacing the Australian team run by Peter Doyle and being replaced by the Harald Eckl run factory team in 1997. Time meant everything, and if you had to ask the factory to sort something out, sometimes this took TOO much time, while a smaller team could change things and adapt much more quickly.
Overall, for the Muzzy team and Rob himself, moving to WSB meant less time in the tuning shop and more time as a manager… but, that said: “I still found myself doing all the cylinder head porting and made all development decisions so it was not like I’d turned my back on the all-important engineering side of things!”
Looking back after more than 40 years, what have been Rob’s biggest successes? He explains: “I would have to say that Doug Chandler and Scott Russell had the most success with us and worked closest with me and the team. Scott Russell was with our team the longest and had more significant wins at Daytona, WSB and Suzuka. The most memorable championship for me is that world title in 1993 plus the Suzuka Eight-Hour in the same year and both with Scott. Those achievements will stay with me forever.”
And as for machines, well: “I guess there are the Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey race machines from the early 1980s too. But there was also The Raptor.”
We at CB-Net reckon The Raptor was the ultimate ZX-7R. It basically encapsulated all that the Muzzy team had learned about both the ZXR and ZX-7R machines during their time winning AMA titles with Scott Russell and Doug Chandler, as well as taking Daytona 200 endurance wins too!
The Raptor – or SB750 – was based on the ZX-7R and customers had to supply a brand-new 7R to Muzzy in Oregon for work to begin. The basic Raptor would cost $18,000 (around £11,500 at the time). Firstly the frame and swingarm were finished in black. If you wanted the option, you could use the RAM cast magnesium swingarm from Italy, which would cost you $3749 back then (around £2500.) This swinger was sometimes used for much quicker wheel changes on the Muzzy race machines at the Daytona 200.
When it came to suspension, an Ohlins rear shock with different leverage ratios was installed while re-valved and modified standard forks were the standard fitment with the option of Ohlins race forks as an upgrade. Add a carbon air-box and even the possibility of gear driven cams a la ZX7-RR and the Raptor was one very special bike!
Muzzy’s handiwork at in the engine saw high lift cams, flat-slide carbs and a generous hike in the compression ratio to kick the power from just over 100bhp at the rear wheel to around 130bhp, including the option to hike the capacity to 850cc, which was a popular conversion in the States – this would see around 145bhp… Marchesini wheels and Braking discs shaved weight and added style, as did the high level pipe and hand-crafted fairing – deigned in clay by Rob himself.
For many, this was – indeed – the ultimate ZXR/ZX-7R made by the master Muzzy himself!
The post Marvellous Muzzy! appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
Source...
There are few people in motorcycling who are instantly recognisable because of some sort of facial hair!
OK, so when we think of sideburns, we think of Ron Haslam, but when you think of a perfectly waxed moustache in the style of General Kitchener (ok, or of Blackadder’s General Melchett) it has to be Rob Muzzy.
Thanks to Rob Muzzy, we experienced the talents of Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey and Scott Russell in international racing, as well as Kawasaki winning the 1993 World Superbike title on the ZXR750 and a Suzuka Eight-Hour win against the best Japan could muster. Meanwhile, out on the road, we’ve had the Eddie Lawson Replica courtesy of Muzzy – in a roundabout way…
If we’re talking AMA titles, then listen to this: the Muzzy team has also taken 21 AMA number one plates in disciplines as varied as road-racing, dirt-track, motocross, over the years which is an amazing total – little wonder Rob Muzzy was inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame.
“Like a lot of enthusiasts, I fell in love with motorcycles when I was young,” says the man himself. “Right from the beginning I found it hard to leave them stock. I was always going for more performance. I was not a classically trained engineer but I read everything I could find about engine building, race modifications and such. I incorporated the knowledge I gradually gained in my own race bikes. Eventually I always had the fastest bikes out there, so the other competitors would come to me for engine building or tuning. I got involved with Kawasaki as a company by replying to an advert for a race technician.”
And the rest is history! But it’s interesting to note that Rob’s race career began in drag racing and dirt-track racing. Drag racing is where you’re always chasing power – think to our very own V&M Racing with Jack Valentine and the late, great Steve Mellor.
Obviously at the start Rob’s influence was purely based in the US of A. The Muzzy team’s titles with Eddie Lawson (1981, 1982) and Wayne Rainey (1983) led to the giant-killing 1993 World Superbike title with Scott Russell as well as the Suzuka Eight-Hour win of the same year. And let’s not make any bones about this – the Muzzy team were pretty much just that, a small team: sure they had some support from Kawasaki, but it wasn’t the factory team set-up you see today in WSB or even in the later 1990s.
Rob confirms: “The AMA and WSB machines were a combination of kit parts from Kawasaki back in Japan, more specialist works parts that money could not buy, and our own in-house parts. One of the benefits we had was being able to develop and test parts in a very short space of time. Many times when we found an improvement we would send the part to Kawasaki Heavy Industries for them to make. Equally, often we would make parts ourselves to save costs and, crucially, time.”
Time… this was indeed of the essence as the Muzzy team were awarded with the works contract to run the 1993-1996 World Superbike team for Kawasaki, replacing the Australian team run by Peter Doyle and being replaced by the Harald Eckl run factory team in 1997. Time meant everything, and if you had to ask the factory to sort something out, sometimes this took TOO much time, while a smaller team could change things and adapt much more quickly.
Overall, for the Muzzy team and Rob himself, moving to WSB meant less time in the tuning shop and more time as a manager… but, that said: “I still found myself doing all the cylinder head porting and made all development decisions so it was not like I’d turned my back on the all-important engineering side of things!”
Looking back after more than 40 years, what have been Rob’s biggest successes? He explains: “I would have to say that Doug Chandler and Scott Russell had the most success with us and worked closest with me and the team. Scott Russell was with our team the longest and had more significant wins at Daytona, WSB and Suzuka. The most memorable championship for me is that world title in 1993 plus the Suzuka Eight-Hour in the same year and both with Scott. Those achievements will stay with me forever.”
And as for machines, well: “I guess there are the Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey race machines from the early 1980s too. But there was also The Raptor.”
We at CB-Net reckon The Raptor was the ultimate ZX-7R. It basically encapsulated all that the Muzzy team had learned about both the ZXR and ZX-7R machines during their time winning AMA titles with Scott Russell and Doug Chandler, as well as taking Daytona 200 endurance wins too!
The Raptor – or SB750 – was based on the ZX-7R and customers had to supply a brand-new 7R to Muzzy in Oregon for work to begin. The basic Raptor would cost $18,000 (around £11,500 at the time). Firstly the frame and swingarm were finished in black. If you wanted the option, you could use the RAM cast magnesium swingarm from Italy, which would cost you $3749 back then (around £2500.) This swinger was sometimes used for much quicker wheel changes on the Muzzy race machines at the Daytona 200.
When it came to suspension, an Ohlins rear shock with different leverage ratios was installed while re-valved and modified standard forks were the standard fitment with the option of Ohlins race forks as an upgrade. Add a carbon air-box and even the possibility of gear driven cams a la ZX7-RR and the Raptor was one very special bike!
Muzzy’s handiwork at in the engine saw high lift cams, flat-slide carbs and a generous hike in the compression ratio to kick the power from just over 100bhp at the rear wheel to around 130bhp, including the option to hike the capacity to 850cc, which was a popular conversion in the States – this would see around 145bhp… Marchesini wheels and Braking discs shaved weight and added style, as did the high level pipe and hand-crafted fairing – deigned in clay by Rob himself.
For many, this was – indeed – the ultimate ZXR/ZX-7R made by the master Muzzy himself!
- A BIG THANK YOU TO: Kawasaki for the basic info on CB-Net’s last few Kawasaki pieces, including those on the Ninja name and the history of the Kawasaki Lime Green colour. We most humbly suggest you hook up with the club and GO Magazine if you love all things Kawasaki. For more go to: kawasaki-ridersclub.co.uk for GO magazine, go to: www.club-kawasaki.co.uk/KRC-magazine.aspx
The post Marvellous Muzzy! appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
Source...
Excellent articles. I knew a few of the basic facts, but it's nice to know backstories and details.
Normous Newark
‘Normous Newark Autojumble
June 2, 2019
Get yourself to Newark Showground, Notts, NG24 2NY for thousands of car and motorcycle parts, tools and those all-important rare finds!
General Admission entry from 10am – £7 per person
Early Bird entry from 8am – £10 per person
Traders/sellers entry from 6.30am – £20 per plot (Driver included / £7 passenger)
General Classic vehicle entry from 9.30am – £5 driver (£7 passengers)
Early Bird Classic vehicle entry from 8am – £7 driver (£10 passengers)
ALL Traffic to Blue Gate. Free Parking. Under 12s Free.
Friendly dogs on leads welcome.
More information: www.newarkautojumble.co.uk
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June 2, 2019
Get yourself to Newark Showground, Notts, NG24 2NY for thousands of car and motorcycle parts, tools and those all-important rare finds!
More information: www.newarkautojumble.co.uk
The post Normous Newark appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
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LS2 Helmet Range Glows
New from LS2, the Nucleus is a tech-inspired graphic for their modular Valiant helmet with vibrant green detailing that glows in low light.
One of LS2’s most popular models, the Valiant features a 180º swing-around chin bar and is certified as both a full-face and open-face helmet, so it is fully legal to ride in open-face mode.
The shell is made from KPA (Kinetic Polymer Alloy), a blend of space-age thermoplastics that offers high penetration resistance, with flexibility for energy dispersion.
The quick-release visor is made from 3D Optically Correct “A Class” Polycarbonate for zero distortion. It’s also Pinlock-ready, for a clear view in all weather conditions, and a Pinlock Max Vision is included with it. An internal drop-down sun shield is easily operated with a gloved hand and can be used in both open-face and full-face modes.
