Vetter Kawasaki KZ1000

Vetter Kawasaki KZ1000

By guest writer Richard Fowler of Motorsport Retro. In 1976, the Englishman Reg Pridmore won the AMA Superbike Championship on a BMW R90S. The following year, he became the first man to win an AMA race on a Japanese bike: at Pocono in Pennsylvania. Pridmore scored this landmark victory on a Racecrafters Kawasaki, and went on to take the Championship for Kawasaki, another first for a Japanese brand.

For the 1978 season, Pridmore switched to the Vetter Kawasaki team. They gave him a brand new bike: the stunning KZ1000 you see above. And despite not winning a race, consistent podium finishes on this machine took Pridmore to his third straight title. At the age of 39, he’d become the oldest AMA Superbike champion—and the only Englishman to ever win the Championship.

The late Pierre DesRoches was the man who built the Vetter Kawasaki, and its DOHC inline four was a serious piece of equipment. Displacing 1015 cc and rumored to produce a sizzling 140 horsepower, the heavily reworked motor featured Yoshimura cams and pistons, and a close-ratio gearbox. Other performance bling included Axtell heads with larger valves, a heavily modified carburetor that was said to flow 85% better than stock, and a gorgeous hand-made Bassani exhaust. A unique Lockhart oil cooler was mounted on the rear guard. “I love where Pierre mounted that oil cooler,” Vetter himself reflected. “It looks distinctive, and is out in the airflow where it could do some good.”

According Pridmore, “Pierre wasn’t just a superb engine and chassis builder, but just the sweetest guy—quiet and friendly to everyone. He built me a wonderful racebike that season: it was fast, it handled really well and the engine was indestructible. We were really consistent that year.” The “big four” Japanese motorcycling giants carried on to dominate the AMA for 16 years, until Superbike World Champion Doug Polen broke the Japanese stranglehold, winning for Ducati in 1993. [Images via the excellent Vintage Superbike website.]

OSSA 250 Monocoque

OSSA 250 Monocoque

By guest writer Richard Fowler of Motorsport Retro. This amazing little OSSA 250cc Grand Prix bike finished 3rd in the 250cc World Championship in 1969. Its revolutionary monocoque stunned the Grand Prix paddock, yet the clearly superior design never found favour with the big manufacturers. Designed by Eduardo Giró, the son of OSSA founder Manuel Giró, the bike featured a six-speed gearbox mated to a single cylinder, 250 cc two-stroke rotary valve engine. It produced a modest 30 hp. The engine was no match for the fire-breathing V4 Yamahas of Phil Read and Billy Ivy, but with its clever magnesium monocoque chassis, the bike weighed a full 20 kg (44 lbs) less than the class-leading Japanese competition. Riding the bike was young Spanish superstar Santiago Herrero, who soon showed the world that despite its power deficit, the advantages of the innovative chassis were sufficient to bring the small team Grand Prix victories. Herrero reveled in the OSSA’s superior cornering and braking ability, throwing the OSSA into corners like it was a 125 cc lightweight. He was able to carry more speed whilst being super-accurate, and slice up the inside of his competitors under braking. It was all due to the monocoque superior chassis stiffness and weight. The 1969 campaign saw Herrero and the team win three Grands Prix against the previously unbeatable Yamahas and he led the Championship going into the final race—until a crash ended his title hopes. The tiny Spanish OSSA team again led the Championship in 1970, until Herrero crashed fatally at Isle of Man TT. Devastated by his death, the OSSA team immediately withdrew from road racing, never to compete again.

