Afternoon all,

Having read quite a few project reports on this forum I would like to add my own.
Will be posting the refurb on VJMC Kawasaki technical forum too.

Now that's out of the way here is a potted history of the bike.

Kawasaki Z500 B2 (Firecracker Red) bought new from Bob Fortune M/C Darlington for £1256.00

Out of the crate and rode home on trade plates by me.

First registered August 1st 1980 JAJ601W

Used For general transport and occasional blasts around Croft circuit till my...

Decided that the standard ET wheel and forks were way too heavy. A friend was selling Fireblade bits for a very good price. They fitted to ET headstock no probs.

I have plans to build a workshop in the garden, but I need to cut down a hedge first. This has meant that my garage is full and there's no room to work in there. This has stalled my 1970 CB350K restoration project. The bike is a unicycle at the moment, so I can't move it.

I spotted a 1973 CB350G in gumtree not that far away that was 'ready for an MoT' and wasn't too expensive. I could see there were a few 'weird' things going on with the bike in the photos, but contacted the seller to arrange...

Hi all, I put away this bike in a shipping container around 2002/3
I rode it a couple of miles and decided to ride it again one day when I passed my test and could ride it legally.
Work and other things came first so it has never seen daylight until this week.
It has a full fairing, twin lights and has done 48500 miles in black paint.
I have stripped off the seat and bodywork and am going to take off the carbs as they are seized and will need cleaning.
I put a battery on yesterday and couldn't...

A few photo's before i get too far ahead :lol:
I don't think she's had a wash or clean since new :shock:

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right so after after a bit of waffling i think i might have come up with an idea for a winter project and beyond and that is a yam 2 stroke twin cafe racer, in 1978 i had a new rd 250e and i have missed it ever since so im on the look out for a frame to start and then probably a race style tank and single seat, i hope to source some used parts off fleabay after the frame i think the important thing will be the motor which will be either be 250 350 or a 400 and then i reckon it will be a saving...

hello. I have a odd problem with my 1988 suzuki dr125. after a good run around for a bit, and i slow the bike down and downshift to first, the bike will cut out and refuse to kick start. also after this occurs, it struggles to click into gears properly (i found this out as i attempted to put it into second to bump start) and the gearbox just seems very temperamental. so, i wheel the bike back to my shed and leave it for a while, it will start up no problems and drive /run well. could this to be...

Hi I’ve recently purchased a 1984 Honda XL 125R (Front Drum Brake Model) this is my first restoration and I’ve got it to a rolling frame (Swingarm, suspension, Wheels) and I’ve just started on the engine. I wasn’t there when I purchased the bike but was told it had compression and started but was a little boggy so was doing a full engine rebuild build on it but wasn’t sure how to go about it whether I should strip it down in to every piece, label it clean it and reassemble from there or do the...

So I recently bought an xl650v and the rear wheel is unsalvageable. The cost of getting a new rim and spokes are just too high for the worth of the bike. So, I found a pair of nt650v alloys that are in great condition. The nt650v uses the same engine as the xl650v, but the rear wheel is shaft driven and slightly wider.

I really would like these wheels on the bike as it'll be more of a tourer then and less of an adv.

Would the nt650v go onto the xl650v easily and convert nicely to chain...

Hi
i have Suzuki gsx 550 1987.
I need to replace the ignation switch.
Did the ignation switch of gs 500 fit to gsx 550?
Thanks

Hi,

I am new to the forum and joined hoping to get some advice on what sort of 125cc bike would make a good restoration project and learner bike. I have been restoring / building peddle bikes for years and have rebuilt a mini and a Triumph spitfire. I am however entirely new to working on motorbikes.

Any advice on where to start looking and what to look for would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
J

I have restored an old Honda cg125 that has not been used for about 3 years. Everything on it has been cleaned, powder coated and replaced where necessary and it looks a treat. I have got it running but it is very load, way loader than normal and it almost sounds dry or tinny. Engine has not been apart as it was running ok when it was parked up.I have checked oil pressure and it’s all good with fresh oil. It also misfires a bit and I’m wondering if it’s the replacement exhaust I have fitted. It...

Hello all
Iv recently purchased a kymco zing iv rewired it the engine has been rebuilt but I'm now having trouble with the revs as it has none the plug is really wet but can't figure out what's wrong with it please help.

Hello!

I picked up a CB250N Honda Super-dream at the start of the year, with the intention of making it into a summer commuter bike. Here is my progress so far;

Bike details;
I bought the bike of eBay, unseen. It ran okay (ish) but was difficult to start and had been basically sat since 1984. The bike has all the original paperwork which indicates it was bought new from Honda, riden for 10,000 miles, then stored/sold/stored/sold until 2019.

After cleaning and dismantling, I found a few...

hello

i have recently bought my first bike (very new to all this) and all was running well until today when upon shifting from first to second the engine cut out and will no longer start. it will also not bump start, but is turning over. the kick starter has also gone quite slack. bike is 1988 suzuki dr125, any suggestions please.

Hi,
total newbie here, so please be gentle.