Inside, a removable and washable hypoallergenic lining and Dynamic Flow-through Ventilation keep the wearer feeling cool, comfortable and fresh.
The LS2 Valiant Nucleus comes in sizes XS-XXL (53-64 cm) and sells for £259.99.
For riders who prefer a simpler colour scheme, there is a new JEANS Titanium finish, which retails for £249.99
Visit www.ls2helmets.com for more information and to find your nearest stockist.
The post LS2 Helmet Range Glows appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
Source...
New from LS2, the Nucleus is a tech-inspired graphic for their modular Valiant helmet with vibrant green detailing that glows in low light.
One of LS2’s most popular models, the Valiant features a 180º swing-around chin bar and is certified as both a full-face and open-face helmet, so it is fully legal to ride in open-face mode.
The shell is made from KPA (Kinetic Polymer Alloy), a blend of space-age thermoplastics that offers high penetration resistance, with flexibility for energy dispersion.
Inside, a removable and washable hypoallergenic lining and Dynamic Flow-through Ventilation keep the wearer feeling cool, comfortable and fresh.
The LS2 Valiant Nucleus comes in sizes XS-XXL (53-64 cm) and sells for £259.99.
For riders who prefer a simpler colour scheme, there is a new JEANS Titanium finish, which retails for £249.99
Visit www.ls2helmets.com for more information and to find your nearest stockist.
The post LS2 Helmet Range Glows appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
Source...
BMW Boxer Beat!
While they’re a bit of an acquired taste for some, we love the GS family of BMW Boxer twins here at CB-Net, so we figured we’d look back at the generations of GS machinery from the first, right up until the dawn of the 1200cc version…All classics, now….
You may think that the off-road GS range from BMW can only trace its lineage back to the 1970s, but you’d be wrong.
The German marque has been involved in the off-road side of things since the 1930s – and all on Boxer twins, that means horizontally opposed cylinders. BMW supported teams would appear in a number of competitions over the decades, and by the late 1970s, BMW were even appearing in events such as the Scottish Six-Day Trial.
A few of the ‘higher-ups’ in BMW Motorrad GmbH clearly loved their off-roading and they needed little in the way of encouragement to look into a production off-roader for the street. Thankfully, they got that encouragement anyways when a BM won the 1979 German Off-road Championships. The off-road lovers in BMW reasoned that now was the time to build a homologation special, using all the off-road nous the Munich-based firm had learned up until that time.
Interestingly, back then most off-roaders/enduros were single-cylinder machines with chain final drive. Instead, by the time the R80 G/S was ready in 1980 it was a 800cc, flat-twin with shaft drive. Even back then, the G/S (which stood for Gelände/Straße or off-road/road) was doing its own thing against the opposition: here was – effectively – the first modern ‘all-round’ touring enduro bike, just perfect for circumnavigating the globe, if not a solid European tour, two-up…
In fact, as more and more long-distance riders adopted the R80 G/S, the quicker the word of the BMW’s toughness and strength spread. It’s fair to say that the G/S almost became the byword for and the only choice of the long-distance, round-the-world biker.
It wasn’t just that it was tough: the G/S was comfortable for all-day work, the suspension was compliant enough that it could be useful ‘off-road’ and the bike could be pretty much taken apart just with its tool kit. The motor was also plenty torquey enough both on the dirt and on the Tarmac, too.
It stood to reason that the bike would eventually end up competing in the Paris-Dakar Rally, which back then saw teams and riders make their way from Northern Europe all the way to Senegal in West Africa. A G/S-based BMW Boxer won in 1981 with French legend Hubert Auriol in the saddle. The team praised the bike’s efficient engine cooling, low centre-of-gravity and ease of maintenance: Auriol repeated the feat in 1983, while the 1000cc version (still heavily production based) won in 1984 and in 1985 with Belgium’s Gaston Rahier on the bike.
Out on the road BMW improved the original machine to make 1988’s R100 GS, finally dropping the slash between G and S (the S now signified ‘Sport’) and helping take sales to around 69,000 of both the R80 and R100 ‘air-head’ variants. Both the R80 and the R100 existed side-by-side for a while and was joined in some markets by an R65 version with the 649.6cc Boxer motor.
By the mid-1990s a new machine – the R1100GS was born, featuring a four-valve head to the Boxer twin’s basic engine architecture known as the ‘oil-head.’ From launch in 1994, the bike was lauded by the press as a real ‘street-sleeper’ being one of the quickest and most comfy A-to-B street bikes out there and still being able to tackle some off-road action while happily trundling around the world.
By 1999 the 1150GS was born – that single square headlight was now replaced by a quirky twin-round headlight set-up, giving the bike a truly unique visage. Under the hood, further improvements were made with the chassis and suspension as well as the addition of a sixth gear. The machine also benefited from advances with BMW’s Paralever single-sided shaft-drive and Telelever front fork suspension system. For those with wanderlust in their veins, the standard GS was joined in Autumn 2002 by the Adventure model, which was equipped with a bigger fuel tank, panniers and a host of optional parts as well as the ability to handle the sort of iffy, low-octane fuel you may encounter around the world. By now the legend of the GS was assured. It was the best-selling machine in Germany in 2003.
With the success of the 1150 model – helped in the UK at least thanks to A-list film star Ewan McGregor and pal Charley Boorman’s ‘Long Way Round’ TV-series and book (they were turned down by KTM) – the adventure bike was overtaking the sports machine as the most popular bike out on the street.
Just in time to take advantage of that fact, BMW released the 1200 GS in 2004 – that makes this first 1200 15 years old and therefore a ‘classic’ according to the VJMC… The 1200 GS was a complete overhaul: the only parts that remained from the 1150 GS were the brake discs! It weighed a huge 30 kilos less than the 1150 and the motor pumped out a16bhp more! Again, this model was joined by an ‘Adventure’ variant in 2006.
Between 1980 and 2005 when the new 1200cc machine came on stream, BMW had sold around 170,000 GS Boxer-twins to customers across the world with a further 100,000 1200 GS/Adventure machines being sold from 2004-2008… That’s pretty amazing and you know that these first 170K or so machines are a good used buy!
Let’s look at the R80 first… yes, it’s a bona fide classic – so you’re not going to find anything half-decent for less than five grand. Minters or special Paris Dakar versions can be up to £3000 more than that, while low-mile minters (weird for such a practical bike) have been seen for £13-£16,000!
The later R100 GS is more plentiful and we’ve seen them start at around £4000, but even these will rise to £8000-£11,000 for very clean/special edition models.
We love the 1100 and 1150GS models here at CB-Net and the 1100 kicks off around £2000 for abused ones and climbs up from there for lower mile, more sorted examples. The 1150 GS is available from around £3000, rising to £5000+ for better bikes. The Adventure often commands a premium of £1000-£2000 more, depending on state of the bike. The last model on our horizon is the best of all versions – the 1200GS. This again varies in price depending on condition/miles. The lowest price we’ve seen is around £3500 for a bike with around 60k on its clocks, rising from there to the newer models with fewer miles.
If you want the ‘unicorn’ model of GS – why not try and search out the late 1990s/early 2000s 850 model, which married the R850 R motor to the GS frame. Quirky, unique and strangely often seen at higher prices than the more capable 1100, simply because of its rarity value!
The BMW GS family – 1980-2005
1980–1987 R80 G/S
797cc – 50bhp
1988–1990 R65 GS
649cc 27bhp
1986 R80 G/S Basic
797cc – 50bhp
1987–1996 R100 GS
980cc – 60bhp
1987–1996 R80 GS
797cc – 50bhp
1990–1995 R100 GS Paris-Dakar
980cc – 60bhp
1993–1999 R1100 GS
1085cc – 80bhp
1999–2000 R850 GS
848cc – 70bhp
or 34 bhp (learner spec)
1999–2003 R1150 GS
1130cc – 85bhp
2002 R1150 GS Adventure
1130cc – 85bhp
2004/2005 R1200 GS
1170cc – 100bhp
The post BMW Boxer Beat! appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
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While they’re a bit of an acquired taste for some, we love the GS family of BMW Boxer twins here at CB-Net, so we figured we’d look back at the generations of GS machinery from the first, right up until the dawn of the 1200cc version…All classics, now….
You may think that the off-road GS range from BMW can only trace its lineage back to the 1970s, but you’d be wrong.
The German marque has been involved in the off-road side of things since the 1930s – and all on Boxer twins, that means horizontally opposed cylinders. BMW supported teams would appear in a number of competitions over the decades, and by the late 1970s, BMW were even appearing in events such as the Scottish Six-Day Trial.
A few of the ‘higher-ups’ in BMW Motorrad GmbH clearly loved their off-roading and they needed little in the way of encouragement to look into a production off-roader for the street. Thankfully, they got that encouragement anyways when a BM won the 1979 German Off-road Championships. The off-road lovers in BMW reasoned that now was the time to build a homologation special, using all the off-road nous the Munich-based firm had learned up until that time.
Interestingly, back then most off-roaders/enduros were single-cylinder machines with chain final drive. Instead, by the time the R80 G/S was ready in 1980 it was a 800cc, flat-twin with shaft drive. Even back then, the G/S (which stood for Gelände/Straße or off-road/road) was doing its own thing against the opposition: here was – effectively – the first modern ‘all-round’ touring enduro bike, just perfect for circumnavigating the globe, if not a solid European tour, two-up…
In fact, as more and more long-distance riders adopted the R80 G/S, the quicker the word of the BMW’s toughness and strength spread. It’s fair to say that the G/S almost became the byword for and the only choice of the long-distance, round-the-world biker.
