Honda VF1000

The one good thing that can be said for the Honda VF1000F is that they can be picked up cheaply. In recession hit Britain I was able to buy a 1986 runner for a grand. It had 42000 miles on the clock, looked very scruffy but the engine was as quiet as only a water-cooled vee four can be. Evidence of mechanical rectification was the fact that most of the screws and bolts were well mangled.

First impressions were of mass and a very strange gearbox. At 550lb it's an extremely difficult bike to hurl around and trying to push the machine backwards is only good for the profits of truss manufacturers. And it had the worst gearbox I’ve ever come across. It needed a heavy boot to engage and more often than not fell out of the lower gears. Fortunately, as soon as you get it in fourth or fifth the gearbox can be forgotten.

Power delivery is a delightful amalgam of a rev crazy four and lazy vee twin. Below 7000rpm it flows in evenly and smoothly... if you were never going to break the speed limit there would be no need to go above 6000 revs. Once 30mph is up, the heaviness of the handling fades away a little and it bounced through the traffic on its worn out suspension with something approaching elan.

Beyond 7000rpm the power flows in rapidly. As seven grand equates to over the ton and the bike has a top speed of 150mph, it's dead easy to lose one’s licence in using all of its 120hp, which is developed at the very heady heights of 10500rpm.

All this I managed to find out in the first few days. After 420 miles the silencers disintegrated and fell off. I had noted bits of rust but had not realised they had so fully rusted from the inside out. These big vee fours were never very popular, so despite their mechanical problems they are very rare in breakers. I soon found out that if you fit non standard silencers it completely wrecks the carburation. I stuck with them for 510 miles until I became so fed up with the flat spots and the need to frantically crunch up and down the aged box, that I handed over two hundred notes to a back street dealer who acquired a new exhaust system from dubious sources.

I had the bike for a year and there were spots of rust showing through the silencers after six months and I reckoned that they would only last for a month or so after I sold the bike. What a rip off! Another chronic problem was sticking calipers, the rear needing attention every 3000 miles, the fronts every 5000 miles. Perhaps because the brakes worked so erratically, the pads themselves lasted very well, not needing replacing in the 13,400 miles I managed.

To be fair to the brakes, the one time I really needed them when a Volvo swerved into my path in the fast lane when I was doing 120mph, they crash stopped the weaving mass in as close to an instant as you can get. Sheer adrenalin rush must’ve given my right hand superman muscle which overcame any residual reluctance to work the brakes might’ve entertained.

It is a great motorway cruiser. For any speed between 60 and 125mph all you have to do is stick it in top and play with the throttle. In a straight line stability is good and comfort excellent. On long. 100mph plus sweepers the rear end wriggles around a bit but I have done stretches of mildly curvaceous motorways at 120mph plus speeds without any undue worries. With my Walkman turned up high, my mind rings with heavy metal music and the sheer speed of my journey across the countryside.

After a year I had successfully adapted to the effort needed to hurl the beast around town. Massive tyre burning sessions were all the rage with my more bestial mates and I soon found out that the VF could out smoke them all. Destroying eighty quids worth of rubber of an evening was bad enough, but the abuse also burnt out the clutch. The local dealer having had to sack most of his employees due to lack of sales, threatened to make me his friend for life when I ordered a new set of plates until I deflated him by demanding a 10% discount (which I got).

Almost every screw associated with the engine cover behind which the clutch hid stripped its thread in the engine, snapped off or had to be drilled out. Araldite is wonderful stuff for repairing damaged threads.

Every 3000 miles I took the bike to a mate who used to be a Honda mechanic, he’s one of the few people I know who can deal with complex beasts like these vee fours. He charged me a hundred notes a time which I felt was money well spent for peace of mind.

The engine always rumbled into life first press of the starter, quickly settled down to a stable tickover and generally gave the impression of being bullet—proof. The top ends are very fragile and need frequent maintenance to avoid self destruction. Even with 3000 mile engine services, after just 2000 miles the edge went off the performance and fuel consumption dived dramatically.

I obtained a best of 50mpg, but more normally it was around 38mpg and could go down to 30mpg, and on one long thrash with an engine in desperate need of maintenance, 26mpg.

If that wasn't bad enough, tyre wear could also be atrocious. I wore out one set of tyres in 2750 miles... after trying various makes I found MP7s gave the best compromise between grip and wear — the rear lasted 4500 miles and the front 6500 miles. As the only way I could afford to keep the bike in tyres was to buy 'em by mail order, I could be heard swearing and cursing my head off for miles as I struggled to fit them. The rims ended up as scarred and pitted as my hands were bruised and bloodied.

This tyre changing ability came in handy when I had one tyre deflate at 100mph out in the country. The whole bike went into the most horrendous wobble and l was all but spat off as I tried to hastily lose speed. The VF always gave the impression of being a little edgy as soon as the tyres showed any sign of wear — to be fair to the bike it didn’t have much help from the suspension. At both ends it was too soft and lacked any damping. When the tyre blew there wasn't any reserve of stability left and it just went into a nasty wobble that had both ends bouncing around every which way.

It happened outside a farm owned by an ex motorcycle racer who put me up overnight whilst I awaited delivery of the tyre next day (an amazingly quick COD delivery from one of the mail order companies). As a reward for his kindness I let him loose on the VF. He came back swearing his head off at the machine, something to do with the gearbox and the way the bike fell into corners at low speeds, I think. He said something about Jap crap and that he'd prefer his old Triumph Thunderbird any day. We departed less friendly than earlier — if there's one thing that really pisses me off it’s old codgers who criticise Japanese bikes.

The good points about the VF1000 are its high speed comfort, effortless and abundant power, and brutal looks. The bad points are its excessive mass, terrible fuel consumption and dubious engine reliability and longevity. I don't know the history of my machine but suspect that it had earlier had a lot of work done to sort out the top ends.

