A little off topic, but a company I affiliate with has announced a new range of Classic motorcycle manuals and literature in their product line up. As they include a lot of Japanese manuals for classic Jap bikes (kawasakis are well catered for) I thought I’d post a little about it, and it’s been quiet here anyway right

So here’s their blurb from their site at www.classic-motorcycles.co.uk/

[quote]NEW classic motorcycle manuals & instruction books.

We are proud to announce our NEW range of classic motorcycle workshop manuals.

Our classic motorcycle manuals have been reproduced from the original factory information, therefore they are very detailed and informative and include many technical photos and illustrations to help guide you. Because they have been reproduced from the original factory publications they are of a very high quality.

Included in the original factory publications are workshop manuals, parts manuals and instruction books for most classic motorcycle models. We have over a thousand manuals to choose from. [end quote]

Click here to go to the site then follow the link to the motorcycle manuals with this picture beside it —->
Take a look around at their other products too, they have high quality tee-shirts I know they are good quality cos I bought one for my dad with the Ariel logo on it.

In the April 2008 issue of Classic Motorcycle Mechanics magazine there is a familiar looking bike in the “Readers Bikes” section.

Yep at long last we have made it into print with a picture of the Z750 twin at the local Wolverton show last year and even got in a link to this blog too woohoo.

And that’s it really. Nothing else has been done with the Kawasaki since the last post, not even started it up. My excuse is that the weather has been crap. I’m sticking with that too, I refuse to ride in this Easter snow flurries and hailstones which the my part of England is experiencing and that’s that.

Did I say that was it, not quite. I also volunteered to help put together a new Z750 twin site with forums and a photo gallery. You can see my handiwork (I set up the site, and modified a web template to suit the theme) at http://www.LonesomeTwin.com as well as find other Z750 twin owners, and read about their bikes too.

A planned ride

After a phone call from Big Fat Gay Al, it was decided we would be going out for a ride on Saturday. My brother Dazza was invited to ride up with Big Al and our neighbour Emma and her husband were also coming along.

I got up to cold damp roads in MK, went and filled the Z750 to the brim with fuel, and went and see some guys I know on the way home. Just 3 short miles, and I was already cold, and the roads had proven to be a little slick. I phoned ahead and warned Al and Dazza, as that kind of riding is for hardened hairy arsed bikers, not me. So we didn’t go anywhere, still the Z750 got a short run out for fuel before it was put away.

Today I decided it was time the poor old Kawasaki’s engine had some fresh oil. It was last changed when I first bought the bike and it has done some work since then, and the oil was only going to be in for the initial start up, and a few miles before it got changed to kind of flush the lubrication system out.

The oil change has been on the agenda for a while, but today I finally got out the washing up bowl (don’t tell the wife) to drain the oil into and got underneath with the spanner and let out the old lubricant. It wasn’t in bad condition really, but it’s gone now to be recycled, and the new oil is in.

I just couldn’t be arsed to change the oil filter though as that meant removing footrests, gear levers, engine side covers and more faffing around. That’s a job for the next Z750 twins next oil change, when it may also get some other new parts, but at least the oil is good for a few more miles of engine protection duties.

The Cafe Run

Following a call from big gay Al telling me he had changed the exhaust on his (bum) Bandit we arranged for him to come up to show me how loud the new zorst was. So late Saturday morning saw my whole neighbourhoods peace shattered as the 1200cc Bandit struggled to drag Al’s ample carcass along.

After a spell of catching up we decided to go up the A5 to the Super Sausage, to give the Z750 twin a little warm up, and limbering up. Following several attempts on the starter, and a few kicks the Z750′s twin cylinders came to life ready for the short run.

I took the lead, as I wanted to be able to hear myself think above the roar of Als new empty exhaust pipe. Yes the Bandits new exhaust is a little on the loud side. Luckily it’s only a short ride to the Super Sausage and mainly through sparsely populated areas with few cemetaries, so the exhaust note of the Suzuki didn’t waken too many corpses along the way.

The Z750 twin was its usual well behaved self, running sweetly there and back, not at all bad for something over 30 years old. I still find the steering a little light with the taper bearings, but a few miles soon settles it down. At least this ride was a bit tamer than the recent outing with the Yamaha R1 ridden by Emma.

On our return to home though I found something even louder than the Bandits empty exhaust, and that was its owners complaints about his cold fingers. I guess its all well and good having expensive if somewhat empty exhaust cans, but some blood pumping into your extremities can make for a much more enjoyable ride.

Lets Make Some Noise

My neighbour, and wifes hairdresser, Emma suggested riding out on the motorbikes this weekend if the weather was ok. As it turned out Saturday was very sunny if a little cold and damp on the roads still. So it was after some cajoling I was persuaded to get the Z750 out and start it up for a ride out.

Emma came around on her Yamaha R1 and I fired up the beast and got on my jeans, jacket and boots. The first stop was the garage for fuel, and then Emma led the way, following a route along the A5 towards Towcester. It was at this point I realised that Emmas Idea of a slow and steady ride differed by about 20 miles per hour from mine.