It wasn’t just that it was tough: the G/S was comfortable for all-day work, the suspension was compliant enough that it could be useful ‘off-road’ and the bike could be pretty much taken apart just with its tool kit. The motor was also plenty torquey enough both on the dirt and on the Tarmac, too.
Out on the road BMW improved the original machine to make 1988’s R100 GS, finally dropping the slash between G and S (the S now signified ‘Sport’) and helping take sales to around 69,000 of both the R80 and R100 ‘air-head’ variants. Both the R80 and the R100 existed side-by-side for a while and was joined in some markets by an R65 version with the 649.6cc Boxer motor.
By the mid-1990s a new machine – the R1100GS was born, featuring a four-valve head to the Boxer twin’s basic engine architecture known as the ‘oil-head.’ From launch in 1994, the bike was lauded by the press as a real ‘street-sleeper’ being one of the quickest and most comfy A-to-B street bikes out there and still being able to tackle some off-road action while happily trundling around the world.
By 1999 the 1150GS was born – that single square headlight was now replaced by a quirky twin-round headlight set-up, giving the bike a truly unique visage. Under the hood, further improvements were made with the chassis and suspension as well as the addition of a sixth gear. The machine also benefited from advances with BMW’s Paralever single-sided shaft-drive and Telelever front fork suspension system. For those with wanderlust in their veins, the standard GS was joined in Autumn 2002 by the Adventure model, which was equipped with a bigger fuel tank, panniers and a host of optional parts as well as the ability to handle the sort of iffy, low-octane fuel you may encounter around the world. By now the legend of the GS was assured. It was the best-selling machine in Germany in 2003.
Just in time to take advantage of that fact, BMW released the 1200 GS in 2004 – that makes this first 1200 15 years old and therefore a ‘classic’ according to the VJMC… The 1200 GS was a complete overhaul: the only parts that remained from the 1150 GS were the brake discs! It weighed a huge 30 kilos less than the 1150 and the motor pumped out a16bhp more! Again, this model was joined by an ‘Adventure’ variant in 2006.
Between 1980 and 2005 when the new 1200cc machine came on stream, BMW had sold around 170,000 GS Boxer-twins to customers across the world with a further 100,000 1200 GS/Adventure machines being sold from 2004-2008… That’s pretty amazing and you know that these first 170K or so machines are a good used buy!
Let’s look at the R80 first… yes, it’s a bona fide classic – so you’re not going to find anything half-decent for less than five grand. Minters or special Paris Dakar versions can be up to £3000 more than that, while low-mile minters (weird for such a practical bike) have been seen for £13-£16,000!
The later R100 GS is more plentiful and we’ve seen them start at around £4000, but even these will rise to £8000-£11,000 for very clean/special edition models.
If you want the ‘unicorn’ model of GS – why not try and search out the late 1990s/early 2000s 850 model, which married the R850 R motor to the GS frame. Quirky, unique and strangely often seen at higher prices than the more capable 1100, simply because of its rarity value!
The BMW GS family – 1980-2005
1980–1987 R80 G/S
797cc – 50bhp
1988–1990 R65 GS
649cc 27bhp
1986 R80 G/S Basic
797cc – 50bhp
1987–1996 R100 GS
980cc – 60bhp
1987–1996 R80 GS
797cc – 50bhp
1990–1995 R100 GS Paris-Dakar
980cc – 60bhp
1993–1999 R1100 GS
1085cc – 80bhp
1999–2000 R850 GS
848cc – 70bhp
or 34 bhp (learner spec)
1999–2003 R1150 GS
1130cc – 85bhp
2002 R1150 GS Adventure
1130cc – 85bhp
2004/2005 R1200 GS
1170cc – 100bhp
The post BMW Boxer Beat! appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
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Abba Skylift Review
This week Shroom reviews the Abba Skylift, after using it for the last couple of years we think it’s about time we let you know how we got on, check out the video on our YouTube channel;
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This week Shroom reviews the Abba Skylift, after using it for the last couple of years we think it’s about time we let you know how we got on, check out the video on our YouTube channel;
The post Abba Skylift Review appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
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New Damaged Nut/Bolt Extractor set from Laser Tools
The “rounded-off” nut or bolt is the scourge of the mechanical workshop. Particularly on exhaust components, a corroded and seized nut or bolt defies all attempts to remove it, and if using a spanner or ill-fitting socket, the flats of the fastener soon get rounded-off, making things worse. What to do?
Well, you could get out the angle grinder or better still, reach for this ingenious new Damaged Nut/Bolt Extractor Set from Laser Tools (part number 7524).
This set is made up of a set of cleverly designed hexagon bolt and nut extractor adaptor caps. These specially hardened caps fit over the rounded off fixing and allows a standard 12 point socket or ring spanner to be used to remove the rounded off fastener. The extractor cap grips and moulds itself to the rounded-off fastener and keeps on gripping until it loosens off.
There are 12 sizes included in the set: 8mm, 9mm, 10mm, 11mm, 12mm, 13mm, 14mm, 15mm, 16mm, 17mm, 18mm and 19mm. For lightly rounded-off fasteners the caps can used again and again, but for more damaged fasteners the caps are classed as consumable items (replacements parts are available to keep your set complete).
A very useful addition to the tool kit — great value and available now from your local Laser Tools supplier, typically priced at £13.73 (price includes VAT), but remember to check for the best prices and special offers.
See the new Damaged Nut/Bolt Extractor Set in action on the Tool Connection YouTube channel:
View: https://youtu.be/XLLvJSTTQwA
More details from www.lasertools.co.uk
The post New Damaged Nut/Bolt Extractor set from Laser Tools appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
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Well, you could get out the angle grinder or better still, reach for this ingenious new Damaged Nut/Bolt Extractor Set from Laser Tools (part number 7524).
This set is made up of a set of cleverly designed hexagon bolt and nut extractor adaptor caps. These specially hardened caps fit over the rounded off fixing and allows a standard 12 point socket or ring spanner to be used to remove the rounded off fastener. The extractor cap grips and moulds itself to the rounded-off fastener and keeps on gripping until it loosens off.
There are 12 sizes included in the set: 8mm, 9mm, 10mm, 11mm, 12mm, 13mm, 14mm, 15mm, 16mm, 17mm, 18mm and 19mm. For lightly rounded-off fasteners the caps can used again and again, but for more damaged fasteners the caps are classed as consumable items (replacements parts are available to keep your set complete).
A very useful addition to the tool kit — great value and available now from your local Laser Tools supplier, typically priced at £13.73 (price includes VAT), but remember to check for the best prices and special offers.
See the new Damaged Nut/Bolt Extractor Set in action on the Tool Connection YouTube channel:
View: https://youtu.be/XLLvJSTTQwA
More details from www.lasertools.co.uk
The post New Damaged Nut/Bolt Extractor set from Laser Tools appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
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Genius 
I like that concept!
OptiMate Panel Show
New to the OptiMate range, the O-40S SAE Socket is a quick and easy way to add an accessible connection point for battery charges and other devices to your bike.
The OptiMate O-40S is a universal, weatherproof, panel-mount SAE power point that can be retro-fitted to almost any machine. Quick and easy to install, it hard-mounts to the bike’s bodywork and is plugs into an OptiMate battery lead, providing a handy point through which to connect an OptiMate charger when not riding – no need to remove body panels or seat for access, and no more fiddly crocodile clips.
The ability to power a sat nav or smartphone, as well as accessories like heating clothing, is important for many riders, but despite this most machines don’t come with the capability built-in. Fortunately OptiMate produces a wide variety of cables and adaptors, including USB and DIN types, that can be plugged into an SAE socket, so gadgets can be powered on the move.
Like OptiMate’s entire range of connectors and cables, weatherproofing comes as standard: the O-40S has both an internal seal, to help keep moisture out when an SAE connector is plugged in, and a rubber cap to seal out the elements when not in use.
It’s also tested to -40°C/-40°F, so is safe to use year-round.
The OptiMate O-40S has a 6” (15cm) lead and fits an Ø18mm drilled hole. It retails at just £11.99 and is available from all authorised retailers and is covered by a 3-year warranty for complete peace of mind.
Visit www.optimate1.com for details, and see it in action here:
The post OptiMate Panel Show appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
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New to the OptiMate range, the O-40S SAE Socket is a quick and easy way to add an accessible connection point for battery charges and other devices to your bike.
The OptiMate O-40S is a universal, weatherproof, panel-mount SAE power point that can be retro-fitted to almost any machine. Quick and easy to install, it hard-mounts to the bike’s bodywork and is plugs into an OptiMate battery lead, providing a handy point through which to connect an OptiMate charger when not riding – no need to remove body panels or seat for access, and no more fiddly crocodile clips.
The ability to power a sat nav or smartphone, as well as accessories like heating clothing, is important for many riders, but despite this most machines don’t come with the capability built-in. Fortunately OptiMate produces a wide variety of cables and adaptors, including USB and DIN types, that can be plugged into an SAE socket, so gadgets can be powered on the move.
Like OptiMate’s entire range of connectors and cables, weatherproofing comes as standard: the O-40S has both an internal seal, to help keep moisture out when an SAE connector is plugged in, and a rubber cap to seal out the elements when not in use.
It’s also tested to -40°C/-40°F, so is safe to use year-round.
The OptiMate O-40S has a 6” (15cm) lead and fits an Ø18mm drilled hole. It retails at just £11.99 and is available from all authorised retailers and is covered by a 3-year warranty for complete peace of mind.
Visit www.optimate1.com for details, and see it in action here:
The post OptiMate Panel Show appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
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Honda SS50 – Wet Schoolboy’s Dream!