Overall, a very usable machine if you do a lot of high speed touring, but limited in almost every other aspect. If you buy a cheap 'un that doesn't matter very much because it’ll leave you plenty of money to pay for consumables. For a grand you won’t find any other bikes that can match the VF's muscle. I sold mine for £1400, my memories are fond enough but I probably wouldn't buy another unless it was the kind of bargain you could not refuse.

A.J.L.

Loose Lines: The wacky world of Japanese imports and the possibilities hidden in their home market [Nov-Dec 1991]

How much do you think the lightest Japanese 250 across the frame water-cooled four weighs? 306lbs dry. That impressive statistic belongs to the Suzuki Cobra, an aluminium framed. mono—shocked road bike that were it not for a huge radiator scoop, so ugly it could only have been designed by the same person who added the useless Ram-Air covers to Suzuki’s mid seventies two stroke twins and triples, it would pass, these days, for a moderately styled road bike.

Interestingly, the same 45hp at 14500rpm engine is used in the Suzuki Across which looks remarkably like a miniature Honda CB600F1, uses the same tubular frame as the 400 Bandit, and has the added advantage of a fake petrol tank which opens up to reveal a space large enough to park your full face helmet.

Powerful, stylish 250s and 400s are particularly popular in the Japanese market because driving licences are difficult to obtain for bigger machines, a strategy creating much doom and despair in the UK industry as certain cretinous elements of our EEC bureaucracy would like to imitate it — so strange that you hear little about the UK adopting the common Continental practice of allowing fourteen year olds to roar about on restricted mopeds!

Given the sudden manifestation of many UK companies importing used bikes from Japan into the UK. although my own research reveals there are actually only a few companies doing the actually importing and then selling on to UK motorcycle dealers, it is only a matter of time before we all have the chance to buy any number of interesting motorcycles that the Big Four have denied us the chance to purchase.

No sooner had a mass of machines been advertised for sale, than industry spokesmen started leaping up and down. The fear of seeing their already diminished market further curtailed had them quoting the possible horrors of lack of spare parts availability (so what's new?), the lack of proper warranties (most people who buy discounted bikes expect little after the first free service) and in a final fling of desperation. warning that things like headlamps (luckily. the Japs drive on the same side of the road as us, so no dip beam problems) and indicators would not have the correct BSI identification mark (who gives a shit?).

The fact of the matter is that there is no type approval for motorcycles in the UK. As long as you have the correct paperwork which shows the bike is legally yours and you've paid the appropriate custom taxes, all you have to do to get it on the road is obtain an MOT certificate. In theory, minor discrepancies might make this difficult, but the plentitude of backstreet MOT testing stations mitigates any such worries.

If this unofficial importation of Japanese motorcycles takes off to any great extent it will only be a matter of time before the Japanese Big Four importers start howling at the government that it was about time type approval was introduced for motorcycles, just like in that nice, sensible Germany. rather than getting off their asses for once and offering some good deals by way of commercial retaliation.

If type approval does come into existence, the ability to import motorcycles will be strictly limited to personal imports, just like in the car world you can pop abroad buy a car, claim it for personal use and as long as it is road worthy get in on the street legally without having to undergo some rigorous type approval test. The merging of EEC trade will, anyway, make it ridiculous that motorcycles in Germany are strictly tested, whilst those in the UK are not, because the freedom to buy a bike in any EEC state will, with any luck, become much easier than it is currently.

The Japanese market has always been one fed on a diet of new machines, the next model always having more power, less weight or more flash, to ensure that the punter dumps last year's model as quickly as possible The result is a plentitude of cheap. low mileage tackle in good condition.

The downside for any potential importer is the paucity of machinery above 400cc; thus it is not so surprising that the UK classifieds are full of the more outlandish race replicas such as the GSXR400R, CBR400R. VFR400R, ZXR400 and FZR400RR, along with all those nasty but ever so gutsy 250 strokers.

The problem with Japan is that it's a long way to ship motorcycles; to justify paying two to three hundred quid shipping and packaging charges per bike the end price has to be in the thousands rather than hundreds for the relatively low quantity of machines that are being shipped. However, the problem with all these race replicas is that the market is severely limited, most of the poseurs who could once upon a happy time actually afford to run them being in severe financial difficulties as the recession bites.

That leaves a market for more useable secondhand motorcycles — the Japanese still churn out basic commuters; a brand new stepthru going for between £500 and £600, one with a few miles and years on it going for less than half that. These bikes are light and small, shipping charges around £150 each to get them to the UK, so even after stumping up 38% in taxes there’s stili a small profit margin there if you import them in enough quantity.

Welcome back the BLOOP? Do you recall these Suzuki commuters, originally introduced as the B100P, soon upgraded to 120cc, Suzuki still make a 125cc commuter (the K125) that if in detail it is entirely different in concept is virtually identical, everything that can be made out of cheapo pressed steel.

Honda, of course, make the CD125 Benly and Yamaha have a commuter 125 based on their 125cc SOHC single, all of a piece in the commuter game. Depreciation is not so great as the race replicas, but an on the road price in the UK of well under a grand for a nearly new one seems possible.

I mean, these commuters are boring as hell, but at least they are cheap to um and work after a fashion... the huge market for in DR machine alone would justify mass importation of one of the more basic, nearly new commuters without any need to change the single seat, huge rack, massive mudguards and full chain enclosure that the Japs provide as basic necessities to the legions of business users who find they are the only way to get around congested city centres.

Rather more interesting, both Honda and Yamaha make 250cc DOHC singles, the (CB250 Clubman being a conservative dresser but sharing the excellent 30hp engine of the old CBX250, whilst the Yamaha SRX250 looks similar to its 600cc brother but only manages to knock out 28hp. Both machines weigh in at less than 280lb dry, a not particularly impressive piece of information given the mass of the Suzuki Cobra mentioned at the beginning of this article.

