HONDA XR75
Our youngest reader’s latest restoration!
Before we let Jack talk about his latest restoration, it’s worth saying that we are big fans of the lad. After all, with our magazine, the average age of the reader must be up in the 50s, at the very least – and yet here’s a 16-year-old getting in among it with restorations. Jack, we salute you! So, tell us about this build… Hello to fellow CMM readers! This is my 1976 Honda XR75. I was told about this cute little bike through a friend of ours at a motocross meeting and it got me thinking that I might like to take on another restoration! I mentioned it to my dad and he looked at the pictures and didn’t seem too keen. So, I didn’t think any more about it as it was getting close to Christmas at the end of 2017… But you know what dads are like eh? Unbeknownst to me dad had contacted the bloke and arranged to go and have a little look but the only time that suited them both as it was Christmas Eve… Anyway I was told that after a little haggling a deal was struck and you can guess what I got for my Christmas present! I couldn’t wait to get started on it! It's the way we are... If you ever had a computer game or Boy’s Own annual when you were young at Christmas, you want
to play/read it straight away, right? So, I was straight into the garage on Christmas Day and my mum was not impressed with me! Well, what can I say? I just wanted to get it running before I started to pull it all apart – but it just wasn’t happening. I tried all the normal stuff such as draining the carb and putting fresh petrol in, bump starting it, a trickle of break cleaner but at most it would splutter for a few seconds before it died. Frustrating eh? So after a few photos the strip-down began. Most things seemed to be there but in really rough shape. Bits were separated into various boxes for powdercoating, paint and stuff to repair and replace etc. Tim from T Spray Autos let me work at his place rubbing down, filling and preparing all the other parts that had to be painted so it kept the cost down: he would do the actual paint. At this point everything was coming together nicely. David Silver Spares seemed to have a good stock of parts for the bike and in some cases – like the wheel rims – it worked out cheaper to buy ‘new old stock’ ones and new nipples than having the original rims re-chromed! The only trouble was when I spotted a brand new, unused exhaust on David’s website. Cor! I just had to treat myself to it as the bike had some welded abortion that didn’t fit correctly and looked horrible! Please tell me you’d do the same? So bits were arriving, all was looking great but no news on the engine which was at our family-friend Steve Howlett’s from SHR Racing as he always does a smashing job of my brother’s motocross engines, but as the winter is the off season for motocross that becomes his busiest time. I was forced to wait and when he finally rang it was not good news as water had managed to get into the engine and left the barrel needing a rebuild. Worse: David Silver Spares couldn’t find a piston, but eventually I found I managed to find a 2mm oversized piston from Australia which didn’t really matter because the damage to the bore was rather deep. In typical Honda fashion the rest of the engine was in smashing shape after it had all been cleaned up, valves checked etc. and we were just waiting for the piston to arrive so the barrel could be cut out to the correct size. By the time the engine was all put back together the powder-coating was done and looking great. I laced the wheels myself but I had to have them professionally trued by Jamie at the Terrington Speedway Shop who did a smashing job as always. I put some new wheel bearings in and new brake shoes so then the rebuild could really begin. To be honest, it all came together really easily and funnily enough the hardest part of the restoration was trying to get a front tyre that was 16in in diameter and had the correct profile as literally no one sold a front 16-incher, they all seemed to be rears! I guess I should have built the front wheel to 17in specification, but I wanted to keep it totally original. I am so extremely pleased with how it all turned out. I just love the look of the bike and my favourite parts of it are the beautiful paint job and the stunningly-shaped exhaust! It is a proper old school competition bike in miniature. I was so surprised at how many people have said to me that they started racing on an XR75 or that was their first bike. I love it so much that I don’t think I’d ever part with it… but I guess we should never say never!