Honda’s SS50 became the reluctant choice of parents who realised they weren’t going to win the moped v cycling/bus/lift or walk argument but also considered keeping their neighbours as friends a priority. Yes, just like Mr Honda, in our house the two-stroke brigade were considered far too noisy and rapid for middle-England; thus, if they finally relented it was only after accepting the promises the SS offered. Reliability with less performance plus reduced decibels when their young off-spring arrived home at midnight. I would have been barely into high school when the first four speed SS50’s arrived on the scene. Honda had updated its SS50E originally from 1967 to gain some traction in ‘sixteener’ moped revolution that swept the nation in the early 70’s. I hated the decade, hated the music and certainly despised flairs, TV was rubbish and acne let rip all over my boat race.
Reality check; Suzuki’s AP was quick but the Garelli (when it ran) was faster, the FS1e was cool whilst the Fantic was simply art and Honda’s SS did everything well but would never win in a game of Top-Trumps. Sure, I had a Raleigh Chopper and once a week we had a Vesta Curry but staying out after midnight was banned in our house and so was talk of mopeds. It would be another decade before motorised freedom visited my abode; maybe that is why four decades later the chance to own an early SS50 has become important. A couple of hundred quid wasn’t small change in 1973, the average wage was around £40 per week but Honda priced the SS just under the other (more popular) peds of the time. I would gladly pay that now but finding one in the first place would test my patience; those that remain are either restored and rather pricey … or rotten and will become rather pricey.
Idle Talk Costs Money
Every now and then you meet up with someone who knows someone; you know the scenario. I visited a nice bloke in Hampshire to purchase a Honda PC50 for parts, after telling him how much I enjoyed the reliability of the brand, he told of a mate who possessed the SS50 I would want to own. Turns out, following the death of an elderly resident in their village the Honda was found buried in the garage where it had obviously stood for decades. Who it belonged to is still a mystery but with no next of kin it ended up in his barn and so did I. With 5k miles this early four speed from 1973 was complete with rust, dented red tank and more rust, but no parts were missing, it turned over and selected gears. The registration was known to the DVLA and we agreed a price that I knew was far too high but when would another cross my path? Having carried out several ‘Ped Restos’ it quickly became apparent this one was going to be long-term and the most expensive we have attempted.
Working out a budget was going to be a challenge on its own but over the years I have made contacts and could pull a few favours to get this project underway. Regulars of classic-motorbikes.net may recollect the Yamaha FS1e we restored last winter, and we will look to many of the same suppliers who assisted us back then. Much of our shopping list will come courtesy of Wemoto, they carry vast stocks of quality parts at the right money plus there is always someone on the end of a phone that knows more than me. Being local to us in Shoreham, West Sussex its easy to visit their shop and see what I am buying, drink coffee and gain some knowledge. Mopedland have many of those items you can’t find elsewhere and carry an ever-changing selection of used parts plus they will source the rims and spokes for Neil at Walton Works to build up my all new wheels. Neil will also take the dented tank, reshape and repaint to a very high standard; sure I can wield a spray gun and will recolour the frame but when you are looking to the best finish one’s tank just has to be right; so best trust the pro’s. Finally, I am hoping the experts at Cranbourne Chrome can resurrect the brightwork, although this can’t be confirmed until they view the rusting relics that once gleamed brightly.
The Big Strip
Along with my long-suffering mate Alan the SS50 was stripped down over a couple of weeks. Prior to that we tested the electrics and after repairing several corroded connections enjoyed both a neutral light and healthy spark. Good points, the corrosion hadn’t seized too many fixings and the angle grinder remained in the toolbox. Bad points, our seat base is not in a heathy state although the welder may save it from the scrap bin; one place our exhaust will certainly end up. With a huge hole alongside the drain tube this will be our biggest threat to success as original spec exhausts are no longer available in Europe.
One engine casing screw put up a battle resulting in a size ten drill bit taking its head off! Followed by days of ‘drip feeding’ WD until it finally surrendered. Its now early June and courier post have taken the wheels and tank to Suffolk whilst Wemoto peruse my A4 list of parts and confirmed all in stock with only the seat cover being special order of 28 days; leaving just the chrome to be assessed within the next couple of weeks which will lead into full on resto mode for the summer. We estimate completion for 2020 and as always look to share the results right here. Grant Ford for classic-motorbikes.net.
Honda SS50 1973 Specification
Engine: OHC 4-stroke
Power: 2.5bhp @ 8000rpm
Carb: Keihin 12mm
Transmission: 4 speed
Fuel Capacity: 1.5 gallons
Consumption: 144mpg
Weight: 176lbs
Wheels 2.5 x 17 fr & rr
Max Speed: 39mph
Colours: Green, Yellow & Candy Ruby Red
Collaborator’s:
Wemoto: wemoto.com
Mopedland: mopedland.co.uk/spares.html
Walton Works: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005067645665
Cranbourne Chrome: cranbourne-chrome.com
The post Honda SS50 – Wet Schoolboy’s Dream! appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
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Honda’s SS50 became the reluctant choice of parents who realised they weren’t going to win the moped v cycling/bus/lift or walk argument but also considered keeping their neighbours as friends a priority. Yes, just like Mr Honda, in our house the two-stroke brigade were considered far too noisy and rapid for middle-England; thus, if they finally relented it was only after accepting the promises the SS offered. Reliability with less performance plus reduced decibels when their young off-spring arrived home at midnight. I would have been barely into high school when the first four speed SS50’s arrived on the scene. Honda had updated its SS50E originally from 1967 to gain some traction in ‘sixteener’ moped revolution that swept the nation in the early 70’s. I hated the decade, hated the music and certainly despised flairs, TV was rubbish and acne let rip all over my boat race.
Idle Talk Costs Money
Every now and then you meet up with someone who knows someone; you know the scenario. I visited a nice bloke in Hampshire to purchase a Honda PC50 for parts, after telling him how much I enjoyed the reliability of the brand, he told of a mate who possessed the SS50 I would want to own. Turns out, following the death of an elderly resident in their village the Honda was found buried in the garage where it had obviously stood for decades. Who it belonged to is still a mystery but with no next of kin it ended up in his barn and so did I. With 5k miles this early four speed from 1973 was complete with rust, dented red tank and more rust, but no parts were missing, it turned over and selected gears. The registration was known to the DVLA and we agreed a price that I knew was far too high but when would another cross my path? Having carried out several ‘Ped Restos’ it quickly became apparent this one was going to be long-term and the most expensive we have attempted.
The Big Strip
One engine casing screw put up a battle resulting in a size ten drill bit taking its head off! Followed by days of ‘drip feeding’ WD until it finally surrendered. Its now early June and courier post have taken the wheels and tank to Suffolk whilst Wemoto peruse my A4 list of parts and confirmed all in stock with only the seat cover being special order of 28 days; leaving just the chrome to be assessed within the next couple of weeks which will lead into full on resto mode for the summer. We estimate completion for 2020 and as always look to share the results right here. Grant Ford for classic-motorbikes.net.
Honda SS50 1973 Specification
Engine: OHC 4-stroke
Power: 2.5bhp @ 8000rpm
Carb: Keihin 12mm
Transmission: 4 speed
Fuel Capacity: 1.5 gallons
Consumption: 144mpg
Weight: 176lbs
Wheels 2.5 x 17 fr & rr
Max Speed: 39mph
Colours: Green, Yellow & Candy Ruby Red
Collaborator’s:
Wemoto: wemoto.com
Mopedland: mopedland.co.uk/spares.html
Walton Works: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005067645665
Cranbourne Chrome: cranbourne-chrome.com
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Bandit o’clock Series 1 Re-Run
From the ClassicMotorbikes.net archives, the first series of Bandit o’clock will be aired on a Wednesday evening over the coming months, this series has previously not been published on our YouTube channel so we are proud to announce you will soon be able to watch the whole series on our own channel.
The post Bandit o’clock Series 1 Re-Run appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
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From the ClassicMotorbikes.net archives, the first series of Bandit o’clock will be aired on a Wednesday evening over the coming months, this series has previously not been published on our YouTube channel so we are proud to announce you will soon be able to watch the whole series on our own channel.
The post Bandit o’clock Series 1 Re-Run appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
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BMW Motorcycle History – Part 1
I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want… I want an idea of just when BMWs became sexy and cool…
We ‘ere at CB-Net will draw a line in the sand and say it was around the mid-1990s and we list the top 20 bikes they produced that finally weren’t the sort bought by your old man… Remember, in the late 1970s and early 1980s BMWs seemed, well, a little lost and nowhere near as cool as a pair of flares were – but it wasn’t always the way…
Just before the Second World War, BMW were big into racing and all forms of competition. Back in 1939 BMW was the first ‘foreign’ manufacturer to win an Isle of Man TT race with Georg Meier, taking the Kompressor BMW to Senior TT glory. Fast forward some years and BMW produced one of the best-handling superbikes of the 1970s – the R90 S. This thing may not have had as much power as a comparable big Kawasaki Zed of the time, but it was such a sweet handler. So much so, that in 1976 Steve McLaughlin won the first national-level Superbike race at Daytona in the USA on a BMW R90 S. Steve was to become known as the ‘father of World Superbikes’ setting up the series in the late 1980s.
Then things got a bit, well, stale. BMWs such as the R100 RS built on the success of the bikini-faired S and 100 S and became more utilitarian. BMWs suddenly became part and parcel of the ‘pipe and slippers’ brigade and when thousands of BMWs were bought by polices forces around the UK in the 1980s and 1990s (often later being passed on to IAM or BMF instructors at auction) the fate of the marque was sealed! BMWs, it seemed, were for ‘tourers’.