The interesting thing about the used Japanese market is that you can have it any way you want it (save for the very big stuff which is expensive). Each manufacturer has hidden in his model catalogue a sensible range of motorcycles, a bunch of commuters or you can go gung-ho with the race replicas. Weird variations such as the VT250 Spada (a 40hp, 285lb version of the VT250 with aluminium frame and Ducati styling) only add to the possibilities of added variation in the UK secondhand market.

Yes, some of the rarer bikes will prove difficult to repair, but any modern Japanese engine has to be regarded as a sealed unit to which only oil and the occasional skilled bit of spanner work are applied; once they go wrong they are dead meat.

Used Japanese imports are in the early days, right now, who’s to say that the next stage won't be piles of good used engines coming in by the container load? Once the companies importing used bikes from Japan become confident of the profit possibilities there is little to stop them expanding their actions to buy bikes from, say, Taiwan, where many Japanese models are made under licence and sold much cheaper than in Japan.

It will be amusing to see what develops, and anything that upsets the Big Four importers has to be a good thing.

Bill Fowler

Speedin': Malone takes a rather unlikely hike on a Harley to an American Rally, of all things

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Despatches: Honda C90

Central London traffic moves so slowly that I do not find despatching on a Honda C90 that much of a disadvantage in terms of the speed with which jobs are done. I actually have three of them, usually all in good working order. None have been bought new and the most I spent was £375 for a really good one. the least £75 for a runner, whilst the third cost a reasonable £150.

l have modified each in the same way. The dual seat has been truncated into a single seat, an extra long rack fitted behind this seat upon which sits a huge top box and from which hang two deep. narrow panniers. The top box lid has a rack on it, so any really awkward object can be attached to this with bungee cords. The top box and panniers are QD and are fitted to whichever machine is in use. The lack of a pillion seat does not bother me in the least because I have a FZR1000 for proper riding!

With all this stuff fitted and filled full of various essential junk and a few jobs, the little C90 handles like you'd expect — pretty horribly. Most of the worn out suspension travel is used up by the machine and rider's bulk (175lbs and 210lbs respectively), so the war torn London roads play havoc with the bike.

The trailing link front forks also feature sloppy bearings. so the front wheel goes walkies at the merest hint of a lean and use of the SL5 front brake, never a great stopper at the best of times, results in a series of jerks and Iurches that frighten roadside tramps out of their somnolence. Once they get over about 5 years and 35000 miles old, C90s get very sloppy indeed.

This does not stop me riding them hard. after a while it seems merely to add to the fun. There are some positive aspects to the step-thru design. The Iegshields are wonderful in cold and wet weather and the bike is such an obvious commuter that fitment of one of those clear perspex screens to the handlebars does not look out of place. I have ridden my little Hondas through snow, ice and blizzards, and lived to tell the tale!

One obvious aspect of riding these bikes is the lack of a clutch lever. A centrifugal clutch comes in automatically once certain revs are reached. With age (read 40,000 miles) this does not work so well. the gearchange requires a massive crunch to operate and the gears grate into position noisily. There are large gaps in the three speed box, so fast forward progress requires flat out revs in each gear if the top speed of 60mph (yeah, right... Ed) is to be achieved.

A favourite trick is to rev the balls off the engine with both brakes locked on in first gear. You can feel the centrifugal clutch winding the machine up like a giant elastic band and when the brakes are released the front wheel is flung up in the air with surprising viciousness.
 
One way of weaving a way through traffic is to carry on with the front wheel pawing the air, the machine wobbling along on the back wheel, pedestrians and awake car drivers scattering out of the way. it really does look like an accident looking for somewhere to happen.

I only abuse the oldest and cheapest machine in this manner, as I feel, with 93000 miles up it is expendable. But the damn thing refuses to break, even after I have lost control of the wheelie a couple of times and come crunching down on the front wheel, leaping off the bike as it cartwheeled down the road.

A friend has gone the whole hog with his C90, having stripped off every unnecessary bit of plastic and metal. bunged on a loud megaphone, thrown away the air filter and taken a file to the ports of his OHC single. The result is a sort of baby street racer that roars around traffic, car drivers craning their necks trying to catch a glance of some thunderous mega bike only to have to look down to kneecap level to find the horrible Honda. Needless to say. this chap. so full of bad taste, is not a despatch rider!

These small four stroke engines have been around for decades and are Honda's bread and butter in Japan where they power numerous commuter cum business machines. Honda started producing these engine in the sixties, so it should come as no surprise that they are tough and ultra reliable As mentioned. the clutch is the first thing to give trouble. other than that, given 1000 mile oil changes, the rest of the motor can be neglected until performance starts to disappear, a sure sign that the points and valves need a little attention.

Believe me, l am impressed with these engines, having done over 100,000 miles on the three bikes I know what I am talking about. Engines that fail, usually around 36000 miles, of big-end or mains problems, do so because oil changes are neglected. There ain't much oil in the engine to start with, and what's there has a very tough time. I have got my oil change time down to less than ten minutes so it is no great hassle. Even with a high mileage up. oil consumption between changes is minimal.

Other consumables are just as good. The Honda handles so horribly that I just stick on the cheapest tyres i can find, usually Shin Sins, a set lasts over 20,000 miles. Mind you. in the wet the bike slides around all over the place and even the puny SLS's have to be treated with respect. However, I soon developed a foot down on fast corners technique and am able to whizz through London at a demented pace come rain or shine, much to the annoyance of expensively mounted DRs.

The chain is fully enclosed, naturally, which means i rarely bother to look at it. Sprockets don’t seem to wear at all (in DR talk that means that despite teeth being hooked or missing the chain never flips off) and chains 90 for at least 15,000 miles, although with a bit of link removal it's possible to do twice that mileage.

