Advice: Tech talk

SOAPBOX
Elsewhere in this issue and probably in every motorcycle magazine in Australia this month, you'll be reading about the death of master motorcycle writer, Peter ("Mr") Smith. He was loved and admired by his peers and just about everyone he met. We've been mates for over 30 years and while he didn't write for MT, he bought every issue and enjoyed nothing more than combing through the Spanner column picking up what he considered to be mistakes or pointing out alternative things he thought I should have suggested.

I always listened to him because, as I say, we were mates. The truth is, though, he was only good at half the mechanic's job: he could dismantle with the best of them but mostly never got around to remantling. Among others over the years, I donated bikes to keep him on the road. He'd ride them until, say, a fork seal started weeping and then step one in the Smith repair plan would be to remove the engine. The various bits of the bike would then join the various bits of his 50 previous bikes on the floor of his house. When he could no longer make his way between the frames, wheels and engines, he'd move to another town and start complaining again that he had nothing to ride.

I loved his company, his stories and how he explained the essence of the motorcycling life not just through his writing but also though his thoughts and deeds. He was genuinely unique.

TOO LONG IN THE SUN
I want to throw my 20 cents' worth into the debate about transport accident commission compensation for motorcyclists. How come it doesn't seem to apply to cars? Will people injured while travelling in cars or trucks receive less if they weren't wearing seatbelts? What about drivers of cars without airbags? What about open-top cars? What about cars without stability control? Where does it end?

The crazy thing is, though, even after the hype about the Victorian anti-motorcycle ads, you'd think riders would get the message about protective riding gear. I see many riders in expensive leather jackets coupled with shorts and runners. I suppose it's good that at least they're wearing the jacket.

As you travel north in Australia, as I did last recently, it gets worse. It seems quite normal for riders in Queensland to just wear shorts and a t-shirt. This applies to Australia Post as well. I would have thought in these days of occupational health and safety policies that posties would be required to wear full protective riding gear. How is it that the posties in my area can get away with just wearing stubbies? Even if they're not scared of gravel rash, what about skin cancer?
Luke Ferlazzo, email

OLD BIKE POLICY NO. 1
G'day, mate. I got my first bike in 1981 (Suzuki Katana 750). In 1988 I started my motorcycle apprenticeship. Today I'm still riding an '81 Katana but the difference is I'm now qualified and have more than 20 years of mechanical experience. It's been a great era to have been in the business and I've worked on just about everything: Suzuki B200s; Hondas including CX500, CBX1000, CB750, CB400N and CB550; the whole Suzuki GS range; Kawasakis from Z500 to Z1000; Yamahas including the SR185, TZR and YZ250/350RD and the 650 twins.

Charging problems on CBs or GSXs? No problem. Electrics or carburetor tuning - a walk in the park. I treat all bikes as if they're my own, I've never turned anyone away and I always have time for a chat. I'm Rick's Old Skool Motorcycle Services, located at 65 Aerodrome Road, Maroochydore (Qld), and our telephone number is (07) 5451 0410 or 0415 829 879.

I'm a one-man registered company and I charge $50 an hour for labour. You do a great job and I try to as well.
Rick, email

Basil is a knowledgeable bloke on all things mechanical. He has helped us with numerous mechanical dilemmas. His shopfront is worth a look, too, as the magnificent old bikes on display may your head turn.
Greg and Pip Hough, email

OLD BIKE POLICY NO. 3 AND NO. 4
In response to your request for references for mechanics who are happy to work on older bikes, I know two shops in Brisbane I can recommend.

The first one is Darcy at Bike Performance in Ennogerra (6/73 Pickering Street, (07) 3355 1089). He's a one-man show and has been there for a long time. I've had a few different bikes serviced there and he's reasonably priced and meticulous. He's happy to work on older bikes but is in a position to be choosy, so ring him first.

The second shop is Shoreline Motorcycles in Cleveland, Redlands (Shore St, (07) 3821 6777). Robin is the man to speak to there (Robin and his wife own the business). Working on older bikes is a daily thing for the three long-term mechanics there. Again, reasonable prices and excellent work. You can tell 'em Dean sent you but I'm not sure it would help…
Dean Penrose, email

It's starting to sound like Queensland is where all the old mechanics go to die. Interestingly, of the correspondence I've had over places that will work on older bikes, most have been located in outer suburban or country regions. It's plausible that if you have a workshop in the middle of a city, the only way you can afford the overheads is quick turnover of high-end jobs. Perhaps workshops in the country can afford to be a bit more relaxed about time and cost. Thanks for your recommendations, Deano, that's two more for the list.

RATTLE BATTLE
I bought a Kawasaki Zephyr 750 recently in beautiful condition with only 10,700km on the clock. Right from the moment I picked it up the cam chain rattled when the engine is started from cold. The noise seems to fade away as the engine warms up. I took the bike back to the dealer who sold it to me, and he said it's common with this model and not to worry about it. Can you give me a second opinion? It's a lovely bike and feels like new to ride - it's otherwise in the best condition for a bike this age I've ever seen.
Wayne Dickson, Perth, WA

BELTED
Approximately two months ago I bought a brand new (2010 model) Hyosung Aquila 650. It recently had its first service (1000km) and I was advised that a stone had been picked up by the belt drive and that it should be replaced (the belt, not the stone). The cost was $450. Does this seem reasonable?
Andrew Patton, email

MISS AMERICA
I recently bought a 1974 Honda CB360 from the US. No need for you to tell me how hard it is to get parts for them in Australia, and that freight from America is a killer - I've learned this the hard way.

The engine has decent compression though it could do with a little more on the right cylinder (although it's still within the recommended specifications). When the engine starts it runs fine and sounds strong. After two or three minutes of warm-up it begins to sound like it's misfiring on the right cylinder and spitting fuel back out through the carbs.

Before pulling the engine apart, I was hoping to get some idea on what could be wrong. I have checked the valve clearances and they're fine, and I've also replaced the points, leads, caps and sparkplugs.

Could the lower compression on the right side be an issue? Could it be a valve issue due to the build-up of gunk on the cylinder head?
Anthony McManus, email

BACK ON THE BIKES
Just thought I'd drop you an update 15 months after re-entering motorcycling. My Kawasaki ZZ-R600 is still going just great but the suspension limitations were starting to become annoying, especially two-up. When it was time for servicing and tyres, I bit the bullet and got a suspension upgrade as well. This was done by Japanese Motorcycles at Kilburn, SA. These guys really know their stuff and got me Race Tech gear from Sydney, which also involved a rear spring made to order as there was nothing suitable off the shelf. Having read about doing this sort of upgrade in the pages of MT over the years, I can say it was worth every cent. It's made an extraordinary difference and increased confident cornering speed by around 20km/h. It's like falling in love with motorcycling all over again.

When I first purchased the ZZ-R, my youngest lad had just got his motorcycle licence and we had some great rides together. Alas, he's left home but, out of the blue, his next brother up has stepped into his shoes. As usual, we used MT to decide on a bike and it turned out to be a Hyosung GT650S (pictured). It has learner power to start with and bonus full power later - brilliant. It's only 12 months old and still has 12 months warranty - win-win. I'm of the opinion that mid-range bikes like ours are a damn near perfect fit for a great many of us and that we should let go of that "larger is better" ego trip and just enjoy the experience.
Quentin Rankmore, email