But there was the odd ray of sunlight… machines like the gloriously OTT K1 of 1989 showed what they could do. Here was a big lump of motorcycle but with some cutting-edge bits such as ABS, fully-faired (and then some) and complete with a wacky paint job that shouted ‘LOOK AT ME’ more than the Red Baron’s Fokker Triplane…
Staff changes helped too. David Robb joined BMW in 1984, moved to BMW Motorrad in 1993 and eventually became head of motorcycle design before his departure in 2012. He’s one of the key appointments in making Beemers cool again. He says: “When I joined we had about eight different motorcycles in the range and it seemed as if they were doing the same job. They didn’t have different personalities or appeal to different people. My first project was the K1200 RS and LT series, and they may have shared something like 70% commonality but they had completely different personalities. The same was true with machines such as the K1300 series – different machines, but sharing many identical parts. With the S1000 RR we were criticised for it being perhaps too ‘Japanese’ but we felt with that original look, it was still very BMW…”
We won’t bore you with too much more history as you will doubtless want to argue with our top 20 selection of bikes (and the few we call out as ‘Lemons). It’s safe to say that there have been highlights of how BMW has been made sexier, including with racing. Dave Morris who won Isle of Man TT wins in 1998 and 1999 as well as the British Supermono title in 1999. In an emotional win, John McGuinness would take one of Dave’s bikes to the 2000 TT singles win in a team run by Lee and Neil Morris following their parents’ Dave and Alison’s untimely deaths a year before. BMW wouldn’t win another TT race until 75 years later – 2014, with Michael Dunlop.
In MotoGP BMW ran the BMW Boxer Cup support class between 1999 and 2004, using the saucy R1100 S and SS/Replikas (more of which later) to good effect. Sure, these bikes weren’t out-and-out sports machines, but having cool guest riders such as Randy Mamola helped get some coverage! Let’s not forget Chris Pfeiffer – doing some simply unbelievable stunts on an-almost stock F800 road bike, and then of course came the BMW S1000 RR and a factory team with Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus for 2009. So they never won the title, but they know the value of racing and have returned in factory form with the latest 1000 RR ridden by Tom Sykes and Markus Reiterberger.
So what do we reckon are the best of BMW over the last 40 or so years? Well, we had to start our list off with ‘the daddy’ of Munich cool… Here in age related order then, and with a couple of ‘Bad Beemers’ thrown in for good measure too…
COOLEST BMWs EVER!
1973 – R90 S
At a time when BMW were celebrating 50-years of their boxer-twin, horizontally opposed design, out came this beasty. Derived from the ‘Type 247’ motor seen in a number of capacities with classics such as the R50/5, R60/5 and R75/5, the R90 S would have an 898cc air-cooled flat twin pumping out 67bhp. That wasn’t even much for the time, but it was the chassis that rocked while others (think big Zeds) rocked AND rolled before spitting the rider off. Even so, race-tuned R90 S machines would hit 100bhp and 175 kilos! They were eventually replaced by the R100 series in 1977.
1980 – R80 G/S
The first of the family of hugely successful GS machines, the R80 was launched in 1980 off the back of some off-road success in competition. The bike itself was also brought about thanks to some keen off-road engineers in BMW itself. The flat-twin boxer engine 797.5cc pumped out a mild 50bhp, but the chassis and the simplicity of design meant that it was a good choice for world travellers on two wheels. Successive versions came and improved the breed: 1986 saw the R100 GS, 1993 saw the launch of the R1100 GS (a very different machine with four-valves per pot and the ‘oil-cooled’ head.) 1999 saw the arrival of the 1150 GS and later the more rugged ‘Adventure’ version but the 1200 GS of 2004-on had 30 kilos less and 20% more power… This year the new R1250 GS was born – it’s still a popular bike and it all started with the humble R80 G/S.
1989 – K1
Quirky, interesting and quick – if not blisteringly fast – the K1 used much of previous models (such as the 987cc liquid-cooled four-cylinder motor, ‘laid down’ longitudinally) from the earlier K-models. With only around 100bhp on tap and 235 kilos or so, it was marketed as a sports-tourer and came with fully enclosed bodywork in a range of striking colours. While it sold in modest numbers (around 7000 units between 1989 and 1993) it showed the way forward for BMW in being bold and different.
BAD BEEMER
1993 – R1100 RS
The modern era of BMW effectively began in 1993, with the arrival of the R1100 RS, which had the new OHV boxer twin with air-oil cooling and a new chassis, equipped with a Paralever rear-end (a shaft drive, single-sided rear-end) and a Telelever front end (basically a wish-bone connected to a shock and the forks). It was weird, but it worked – with the boxer-twin pumping out around 90bhp and the chassis coping well with the not inconsiderable weight. The RS also used fuel-injection and adjustable seat/position before anyone. So why do we call it a bad Beemer? Well, look at it! It handled and worked well, but the looks were really all over the place – and it wasn’t quite a sports bike and more of a sports-tourer and better was to come… even if it was uglier!
1995 – R1100 RT
Yes, the RT is one ugly mo’ fo’, but it showed that BMW were learning because despite being based on the 1100 RS running gear, the touring-biased RT was actually three kilos lighter than its older, sportier brother. And it was successful with 60,000 being sold between 1995 and its replacement in 2001. Looks were functional as the generous fairing kept the weather at bay. Many police forces used ‘em, even ChiPs duo Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox ditched their Kawasakis for RTs in ‘ChiPs ‘99’ – a film remake of the lightweight 1970s bike-cop TV show.
1997 – K1200 RS
Yes, so the four-cylinder motor in the K1200 RS was based on the slow-to-rev 1100 (they lengthened the stroke by 5mm) but it did have enough torque, even if it took an age to get to its 9000rpm redline. It handled nicely enough, too – despite a claimed 285kilos to push! The two things, which set the 1200 RS apart though – and what made it an epoch-marking bike for them – was the fact that it looked good and also that it was BMW which ignored the previous self-imposed manufacturer limit of 100bhp, with a bike pushing out a claimed 130bhp.
BAD BEEMER!
R1200 C
BMW’s first cruiser was a real Marmite bike. Costing more than £10K, this featured the proven Boxer twin, raised to 1170cc, delivering around 70bhp pushing 265kilos. Despite a ‘classic’ look based in some part on older BMWs, the R1200C did show that Munich weren’t afraid to push the barriers as it did have some original design cues. Clearly, they weren’t the most popular of machines as the bike is no longer in the range, but they did get a starring role alongside Pierce Brosnan in the James Bond film ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’, but then again how many co-stars in a Bond film also disappear without a trace?
BAD BEEMER!
1998 – K1200 LT
Please ignore the many MCN awards this machine received for best tourer: It’s not better than a Gold Wing and it’s not better than its Boxer-twin brother the 1100/1150 RT. BMW married a huge bike, with fat guppy fish looks with that old-style, slow-to-respond four-pot motor. The result was a bloater on wheels. The boxer twin is much better – sorry!
1999 – R1100 S
Released in September 1998, the 1100 S looked like a sportsbike – albeit BMW’s version of one. A single-sided swingarm and under-seat pipes was a big nod to the Ducati 916 which was a style icon of the time, while the half-faired bodywork and lop-sided monocled headlight stare kept it just on the German side of design. An SS version (only the Germans could miss the bad use of an acronym like that) was produced a few years later, with 10bhp more, better suspension and a wider rear rim.
R1150 GS
A true classic: the 1130cc oil-air-cooled lump is good for 85bhp, but it’s the whole plot that comes together as greater than the sum of its parts. The lazy-revving engine doesn’t over-stress the plush suspension, which on blighted roads means this thing is able to strum along at a fair lick! The 1150 GS was later released in 2002 in ‘Adventure’ trim, with longer travel suspension, shorter gearing, EVO brakes, a host of optional extras and the ability to use lower-quality fuel often found at pump stations out in the boonies.
2001 – R1150 RT
The biggest changes were to the looks to this great tourer: you got a smoother fairing, a wider headlight and curves that were designed to move water away from the rider – the electric screen helped with this too. It all works. Improvements on the 1100 RT included wider rear rim for better rubber, less weight, a new gearbox, and five more bhp. The machine was later re-born as the R1200 RT with even better looks, handling and motor.
The post BMW Motorcycle History – Part 1 appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
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I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want… I want an idea of just when BMWs became sexy and cool…
Just before the Second World War, BMW were big into racing and all forms of competition. Back in 1939 BMW was the first ‘foreign’ manufacturer to win an Isle of Man TT race with Georg Meier, taking the Kompressor BMW to Senior TT glory. Fast forward some years and BMW produced one of the best-handling superbikes of the 1970s – the R90 S. This thing may not have had as much power as a comparable big Kawasaki Zed of the time, but it was such a sweet handler. So much so, that in 1976 Steve McLaughlin won the first national-level Superbike race at Daytona in the USA on a BMW R90 S. Steve was to become known as the ‘father of World Superbikes’ setting up the series in the late 1980s.
Then things got a bit, well, stale. BMWs such as the R100 RS built on the success of the bikini-faired S and 100 S and became more utilitarian. BMWs suddenly became part and parcel of the ‘pipe and slippers’ brigade and when thousands of BMWs were bought by polices forces around the UK in the 1980s and 1990s (often later being passed on to IAM or BMF instructors at auction) the fate of the marque was sealed! BMWs, it seemed, were for ‘tourers’.
But there was the odd ray of sunlight… machines like the gloriously OTT K1 of 1989 showed what they could do. Here was a big lump of motorcycle but with some cutting-edge bits such as ABS, fully-faired (and then some) and complete with a wacky paint job that shouted ‘LOOK AT ME’ more than the Red Baron’s Fokker Triplane…
We won’t bore you with too much more history as you will doubtless want to argue with our top 20 selection of bikes (and the few we call out as ‘Lemons). It’s safe to say that there have been highlights of how BMW has been made sexier, including with racing. Dave Morris who won Isle of Man TT wins in 1998 and 1999 as well as the British Supermono title in 1999. In an emotional win, John McGuinness would take one of Dave’s bikes to the 2000 TT singles win in a team run by Lee and Neil Morris following their parents’ Dave and Alison’s untimely deaths a year before. BMW wouldn’t win another TT race until 75 years later – 2014, with Michael Dunlop.