The real nice thing is the fuel consumption. Most despatch riders think they are on to a good thing if they can get 50mpg, on these little Hondas 90mpg and as much as 125mpg are the norm. What else? Brake shoes have been known to wear out but breakers will supply you with a newish set for about a quid.

More of a problem is the rear half of the frame rusting. so a bit of preventative maintenance is called for. Also, the rear shock mounts at the frame and can snap off, again due to rust; a not particularly amusing occurrence, I can tell you! A mate with a welding torch is a good friend indeed.

Readers will have already realised that l outweigh this machine, so when traffic is particularly dense it is not a great problem to hop off, put the bike on the pavement, amid startled peds, and push it along until there's some relief in the crowds of stalled cars.

in a similar manner short cuts up one~way streets and through pedestrian precincts can be achieved. If I’m in a particularly bad mood, i will actually ride rather than push the bike. which seems to rather upset some people. Parking is usually no problem, rather than risk the wrath of some insane traffic warden when double yellow lines are in the way I haul the bike up on the pavement.

Sometimes, treatment of the C90 by car drivers verges on the homicidal. They just don't want to recognise that you exist and cut you up something rotten. When the bike went into the side of a taxi, the cockney psychopath rushed out of his crunched vehicle (nice big dent to the front wing and door), fists already swinging at my head. Having just picked myself off the floor, free of injury except for a bruised knee. I was not too amused. I sidestepped his punches and tapped him on the head with a right. A look of astonishment creased his face and after a few more abusive words he made a quick retreat to the safety of his cab. The little Honda was only scratched, so I left the scene of the accident in a hurry before he could summon, on his radio, either his colleagues or the pigs to effect retribution. One good aspect of the otherwise dreadful front forks are that they are very strong and can take a direct hit without damage.

It’s pretty much the same with the rest of the bike, i have dropped and rolled these Hondas every which way and they don't seem to take much notice Mind you, the relative lack of speed in town must help, I have seen one in a breakers that was half its normal length and had the front wheel under the engine.

As I'm on the large side, my only real complaint about the C90 is that it's rather too small for me and I could do with a scaled up version, but that's probably too much to ask. I don't really care if people make fun of me on the little Honda, at the and of the day it does its job and I make Over five hundred notes a week net. Can't say fairer than that, can you?

Steve Leigh

Laverda 750SF

l was a little worried about buying a bike with 63000 miles on the clock, even if it was an Italian classic. The SF3 stood there glinting in the sun, its engine alloy polished, its chrome gleaming and its paint glowing. it looked the business. The other problem was that the owner would not give me a test ride He had taken me for a quick ride as a pillion which had not particularly impressed me — my feet were still tingling from the vibes.

It was a toss up whether i walked away in disgust or handed over £1500 in used fifties. The problem with motorcycles is once a certain machine gets into your head it's damn hard to shake off the lust. To give me some more time to think, I checked the chassis over, flicked on and off the fairly rudimentary light switches and kicked the tyres. In the end I took a coin out of my pocket, tossed it in the air and asked the owner to call heads or tails. He got it right and l was the proud owner of a 1973 Laverda 750SF3 — a bright Italian red one, naturally!

Ten yards down the road it became immediately apparent why the owner did not want me to test ride the machine. The gearbox was fucked up. First gear engaged with an annoyingly large clunk that made the machine lurch forward half a yard. As soon as l powered away it leapt out of gear. Changing into second produced a nasty graunching noise and with the rev counter barely past 1000rpm the whole machine vibrated like some massive tractor trying to impale itself on a brick wall.

A little more power made the vibes diminish and once 40mph had crept up on the clock there was a tendency towards actually accelerating. With 5000 revs on the clock I opened the throttle, ready to have my arms pulled out of my sockets by the vertical twin grunt. Not much chance of that, as the revs approached 600me the clutch began to slip. Up to third with 80mph on the clock, vibes began to pour in and I quickly put her into fourth and backed off to 70mph.

I had also noticed that it was a heavy bugger to throw about. It's not that it weighs nearly 500lbs, although that would be bad enough, it's also a very top heavy beast. Going into slow but sharp bends, hauling the bike over it had an unnerving tendency to want to drop straight on to the tarmac I had to save my bike and dent my pride with a quick dab down on to the floor with my boot — something I thought I had left behind with my frantic Fantic days.

The ride home took in some sublimely fast A roads, territory I would have thought perfect for Italian machinery. The SF was stable up to 80mph in a straight line, thereafter the gentlest of weaves intruded. When, a few weeks later. I tried for the top speed that gentle weave changed to a violent wobble when the speedo approached 110mph. I say approached because the vibes shook the bars, clocks and my eyeballs so vividly that a clear view of my speed was not possible.

Back to that initial ride (of 95 miles). Long sweeping curves did not suit the chassis at all well. Banked well over on a slightly rough surface the front forks seemed to flutter and when a quick change of direction was necessary, the back end twitched for a few yards after the event. The amount of muscle needed to flick the bike from side to side was incredible.

The engine power characteristics were less than endearing. It seemed to run OK between 70 and 90mph, but higher speeds were blitzed by primary vibes whilst at slower speeds the engine shook in the frame as if there were some engine bolts loose. When I arrived home I tightened them up but it did not stop the shakes. But that was after it ran out of fuel — SFs run out of fuel in a spectacular manner; no warning coughs or anything, the engine stops stone dead. This can be very disturbing if, as happened, you had just finished overtaking an oil tanker only to stop dead in front of its bumper...

Further carnage was in evidence once back at my home. Not only was the engine dropping oil in the fashion of a Royal Enfield twin. when I glanced at my expensive watch I saw that it had stopped ten minutes after I'd picked the bike up. Further use of the gearbox revealed that the only way to take off safely was to use second gear and a lot of clutch abuse....which explained why I had to rip off the side case to replace my clutch plates. Under such abuse I found the clutch would last 4000 miles until it started to slip slightly at speed and 5750 miles before the bike became impossible to ride.