As soon as we hit the dual carriageway from Milton Keynes north towards Towcester the R1 was in the outside lane, and I was trying to follow on a 30 year old Kawasaki twin. I watched the road, glancing at the speedo from time to time to see it hit around 90 mph at which point I decided to back off a little and pull back in among the cars. The R1 ridden by Emma also pulled back in and settled to a steady 80 as I passed another car to get behind her again.

Single carriageways were not so bad up to Towcester as long as I could coax the Z750 twin to a speed to pass the cars to keep up with Emma. At least she waited after I fell a few cars behind. And it was nice and gentle through Towcester itself, before we turned towards Silverstone on the A43 dual carriageway, at which point I was holding up the R1 again, at my slow and steady 75-80 meaning Emma had to slow the R1 and wait for me again.

As we passed Silverstone racing circuit and out into the damp twisty lanes of the villages around it, I found myself needing a bit more bottle to keep up with the R1 or at least to hold a bit more speed in the corners but as the Z750 refused to turn in on a couple of the bumpier bends, I decided better to let discretion take over. Kindly Emma reigned in the R1 again.

As we came out of Buckingham onto a slightly larger road back towards home, I was holding a steady 60-70 through the bends, and still watching the Yamaha disappearing.

Still I got home having had a fun ride out on the Z750 which performed as well as ever. Hopefully Emma wasn’t too pissed off at waiting for me along the way, I look forward to more rideouts, but next time I think I’ll choose a slower riding partner, like James Toseland or Jamie Witham.

It’s that time of year, cold, wet and miserable, when for me anyway motorcycling loses its appeal somewhat. I know the ruffty tuffty biker types will be making faces and pointing at me for that remark, but laugh away, I’m staying warm and dry for now.

So with the absence of any Z750 activity there has been a dearth of posts, as I’m sure people reading a site about Z750 twins won’t be interested in reading about me sitting by the fire watching telly. There is a little news though.

I bought some motorcycle trouses from Ebay to wear in case of a dry day even if it’s a bit cold during the winter. Problem was the manufacturer got the sizing wrong, and the xl just doesn’t fit my lithe body. I mean it can’t be me can it?
Well I have lost a stone and a half since I bought them, and they do button up now so a few more pounds should see me in them

On another note, the Lonesome Twin Forum went down, and unfortunately this has become a common ocurrence meaning the Z750 twin owners of the world lose contact. So some of the members have got together and started the Z750 Twin Forum to keep us in touch. Why not visit and see who’s there?

So that’s about all for now, till next time, Take Care out there.

Taxation

I paid up for a whole years tax on the 31st October so the Z750 is on the road for at least 12 months more. That’s tax, MOT and insurance paid for a while now anyway
Next to put some of our liquid gold priced petrol in the bike.

A Great Start To A Weekend

What better way to start the weekend than to get on a Kawasaki?
How about getting on a Kawasaki Z750?
Or even better getting on your Kawasaki Z750 twin?
Going a step further how about getting on a Z750 Twin riding to the mot station and despite having mot’d 3000 bikes in the past 12 months, the mot tester remembers every detail of last years mot?

Yep this year the mot tester remarked on the bikes failure last year and immediately checked the forks to see if they were parallel, which they were with the new yokes. Thoroughly tested brakes, bearings spokes, headstock, forks and everything else for the mot and then wrote out the new mot certificate so it’s safe for road use for another year.

Next the road tax is due at the end of October but that’s days away so no need to worry about that yet.

After finishing work today I dragged my unwilling carcass out into the cold to finish putting the Z750 twin back together. I tightened the steering clamp mounts, and refitted the newly painted clock assembly.

Then I polished up the front mudguard and put it and the cable and brake hose guides back on the forks. It all looks rather nice as my wife has painted the fork sliders and a few other parts.

Next came the hard work, I got the missus to hold down the back of the kawasaki, while I pulled up the forks to fit the front wheel in place. 3 attempts later and the wheel was in, then I refitted the clamps, one of which had been held in by a bolt instead of the stud it should have. I removed a stud from some old forks using two nuts and loctited it into the forks I’m using.

Next I refitted the front brake calliper after smearing the back of the pads, and the slider bolts with copper grease as they used to squeal badly. The pads are worn but servicable for now, so I will replace them in the near future. Once the calliper was bled out and the reservoir topped up, the brake was back to its old self, probably not the best thing, but apparently that’s just how they are on these old Z750′s – crap.

Another major drama is refitting all the wiring into the headlight bowl, but while it was all exposed I repaired some old bodges which had been done to the wiring harness. I refitted the headlight, and it’s adjuster bracket, then tested all the lights and run the bike up, all worked ok.

Finally a quick last check of all the bolts to make sure they’re tight and then a road test. The steering never felt heavy before, but it feels lighter now, either psychological, or the taper bearings made a real difference, not sure yet. The front end all seems to be better aligned, so that’s made it worth while.

Finally, back on the stand for another check around the bolts and clamps and check for play in the headstock bearings now they have settled a bit. All good, so tomorrow it’s in for its MOT test, watch this space.