Workshop

The sticky business of cleaning and re-sealing fuel tanks can be tricky to get right first time, especially as there are so many cleaners and sealants now on the market. Ian Potter of Tank Care Products shares some of his expertise with us… I have sold many thousands of these kits and coated many tanks…

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Stu Thomson wanted to improve the low-rev running on his Laverda 750 twin. So here’s how he fitted a modern electronic ignition unit to it… I have fitted a Pazon Surefire ignition to my Laverda 750cc SF1. I used the unit designed for the Triumph, BSA and Norton twins. I am a retired engineer and…

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Classic bikes can create all sorts of problems, especially the more unusual models. Phil Speakman has been puzzling over how to extract a seized crank on his Adler Favorit… When you’re rebuilding a classic bike there’s a certain amount of procrastination involved. Although maybe ‘procrastination’ isn’t really the right word now I think about it.…

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The Power Behind The Bang Behind The Clutch Behind The Rear Tyre… Dave Minton explains about sparks… You may have grasped that I have, through probably crack brained deliberations, become the owner of a Velocette Venom. As to the reason why, rather than repeat myself or leave insufficient opportunity for further tales of the drive…

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If you’re restoring a classic bike at home, then you’ll inevitably need to paint some components. Sending everything off to the professionals can be costly, so Laurie Packer investigates a new DIY option… With a good few restorations under my belt I am delighted when I come across a product which does exactly as it…

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Neil Cairns didn’t have the correct special tool to hand when he replaced the fork seals on his AJS single. So he… improvised… If you plan on keeping your old bike for a while and want to work on it yourself, then it seems sensible to build up a stock of the particular tools to…

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Changing the cambelt is probably the most difficult part of servicing one of Morini’s modular v-twins. Paul Compton, Paul Morgan-Knight, Mark Bailey and Martin Gelder show how it’s done using high definition shed-o-vision video and greasy smudge photography… The Moto Morini factory workshop manual, or the Blue Book as it’s more widely known, recommends changing…

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Malcolm Thomason loves his MZ, but its going was definitely better than its stopping. He looked at the front brake with an engineer’s eye… Everybody knows that the Supa 5 front drum brakes are rubbish. Don’t they? But why? The front brake is the same size as the rear one, and that can lock the…

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Bennet Longman was so frustrated by the electrical shortcomings of his Ariel Square Four that he developed his own alternator conversion. So now he can ride at night with excellent illumination, without having to rev the engine senseless… Owners of the alloy-engine variants of the Ariel Square Four will be excited by the possibility of…

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Derek Pickard looks at the stock MZ250 carb situation, tries the alternatives, finds what works and gives the details of how to make your ETZ run super sweet… Let’s start with a few hard facts: The BVF carb as fitted to the MZ two-strokes can only be considered ‘average’ in its metallurgy and machining. It…

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