Even second was prone to occasionally jumping out of gear under power and the whole transmission was agricultural and basic at best. The clutch lever was incredibly heavy, so much so that more than ten minutes in town would have the rider screaming in agony. Just to complicate matters, extended town riding caused the engine and clutch to overheat, so as well as clutch slip at high revs there was clutch drag below 2000rpm. The gearchange action felt like it had looked solid, at times. and would have been much better if it had a C50 type change where you can stamp at either end of the lever to change up and down — the gear lever tended to cut through leather shoes at a frightening rate.

If all that wasn't bad enough, it became much worse if you neglected the daily adjustment of the chain... that which came with the bike lasted for only 500 miles until I had to put my hand in my pocket for a new 'un — this lasted for an absurd 4500 milesl

Apart from the chain and clutch, in the first 10,000 miles the engine required little attention or money, which is just as well because I was so pissed off with this classic that if I hadn't got some decent mileage out of it I would have taken a ten pound hammer to the thing.

I soon found. that typical of Italian metal, if you were silly enough to take it out in the rain, the machine reacted with fury. The engine stuttered, the back wheel stepped out of line under the merest hint of throttle abuse, the triple disc brakes took the day off and all that shiny alloy and chrome turned to a disgusting mess of corrosion. Luckily, I bought the bike at the beginning of an unusually long period of sunny weather, so by the time the top end started giving trouble I was rather more enamoured of the machine than it had any right to expect.

The cylinder head layout of a single chain driven camshaft actuating two valves per cylinder will be familiar to any student of sixties Honda twin design — the engine even looks like a dead ringer for a CB72 motor. The problem with mine was that the cam lobes had worn through the hardening, resulting in the need for valve adjustment every 100 miles... l had mine built up with weld, then machined and hardened for a third of the cost of a new cam. After 12000 miles there is no discernible wear on the lobes, I am very happy to report.

Whilst the head was off I took the opportunity to look at the pistons and bores. Some moron had fitted pistons with different shaped heads — unbelievable, no wonder it shook and vibrated so much. A new set of pistons and rings. plus honing of the bores had that back under control. On the road it still wasn’t vibration free but the usable speed band had increased from 45 to 105mph and on occasions I even had the speedo on the 120mph mark.

Even after nearly twenty years the suspension was still rock hard. So much so that the bike tended to twitch violently over rough road surfaces. A set of Konis was the simple and relatively cheap solution to the rear end. The front springs were replaced with a set more relevant to modern civilization and PJ1 fork oil added to make sure it didn’t get out of line. The result was effective up to 85mph, thereafter the weaves and wobbles became much worse.

Overall, despite all the problems, I liked the bike, especially after a proper set of pistons were fitted and various muscles had developed to cope with the heavy action of the controls. However, rapid destruction of consumables, a poor average consumption of 42mpg and an engine that started making some very strange noises with 85000 miles on the clock, began to make me realise I couldn't really afford the indulgence. I got £1800 when I traded it in for an XT350. so I can't really complain.

Dave Coulson

Honda CD250U

For the past twenty years I have been riding CD Hondas. It started with a sixties CD175 that went much faster than its looks suggested and was reliability incarnate. That machine got me hooked on the CD line. Then there was the 1973 CD175, admittedly not a fast machine and no use on motorways. but one that with a change of camchain at 58000 miles went into six figures and is occasionally dug out of the back of the garage Next, a CD200 that had the speed of the earlier CD but its chassis disintegrated underneath me in the five years and 62000 miles I got out of it.

Finally, a practically brand new CD250U. picked up for £1400 with 950 miles on the clock from an old codger who had suffered a mild heart attack and been warned off the dangers of motorcycling. Myself, I could think of no more pleasant way of exiting this world than from the seat of a bike in my eighties.

The CD250U is certainly the best looking of the CD models and comes with the distinctive luxuries of front disc brake and electric start. My first impressions of this bike were that it had more go than any of the other models. handled better and gave off a curious feeling of quality. I parked it up outside the house and a couple of neighbours came out and made some complimentary remarks, something that never happened with the other bikes.

The next day it was thrown in at the deep end. A 300 mile thrash down to London and back from my residence in Gwent. I took the meandering A48 as far as Chepstow rather than the traffic logged M4. At a steady 75mph the Honda felt relaxed and capable. The twin cylinder OHC motor whirred away happily, stuck well into its power bend in fifth gear it would hold that speed up the steepest of hills the A48 could offer. Running past cars along the dual carriageway sections was a breeze with 85mph up on the speedo, no problem.

The few times I had to brake heavily, the single disc worked well, the power a revelation after the old Benly’s drum but sensitive with it. The rear SLS drum was used just to balance out the braking, it too was sensitive. Across the Severn Bridge want we. through the tell, no need to pay, and on to the long distance craziness of the M4. Here the bike was in a bit of trouble. even the slow lane was running along at 85mph and I had to cane the engine wickedly to avoid becoming dead meet under the bumpers of various artics.

Up one long, long hill into a strong head wind, I was down to 4th. the motor vibrating viciously as it went way into the red. l knew from past experience that these little Hondas thrived on such abuse so I had few qualms about thrashing my new toy. A rain shower had little effect on vehicular speeding but made the Honda, on non standard Avons, more than a bit skittish and I developed a strong disinclination to lean over into the long sweeping curves but short of cutting on to the hard shoulder I had little choice but to ride the Honda flat out.

The wind and rain had disappeared just past the last Bath exit as if to indicate The South proper would not tolerate any of that nonsense. Seventy miles into the ride. the seat begins to bite into my backside, the bars are a bit too high and the footrests a bit too far forward for sustained speeds of 80mph and more At 70mph the riding position is fine and the motor purrs perfectly, but the bike is a traffic hazard.