BMW R100RS

BMW R100RS

In 1977, BMW’s erstwhile R90S became the R100S. The boxer twin motor gained a useful 100 cc or so, 40 mm Bing carburetors were bolted on for smoother starting and running, and the cosmetics and paintwork were upgraded. The flagship was the radical-looking RS variant, which gained a full fairing and went gunning for the Japanese heavyweights of the time, such as Honda’s Gold Wing. With 70 hp, a 24-liter fuel tank and a 200 kph (124 mph) top speed, the R100RS became the ultimative Motorrad for the long-distance motorcyclists of the day. Cycle magazine somewhat enigmatically said, “The RS is its own bike, and expression, emblematic of course of BMW’s willingness to thrash with the Japanese but not necessarily a signpost pointing into the future. It is BMW’s Corvette; whether it succeeds or fails, there will always be Biscaynes enough for all.” Nowadays, the BMW R-series bikes are increasingly becoming candidates for customization, and more than a few café racer conversions are appearing. This lovely 1982 machine was modified by Australian Paul Cail, who has a background in television and advertising. Cail’s aesthetic tweaks have worked wonders for BMW’s tourer—that stubby bikini fairing and elegant seat unit make this RS as desirable today as the original must have been thirty years ago. [For an extensive list of R100RS links and information, check out webBikeWorld.]

Norton 880 Cafe Racer

Norton 880 Cafe Racer

I’ve been watching the progress of the new Norton venture with interest. I have to admit the new bikes don’t quite do it for me, but this one definitely does. It was built by Paul Zuniga, who has been messing around with classic motorcycles (especially old British iron) for over 20 years. For the past five years, Zuniga has been restoring old bikes for a living under the Born Again Bikes moniker, and his Norton ‘Monoshock’ stopped me in my tracks.

The gestation of this bike is convoluted—as seems to be the way with Nortons. “When I spotted a concept image of the proposed ‘New Norton’ in 2001, I knew I had to have one,” says Zuniga. “Kenny Dreer was acquiring the worldwide rights to the Norton name. He came up with a new horizontally split ‘wet sump’ engine, built a couple of test mules, and started taking deposits for the first 100 ‘signature’ edition bikes. My goal was to have one.”

Zuniga got tired of waiting for the new Norton, though. And then heard that Dreer was selling his operation to a buyer in Britain. “So I contacted Kenny and made a deal to buy some of his leftover VR880 stuff. Sometimes you just end up in the right place at the right time; it turned out Kenny still had most of the 951 prototype bike, so we made a deal.”

Zuniga bought several one-off components from the original prototype bike, including the monoshock swingarm, ‘tight tuck’ headers and carbon fiber primary. “He also sold me the blue gas tank, boat-tail seat and side covers, a set of FCR carbs, and most of the major components to build a VR880 engine—including a freshly rebuilt, high-end Baisley-built head and a Spyke electric starter.”

Zuniga’s plan was to take a ’75 Mark III Norton Commando frame and adapt it to accept the Dreer monoshock swingarm. “The adaptation proved to be a bit tricky, but using AutoCad, I was able to come up with a shock-top mount setup that was simpler than the horizontal layout on the original prototype bike.” For the front end, Zuniga plumped for a modern inverted fork, and sourced a nearly-new ZX6 front end locally. “The hardest part of the build was taking a Dreer VR880 front hub and sourcing the appropriate bearings and spacers to accept a modern 1” axle and 300mm full floating brake discs,” says Zuniga.

Zuniga also decided to leave building Dreer’s VR880 engine until later, and installed a complete Norton 850 (electric start) motor. He got an engine and rear end from a friend, and fabricated an electrical panel. He hand-wired the electrics on this bike, hooking up the classic charging system and lighting to a modern Sparx electronic ignition; the big-amp battery needed to crank the starter motor is hidden under the seat hump.

Zuniga decided against using clip-on handlebars: “I intended to put some miles on this bike as a regular rider, and my back can’t handle the boy-racer ergonomic position with clip-ons.” He did, however, install a set of Clubman racing rearset footpegs, using an earlier model right-foot-shift outer transmission cover and shifter shaft. The rest of the project came together pretty quickly and the results are what you see here, an original take on the ‘modern’ Norton Commando. [More details on Paul's project page.]