In MotoGP BMW ran the BMW Boxer Cup support class between 1999 and 2004, using the saucy R1100 S and SS/Replikas (more of which later) to good effect. Sure, these bikes weren’t out-and-out sports machines, but having cool guest riders such as Randy Mamola helped get some coverage! Let’s not forget Chris Pfeiffer – doing some simply unbelievable stunts on an-almost stock F800 road bike, and then of course came the BMW S1000 RR and a factory team with Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus for 2009. So they never won the title, but they know the value of racing and have returned in factory form with the latest 1000 RR ridden by Tom Sykes and Markus Reiterberger.
COOLEST BMWs EVER!
1973 – R90 S
At a time when BMW were celebrating 50-years of their boxer-twin, horizontally opposed design, out came this beasty. Derived from the ‘Type 247’ motor seen in a number of capacities with classics such as the R50/5, R60/5 and R75/5, the R90 S would have an 898cc air-cooled flat twin pumping out 67bhp. That wasn’t even much for the time, but it was the chassis that rocked while others (think big Zeds) rocked AND rolled before spitting the rider off. Even so, race-tuned R90 S machines would hit 100bhp and 175 kilos! They were eventually replaced by the R100 series in 1977.
1980 – R80 G/S
1989 – K1
BAD BEEMER
1993 – R1100 RS
1995 – R1100 RT
Yes, the RT is one ugly mo’ fo’, but it showed that BMW were learning because despite being based on the 1100 RS running gear, the touring-biased RT was actually three kilos lighter than its older, sportier brother. And it was successful with 60,000 being sold between 1995 and its replacement in 2001. Looks were functional as the generous fairing kept the weather at bay. Many police forces used ‘em, even ChiPs duo Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox ditched their Kawasakis for RTs in ‘ChiPs ‘99’ – a film remake of the lightweight 1970s bike-cop TV show.
1997 – K1200 RS
Yes, so the four-cylinder motor in the K1200 RS was based on the slow-to-rev 1100 (they lengthened the stroke by 5mm) but it did have enough torque, even if it took an age to get to its 9000rpm redline. It handled nicely enough, too – despite a claimed 285kilos to push! The two things, which set the 1200 RS apart though – and what made it an epoch-marking bike for them – was the fact that it looked good and also that it was BMW which ignored the previous self-imposed manufacturer limit of 100bhp, with a bike pushing out a claimed 130bhp.
BAD BEEMER!
R1200 C
BMW’s first cruiser was a real Marmite bike. Costing more than £10K, this featured the proven Boxer twin, raised to 1170cc, delivering around 70bhp pushing 265kilos. Despite a ‘classic’ look based in some part on older BMWs, the R1200C did show that Munich weren’t afraid to push the barriers as it did have some original design cues. Clearly, they weren’t the most popular of machines as the bike is no longer in the range, but they did get a starring role alongside Pierce Brosnan in the James Bond film ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’, but then again how many co-stars in a Bond film also disappear without a trace?
BAD BEEMER!
1998 – K1200 LT
Please ignore the many MCN awards this machine received for best tourer: It’s not better than a Gold Wing and it’s not better than its Boxer-twin brother the 1100/1150 RT. BMW married a huge bike, with fat guppy fish looks with that old-style, slow-to-respond four-pot motor. The result was a bloater on wheels. The boxer twin is much better – sorry!
1999 – R1100 S
Released in September 1998, the 1100 S looked like a sportsbike – albeit BMW’s version of one. A single-sided swingarm and under-seat pipes was a big nod to the Ducati 916 which was a style icon of the time, while the half-faired bodywork and lop-sided monocled headlight stare kept it just on the German side of design. An SS version (only the Germans could miss the bad use of an acronym like that) was produced a few years later, with 10bhp more, better suspension and a wider rear rim.
R1150 GS
A true classic: the 1130cc oil-air-cooled lump is good for 85bhp, but it’s the whole plot that comes together as greater than the sum of its parts. The lazy-revving engine doesn’t over-stress the plush suspension, which on blighted roads means this thing is able to strum along at a fair lick! The 1150 GS was later released in 2002 in ‘Adventure’ trim, with longer travel suspension, shorter gearing, EVO brakes, a host of optional extras and the ability to use lower-quality fuel often found at pump stations out in the boonies.
2001 – R1150 RT
The biggest changes were to the looks to this great tourer: you got a smoother fairing, a wider headlight and curves that were designed to move water away from the rider – the electric screen helped with this too. It all works. Improvements on the 1100 RT included wider rear rim for better rubber, less weight, a new gearbox, and five more bhp. The machine was later re-born as the R1200 RT with even better looks, handling and motor.
The post BMW Motorcycle History – Part 1 appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
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BMW Motorcycle History – Part 2
2001
R1150 R
A proper re-work of the original 1100 R from 1995, the aesthetic updates made the 1150 R a naked with some real class, ditching the bizarre Hyena-like bottom-down, head-up stance of its forerunner to something more aesthetically pleasing. The new EVO brakes were much improved, the motor updated with twin-spark cylinder heads, which helped push power up by five to 85bhp and the price was good, too.
2003
R1100 S Boxercup Replica
BMW took the successful 1100 S machine, took some of the bits that made the bike go around corners in the MotoGP support races and gave it a funky lick of paint. Another important landmark, as BMW successfully played on the marketing of MotoGP to take a step nearer to their goal of building a pukka, full-on sportsbike…
BAD BEEMER
R1150 R Rockster
As the name suggests, this machine followed the basic chassis and engine of the 1150 R, but the looks stemmed from a concept bike on BMW’s stand at the 2002 Intermot show. Enough people liked it for the bike to become a reality, which is strange, really! The Rockster may not have moved the game on technologically, but we guess at least it showed the Germans were game to be a little more adventurous with both aesthetics and paint schemes.
2004
R1200 GS
BMW’s work on sportier and sportier machines helped refine the mighty GS still further. The 1200GS lost a huge 30 kilos from the older model, while the 1170cc motor saw an increase in power to 100bhp. It became the best-selling bike in the UK in 2006. Eventually the GS got another upgrade in 2008, with more power (up by five bhp), a better gearbox as well as the inclusion of ESA. And, as mentioned in part one, today (2019) we now have the 1250 GS version… time marches on!
BAD BEEMER
R1200 ST
The 1200 ST proved just how awful BMWs can look. Yup, even in the early 2000s BMW could still get it very wrong – and just look at the C1 and C2 scooters of the time, too!
2005
K1200 S
Much lauded with 167bhp, the new four-cylinder inline motor was a big improvement in performance over the older 1200 four-pot Brick, although it was vibey and there were question marks over the gearbox, it was a further move forward to something sporty and tour-ish. It was replaced in 2008 by the even better K1300 S, which added 136cc and a power hike to 175bhp. Better still was the much improved looks, with updated bodywork, exhaust and paint-schemes. The 1300 S is a very good machine…
K1200 R
Funky to look at and fun to ride: who would have thought BMW could have made a naked bike with 167bhp on tap that looked like this? Like the 1300 S, for 2008 the bike was breathed-on to produce the 1300 R, with subtle improvements all round to make it a much better bike than the original.
HP2 Enduro
The most powerful production enduro bike made at the time, the looks were a bit Marmite-ish (we feel the headlamp looks like a bolt-on after-thought) but at the time there was no getting away from the kudos of an 105bhp off-roader, even if the prices was just under £12,000. For road riders it was also later released with road wheels too, for an extra £1000.
BAD BEEMER
2007
HP2 Megamoto
A Supermoto for the BMW riders out there, this beast had Marzocchi inverted conventional forks to replace the Telelever system while an Akrapovic exhaust gave 113bhp, but at almost £13,000 it was pretty salty price-wise! Hence we’ve edged it into the ‘Lemon’ category!
2008
HP2 Sport
At the time the HP2 Sport was perhaps the ultimate expression of Boxer-twin sportsbikes. The motor gave you 128bhp, a quickshifter (back then this was hailed as a first for a production sportsbike) a 2D trick dash-board, Brembo brakes and Ohlins suspension.
K1300 GT
Thankfully, 11 years after the relatively dull K1200 RS came out, the later 1300cc motors showed what a good BMW four-cylinder engine could feel like. Of course the 1300cc motor was derived from the 1200cc motor from 2004, put across-the-frame in the traditional Jap/multi style and not the old laid-down ‘Brick’ as the old, post-1997 RS was. With the launch of the 1300 S and 1300 R in 2008 also came the GT and what a fine machine it was. Big, powerful (160bhp claimed) it had all the bells and whistles, an electric screen and (most importantly) the ability to cross continents with ease: sadly gone from the range now, replaced by the 1600cc six-cylinder range.
2009
F 800 R
A 798cc liquid-cooled parallel twin, this modest machine has a great big dollop of character. The R model is the funky roadster which is capable of more than what you’d think at first glance and the basic architecture and motor is flexible enough to have spawned a number of variations on the theme, including the F800 GS (adventure bike, chain drive) the F800 S (sporty bike 2006-2010, belt-drive) and F800 ST (sporty-touring bike, belt-drive, replaced by the faired 800 GT from 2013.) For us, the best fun can be had on the F800 R, which has chain-drive.