My uncle was an enthusiast of old motorbikes. He passed around 4 years ago.
His bikes have been in my very elderly aunts garage since.
I have NOT seen these (tho I knew they existed) but have no idea of condition, or if he had taken some apart to tinker with and they were never reassembled.

She says they are all running, but as I say, I suspect that is unlikely.

The list she gave me (he had written down what he had) is:
rudge 250 special 1937...

I found this on YouTube today . Absolutely inspirational . Start the vid at the beginning .
.

Hi can any advice where to source the following parts
Speedo drive
Clocks
New or used parts
South wales

Morning,

I'm going to see a ZXR750 L1 this weekend. Is there anything bar the usual bike stuff I need to look out for on these bikes? I used to have a J about 25 years ago but it was back when I didn't know what I was doing with bike maintenance, couldn't even ride the thing properly.

Thanks,

Mark

Just bought an Xj900s, low mileage, great condition, 1998, was running ok but rich on 1,2 and 4 carbs.
Took carbs off and found needle assemblies in bits in 1,2 and 4. Reassembled them, clearly need new o rings, but didn’t have any. Put carbs back on bike and now can’t get any fuel through to them. Electric fuel pump isn’t running when cranking engine. Took fuel pump off, rigged up temporary supply and pump runs.
Why am I not getting 12v at the fuel pump? What have I missed? Thanks

Has anyone in the Coventry / Birmingham or West Midlands area got a project bike for me to restore over the winter ? Absolutely anything considered except scooters and Chinese bikes .

the cn/ch 250 honda is a generic part. its wiring is obvious. yellow means stator. each yellow wire is a phase. stator phases get added through the rectifier. red means positive. green must be ground, what elese could it be? what about black. so why does honda use green. it has to do with the golden age of motorcycles.

once upon a time the rec and the reg used to be two different units. the ignition wire to the regulator was black. this is no longer true on any magnito bike except mine. I do...

Got my new winter project sorted . I might invest in a new wire brush before I make a start.

So I’ve finally started looking at this today for an hour or so.

Initial faults identified:

1) steering lock doesn’t actually lock
2) no electrics at all
3) chain and sprockets knackered
4) front brake might need a strip and rebuild.

1 was resolved by tightening the bolts on the underside of the yoke, which needed the front fairing completely off for my hands to get to them.

2 is resolved in that I found some soldering work done on the ignition switch and the main fuse had blown. Swap the...

I'll be racing my GSX1170 again , from about 1000 until 1800ish. Would be nice to see some of you there.

Not had a lot of time this summer to work on the Z as been out riding and doing other summery things but have got some things sorted out.

Among the things I would like to do for myself is media blasting parts. Have recently been given a small not working compressor which I fixed so looking to make good use of it.

Have read a lot about Soda blasting and like the idea for engine internals as the media is soluble in water. I have always had a fear that not all the other blast media will be...

Hello
I’m wondering if
Anyone can offer me any advice on classic bikes. I would like a classic looking bike up to 500cc. I have seen many online but concerned Re : repairs and parts should it require maintenance. Is it best to stick with a classic
English bike (triumph) are they easier to maintain and obtain replacement parts ?

thanks I’m advance
Julie

Hi,

I'm a new Harley convert, starting getting hip trouble so moved to a Fat Bob with forward controls, much more comfortable for me, but new riding style to get used to.

I wanted the new model Fat Bob but there were 15,000 reasons why not, so I have a 2016 model, which i'm in love with... was wondering though, would the new style rectangular led headlight be compatible with the 2016 model and does anyone know a supplier?

Not sure why I'm doing it now, other than it's something to do, and my set of carbs is missing a trumpet which saddens me.
Original carbs on the right from the 90-93 era and on the left the 94-97 era carbs to go on.

(Note the missing trumpet on the older set, which wiggled its way loose and snapped its locating tabs off somewhere on a trip to the bottom of Spain)

The later carbs are flat slide, and have a smaller gob (34mm vs 36mm) which is sad as bigger is better. Nevermind. Might make...

when do you need a battery. do you need one? the answer is simple yes. so when can I run with out one? anther simple answer. you get rid of the batterey by installing a battery eliminator.

what bikes run without a battery. duh, if you have a kickstart obviously. if your bike has an alternator you can not run without a battery. everything else is fair game. thats an awful lot of bikes. thats anything with points and a spinning magnet or any bike with cdi and a seperate lighting circuit and a...

almost any bike on planet earth can be wired to todays specs for gel batteries and led's. there are only two generic regulator rectifiers needed to do this job. one or the other will do any bike. both cost less than 15 quid.

I'll let xmacina, bender, and fastbob finish the post.

Hello there, I've been working on my bike (Honda Xl125 1983) and after it not running properly I decided to study the spark plug, its carbon fouled, and I read that it was a sign of the bike running too rich. Since then, I've installed a new air filter and checked for air leaks, which there doesn't seem to be any. I then inspected the carb to make sure the float wasn't sticking and was at the correct height, which it was and even looked to make sure the needle was positioned on the correct...