Tech sheet

Engine
Norton 850 Commando Mark III, vertical air-cooled OHV pushrod twin, dry sump
Kehin FCR 35mm flat-slide carbs mounted to 33mm intakes, matched to head
Norton 850 Mark III primary system & electric starter
OEM Norton 850 engine covers, oil pump, transmission & clutch (Sureflex clutch plates)

Chassis
Norton 850 Commando Mark III frame, modified for upper monoshock mounting
Dreer custom fabricated monoshock swingarm with “big bearing” conversion
Isolastic eng/trans mounting subframe, modified for e-start and swingarm bearings
Kawasaki 636 fork yokes, stem turned to fit OEM Norton steering bearings
Mark III vernier isolastic mount system with Taylor top steady and Eads front steady

Wheels & axles
Excel rims (2.5” F, 3.5” R) laced with Stainless Steel spokes & nipples by Buchanan’s
Custom built rear axle & spacers for OEM Norton Mark III rear hub
Kawasaki 636 front axle with custom built bearings by Buffalo Bearings
Dreer VR880 dual disc front hub & rotor spacers, with custom built axle spacers
Metzeler Lasertec tires: 100/90×19 Front, 120/80×18 Rear

Suspension & Brakes
Front: Showa 41mm fully adjustable (compression, rebound & damping) inverted forks
Rear: KYB fully adjustable, gas charged reservoir rear monoshock
Front: Dual 4-pot Tokiko calipers, 298mm Brembo full-floating rotors, Nissin master cyl.
Rear: 2-pot Nissin caliper, lightened & drilled Norton 280mm rotor, Nissin master cyl.

Cycle Parts
Dreer VR880 matched seat/tail, fuel cell & sidecovers; in Blue with Red & White pinstriping
Dreer ONE-OFF “tuck in” exhaust headers w/ peashooter reverse cone megaphone mufflers
RK 520 chain, Drag Specialties Aero 95mm gas cap assembly, CRG bar-end mirrors
Kawasaki 636 push-pull throttle & clutch lever assembly, Doherty HD cables
OEM Norton footpegs, center stand, oil tank, kickstarter

Electrical Equipment
Sparx 12 volt, 230 watt, 3-phase alternator, Sparx 3-phase regulator/rectifier, H4 halogen headlight
Sparx magnetic trigger electronic ignition, Blue Streak dual-lead 4 ohm, 12 volt ignition coil
Kawasaki 636 handlebar mounted lighting & accessory control switches (2005 spec)

1979 Yamaha HL500 Replica

1979 Yamaha HL500 Replica

Down here in Australia, winter is starting to draw in. We don’t get bad winters—certainly not cold enough to warrant having a ‘riding season’—but when I saw these pictures, I immediately thought that a little snow’s a good thing. Especially if you have a supercool 70s vintage motocrosser in the garage. Like this Yamaha HL500: a bike that’s rare, highly coveted, and talked of in hushed tones. And fair enough: it was the last truly effective four-stroke bike to win a Grand Prix, before the two-stroke domination began. The ‘HL’ is a reference to the Scandinavians who helped make this Yamaha famous, notably ‘Mr Motocross’ Torsten Hallman and Sten Lundin, although it was Bengt Aberg who grabbed many of the headlines. The motorcycle in the pictures comes from Husky Restorations of New York, a company that specializes in meticulous resto-mods of vintage dirtbikes. It took them three years to make this HL500, using a TT500 engine, YZ400 suspension, and the fuel tank, fenders and seat from a YZ125c. Most importantly, the frame was built by Geoff Morris Concepts (GMC)—one of the best vintage motocross frame experts out there. I’m no expert on the intricacies of vintage dirtbikes, but I know what I like—and I like the look of this bike very much. Methinks it’s time to get a little log cabin up in the Blue Mountains to the west of Sydney, and put an HL500 replica in the garage. Just the thing to blow out the cobwebs of the working week on a crisp, clear Sunday morning. [Check the Husky Restorations website for a terrific array of images, including Husqvarna 360s and 400s owned by Steve McQueen, Bud Ekins and Bent Aberg.]

