Part way through a restoration? Just completed a trick special? Send us your pics, and details
To: editorial@pspb.co.uk. Please include clear, high-resolution pictures as well some info on bike, as you see below. Our top pick wins a year’s sub to The PS
1980 Suzuki GT200 X5
Owner: Sean Clarkson
Owned for: four years
So far: gathering parts for total resto
What’s next: sort final details
H aving started biking in the 1980s on a 50cc, Suzuki X1, restoring an X5 made perfect nostalgic sense for me. I also thought it would be far more rideable than a 50. When I bought it four years ago, it was a complete wreck.
So I completely restored everything. I had the forks rechromed, rebuilt the engine, fitted new-old-stock exhausts and re-lined the fuel tank. Throughout the build I have tried to keep the bike as original as I possibly could. That meant things like zinc plating all of the bolts and fasteners I was able to save. I’ve started the bike up and it runs great. Now there are just a few jobs to do and it will be finished.
1988 Honda CBR400RR NC23
Owner: Alex Acott
Owned for: one year
So far: extensive recommission
What’s next: try to make some money back
T he trial and tribulations your man Alan Seeley has suffered with his ZXR400 were of great interest to me because I’ve just done the same with my 1988 Honda CBR400RR NC23 Tri-Arm.
I paid £1000 for it with seven year-old fuel still in the tank and carbs from when it had been parked up.
Having picked up the bike in July 2021 it was ready for its first MoT at Easter this year. Basically, anything consumable needed replacing, including a very expensive ethanol-proof, 39-piece O-ring and gasket set for the carbs. It is up for sale now, as, so we’ll see if I make my money back. Good luck to you too, Alan.
1989 Yamaha FZR1000 EXUP
Owner: Mike Taylor
Owned for: 18 months
So far: total strip
What’s next: ground-up rebuild
C urrently I am rebuilding this 1989 EXUP which I rescued a year and a half ago from a damp garage in London it had sat in for nine years. It was showing a genuine low mileage of 15k. Initially my intention was to do a quick refresh of the EXUP and then MoT it, and run it. So I set about all the usual checks including an ultrasonic carb clean but disappoint-ingly it refused to run properly.
The decision to embark on a full rebuild came when the bike decided to make two of its downpipes glow a bright cherry red. So for the moment it is completely down to its constituent parts.