I pondered turning off at a motorway service station but decided to keep going. Once into a ride I like to carry on to the and whenever possible. 90 miles down the road and I'm standing on the pegs to relieve the tension in my muscles - the bike doesn’t approve of such 80mph antics and flies into a frightening weave which disappears as soon as I sit back down. 30 miles later and I'm in real agony, my backside hurts like I've been taken captive by some arab terrorist group and both my legs have developed cramp Mind over matter, l tell myself. and use the pillion page to redistribute my body over the bike.
Temporary bliss.

As soon as I could I turned off the motorway and hit the outskirts of Central London; Pulled over and had five minutes; walk, a Mars bar and looked ti: bike over. Bit dusty but no leaks. Into London the bike came into its own. Light, flickable, narrow and powerful enough to lead the GP charge from the traffic lights. Once I'd adjusted myself to the manic pace of the driving, l was able to make good tithe to my destination. 154 miles in just under three hours, not bad going, especially as it seemed to be doing a credible 72mpg at the same time.

The ride back home showed up one of the bike's weak spots. The front light was certainly brighter than the pitifully pathetic items fitted to previous CDs. but as the sun disappeared 50 miles from home I soon found the only way to ride fast was to follow the car in front and hope that the road surface wasn’t shot to hell. Still, I carved about 10 minutes off the time for the return trip. I was less tired on the way back, perhaps because as soon as I was an the motorway I started using the pillion pegs to give an alternative riding position.

The next day, suitably impressed by the capabilities of the machine. I fitted some flatter bars, checked the chain and kicked the tyres. For the next six months the bike was employed as a basic commuter, a 20 mile round trip through a mixture of road and traffic conditions. It handled everything as well as could be expected. Tyres didn't seem to wear, the chain needed one slight bit of attention and everything within the engine stayed in perfect adjustment. l just changed the oil every 1000 miles. Fuel consumption varied between 70 and 85mpg. I was a happy man, able to put down various car owners at work with tales of vastly superior economy and how much fun I had each day sweeping past huge traffic jams.

My second mod to the bike was to fit some rear-sets I had laying around in the garage Originally intended for a CB250K3, with a bit of hammer, file and drill work they were soon installed. With my body in the correct position, the weight bearing down on the seat was relieved and comfort increased drastically. It was then possible to do 200 miles with barely a twinge of discomfort, and maintain 80mph cruising without feeling like my arms were going to be torn out of their sockets. Why Honda couldn't do that in the first place I don't know.

Suitably inspired by the new found usefulness of my mount I decided to do, once again, the 2600 mile Continental jaunt I had undertaken on my sixties CD175. Before I went, though. I did some work on the suspension, which with only 5000 miles up had become rather floppy. A few washers to act as spacers and thicker oil were added to the front forks.
 
The rear shocks were thrown away and a used set of Konis fitted straight on. This eradicated the weaves and wobbles that had started to develop on bumpy country roads. Just as wall I did these mods. by the time I had added all the camping gear, clothes and kitchen sink there was little room left for me to sit. and the old suspension would’ve been down on its stops.

The overloaded Honda felt top heavy at first, but I soon became used to this and performance was only affected up the steepest of hills when I needed to drop down to fourth. Fuel consumption did dive a bit, though, over the whole trip, through France, Belgium, Holland and Germany, it averaged only 68mpg. Apart from two oil changes I did absolutely nothing to the motor. The chain and tyres wore a bit but not so much that I had to even think about replacing them. Only the front brake pads needed replacing when I returned to the UK.

The trip was not as enjoyable as my first one. Nothing to do with the Honda, it was just that I was twenty years older and camping wasn't too much fun any more. The roads were also more crowded and finding back roads deserted of tourists was hard going. The longest mileage I did in a day was 460 miles which one Gold Wing owner refused to believe was possible I had the distinct impression that he wouldn't have run down to the corner shop without the latest stereo, an acre of plastic storage systems and a plentitude of flashing lights. I think he was really pissed off because I told him how much I paid for the Honda and how little it cost to run. Takes all sorts.

The bike was a little lost on the one stretch of German autobahn I tried. Talk about fast, the way everything sped past I thought I was going backwards. I soon turned off and took to some B type roads that were hugely enjoyable, so much so that I went way off my planned route (which was vague to start with) and ended up staying in a delightful hotel in a small village where the evening was spent with the owner who had a collection of old BMWs. As the lagers were consumed our tales became taller and taller. That's the joy of a motorcycle, you can wander off and meet new people so much easier than in a car.

By the time I was back in the UK I had decided that the CD250U was Honda's best commuter so far. It looks so mild you can convince the wife it's a perfect tool to save money commuting whilst knowing full well there's enough power and chassis integrity to have loads of illicit fun both on the way to work and at weekends. Shame about the two grand plus new price, though.

Alex Huntingdon

Triumph Bonneville: 22 years and 120,000 miles

When I was 37 years old in 1969 I bought a one year old Triumph Bonneville. It was no longer king of the road then. Both the Trident and Honda 750 four had made an appearance, but for me it was everything that a motorcycle should be. For the past 22 years I have owned that Triumph and now wouldn't sell it for anything. It has clocked up 124,000 miles of mostly trouble free joy.

If you think about it, that kind of mileage in 22 years works out at less than 6000 miles a year, a not particularly impressive figure In fact, the most I did in a year was 29000 miles and it was stored away for four years when I went to work in Saudi, so it has been used harder than those figures would at first suggest.

Now that the family have left the nest, the mortgage has been paid and I am in a well remunerated job, I have plenty of cash to spend on my favourite pastime. But the Triumph fulfils my needs so well that I have little inclination to line the pockets of either the Japanese or Italian manufacturers. However, as soon as I can arrange a test ride on the new Triumph triple I shall be more than willing to come up with the dosh if it comes up to standard.