S1000RR
A real game-changer for BMW at least: here was their first big crack at the litre superbike class. Unveiled in 2008, it was built to tap into the-then lucrative big-bore sports class and race in World Superbikes. The machine had ABS, traction control, a 999cc DOHC, liquid-cooled four-cylinder motor making 199bhp and a wet weight of just 204 kilos. Looks were shark-like, with louvres cut in the side of the fairing and BMW’s quirky ‘monocle’ twin-headlight set-up. Following the world-wide credit crunch, updates were rationalised but saw incremental improvements to the bike’s power output and some weight loss, especially so with the HP4 models, from 2013-on. More importantly as time moved on a host of electronic rider aids were added or improved and the introduction of the HP4 Race in 2017 was the ultimate in corporate willy-waving. With 215bhp, race-shift gearbox pattern, switchable race ABS, lashings of carbon fibre and no lights or road paraphernalia – this is a race/track only machine and was priced in the stratosphere – around £60,000…
For 2019 the basic ‘new’ S1000RR finally gives a proper update from the mildly-changed looks of the original RR from a decade ago. So, in comes completely new aesthetics, with ‘balanced’ head-lights, an all-new motor (but still 999cc) with power of the base model now up to around 204bhp and weight is down too.
While BMW has won a few TTs and national races it has still to secure the World Superbike championship… We shall see if the S1000RR ever does.
CONCLUSION
So there you have it… that’s our top 20 or so (yeah, we like to go on a bit) along with a few howlers along the way. It’s fair to say that BMW has had their fair share of machines with cutting-edge tech on board, such as ABS, fuel-injection, advanced suspension (think Telelever, Paralever, Duolever as well as the electronic systems of later machines) but our pick of BMW’s best technological decision was ditching that god-awful ‘three-button’ indicator system: left switch made the left indicator work, right for right and there was also a right-hand switch you pressed ‘up’ for cancel… Daft, too much of a pain in the arse and – thankfully – dumped in the mid-noughties for a traditional system!
The post BMW Motorcycle History – Part 2 appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
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2001
R1150 R
A proper re-work of the original 1100 R from 1995, the aesthetic updates made the 1150 R a naked with some real class, ditching the bizarre Hyena-like bottom-down, head-up stance of its forerunner to something more aesthetically pleasing. The new EVO brakes were much improved, the motor updated with twin-spark cylinder heads, which helped push power up by five to 85bhp and the price was good, too.
2003
R1100 S Boxercup Replica
BAD BEEMER
R1150 R Rockster
As the name suggests, this machine followed the basic chassis and engine of the 1150 R, but the looks stemmed from a concept bike on BMW’s stand at the 2002 Intermot show. Enough people liked it for the bike to become a reality, which is strange, really! The Rockster may not have moved the game on technologically, but we guess at least it showed the Germans were game to be a little more adventurous with both aesthetics and paint schemes.
2004
R1200 GS
BAD BEEMER
R1200 ST
The 1200 ST proved just how awful BMWs can look. Yup, even in the early 2000s BMW could still get it very wrong – and just look at the C1 and C2 scooters of the time, too!
2005
K1200 S
Much lauded with 167bhp, the new four-cylinder inline motor was a big improvement in performance over the older 1200 four-pot Brick, although it was vibey and there were question marks over the gearbox, it was a further move forward to something sporty and tour-ish. It was replaced in 2008 by the even better K1300 S, which added 136cc and a power hike to 175bhp. Better still was the much improved looks, with updated bodywork, exhaust and paint-schemes. The 1300 S is a very good machine…
K1200 R
Funky to look at and fun to ride: who would have thought BMW could have made a naked bike with 167bhp on tap that looked like this? Like the 1300 S, for 2008 the bike was breathed-on to produce the 1300 R, with subtle improvements all round to make it a much better bike than the original.
HP2 Enduro
BAD BEEMER
2007
HP2 Megamoto
A Supermoto for the BMW riders out there, this beast had Marzocchi inverted conventional forks to replace the Telelever system while an Akrapovic exhaust gave 113bhp, but at almost £13,000 it was pretty salty price-wise! Hence we’ve edged it into the ‘Lemon’ category!
2008
HP2 Sport
At the time the HP2 Sport was perhaps the ultimate expression of Boxer-twin sportsbikes. The motor gave you 128bhp, a quickshifter (back then this was hailed as a first for a production sportsbike) a 2D trick dash-board, Brembo brakes and Ohlins suspension.
K1300 GT
2009
F 800 R
S1000RR
A real game-changer for BMW at least: here was their first big crack at the litre superbike class. Unveiled in 2008, it was built to tap into the-then lucrative big-bore sports class and race in World Superbikes. The machine had ABS, traction control, a 999cc DOHC, liquid-cooled four-cylinder motor making 199bhp and a wet weight of just 204 kilos. Looks were shark-like, with louvres cut in the side of the fairing and BMW’s quirky ‘monocle’ twin-headlight set-up. Following the world-wide credit crunch, updates were rationalised but saw incremental improvements to the bike’s power output and some weight loss, especially so with the HP4 models, from 2013-on. More importantly as time moved on a host of electronic rider aids were added or improved and the introduction of the HP4 Race in 2017 was the ultimate in corporate willy-waving. With 215bhp, race-shift gearbox pattern, switchable race ABS, lashings of carbon fibre and no lights or road paraphernalia – this is a race/track only machine and was priced in the stratosphere – around £60,000…
For 2019 the basic ‘new’ S1000RR finally gives a proper update from the mildly-changed looks of the original RR from a decade ago. So, in comes completely new aesthetics, with ‘balanced’ head-lights, an all-new motor (but still 999cc) with power of the base model now up to around 204bhp and weight is down too.
While BMW has won a few TTs and national races it has still to secure the World Superbike championship… We shall see if the S1000RR ever does.
CONCLUSION
So there you have it… that’s our top 20 or so (yeah, we like to go on a bit) along with a few howlers along the way. It’s fair to say that BMW has had their fair share of machines with cutting-edge tech on board, such as ABS, fuel-injection, advanced suspension (think Telelever, Paralever, Duolever as well as the electronic systems of later machines) but our pick of BMW’s best technological decision was ditching that god-awful ‘three-button’ indicator system: left switch made the left indicator work, right for right and there was also a right-hand switch you pressed ‘up’ for cancel… Daft, too much of a pain in the arse and – thankfully – dumped in the mid-noughties for a traditional system!
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Honda CX500 – Neither Plastic nor Maggot
Classic rides of the Pre-Pensioner
Back with another series where Classic-Motorbikes.net looks at the machines once enjoyed by those of us now in our 50s. What made them memorable and why we loathed or lusted after them?
Introduction
Its fair to say the motorcycle press were lost for words when the CX500 first arrived in 1978. Honda had recently progressed to no1 in the bike production league and were full of surprises during the era (CBX & CB400 twin automatic for example) but nothing split opinion more than the CX. The journo’s that didn’t ‘get it’ complained of over-weight and under-powered with little to applaud visually. They were given more ammunition when it became apparent the early CX500’s would suffer from both cam-chain tensioner and big end issues. The early teething problems were rectified by dealers and failed to deter those chasing a reliable middleweight from throwing their cash at the Honda salesman. One year after launch the CX500 Custom arrived on the scene and in 1981 the GL500 Silver Wing joined it, then in 1982 the much sought after 500 Turbo but this would be the last hurrah for the 497cc motor as the 650 hit the showrooms in 1983; the final year of the ‘CX’. Build numbers make impressive reading; 186K CX500’s / 30K GL500’s / 21K 650’s and over 7k Turbo’s in both 500 and 650 options plus an unknown number of home market 400 versions. It was only during later years and long after the factory had ceased production the CX500 became a true hero in the UK. The machine of choice for dispatch riders, Honda’s V twin proved unbreakable even in the hands of the ‘possessed’ couriers that criss-crossed the country in search of a larger pay day. Being one of that ‘motley crew’ I rode a GL500 or Silver Wing to 180,000 miles and it was still going strong before taking a CX 650 Eurosport around the clock and all through those years I never sought the refuge of a tow truck to get me home. 250 miles per day was the average, often in Central London enjoying every type of weather this country could throw our way; the only true constant was that Honda engine. Oil changes once a month, plugs every two and cheap Chinese tyres 3 times a year; transporting anything from body parts out of Heathrow to Central London hospitals and even a fish tank (empty) lashed to the back seat for a nice bloke in Guildford.
History
The designers in Japan certainly went their own way when looking to replace the aging CB500/4, CB550/4 and CB500T and early prototypes show a new 350 V twin shoved into a CB200 frame. Honda tasked Shoichiro Irimajiri, to create a new middle weight machine, the man responsible for the GL1000 and CBX. Under the banner ‘first to the future’ the design featured a series of ‘firsts’ including the companies first V twin plus their first water cooled road bike engine with the V configuration plus an electric fan. As the project developed the motor received shaft drive from the GL1000 and the model would also feature ‘Comstar’ style wheels which for the first time meant no inner tube would be required. It’s said the engine was originally developed for the typically Japanese ‘Kei’ car; adapting it for two wheels cylinders cast into the block at the initial
90-degree angle on the 350 was altered to 80-degrees and the heads twisted 22-degrees to avoid carbs hitting riders legs; with four valves per cylinder operated by push rods. From the original design a variety of capacities were produced then exported world-wide; a project with bold engineering that required plenty of thinking ‘outside the box’.
Official View
Honda UK realised the CX potential for distance riding on a midsize machine, the commuters need for a separate large touring bike at weekends could become a thing of the past and their advertising reflected this in August 79. CX500 – ‘the long and short of it’ was the headline ‘the classic tourer that will hush you there with power to spare’ telling bikers to take a long look at the CX because for the ultimate all-rounder the short answer was this new ‘long distance sprinter’. Another advert tried to counter the mixed opinions of some journalists saying ‘Whatever rave reviews you may have read, that is only half the story because the best way to feel it, is to try it’. The later custom version was sold under headings such as ‘Street bike named desire’ and ‘Escape first class’ but it goes without saying the marketing men at Chiswick had no idea the CX would write its own story around the roads of West London and Britain; for years to come.
