YOUR CLASSICS
Dave Hindley dipped his toe into motorcycle personalisation with a ‘factory custom’, then came a Thunderbolt
How a Yamaha XS custom restoration led to a British bike
IN THE JUNE issue, Gez Kane’s comments on ‘factory’ customs in his road test of the Triumph T140D Special are understandable, in reference to the XS650 being a fine motorcycle and the XS650SE being a ‘not so fine’ motorcycle. It has to be said, though, that the XS650SE rims do have an uncanny resemblance to the Triumph rims. When I bought mine, seven years ago (I part-ex’d a Moto Guzzi Breva as I couldn’t shift it), I was kind of thinking I’d lost my senses. I nailed it home ASAP, then promptly took it apart to save the embarrassment of friends seeing my latest purchase – because whatever I did with it, it couldn’t be any worse! It was my first proper foray into customising/ personalising a motorcycle from its ‘standard’ appearance, though I admit it could’ve been tidier. Roll on seven years and, with winter upon us, it seemed justifiable to treat it to a full strip and paint of all metalwork. Since I’ve had it, it’s travelled to the Piston Rally in Spain and completed the ‘5000 Curves’ run there, plus travelled across to the Ardennes a number of years ago. The only real improvements were the fitment of Hagons with damping adjustment, Progressive fork springs and a fork brace. Then, finally, I fitted a Boyer ignition and a Heiden Tuning hydraulic clutch conversion that transformed it – I can even select neutral when it’s hot, plus it now fires on the button! I feel it’s more pleasing to the eye than the original Yamaha ‘custom’ concept! These initial results encouraged me to break into British motorcycles (I started riding in the early ’80s, when Japan ruled). I’d already had a brief foray into this scene several years previously, rebuilding an A50 Royal Star engine with a work colleague as ‘moral support’. It’s probably helped hanging around with a staunch British bike nut, hence I bit the bullet and bought a tired 1970 A65 Thunderbolt three years ago. I rode it once prior to stripping, thinking: ‘Why wait till winter?’ I fitted Tommaselli/laverda Ace bars (made in Germany), a Tommaselli throttle and Tarozzi rearsets. The engine was fresh from a rebuild and oil-feed conversion, so I changed the clutch, pressure relief valve and oil pump (curing the wet sumping) to SRM items, fitted a Dunstall alloy clutch basket and fettled the gearbox for a smoother transmission. Powder coating was done by CMF of Slough in ‘Disco Black’. Tab Classics supplied the work of art that is the tank! It has to be said that knowing machinists and fabricators helps – my brother has been the sole manufacturer of all my exhausts over the years and is to TIG welding what Harry Potter is to waving a wand! I give my assistance to others in return (in the past I’ve dug holes in the ground for large ponds in payment). Both bikes are a pleasure to ride and own – personal more than anything, maybe not iconic but certainly ‘special’!