You see the thing I like about the Triumph is that it takes me back to my youth. Even before I bought the Bonnie l was always a Triumph man and had owned various aged twins. These days it is very easy for me to forget that I am nearly sixty and slip back into the way I used to think when l was twenty. l have even been known to leer at young women as we hurtle past, although god knows what they think of a near OAP in ancient denims, leather and open face. Relations with the wife have been strained of late. and as she has never been an enthusiastic pillion she is left at home in front of the TV at the slightest excuse.

In my last year of riding the Bonnie clocked up a credible 8500 miles, running like clockwork. The only difficulty I have is starting her up, turning over two high compression pistons in a 60hp, 650cc vertical twin is no easy task when you're my age. At least i have the necessary technique down to perfection.

Engine capacity aside. the Bonnie both weighs the same and develops the same power as a Kawasaki GPZ500, so it is no slouch even amidst modern traffic. Rand tests of the time reported a top speed of 126mph. l have never seen such speed. Even in my youth I was never one for seeing if I could bounce the valves. The most I’ve seen on the clock is 110mph, a speed achieved with remarkable ease. Admittedly the bars, footrests and tank were thrumming a bit, and it was not a speed I would happily hold for any length of time. l have never gone beyond 7000rpm if the truth be told.
 
The engine has not had any chronic problems. It is only on its second set of pistons and first rebore (done at 47500 miles). The valves do not last so well, even though I adjust them every 1000 miles. It’s on its third cylinder head and. I think, sixth set of valvegear. I once tried pattern valves, they lasted only 2500 miles!

The oil pump is original but has been refurbished twice. The timing gears are original and untouched, as is the crankshaft and its bearings, which surprised me as much as anyone. The primary chain needs attention every 400 miles, but both the clutch outer body and engine sprocket are still original: I have lost count of the number of primary chains fitted. Clutch plates last about 20,000 miles, although, again, pattern parts don't last at all well.

The gearbox is still on the original gears, shafts and bearings, although various bits in the change mechanism have been replaced. The change is still precise and false neutrals are rare. The gearbox has started to whine lately, but I think it has a right to after the trouble free miles it has done.

It's on the third set of Amal carbs. when thew wear beyond a certain point fuel consumption takes a remarkable dive. On reasonable carbs the best I’ve had out of the Bonnie is 75mpg, the worst 45mpg. The average is somewhere between 55 and 60mpg. On worn carbs it does 35 to 50mm: the replacements pay for themselves very quickly.

The chassis components are mostly original. Most bits can be refurbished at minimal cost when they show signs of wear. The forks have been stripped twice, the shocks are still original.

Chains last about 15000 miles, sprockets twice that but the rear is very expensive to replace. I have used Roadrunner tyres ever since the Japs took over Dunlop, the front does 20,000 miles the rear 12,000 miles — just about acceptable The frame is still on the original paint, although it’s been patched up in numerous places.
 
I had the cycle parts resprayed about three years ago when the bike started looking tatty, taking the opportunity to have various steel pieces chromed. It now looks very smart. better in fact that some of the last Bonnies made which seem to decay very rapidly indeed.

I have never felt the need to customise the bike in any way. In the circles I move in just owning a motorcycle is a sufficiently rare occurrence to mark me out as an individual with strange tastes. The Bonnie's age mitigates against the prevalent hoodlum image and even little old ladies have been known to nod approvingly.

Sadly, I see very few other British bikes of a similar age out on the road, and we always wave to each other when we go past. Of course every other old codger comes up to me and tells me what fun he used to have in his youth on some old British hack; I tell them that they can still have the same fun even in their advanced years!

Despite being over twenty years old the Triumph still has enough performance to see off cars from the traffic lights. Many a young poseur in a 911 has found his jaw sagging after being put in his place by Bonnie and self. Take off in first gear, using no more than 5000 revs, is usually sufficient to see off most cars. A favourite trick of mine in traffic is let some speeding Henry stay on my tail by holding off with the power, then accelerating away between a gap in the cars, leaving Sporty no option but to rapidly slam on his brakes. I feel sure that I have converted any number of car drivers to the superiority of motorcycling in this way. The Triumph is actually an ideal machine for the cut and thrust of city traffic, the only proviso being more than an hour of slow moving traffic when the motor begins to overheat, the engine stutter and the clutch drag.

Of course, the bike doesn't do so well on motorways. It has done some high speed trips where the speedo saw the wrong side of 90mph for most of the time, a speed necessary just to keep up with the traffic in the slow lane, without any mechanical malaise, but it is not a particularly pleasant experience, what with the vibes and wind blast engendered by the sit up and beg riding position.

It is most at home on fast A roads and meandering country lanes. On the latter its excess of low speed torque can be employed without needing to rush up and down the four speed gearbox. The pleasant beat of its exhaust, the correctness of its riding position for sub 70mph speeds and the feeling of being part of the countryside all combine to make it a very addictive experience.

The other side of the vertical twin equation is found higher up the rev range on faster roads, when the mellow beat turns into a ferocious roar and the bike can be blatted between third and fourth gear, leant all the way over until the footrests touch and careered through the landscape with elan. Grin factor - 10!

The Triumph uses a fairly basic tubular frame not up to the standards of either BSA or Norton. Until Triumph added the- additional swinging arm mounts between the engine and frame. older Triumphs often used to get tied up in knots on fast corners. My Bonnie weaves slightly in fast bends but the taut (bone rattling if you’re being unkind) suspension makes sure it does not get too far out of line.

The gutsy mid-range performance — you can just stick it in fourth once 45mph is up and open the throttle to get 95mph on the clock in short order — has often surprised riders of plastic missiles on A roads, and many's the time I've watched them frantically stamping on the gear change and viciously jerking on the throttle to keep up. Which, of course, they do, and once they’ve matched maximum power to the right gear for road speed they disappear off into the distance.

