Winter was coming and I needed a project:something quirky, something rare!
I’ve restored a few Mach III Kawasakis in the past, a couple of Triumphs, a Norton Commando, GT Suzis (125, 185, 250) so what next?
Eventually, I spotted a tiny ad in a classic bike mag for a 1975 Suzuki RE5 M that had been sitting in a garage for 35 years. I knew nothing about RE5s other than the fact that they’ve been touted as the worst motorbike ever made and that Suzuki nearly went to the wall because of them. Clearly with no logic in the decision I had to have it…
It was a non-runner (a bad thing), but it was a complete bike (a good thing.) Best of all, it was being sold by the great Sammy Miller of The Sammy Miller Museum fame! He wanted £3500 for it, so I saddled up the TDM850 and headed south to take a gander. I’d always wanted to meet this legend of a man and check out his museum, so this was going to be an interesting trip.
Sammy is an enigma: he’s 86, but looks 60, and is still brimming with energy and vitality and I realised I wasn’t going to be haggling the price down! I had a great time looking at the museum’s collection (and bikes yet to find room), but that’s another story. Sammy agreed to the RE5 delivered to me as part of the price.
Denne historien er fra June 2020-utgaven av Classic Motorcycle Mechanics.
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Denne historien er fra June 2020-utgaven av Classic Motorcycle Mechanics.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Honda VFR750R - RC30
If there’s a more worshipped V4 out there, we’ve yet to see it: welcome to our reboot of the awesome VFR750R RC30…
Mountain tension!
Award-winning motorcycle engineer!
Fazer set to STUN!
What do you get when you mix CRK’s lovely café racer kit to Yamaha’s budget middleweight and the recently-retired Martin Fox? Well, one helluva foxy Fazer!
Project Suzuki 1984 RG250 part 4 BRUNO BARES ALL!
This month, while we wait for backorder engine parts, we strip the chassis back to the bare frame, assess what is needed and plan the reassembly…
Project Kawasaki Z900 Stocker part 2 Ralph has a blast!
For the best finish on his Z900’s motor Ralph wants the best, so he visits Stephen Smethurst Casting Renovation to find out how it’s done properly.
Project Suzuki TS400 Part 8 Loom with a view!
We’re getting down into the nitty-gritty this time with component testing and loom building. What could go wrong?
Project Yamaha TX750 Part 12 A question of balance…
Only The Beach Boys had good vibrations… so what’s Mark been up to, to sort out the bad ones coming from his TX750?
Splitting links
Ralph Ferrand works with tools all day long – he sells them too at bikerstoolbox.co.uk so he knows what works.
STAVROS: PRINCE OF PRANKSTERS!
It’s probably fair to say that Stephen JamesParrish’s persona and overall levity throughout his life have muddied the waters as to just how good a bike racer he was back in the day.
Metal magic!
Ralph Ferrand works with tools all day long – he sells them too at bikerstoolbox co uk so he knows what works.. .