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Speedweek: Brett Destoop

Speedweek: Brett Destoop

Brett Destoop is an interesting guy. He doesn’t own a road-registered bike, but a few days ago, he became the first man in Australia to go faster than 230 mph (370 kph) on a sit-down motorcycle. At the Lake Gairdner Speedweek meet, he rode his home-made ‘water bottle’ into the record books at exactly 232.108 mph.

Brett’s Suzuki runs in the APSF-1000 category, which means “A-frame special construct, partial streamline, fuel, 1000 cc”. It’s set not only an Australian record, but also eclipsed the next fastest time in its class—215mph, set by an R1 at Bonneville in 2004. The most amazing part is that the Maraylya man built the frame, fairing and most of the top end himself. The bike runs a 1973 Suzuki GT750 bottom end with a standard crank, upgraded big end bearings, and a strengthened clutch and gearbox. Brett cast the cylinders and pistons in his living room; he also made the heads, and welded and re-machined the crankcase. The bike runs on methanol and the frame is fully adjustable for rake and trail.

The images were shot by custom auto photographer Simon Davidson, who says: “Even though Brett only made a one way pass, I think it’s fair to claim a world record, if only for bragging rights. Brett describes a 200 mph run on his bike like flying a wing. Up to 180 mph he is only gaining enough speed for the bike to start to handle, and from there on in it’s flying … literally.”

“There are many other factors to consider like cross wind and the condition of the salt. If the bike gets out of shape at high speed, backing off on the throttle will buck you off. So, against all natural instincts, more throttle is the answer. Brett tells the story of how last year (at about 190 mph) the rear end was a little out of shape and he gently wound on throttle to bring the back end into line. Forgetting he was a gear lower, he hit the power band hard, spun the back wheel, changed gears and ran 210.169 mph. He described the moment as terrifying and exhilarating all at once.”

Speedweek is held annually at Lake Gairdner in South Australia, usually in March each year: a run on the salt involves three miles of run up, before you get timed over three one-mile gates. For more information, check the Dry Lakes Racing Association website. [Many thanks to Simon Davidson: see more of his work on his portfolio website and blog.]

Nikon D3S | 1/160s | f/8 | ISO 100 | Focal length 38mm

Norton ‘Dresda-Davidson’

Norton ‘Dresda-Davidson’

Some motorcycles just look exactly ‘right’, with every component in aesthetic harmony. To my eyes, Shane Venn’s ‘Dresda-Davidson’ is one of those bikes. It’s using a 1970 Harley XLCH Sportster motor in a Norton wideline featherbed frame, and it was built by Dave ‘Mr Triton’ Degens of Dresda. To accommodate the Harley’s right side chain drive, Degens fitted a box-section swinging arm and a reversed Norton rear hub. The Oldani-style twin-leading-shoe front drum brake is drilled and ventilated to disperse heat, which is probably a good idea given the torque output of the 54 ci (883 cc) ironhead motor. The aluminum rims are Morad, the shocks are Hagon, and the front forks are Triumph/BSA telescopic units with the springs exposed. This bike appears in the latest issue of Greasy Kulture magazine; owner Shane Venn is quoted as saying, “I’ll keep this long term now, and I already use it for weekend blasts and occasionally to go to work on. It feels like a modern bike, or a modern classic at least, and looks fantastic. It can still be sometimes a bit difficult to start, usually in front of other people, but it does everything I ask of it—though I would love a Norvin!” I don’t know about you, but I reckon this machine is one of the best Norton-related café racers around. [Thanks to GK editor Guy Bolton; the images are by James Adam Bolton. Order your copy of Greasy Kulture magazine here.]