The Triumph has drum brakes at both ends. The front is a TLS job, possibly the best of its breed. Certainly, from the kind of speeds I use it but rarely fades and is powerful enough to have the front forks all twisted up. It is a very precise device (it does have non standard Ferodo linings and shoes) which provides retardation at exactly the rate expected and is perfectly controllable in the wet. Ditto the rear brake. Front shoes last around 18000 miles, rears 25000 miles. Apart from very occasional adjustment to the front brake free cable play, they require no attention between shoe changes. From reports read on bikes equipped with discs I am a very lucky man — no seized calipers, cracked or even worn out discs, and no frequent and expensive pad changes for me!

Only the other day I had a chance to check out the effectiveness of the brakes when a dog ran out into my path when l was doing about 45mph. You know how it is when you’ve been riding the same motorcycle for a long time, all your reactions are instinctive and happen without even thinking about them. I had both brakes hard on, just on the edge of locking up the wheels, speed rapidly diminishing, knocking down through the box at the same time, and still had enough time to swerve to the left and just miss the back end of the canine. One good thing about the Triumph is that you can brake in corners without having to worry about upsetting the chassis, it stays on line pretty well regardless of what you do to it.

Two attributes of British vertical twins that get a lot of press are not entirely absent from my own machine. l talk, of course, of vibration and oil leaks. The latter is not a great problem, these days, just a slight weep from the pushrod tunnels and the back of one of the engine casings. i do cheat by using modern silicone liquid gasket whenever possible and have even been known to spend a weekend cleaning up and flattening engine casing surfaces to perfection.

Vibration is always present to some extent on Triumph twins, but after a while it just fades into the background and unless you rev it close to the redline it does not really intrude.

Having owned the bike for over twenty years I have had plenty of time to learn exactly which bolts and ancillaries are susceptible to the vibes. Part of my 1000 mile service consists of checking the tightness of every bolt on the machine Those with a tendency to fall out have been wired in position, although occasionally even the bloody wire fractures! Electrical ancillaries and even mudguards have been known to break up Most of the electrical components are non standard, heavy duty auto items located with additional rubber mounting. Even the battery is a small car item. These days I have few electrical problems. The headlamp is a very powerful car unit which lights up dark roads splendidly. It is, I will admit, a pity that Triumph’s initial penny pinching made such mods to the electrical system necessary.

The points. by the way, never last more than 8000 miles, and some of later, inferior, manufacture have worn out in less than 5000 miles. The coils (which l quickly rubber mounted) are, surprisingly, still original!

Having long solved most of the problems that afflict British bikes and having great faith in this particular Triumph, I had no qualms, four years ago, about taking the bike down to Italy. The wife refused to entertain the idea of riding pillion and was not amused when l informed her that l was taking all five weeks holiday for that year in one go, and she could take a package tour wherever she wished on her own if she didn’t want to be part of the adventure.

I left in early June, to get the best of the weather without too many tourists ruining the scenery. This was to be strictly a leisurely back road tour, staying at cheap hotels that would never rate a mention in a guide book. I had toyed with the idea of camping but decided my aged body did not deserve that trauma in addition to controlling the Triumph, and I did not want to overload the bike with excess baggage When I mentioned, on the ferry, to some elderly Americans what I planned and my means of transport they refused to believe it until I showed them my open face. This was to be quite a common occurrence in my travels. I was exceedingly lucky with the weather, suffering only four days of rain.
two of which I avoided by laying low.

The one really torrential downpour I did experience had the effect of allowing water ingress into the Triumph's electrics. It happened. luckily, in a French town, and I knew enough to rush into a nearby cafe, to wait for the rain to stop and the bike to dry out. Six hours later it started first kick) Neither the French nor ltallans were very good drivers and i had several narrow escapes on the Bonnie. Whenever possible I rode the bike at a relaxed pace down deserted country lanes with hardly a care in the world. I often did ten hours in the saddle in a day and because everything was so interesting I ate less and slept better in the nights.

On my return to England. many people commented that I looked younger and had lost weight, though not the wife who had not a good word to say about my absence.

On that trip the only attention the bike needed was fitment of the spare set of points, an oil change, a slight adjustment to the chain and repair of one puncture. This lack of attention was probably due to the fact that I was not travelling very quickly, so much so that the bike was doing 70mpg most of the time. Old Triumphs are exceedingly rare in Europe so my well travelled stained bike usually drew a large crowd wherever I stopped; in my more sanguine moods I told them I was on a round the world trip.

That leave of absence was to prove so unpopular with she who must be obeyed that l have not yet summoned up the courage to suggest a repeat journey. One day! Since then my forays into the distance have been limited to the odd long weekend off in the more remote parts of the United Kingdom.

I particularly like North Wales, having perfected a back road route up from the Smog, far from the congested motorways and A routes. Roaming through the deserted mountains with only sheep and the odd farmer for company, does not quite match my Continental experiences but it will do for now... my age assures me of admittance to even the most posh of public houses and even in the smallest of villages there is usually someone willing to put me up for the night for a few quid.

One journey was spoilt, though, when returning from a pub lunch in Hereford l spied some rascals trying to lift the Triumph into the back of a Transit van. Without a thought for my own safely, only worried that my precious vehicle might be damaged in the following affray, l rushed across the courtyard bellowing at the top of my voice. Thief, Thief.

Startled by my appearance, these louts proceeded to drop the bike heavily on its side. rush to the front of their vehicle and wheelspin out of the yard. l rushed to the bike, pulled it off the ground without thinking about the affect its mass might have on my back. and inspected the damage. Luckily slight. nothing a bit of paint and polish would not cure. Since then I have taken care to chain the Bonnie to something immovable.

I really don't know what the Triumph is worth, these days. To me its value is beyond mere money, it has been part of my life for so long that i can never see myself parting with it. It may eventually be put into semi~retirement if I can find another machine to use as my main vehicle, but even then i doubt if anything else will take its place in my affections.

Albert Reading