Hi guys, just been fettling around with my old bike and the time has come where I'm officially out of my depth, and think its time someone knowledgeable looked at it. I started looking for a garage around my area and there's rather slim pickings, the one I decided to go to was a bit out the way and not only did not fix my issue, but were utterly hopeless! they lost the bolts for my side panels, ripped out some of the electrics and charged me a fortune! So the question I'm asking is, does anyone...

Hi,
I am new to the forum having just picked up a barn find (genuine as been in the barn on a farm for 15 years).
It’s a real basket case as so much rust it’s going to be a real challenge to do anything.

After advice before wasting time on a pointless restoration project;
To restore it will have to be more of a rebuild as the rust and pitting is so bad there is no way it will restore to original so many parts will have to repainted to hid the mess.

With this in mind is it going to be a...

Hi
I have restored a yamaha SRX250 Jap import, 1990, but the tanks has had it, pin holes , rotten. So to complete i am looking for an SRX250 tank, or maybe try an SRX400 tank, to see if it fits. Other than that its get one made at horendous cost.

can anyone out there help?

Dave
Sheffield UK

Hi, I have a 1996 CBR F3, it started coughing at 6 1/2k revs. I have replaced the ignition coils, spark plugs, fitted a new in line fuel filter and new fuel pump, I've cleaned the in tank filter, balanced the carbs and redex treated the fuel.... On the way home today it started cutting out completely. The RAC chap thought it was fuel starvation which seems right, as soon as the carbs are empty it dies. Can anyone throw some light on this please as I am now completely lost. When it's running...

c/p
Why You Need This: The original cam chain tensioner is the Achilles Heel of the Honda CL / CJ / CB360 engine; broken cam chain tensioners (sometimes called cam chain slippers) have destroyed many engines over the years. Replacement cam chain tensioners along with its matching cam chain guide from Honda are long gone. Because of this the best one could do was to find a clean used tensioner hoping that it has some life left in it. One could easily say this the single most valuable part in the...

So I have acquired a new free side project in the shape of a mini moto, completely unsure of what bike it is and what age it is but I'll be posting some pics of it on Tuesday afternoon as it's my next day off work but iv decided that it is now going to be a birthday present for my niece as she will be 3 in November and she has been asking about getting a bike for a while so it gives me some time to fully strip the bike and give it some much needed TLC thought she wants it painting bright...

About to venture into my first project;

A little 125cc bobber build.

I’m looking for a little advice on which bike I should start off with, extremely exciting times and I want to learn more.

HONDA REBEL 125
YAMAHA VIRAGO 125
HONDA SHADOW 125
AJS 125
SUZUKI GZ 125
GILERA COUGAR 125
SUZUKI MARAUDER 125
SUZUKI VL 125 INTRUDER

What would you recommend?
Easiest hardtail etc?

I don’t have the craziest amount to spend but long terms projects are worth it. Thank you in advance everyone.

How does the scoot rec/reg work. how can it be hooked up so it does not explode. I'm going to explain the how and why and when. the internal workings is a trade secret. so how do you get secret circuit diagram. do like trump and get help from the russsians.

got this diagram from the net. I will explain. the kbpc3510 two phase rectifier costs one quid. it turns ac to dc. as long as you hook it up to a dc stator you can run this way with the minus terminal as ground. a dc stator is not...

Hello
I have a 1973 Suzuki B120 which was a barn find and I have the bike running quite sweet but I cannot seem to get the main lights to work. I have cleaned all the connections and have replaced some with new. I have checked the battery and all the bulbs which are working and put in a new rectifier.
If I put the ignition to the 1st click daytime riding the indicator's work and the brake light works and so does the neutral light and indicator light. But when I put the ignition to the 2nd...

I fear not :shock:

Hello All,

I am really struggling for information. I realise that there are an awful lot of modified motorbikes around and that most of them are probably on their original reg numbers. Has anyone had any experience of using a hardtail frame and having it tested? (IVA/MSVA). I presume if a new frame then if done by the book it is likely to go on a Q plate? I presume if a hardtail is welded on to an existing frame, then there is still an issue of modification? Has anyone any experience, it seems...

I've bought a Honda VT 500 1988 and the engine is completely shot I'm struggling to find a replacement is there an alternative engine I can use or does anyone have good one for sale
Thanks Kevin

root canal and tatoos, two things better when left to pro's. I'm giving you a pass on this.
would like to introduce to the group a simple dirt cheap dental tool you never heard about.
it can easily clean any carberatror jet. primary or idle, and with a 25mm reach emulsion
tubes too. sure ultrasonics are great but there is nothing beats files, pipe cleaners and carb
spray. you can even open them up jets ever so slightly, brass and teeth are of similar
hardness. this tool is made from carbide...

Hi Mates
I am hoping someone very knowledgeable on old Suzuki gxers can help me with trying to identify my bikes DNA.
I have owned bike since 2004. Imported to NZ from Japan in 1992.
Curious clues :
1) On ownership docs first, registered in Japan in 1987 as G model, but frame number is 101143 which makes it a 1985 F
2) Livery is Red and Black with white wheels ( signs of original blue on inside of Fairing)
3) Yoshimura 4 into 1 has numbered bracket factory fitted like limited edition but no dry...