Road testers View
Stateside publication ‘Cycle’ carried out their long-term test in 1978 and concluded that after initially being baffled as to what Honda were trying to achieve with its ‘startling departure from tradition’ the ‘CX500 has an overall unavoidable appeal’. Meanwhile, Feb 79 issue of Cycle Guide was less impressed “Our first look at the machine was quite a let-down” and another publication compared the CX engine with a large air compressor but in time all detractors would reconsider their positions. Honda preferred to publicise Motor Cycle Weekly and their Chief Tester John Nutting who waxed lyrical about the new models potential. ‘Not only is the bike pace-setting in rider comfort, handling, performance and quietness but it manages to raise the ease of maintenance for a Japanese machine to a new high’ and Two Wheels in Australia made the CX500 Bike of the Year in 1978. When the turbo version arrived Motorcyclist magazine said, “The riding public anticipated motorcycles that had the weight and response of a middleweight with the power of a litre bike, at a price that was somewhere in between and there was a lot of excitement around them.” But the turbo lag that beset the era’s four wheel machines transferred to the CX making it something of a challenge through the twisties; this would become less of an issue with the 650 model although one road tester proclaimed “The power comes on so suddenly that you’d best be pointed in the desired direction, because that is where you’ll be heading with great alacrity.” Whilst Rider magazine in 1983 explained the performance as “off boost, the CX650T chuffs its way down the road like a mildly tuned 650 twin. On boost, it accelerates like an F-4 being blasted off the flight deck of the USS Enterprise by a steam catapult.” The fickle nature of bike mags seemed to bow to the weight of rider choice, the CX split opinions and over the years many verdicts altered from uncertain dislike to unending praise.
Looking Back – Riders View
70s tearaway Gary James, bike shop worker in-period, either owned, borrowed or blagged all of the era’s two wheelers…He always shares an opinion, whether we like it or not! He thinks .. the CX was the Frank Bruno of motorcycles it would always remain standing even under exceedingly tough and severe punishment; it wobbled and weaved with all the handling attributes of a 3-piece suite but dare I say more comfortable. Margaret Thatcher’s 1980s were built on this Honda .. virtually every package delivered during the decade and into the 90s came out of a bag that was ridden there on a CX … to all those heroes we salute you!
Demise
If ever a bike failed to go quietly the CX in all its guises must surely be at the front of the queue. Whilst the showrooms cleared the last of their stocks by 1984 a decade later, they seemed to be the only machine on London’s streets from Monday to Friday. The brilliant Turbo would still be available in small numbers until 86 by which time the VFR750 was on the scene followed by the CBR600. Neither offered the longevity or comfort of the CX but they enjoyed better handling, performance and everything else. The CX was perfect for its era, a light-weight touring bike that offered a reasonable turn of speed, did everything well but only one thing brilliantly; it just kept going.
Legacy
In 1984 Motor Cycle News proclaimed the CX range had sold over 300k machines, it had earnt its status as one of the most popular bikes of all time. A marmite bike certainly, loved by those who had one and those who disliked it, didn’t have to ride over 1000 miles a week. Unique, most definitely … last in the line of odd ball designs where function trumped aesthetics. Pre-plastic wrapped sportsters and post-naked four-cylinder machines that made Honda’s reputation. Arriving on the scene in a hailstorm of head scratching and leaving it decades later with universal respect. Every biker of the pre-pensioner generation knows what a ‘plastic maggot’ was and has an opinion to share; not many bikes you can say that about.
Honda CX500 Technical Specification
The post Honda CX500 – Neither Plastic nor Maggot appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
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Classic rides of the Pre-Pensioner
Back with another series where Classic-Motorbikes.net looks at the machines once enjoyed by those of us now in our 50s. What made them memorable and why we loathed or lusted after them?
Introduction
Its fair to say the motorcycle press were lost for words when the CX500 first arrived in 1978. Honda had recently progressed to no1 in the bike production league and were full of surprises during the era (CBX & CB400 twin automatic for example) but nothing split opinion more than the CX. The journo’s that didn’t ‘get it’ complained of over-weight and under-powered with little to applaud visually. They were given more ammunition when it became apparent the early CX500’s would suffer from both cam-chain tensioner and big end issues. The early teething problems were rectified by dealers and failed to deter those chasing a reliable middleweight from throwing their cash at the Honda salesman. One year after launch the CX500 Custom arrived on the scene and in 1981 the GL500 Silver Wing joined it, then in 1982 the much sought after 500 Turbo but this would be the last hurrah for the 497cc motor as the 650 hit the showrooms in 1983; the final year of the ‘CX’. Build numbers make impressive reading; 186K CX500’s / 30K GL500’s / 21K 650’s and over 7k Turbo’s in both 500 and 650 options plus an unknown number of home market 400 versions. It was only during later years and long after the factory had ceased production the CX500 became a true hero in the UK. The machine of choice for dispatch riders, Honda’s V twin proved unbreakable even in the hands of the ‘possessed’ couriers that criss-crossed the country in search of a larger pay day. Being one of that ‘motley crew’ I rode a GL500 or Silver Wing to 180,000 miles and it was still going strong before taking a CX 650 Eurosport around the clock and all through those years I never sought the refuge of a tow truck to get me home. 250 miles per day was the average, often in Central London enjoying every type of weather this country could throw our way; the only true constant was that Honda engine. Oil changes once a month, plugs every two and cheap Chinese tyres 3 times a year; transporting anything from body parts out of Heathrow to Central London hospitals and even a fish tank (empty) lashed to the back seat for a nice bloke in Guildford.
History
90-degree angle on the 350 was altered to 80-degrees and the heads twisted 22-degrees to avoid carbs hitting riders legs; with four valves per cylinder operated by push rods. From the original design a variety of capacities were produced then exported world-wide; a project with bold engineering that required plenty of thinking ‘outside the box’.
Official View
Road testers View
Looking Back – Riders View
Demise
Legacy
Honda CX500 Technical Specification
- Engine – water-cooled, four-stroke, 80-degree pushrod V-twin
- Capacity – 497cc
- Bore & stroke – 78mm x 52mm
- Compression Ratio – 10.0:1
- Carburation – 35mm Keihin VB1AA-A
- Max Power – 50bhp @ 9000rpm
- Torque – 31 ft-lbs @ 7000rpm
- Starting – Electric
- Ignition – CDI
- Transmission – Five-speed, wet-clutch, shaft-final-drive
- Frame – pressed steel and tubular “diamond” construction
- Suspension – 37mm telescopic forks, air/oil damped, TRAC anti-dive braking system. Pro-link rising-rate, single-shock, rear
- Wheels – 100/90 x 18 120/80 x 18
- Brakes – 2 x 275mm disc, twin-piston, floating-caliper, left side activating the TRAC anti dive within the fork lower. Single 275mm disc twin-piston floating-caliper
- Wheelbase – 1495mm
- Weight – 208kgs
- Fuel capacity – 19 litres
- Fuel consumption – 43mpg
- Top speed – 112mph claimed 106mph in the real world…
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I didn't come back to bikes until 1992 so everything before that was a complete mystery to me.
Even after 27 years I'm still catching up
Even after 27 years I'm still catching up
Ventura kit for Kats
Ventura have developed a luggage system for the new Suzuki Katana, providing owners with a neat and convenient way to carry up to 40-litres of kit.
Light, stable and versatile, Ventura’s Evo Bike Pack System combines the best features of hard and soft luggage, using three elements:
This unique mounting system ensures the load won’t shift, even during hard riding. When riding solo, the pack is carried directly behind the rider, close to the bike’s centre of gravity, and can be re-positioned behind the pillion seat when a passenger is onboard. Both options carry the pack well clear of exhausts and the rear wheel.
When luggage isn’t needed, the Pack can be removed in seconds, leaving the neat Rack in place. There is also an option to replace the Rack with a Grab Handle, which takes seconds to swap over.
Packs come in three sizes, from the 10-litre Evo-10 day pack to the 22-litre Evo-22 for a weekend away (pictured) and the 40-litre Evo-40, ideal for touring.
The typical system consisting of the L-Brackets, Evo Rack, and an Evo-22 Jet Stream Pack retails at £362.00 (including VAT). Kits for the original Katana 1100 are also available, priced at £326.80..
For further details, prices and a full list of pack options visit www.ventura-bike.co.uk
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Light, stable and versatile, Ventura’s Evo Bike Pack System combines the best features of hard and soft luggage, using three elements:
- Discreet L-Brackets, tailor made for each machine, that attach to existing mounting points on the sub-frame.
- An Evo Rack, which slots into the L-Brackets, offering a stable and secure platform for the luggage.
- The Evo Pack, that simply slides onto the Rack and clips into place.
This unique mounting system ensures the load won’t shift, even during hard riding. When riding solo, the pack is carried directly behind the rider, close to the bike’s centre of gravity, and can be re-positioned behind the pillion seat when a passenger is onboard. Both options carry the pack well clear of exhausts and the rear wheel.
Packs come in three sizes, from the 10-litre Evo-10 day pack to the 22-litre Evo-22 for a weekend away (pictured) and the 40-litre Evo-40, ideal for touring.
The typical system consisting of the L-Brackets, Evo Rack, and an Evo-22 Jet Stream Pack retails at £362.00 (including VAT). Kits for the original Katana 1100 are also available, priced at £326.80..
For further details, prices and a full list of pack options visit www.ventura-bike.co.uk
The post Ventura kit for Kats appeared first on Classic Motorbikes.
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