The magazine for classic Japanese motorcycles

One Step Closer

People seem convinced our project bike’s never going to get finished and I may well have agreed with them a couple of issues back, but not anymore. We’re well on schedule and, with the progress that’s been made this month, I’m now confident enough to shoot my mouth off and say we’ll have it finished in time to display at October’s Mechanics Stafford Show.

I had two aims for this issue; to find those elusive spares I needed and to clean up that tatty old engine. And I’m glad to say I can tick both of those boxes and a couple more while I’m at it.

Let me start by telling you about my mega parts find at Used Kawasaki Parts in Kings Lynn. What a place. Think of Aladdin’s cave, only without the tacky oil lamps and quirky genies, instead rammed to the rafters with shiny exhaust systems and beautifully shaped fuel tanks. If you needed a Kawasaki part, chances are they had it in multiples. Just like my weekly shop at Tesco, I turned up with my shopping list and, with the help of proprietor Chris, I managed to find everything I needed, from Zephyr 550 yokes, wheels and a swingarm to an awesomely shaped Kawasaki SR650 fuel tank. What’s more, I picked everything up for a bargain £358; some £40 under my budget.

Driving home with a smile wider than a Cheshire cat, I figured I was finally getting somewhere with the project and it felt fantastic. I was so enthusiastic in fact, I decided to give the complete bike and all my new parts a thorough degrease and wash down. And that’s when I discovered just how battered and corroded all the Z550 stuff was. Flaky paint and several layers of grease had done a top job of hiding the true condition of our bike, leaving me with a big headache and a pile of rust.

Disappointing as it was, I didn’t want my discovery to mar progress any further, so I made the decision to get everything blasted back to bare metal. After coating the engine in paint stripper, I began flicking through CMM’s very own pages and came across an advert for GP Services in Leicestershire. They were promoting every kind of blasting from grit to vapour, so I decided to check out their website (www.gprestore.com).

Browsing the site’s gallery, I was impressed by the level of work I was seeing and equally so by the prices which went with them. I’d seen enough. I made the phone call and got my parts booked in for some serious titivation. Picking up eBay purchased Zephyr 550 fork legs en route, I made the trip over to GP Services and was greeted hospitably by head man George and his colleague David. After a much appreciated cup of tea, they took the time to show me the different finishes available on my bike parts and advised which options would work best to achieve the finishes I desired. What a service. Having talked through each and every item’s fate,
I left the lads to it.

A week later I made a return visit and couldn’t believe the transformation they’d achieved with my parts. Everything looked brand new; especially the carbs which had been treated to both vapour blasting and an ultrasonic clean. They looked amazing.

I couldn’t get my head around how much difference the blasting had made. I felt like a pimp, only poorer, with blingy alloy all over the place. The swinging arm and freshly polished yokes looked particularly trick, along with the wheels and fork leg bottoms which had also been polished up to a mirror-like state. Crazy as it sounds, even the frame looked great, rid of all its flaky paint and rust, ready and waiting to be hacked around in our next issue as I attempt the dry build. Should be easy, shouldn’t it? Any advice? Email me at bruce@classicmechanics.com

Thanks

A special thanks to Chris at Used Kawasaki Parts: www.usedkawasakiparts.com / 01553 811866 – and to George and David at GP Services: www.gprestore.com / 0116 284 9125

Words: Bruce Wilson
Photos: Joe Dick