Bosozoku Kawa

Spotted recently on a transit through Tokyo for work this Bosozoku style Kawasaki Zephyr 400. This machine has all the correct Bosozoku styling cues: slightly raised handlebars, crazy upholstered sissy bar bar saddle, race exhaust and aero-wing tail trim. The only thing lacking for the full look is a high up mounted dolphin style fairing. The paint scheme is quite understated compared to many too. The classic Bosozoku helmets attached to the saddle are a nice touch.

The 400cc class is an important one in Japan as an extra license is needed to ride larger bikes and insurance is more expensive. Smaller fours and back in the day two stroke twins and triples are preferred Bosozoku mounts and the race exhaust is a pre-requisite. Part of the Bosozoku signature is playing crazy tunes on the pipe with the clutch in so a loud exhaust and a free revving engine is a requirement. Check out the embedded youtube clip of a Bosozoku meet rev battle, it's silly, brilliant and possibly as annoying as the crazy frog.

Recent rev battle at Bosozoku meet.

Vice News short film about a female Bosozoku.

This longer documentary from Vice News gives
a great insight into the culture then and now.

The two hundred quid Kwacker - part doh!

I've finally gotten round to getting the Ninja project up on to the workbench. In great optimism I had told myself that a fresh battery, fresh fuel and a drop of easy start would waken the beast. I was indeed right but then it all went wrong....

Finally up on the bench and getting some attention.

In the spirit of a skinflint project a friend donated a useable battery that was pretty much of correct dimensions. I gave it a charge, removed the airfilter to get maximum injection of easy start and put a couple of litres of 98 octane in through the filler. 

Fresh battery and a top up charge.

All the right warning lights came on, the motor cranked over a lot, spluttered a lot and then she burst in to life. Happiness, she sounded sweet as a nut and revved up fine so it looked like I wouldn't have to rebuild the carbs, good news.

Out of the workshop and on to the track round the back of our house, a gentle ride up and down and then stop to check all is well - I hadn't checked the coolant yet so didn't want to overheat her. Onto the stand and hmmm... a suspicious steady drip of oil.

Lights on!

Off came the sidepanels and a steady stream of rather milky looking oil was leaking down from the cylinder head area. Head gasket gone, so that was why she was laid up in the first place....

Alas the milkiness of the oil signifies that coolant has mixed with the oil where the head gasket has failed. With any luck no serious damage caused but it does mean flushing the cooling system, flushing the oil and a new head gasket.

And a suspicious oil slick.

And this, sadly is where I admit defeat. With several other projects on the go the dream of a dirt cheap classic back on the road for minimal effort has faded. Whilst fitting a new head gasket might possibly only take me one evening of work there is a chance I could have to go in deeper than that and don't want to get too sidelined away from other ongoing jobs. So, if anyone fancies a dirt cheap eighties classic then get in touch!

I'd still maintain that all the people who say that the hobby of classic / vintage motorcycling is unaffordable are wrong. Sure, on a limited budget you're not going to step right in to the scene and pick up a ready to go thirties thoroughbred for a song but there are plenty of bikes out there for not much money that you can have a lot of fun with and are fairly decent cheap daily transport too. 

The oil is coming from the cylinder head.

Spider's web is gratis with the bike. The oil in the cases looks
slightly emulsified.

Pure eighties. Quite a nice looking bike in my eyes.

Great number plate too. People you overtake will look at it
and think 'wink', definitely.

If Michael Knight were to give up Kitt for two wheels this
is 100% the bike he would ride.

The two hundred quid Kwacker

Sometimes a bike comes your way that just seems to good to refuse. Thanks to a contact on a vintage bicycle forum I was offered this Kawasaki. At first it didn't arouse too much interest in me but when I heard the price I though why not. I've never worked on a Japanese four before and it would be fun to give it a go.

Classic and vintage motorcycling sometimes takes stick for being an expensive hobby so I thought I could see how cheaply it can be done. The Ninja is from '89 and at 28 years old is legible for Vintage Motorcycle Club runs. It's not got the cachet of a GPZ900 but the ZX6 600cc Ninja is a classic in its own right and the styling is pure eighties.

The aim is to resurrect the bike which is a good, unmolested example on a reasonably low mileage (25k) for a budget of £5 per bhp and end up taking it touring. At 80bhp that works out at £400 so, as long as I can wake the engine form its five year slumber fairly easily, that gives me £200 to spend on tyres, battery and odds and sods.

First stop will be a quick check over, fresh fuel, lots of easystart spray, jump leads and crossed fingers....

1989 ZX6 Ninja.

Pure eighties, even down to dodgy 16 inch wheel size.

Sidecar cruelty

Matt's Kawasaki combo loaded up with folding trailer about to recover a poorly CX500 en route to the Flying Herman's Sidecar Treffen. Who needs the AA? Thanks for the picture Matt.

Kwacker combo earning its keep...

VMCC Godshill Autumn Run

Great clear Autumn weather last Sunday for perhaps the last clement run of the season. The start was the Fighting Cocks in Godshill in the New Forest for an amble through the National Park's narrow and scenic roads. A turnout of something like thirty bikes; myself I brought among my BMW R100RS, as unsuitable bike as could be for the terrain. I finished the day with sore wrists and back. The plan had been to take the Enfield J2 but a petrol tank leak put paid to that plan.

The Fighting Cocks is also a popular
gathering point for the free-roaming
Donkeys of the Forest. An appealing
expression brings easy pickings from
the plates of the pub's clientele.

This is the Vincent Owners' Club's HRD Meteor
available as a loan bike to members. It is parked
afront a Lotus Anglia that was coincidentally
sharing the car park.

Detail on the Lotus Anglia.

Immaculate Kawasaki Z1.

Few bikes have so many instantly recognisable design cues as
the Z1.

This fine Triton had just returned from the
Colombres Rally in Spain.

Vincent HRD Rapide.

My Norton Dominator loaned out for the day finds a new friend.

W650, Triumph 3HW ride out

Finally a sunny day and out for a spin on the loaned (thanks Dad!) Triumph 3HW accompanied by Ian on his Kawasaki W650. Bimbled around lanes of North Dorset up to the highest point in the county, Bulbarrow Hill. Saw a few guys Paragliding and rode up a track to take a look.

Kawasaki W650 on Bulbarrow Hill.

1944 Triumph 3HW.